Two Guest Posts For The Price of One!

Hello there, humans, this is The Hook’s favorite four-legged dependent, Chelsea.2012-08-22 11.46.44

My “master” (in my experience it’s wise to humor the big guy every once in awhile.), has had one heck of a day off which I’m sure he’ll be filling you in on eventually.

Incidentally, I don’t get the whole social media thing; dogs say volumes with a series of barks or a sniff of a butt.

Hey, don’t judge me, I’ve seen some of the things you humans get up to….

 But I digress, that’s happens when you have a short attention -

Here are some of my life rules that have made me the happy, well-adjusted canine that you see today.

1)  Nap frequently. I’m useless if I don’t get my eighteen hours a day.

2)  Whenever possible, chase squirrels. We all need something to strive for. I have yet to catch one, but that’s not the point. Besides, those little furry devils are plotting something, I just haven’ figured out what yet.

3)  Don’t be afraid to eat whatever falls on the floor in front of you. Because you should never deny your palate something new.

4)  Bark, just for the heck of it. God gave you a voice for a reason, folks.

5)  Never forget to lie in the sun.

6)  Always stretch when waking up. I don’t know about you, but I’d be ashamed to get a charley horse.

7)  Remember, we were all strays until someone loved us.

8)  Never trust a cat. They make squirrels look like angels!

9)  Sometimes all it takes to console someone is to cuddle up at their feet. Admittedly, this works better for me, but you get the point, right? Sometimes all we need to heal is to know someone loves us.

10)  At least once a day, embrace your inner animal. You humans spend more time thinking than any other creature on this planet, but what has it gotten you? Most of you are miserable. Take a good look at your pets; we know the secret to life is to trust your instincts.

And now, I’m going to turn things over to one of The Hook’s favorites, Miss Becca Cord. Personally, I’m not so sure I trust a cat lover, but apparently she’s good people…

Go Home Fear, You’re Drunk

Hello Flysters, lovely to be writing a post here today. Guess what? I have a new article for The Indie Chicks that will be published on Tuesday, May 14th. It is about mistaking fate, and it is for all of us out there who are struggling to land our creative dream jobs. Please give my article some love if you get a chance to pop on over there Tuesday for a good read. I will post the link once it is live. ALSO, The Indie Chicks are having a Badass Blogger contest in which they have a Funniest Blog and Funnies Vlogger category for which you can nominate people named Becca. Hint, hint. Click here to help me dominate the contest. It’s VERY simple to nominate, but it ends May 15th. That’s next Wednesday.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

I posted a tweet last week that looked like this:

tweet about fear

Edward’s picking up what I am putting down.

This was the result of a deeply reflective moment that I had in my new residence when intrusive thoughts hijacked my brain. Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome involuntary thoughts and images that are upsetting or distressing and can be difficult to manage or eliminate. In my case, they often come in the form of irrational fears. And everyone knows that the most rational reaction to these types of thoughts is to turn to Twitter for comfort.

HOOKED YET? READ MORE HERE.

I HAVE TO ADMIT, CAT LOVER OR NOT, BECCA HAS GAME! THAT’S ALL FOR NOW, YOU TWO-LEGGED FREAKS!

Posted in Hotel Life | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

Reflections On The Human Condition And An Ironic Plug.

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013, 2:30 p.m.:

A beautiful blonde in her twenties checks in: her appearance is a billboard for every high-end clothing, make-up and handbag manufacturer in North America.

  • Her hair is perfectly styled and spring-loaded into a bun.
  • A form-fitting navy blue pantsuit becomes a second skin that accentuates her curves and breasts, both untouched by the ravages of time.
  • A beautifully painted face stares back at the world, every stroke of make-up applied with precise attention to detail.
  • Her handbag is of the highest quality and remains fully-zipped, safe from prying eyes.
  • She is perceived as a magazine cover brought to life, and nothing could please her more.

SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2013, 7:05 a.m.:

I find myself descending from the heavens (actually, it was the fiftieth floor, but that’s as close as I’m ever getting to the real thing.), when the elevator pauses its journey to allow another passenger to step forward.

Though to be accurate, this particular passenger stumbled sideways and only made it onto the elevator by the grace of the All-Mighty.

