People...

For those of you who exist in the clarified, rarified world of upper-
echelon corporate life, or hang out with pilots all day, it's hard to
remember the wide range of human behaviors that exist. I, too, once
existed there, and clearly remember walking the halls of the Fortune
500 company, finding it easy to believe that the whole world was
populated by intelligent, hard-driving "doers".

When you run a hotel, however, you see the entire panoply of the human
experience, often in the same day. Over time you realize that the
world is split unevenly between "doers" and "takers", and it's
sometimes hard to tell which side is winning. After a day like
yesterday it's hard to even believe that we've lumped so many
different creatures under the one title "homo sapiens".

On Saturday we:

- Hosted a gathering of Swearingen SX-300 pilots in our Jack Knight
Meeting Room. These top-notch pilots held a seminar on formation
flying, and then spent the day thrilling the city with formation over-
flights. They're doing it again as I'm typing this. (If you're not
familiar with the SX-300, I suggest doing a web search. It is about
the coolest single engine plane out there.)

- Dealt with a couple of Wayne's World look-alikes, who -- at 11 AM --
staggered into the lobby so stoned they couldn't feel their feet,
looking for a suite. Mary took one look at them, loudly pronounced
what she was smelling in their presence, and told them to hit the
bricks....

- Took a call from a former guest who -- a week ago -- claimed to have
tripped and fell entering the Mustang Suite. She has supposedly gone
to a chiropractor three times, and is threatening to sue us if we
don't compensate her in some way.

All of this happened between 11 AM and 1 PM. Call it "The Good, The
Bad, and The Ugly".

Next time you're sitting at your big desk in your corner office,
gazing over the city whilst sipping your third latte of the day and
sweating your stock options, try to remember that the real world is
just beyond the smoked glass...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ps.com...
For those of you who exist in the clarified, rarified world of upper-
echelon corporate life, or hang out with pilots all day, it's hard to
remember the wide range of human behaviors that exist. I, too, once
existed there, and clearly remember walking the halls of the Fortune
500 company, finding it easy to believe that the whole world was
populated by intelligent, hard-driving "doers".

When you run a hotel, however, you see the entire panoply of the human
experience, often in the same day. Over time you realize that the
world is split unevenly between "doers" and "takers", and it's
sometimes hard to tell which side is winning. After a day like
yesterday it's hard to even believe that we've lumped so many
different creatures under the one title "homo sapiens".


Yeah. For every one of me, there are 10 Mxsmanic's, and 0.0001 Ron
Wantaja's.

On Oct 7, 12:09 pm, "Ken Finney" wrote:
"Jay Honeck" wrote in message

ps.com...

For those of you who exist in the clarified, rarified world of upper-
echelon corporate life, or hang out with pilots all day, it's hard to
remember the wide range of human behaviors that exist. I, too, once
existed there, and clearly remember walking the halls of the Fortune
500 company, finding it easy to believe that the whole world was
populated by intelligent, hard-driving "doers".

When you run a hotel, however, you see the entire panoply of the human
experience, often in the same day. Over time you realize that the
world is split unevenly between "doers" and "takers", and it's
sometimes hard to tell which side is winning. After a day like
yesterday it's hard to even believe that we've lumped so many
different creatures under the one title "homo sapiens".

Hmmm... Come to my world for a day... Sorry to point this out, but
the takers are winning...
The, don't work, won't work, sashay in hours late for the appointment
with a 'you owe me' attitude...
The whiners, whackos, and just plain crazy are increasing in numbers
as the decades go by..
My suspicion is thet we doers have created this...
We have made the world so safe there is no penalty for being lazy or
crazy...
A hundred years ago if you refused to work, you starved... And the
town merely shrgged and said, 'that'll learn ya, durn ya'...
Those who pay little or nothing (per their insurance) out of their
pocket at the time of service are increasingly hostile and
demanding...
The medicaid insured who are required by state law to pay just two
dollars for an office call have every excuse in the book why they
can't do that...
The clueless, who owe us thousands of dollars that they have never
made a single dollar in payment upon,
scream and swear and spit literally at my receptionist when she
informs them they have to pay before service from now on...

I have been actively practicing medicine for over 30 years, and we
have been in this office for 26 years, and until this past week
I have never turned a patient away for any reason - and especially
over money - but my accountant tells me if I do not start getting paid
I might as well close the doors....

Then there are the mentally challenged who can't seem to grasp that if
they eat everything in sight and weigh over 300 pounds,
why I can't just give them a pill that will make them look like a
magazine cover model...
The diabetics who can't grasp the fact that if they skip their insulin
they will wind up in the EMR unconcious - and keep doing it...
And the COPD with heart failure who can barely walk across the room
who tell me they can't
quit smoking because they will gain weight if they do! honest injun
story


denny

Welcome to my world of emergency medicine (the good, the bad and the
ugly of human behavior; unfortunately I can't take one look at them
and throw them out due to pesky federal laws).

And people wonder why I need to go fly (and go for my daily jog) to
clear my head...

And no, I'm not flying while distracted (like Jay got lambasted upon
after a hard day at work in a recent thread). I'm distracted by flying
from the distractions of everyday life...

Unfortunately my 172 is in annual and I'm starting to withdraw...the
shakes are starting, it's been 7 days...I need a second airplane just
for annual time and when it's down for maintence! (speaking of Ron
Wanntaja, I'm enamoured with a Fly Baby!)

