The hunt for the rest of October

...Where exactly has it gone? I cannot believe it is half over. There is still so much to do though! My roommate from college is coming to visit this weekend (can't wait!), I'm going to see the boys and the Tragically Hip in DC the following weekend, then we will be having a Halloween party for kids at the Inn, Maureen's birthday, and then November will be bringing with it the beginning of the holiday rush. These are all wonderful things and it is great to have so much to look forward to-I would so much rather be busy than sitting around waiting for things to happen.

Things at the Inn are running smoothly. Last week was big for the FVMs, as we began coordinating meals all by ourselves. It's a lot of responsibility in that we are making sure that everything gets done, but we are never lacking in knowledgable help on the part of the team, so it is certainly doable. I still have a lot to learn, especially the names and stories of our guests: who rips us off regularly, who gets an extra meal every day, who the exceptions are to every rule. Today as I was handing out tickets for the morning takeaway breakfast, I mistook someone for a guest who has been banned and was very embarrassed when he showed me his ID. I worked the morning shift with Katelyn as coordinator, so I got to stand in the yard and hand out tickets and keep an eye on things. There was almost a fight in my ticket line, but luckily things died down before coming to blows. I also received my first marriage proposal which, when I turned it down, turned into a highly indecent proposal which I also politely refused, explaining that my boyfriend would probably be jealous and it is such a nice day, wouldn't you rather go sit down and enjoy your coffee? The latter was much more effective than the former. There was also a commotion in the yard regarding the influx of wildlife at the Inn. A cat has recently adopted us and regularly (usually unsuccessfully) hunts the pigeons that flock in the yard to consume the remains of bread left by the guests. A stray dog had followed someone in today and many of the guests rushed over to feed him. It is funny, yet heartbreaking, to see such childlike reactions toward a left-behind cat and a dirty, flea-ridden dog. These are probably the only animals some of our guests have gotten to see or touch in a while. Pets are generally a luxury and wild animals are uncommon in the city. Aside from one man trying to get the cat to smoke his cigarette, the animals were treated very gently and lovingly.

Happy Fall everyone! I've gotten to see a few beautiful leaves in my recent travels, and I hope you are getting to see some gorgeous colors, too!!