  • Her hair resembled a certain look Cameron Diaz sported in There’s Something About Mary.
  • No pantsuits for miles: this girl was sporting a sport bra and thin, white open blouse with coffee and vomit stains. (très classy!) She did have a skin tight blouse with a suspicious rip in the hindquarters, though.
  • A thick layer of make-up didn’t fare well over the weekend: it resembled runny underpass graffiti – her greasy bangs being the overpass, of course.
  • An open handbag revealed a pair of balled-up panties, a squished bra and a can of Red Bull, all tell-tale signs of an evening one wishes to forget, if at all possible.

I made an honest effort to avoid alienating my traveling companion by giving her the all-too obvious once-over, but it simply wasn’t possible.

She turned her head – slowly – and matched my gaze, albeit through bloodshot eyes. “I’ve had a bit of a rough night,” was her only attempt at an explanation.

“Really? You can’t tell. I just assumed Charlie Sheen was in town.”

Her jaw did one of those cartoon drop things. Then she broke up into laughter – for a moment at least.

“Ow! Stop it! It hurts to laugh, you funny bastard!”

Admittedly, her candor stunned me – for a moment at least.

“Laughter hurts? I have a feeling it’s taking a Herculean effort to keep those eyes open, young lady.” The wife laughs when she reads about me calling someone “young lady”, but it works for me, at the hotel, at least.

“Yeah, you got me,” (Actually, I didn’t, but somebody sure did!) “I’m fucked up.”

“Well, I guess you have to ask yourself one question -”

“Do I still have my wallet? Because one time -”

No, actually I meant -”

“Did I use protection?”

It was clear I wasn’t going to get anywhere by being polite to this chick, so I cut in on her in a clear, semi-loud voice, “Was it worth it?’

“What?” she was getting irritated, but that was only because of her alcohol-induced ignorance.

“No, I meant you have to ask yourself if last night’s shenanigans were worth it.”

“Shenanigans? You sound like my grandfather!”

“Thanks for that. But as I was saying, you’re young and vital -now. But a few more hazy weekends like this and that may change.”

“Not to worry. I don’t intend to end up a crazy cat lady who smokes three packs a day and drinks like a biker.”

“I doubt anyone ever does.”

“True.”

We arrived at the ground floor and as we headed to the lobby where my desk and her exit were located, we wrapped up our, whatever we had going on…

“You’re not going to tell anyone about this, are you?”

Helluva thing to ask a blogger.

Just as I thought things were going to get dicey (I hate lying to anyone. Honestly!), the fog began to clear and my new friend stumbled upon a realization I hadn’t even considered.

“Wait a minute! You’re that guy! The bellman who writes!”

Turns out the last time my new friend was in Niagara she stayed at the hotel with a friend; we struck up a conversation as I brought their bags through the hotel and across the parking garage, during which I told them about my extracurricular activities.

(I’ve always been reluctant to reveal too much of myself to guests, but so many of them will shoot a “I bet you’ve seen everything, haven’t you? You should write a book!”, my way I can’t resist.)

Fortunately for me, my Hills reject realized the score and shot one final question my way before entering blog history. “You won’t use my real name, will you?”

“I don’t know you name, miss.”

“It’s Tracy. Of course, last night it was “Baby”, as in ‘Get your sweet ass back over here, Baby! I’m still horny’”

“Charming.”

“Yeah, I know how to pick ‘em, don’t I? I’ll probably never see him again anyway. He was a friend of a friend, but I don’t think it will work out.”

“Well, it certainly worked out last night!”

“Actually, it worked in!”

And on that charming note, we parted ways.

Until her next Niagara sexcapade, that is.

It’s a strange thing, but I can’t get this young lady’s antics out of my head. She went to so much time and effort to create a very specific image to present to the world only to undo her efforts in a single evening. Why bother?

I didn’t see her partner-in-carnal-crime, but somehow I doubt the dalliance was worth the toll, both mental and physical. My daughter is fascinated with the ABC program, Once Upon a Time; the characters repeatedly remind one another – and their audience, of course – “that magic always comes with a price.”

The same can be said of life. We can extract whatever we wish from the Universe but there is always a toll to be paid. Most of us, like the young lady in our tale, simply don’t consider anything beyond the meal or the party we take part in as we go through life. Some of us simply stuff our gobs with tasty vittles and pour as much wine down our throats as we can handle.