-Ryan

"Denny" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 7, 12:09 pm, "Ken Finney" wrote:
"Jay Honeck" wrote in message

ps.com...

For those of you who exist in the clarified, rarified world of upper-
echelon corporate life, or hang out with pilots all day, it's hard to
remember the wide range of human behaviors that exist. I, too, once
existed there, and clearly remember walking the halls of the Fortune
500 company, finding it easy to believe that the whole world was
populated by intelligent, hard-driving "doers".

When you run a hotel, however, you see the entire panoply of the human
experience, often in the same day. Over time you realize that the
world is split unevenly between "doers" and "takers", and it's
sometimes hard to tell which side is winning. After a day like
yesterday it's hard to even believe that we've lumped so many
different creatures under the one title "homo sapiens".

Hmmm... Come to my world for a day... Sorry to point this out, but
the takers are winning...
The, don't work, won't work, sashay in hours late for the appointment
with a 'you owe me' attitude...
The whiners, whackos, and just plain crazy are increasing in numbers
as the decades go by..
My suspicion is thet we doers have created this...
We have made the world so safe there is no penalty for being lazy or
crazy...
A hundred years ago if you refused to work, you starved... And the
town merely shrgged and said, 'that'll learn ya, durn ya'...

snip

The Bible is quite clear on the subject: "Let his who will not work, not
eat." ( 2 Thessalonians 3:10).

Works for me!

wrote in message
ps.com...
And people wonder why I need to go fly (and go for my daily jog) to
clear my head...

And no, I'm not flying while distracted (like Jay got lambasted upon
after a hard day at work in a recent thread). I'm distracted by flying
from the distractions of everyday life...


I "fly a (management) desk" now that I have "retired" from active military
flying.
So people wonder why I spend every Saturday at the local soaring club...
it's called rejuvenation.

BT

Hmmm... Come to my world for a day... Sorry to point this out, but
the takers are winning...
The, don't work, won't work, sashay in hours late for the appointment
with a 'you owe me' attitude...
The whiners, whackos, and just plain crazy are increasing in numbers
as the decades go by..
My suspicion is thet we doers have created this...

Absolutely agree. As with all things, I suspect it's cyclical. The
deficit shows that the takers are taking more than we doers can
produce, and the whole cradle-to-grave welfare system in America and
Western Europe will soon come crashing down.

We've now spent three months, and several thousand dollars,
advertising for two positions (one full- and one part-time) at the
hotel. These are not difficult jobs (front desk), but they do require
a person with the ability to follow procedures and be personable. It
also helps if they aren't afraid of working.

We have now hired seven people -- quite literally all seven who have
applied. One never showed up for their first day; one turned out to
be bipolar, and I literally had to call the police to get them out of
here; one showed up late their first two days -- I fired him on the
fourth day; one stole money from us but left before I could fire her.

The other three are still on the payroll, for now. (Why three? Cuz
we went with three part-time workers, rather than risking hiring
another full-time nut-case.)

Meanwhile, I see able-bodied young men standing in front of WalMart
with a cup, begging for change to buy cheap wine, and eating three
free squares a day at the "shelter".

Five years ago I had all the staff I wanted, and few guests. Now I've
got guests coming out of my ears, and few staff. Anyone who says the
economy isn't booming (and, of course, the media would NEVER report
this in an election year) is simply not paying attention.

It's frightening. Luckily, flying is a wonderful escape from it all.
Unfortunately, Sunday afternoon is our usual time to go "family
flying" -- but I'm working till 8 PM tonight because we have no one to
work this shift...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 08:04:24 -0700, Jay Honeck
wrote:

For those of you who exist in the clarified, rarified world of upper-
echelon corporate life, or hang out with pilots all day, it's hard to
remember the wide range of human behaviors that exist.

Some of us are on the lower "echelons" of corporate life, so I totally
get it.

My "office" alternates between an 8'x10' cubicle and the windshield of
a clapped-out 2000 Chevy Cavalier with Scotchlight major telephone co.
logos on the side.

My wife and I subscribe to the "pay yourself first" plan, so the 401k
and her 403b get paid well before the airplane payment. I build
high-end cabinets and custom furniture to pay for my half of a Beech
Sundowner. Soon, I expect to instruct to pay for my flying. I've had
part time jobs my entire life, as a musician, sound engineer, trim
carpenter, bicycle salesperson, bicycle mechanic, tile and hardwood
floor mechanic, and airport lineman to supplement my fun.

I look at it as "all good", as I've had experiences that I wouldn't
trade for all the money in the world. I know those behaviors... G

My "office" alternates between an 8'x10' cubicle and the windshield of
a clapped-out 2000 Chevy Cavalier with Scotchlight major telephone co.
logos on the side.

Ugh...cubicle life. I spent a few years in one, and wouldn't want to
go back any time soon.

On the other hand, I also worked in one of those vaunted "open office
settings", where you literally had a desk and a file cabinet, in the
middle of a dozen or more other people who ALSO had a desk and a file
cabinet, in one giant room. The idea was to "promote communication and
work flow"...

I'll take the cube any day, thanks. Every single person had to stop
at your desk on their way through "just to say 'hi!'" -- which meant
ZERO work was ever accomplished. Being a social person it was fun,
but in the end very, very frustrating.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Very well stated Denny.

I believ you are right... the "Do'ers" created this worthless POS
"takers" by enabling them.

Some things will have to change in this country or it will end
up a chapter in history one day along with the Roman empire.