Northbound or Bust: Day 7 and 8: Reign of the Mighty Mouse

When I've lived with people prior to renting my little place, it never worked out. There were squabbles, kerfuffles, and large degrees of separation. I'd never spend any time in my room or house, or my music would be all I could tolerate when I did. And now, after living on my own for over a year, I'm not the only one residing at home. After last night, things feel like they're snowballing. But I won't list my shortcomings or current dilemmas because the funny stories, positive developments, and highlights deserve the limelight.

So here we go!

Day 7 and 8: Reign of the Mighty Mouse

Thanks to MTV, since middle school people hear my name and there is always one comedian who asks, "Tila Tequila?!". No guys, not her. Not even close. But I'm protesting to a brick wall (or three) at that point. And that's where I started with my acting supervisor. Over the walkie-talkie he'd radio, "Matt to Teela Tequila.". I'd fuss, but that only made it worse, so I ran with it and yesterday earned a new, Teela-approved nickname: Mighty Mouse. Here's why:

I think I bungee-d 5-7 very full trash bags on there by myself and transported them from one end of the property to the dumpsters on the other side (the area where I work is fairly large). Not a single one fell off. Yeah, I'm pretty mighty. No big deal. I showed the picture to my supervisor and earned my newest moniker (even comes with its own theme song!).

In case you were wondering, yeah, that space buggy is a blast to drive. She's not mine to zip around in if I'm busy with my supervisor, but errands and night shift? This baby's mine! Maxine's (Matt, my supervisor's choice not mine) normal top speed is about 16 because the Higher-Ups disengaged the high gear (max at 35mph) which was probably a wise idea. But I managed to max the buggy out at 20mph going downhill. I felt like a champ. Never disregard the small victories in life.

Part of my job includes helping the guests whether it be pointing them in the right direction or giving them a ride, and always with a smile and bright attitude. Last night, I was going down the hill at one point to find my supervisor (his walkie was tuned to the wrong channel so he couldn't hear me or the front desk's requests) and saw a woman was walking with a much younger man (her son, maybe?). She was relying on him pretty heavily for support going down the steepest hill on the property. Looked like awfully slow going and she was shaking really badly (an age thing?) so I offered them a ride. Unfortunately there was only one seat, but the man had no problem walking. What a lovely lady! Her name was Maria, she was from Florida, and was pleasant and grateful for the ride. Another story: A woman called over my coworker and I (a different one than mentioned in the other post) and asked us if we had to take Friendliness Classes because everyone she has met or interacted with on their entire cruise has been helpful, cheerful, and accommodating. That was neat to hear! I suggested she travel with us again since it was such a good experience. Yeah, I'm a good employee. Interacting with the guests is one of my favorite aspects of my job. Chatting with them, pointing them in the right direction, and making sure they see a bright and happy face. Sometimes a "Hello!" is all a person needs to turn around their day.

My supervisor (Matt) recommended me to our manager to be posted semi-full time at the Main Lodge monitoring their bathrooms and trash bins. Sounds simple, but there are busloads of people ebbing and flowing through there constantly which means that it needs constant attention. The thought kind of bummed me out because I wouldn't be riding (or more importantly, driving!) around as much, but then they explained why: My supervisor described me to our manager as a spitfire, great with the guests, bubbly, and energetic. A great representative for Princess. Man, my ego inflated quite a bit. Truthfully though, I give this job my all and I'm astounded how fast it's paying off.

My first tip! Ran around singing

"I got a dollar! I got a dollar! I got a dollar hey hey hey hey!"

from Little Rascals for awhile.