Then, when the clocks strikes, signalling the end of the celebration, we turn our eyes away at the sight of the check.

“There must be some mistake,” we say, “I didn’t order all of this.”

But you did.

I have a few people in my life whose check will be arriving soon. I only pray they can cover the tab they’ve been carrying all these years.

REJOICE, MY FRIENDS, FOR MAY 9 IS ALMOST HERE!

I hope you’ve been paying attention and saving a few pennies for Leanne Shirtliffe’s first literary offering…

Trust me, The Ironic Mom is worth making your kids do without Wi-Fi  (or food) for a few days.

That’s it for me, folks. I have another wonderful week of interaction with that most interesting of mammals, the Modern Traveler, to look forward to.

Not to worry though, I’ll be sure to tell you all about it.

Have a Happy Monday, guy and gals!

About The Hook

The Hook is a humor writer whose book, The Bellman Chronicles, has NOT received positive endorsements Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess), Jill Smokler (Scary Mommy), Kirkus Review, and others. He writes for the NiagaraHub online newspaper, his two blogs. and any blogger willing to publish his “work”. When he’s not watching TV or movies with his immensely talented 14-year-old daughter or ticking off his beautiful wife, The Hook is a bellman in Niagara Falls where he serves a traveling public that has become even crazier than he is.

Posted in Hotel Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 55 Comments

A Look Back At The 80s: Hook Style!

BEFORE WE BEGIN, TWO FUN FACTS: 

#1.  Someone in the hotel ordered an 18-year-old Wednesday Addams look-alike hooker at 6:30 a.m. this morning.

(She left – sans smile and dignity – by 7:21 a.m.)

Talk about your breakfast of champions.

#2.  Bus bags (luggage belonging to a bus tour that I am responsible for delivering) have become heavier in the fifteen years since I started this gig.

It’s a scientific fact. Someone really needs to look into that….

AND NOW, ON WITH THE SHOW!

I was a teenager in the 1980s.

That’s all you need to know.

THINGS I WON’T MISS ABOUT THE 80s.

1)  New Coke,

2)  That hair. (WTF?)

3)  High school dances where someone sells one of my friends a bag of oregano, I mean, weed.

4)  Dry humping.

5) Begging for dry humping.

6)  Who’s the Boss?  (I mean, I’ll watch the XXX version, but otherwisefugedaboutit!)

7)  Ridiculously cheesy 80s porn.  (Not to mention that other crazy hair.)

8)  The fact that I couldn’t fight.

9)  The fact that I had to fight.

10)  People that thought Russia was still a threat.  (They had no idea what was coming.)

11)  Weird Science.  (It teased us with the promise of sexy shenanigans, but failed to deliver.)

12)  Most of my dates in that era.  (They too promised sexy shenanigans but failed to deliver.)

13)  Duran Duran.  (I’m sure they were nice guys, but watching girls spontaneously combust at the mere mention of their names got annoying.)

14)  Rubik’s Cubes.  (Forget blue balls, these things were frustrating as hell!)

15)  A-ha.  (That video was cool for the time, but the tune? Not so much?)

16)  David Lynch.  (If I wanted to take acid, I’d take acid!)

17)  The softcore porn Jumbo Video tried to pass off as the real thing.  (It may have been cheesy but at least show me all the naughty bits.)

18)  The beginning of the AIDS pandemic and the hysteria that followed.

19)  Crazy-ass catchphrases I refuse to repeat here.

20)  Growing Pains.  (More like viewing pains.)

THINGS I DO MISS ABOUT THE 80s.

1)  Ginger Lynn.  (I have a love/hate relationship with the adult films of my teenage years. They were cheesy, but hey, they were better than flipping through the lingerie section of the Sears catalogue.)

2)  Eddie Murphy.  (He had an edge that could cut through solid rock.)

3)  Freddie Mercury.  (He knew who he was and he owned it.)

4)  The relative safety of the world.  (I could take off first thing in the morning on my bike and my mom didn’t have to worry about whether or not I’d end up on the back of a milk carton.)

5)  Comic books that were fresh and original.  (The New Teen Titans and the X-Men ruled!)

6)  Lynda carter as Wonder Woman.  (Technically the series ended in 1979, but her presence endured.)

7)  Ronald Reagan.  (He was a nutty leader but not in a terrifying George W. Bush way.)

8)  Heavy Metal music.  (Say what you will, but it still beats any of the derivative pop garbage we call music these days.)

9)  Classmates that thought I was a narc and spray painted it on my locker.  (At least it gave me some street cred.)

10)  Quantum Leap.

11)  The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.  (All these years later and no one has even come close to touching him.)

12)  Walking to the corner store.  (When you were young it was the thing to do; you’d hang out at 7-Eleven and talk about stupid shit. Now I sit in a back room with a bunch of bellmen and talk about stupid shit.)

13)  Watching the Thriller video for the first time.

14)  The reign of vinyl albums.

15)  Fresh air.

16)  Being able to eat fast food without seeing its effects on my rapidly-expanding gut.

17)  My hairline.

18)  Watching a space shuttle take off.

19)  My freedom.  (Yes, I love my family, but freedom is nice in small doses.)

20)  Ignorance.  (The older I get, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I second-guess myself. I don’t like second-guessing myself.)

That’s all folks. Feel free to share any thoughts about the 1980s below, Until next time, stay cool.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Katie of Sass and Balderdash knocks it out of the park with this one, folks. Check it out.

Selling Your Sex Tape Makes You an Opportunist–Not an Entrepreneur

Posted in Hotel Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 101 Comments

Moving: Becca Style, And The Key to a Succesful Marriage: Hook Style!

HOOK’S NOTE: I’m busy tackling domestic chores right now, so enjoy this comedic offering from a blogger with real talent and moxie (Not to mention girl parts. Girl parts rule!), Becca.

Heavy Lifting

How many rips of duct tape does it take Becca to start breaking shit? Not many. Two to be exact. I am finally back in action (or getting there) after my unenthused absence from all things virtual (okay, maybe not Twitter) which was forced by the joys of moving. But, be assured that I was thinking of my followers the whole time. See proof below.

CLICK HERE TO ENJOY THE WORK OF THE MARY TYLER MOORE OF OUR TIME, BECCA CORD.

 BUT WAIT!  THERE’S MORE!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: May 9 is fast approaching – like a horde of Beliebers on Red Bull – so put a few pennies away for Leanne Shirtliffe’s first literary offering…

I can’t stress enough how cool Leanne is, folks. 

Click here for her latest post and I guarantee you may need medical attention afterwards.

(But please direct any legal action at the Ironic Mom herself; I’m not footing the bill for a lawyer!)

And before you go, here is an abridged version of a guide to marriage that will be gracing my second book. (Assuming I finish it and convince a publisher to take a chance on a blogger/bellman from Niagara Falls, that is.)

TEN INGREDIENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE.

(Bear in mind, when I say “successful” I’m referring to a marriage that lasts. I can’t guarantee you’ll lose the urge to fellate a shotgun every night, but you’ll still be married.)

1)  ACCEPTANCE.  You’re going to screw up. Your partner is going to tell you that you screwed up. Deal with it.

2)  CONFLICT.  People fight. Period. As long as firearms or other weaponry remain out of the mix, you’ll last longer. Couples that don’t fight are doomed.

3)  CURIOSITY.  I’m not suggesting you seek out other people. (I see enough of that at the hotel.) You have to be willing to explore the mystery that is your partner. You may not like what you discover, but it works both ways: your past is most liklely a train wreck as well. But boredom springs from repetition, so keep the search going or suffer the consequences.

4)  A HEALTHY SEXUAL APPETITE.  I know you’re either giggling or rolling your eyes, but believe me when I say this: If you fail to keep that mattress ablaze, your partner will cheat. Do you hear me? KEEP YOUR PASSION ALIVE OR SOONER OR LATER, ONE OF YOU WILL WIND UP AT A HOTEL LIKE MINE WITH SOMEONE NEW AND AFTER YOU’VE BOUNCED OFF THE MATTRESS A FEW TIMES, THE GUILT WILL SINK IN. TRUST ME.

5)  HONESTY. This is key, especially in the boudoir. I’m not suggesting you spill every secret, or share every random thought that scrolls crosses your brain box, but you can’t assume your spouse has telepathic powers. Tell them what you want, feel and desire.

6)  COURAGE.  Marriage is tough. Any idiot – even a Kardashian – can coast on the good times, but when things get dicey, only someone who truly loves their spouse can dig deep and summon the intestinal fortitude it takes to weather the inevitable storms life throws at us. I once knew a guy who married an ex-stripper; this gal took a layer of skin off his manhood with every encounter, but when she got cancer and spent her nights hunched over the toilet vomiting, he bailed. So man up.

7)  BRAVERY.  Trust me, this isn’t the same as courage. Far from it, in fact. It takes courage to share the parenting load, the domestic chore load, the home finance load. One partner shouldn’t have to shoulder the many responsibilities life requires of us, and yet that’s how it is in most marriages. Be different. Be brave.

8)  FUN!  Never forget to have fun. If I have to elaborate you won’t get it. So I won’t.

9)  GOOD HEALTH.  (This is something yours truly is currently wrestling with.) A steady diet of Whoppers, Red Bull and Krispy Kreme donuts will put a strain on your union as well as your ticker. You can’t put your heart and soul into a marriage if you can’t climb a set of stairs without turning blue.

10)  SOBRIETY.  Scoff if you like, but in my 43 years on this planet I have yet to see alcohol have a positive effect on a marriage. Have you ever watched an episode of Mad Men? Those crazy bastards – females included – are always drinking and smoking, and their lives suck! Drink in moderation if you like, but never lose track of the perils of alcohol.

And with that, I just became every crazy aunt I ever had; they always had a sermon about that “demon in a bottle” at the ready, and yet, you couldn’t light a match near their breath…

That’s all for now, my friends. I still have a lengthy list of chores to deal with, so I’m not sure if I’ll be online tomorrow. Enjoy the remains of the day and have a super New Comic Book Day Wednesday!

Posted in Hotel Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

If This Post Doesn’t Get Me Freshly Pressed, NOTHING Will!

In the two years I’ve been blogging I’ve been fortunate enough to have received many awards from my fellow writers; a subset of these awards requires the recipient to share a small piece of himself with the world in an attempt to bridge the gap between the controlled virtual reality one creates within a blog and the “real world” we live in.

But I never fulfill that requirement.

The brilliant and beautiful Tracy Fulks recently wrote a post entitled “Want Should and Are, in which she discusses… You know what? I’m going to let her explain. After all, her skills put mine to shame.

Within each of us there reside 3 people.  The person we want to be, the person we think we should be, and the person we are. I don’t know if those italics were really necessary, but they seem like something a real writer would do, so I put them in.

Deciphering the difference between these is difficult to say the least. Sometimes all 3 converge, sometimes there’s a battle between one of them, conscience? Perhaps. But being true to yourself is often easier said than done. All of us have a people-pleaser inside, just as all of us have a critic. All of us have a peacemaker, just as all of us are reactionary. We audit ourselves in different situations based on which of the 3 dominates the specific situation.

Told you she was brilliant.

But getting back to me, I want to explain just why I have always refused to share revelations about my inner being beneath the rugged, smart-ass bellman surface. It’s not that I’m lazy or unappreciative of the honors that my fellow bloggers have seen fit to send my way, nor am I hiding anything.

To be honest, there is no disconnect between The Hook and Robert Hookey. There is no Jekyll and Hyde. There is no Clark Kent and Superman. There aren’t two separate and wholly distinct personalities vying for control beneath the surface of my mind.

What you see is what you get, bitches.

I am The Hook.

That having been said, I have a little story to share with you that perfectly illustrates just what kind of bellman, and for that matter, just what type of man, I really am.

“Or I could give you this.” she cooed, her strong, yet wholly feminine hands, lifting up her figure-squeezing top all the while. She ceased her efforts as the fabric finished scaling her twenty-year-old breasts, the clothing making a popping sound as air finally touched her chest.

Allow me to type what you’re thinking: WTF?

Let us peel back the curtain and peer into the past, shall we?

An entirely unremarkable Friday afternoon – which had followed a completely quiet Friday morning – became quite memorable when I answered a young couple’s eloquent request for luggage service.

“Yo! We need some help with our shit!” he shouted across the valet deck, his loose-fitting, white boy style hip-hop clothing reverberating against his frail form as the wind threatened to blow him back to whatever suburban hell he emerged from. His companion, a blonde of average height and equally questionable fashion etiquette, merely rolled her eyes as he began to fill my cart with the usual items: overpriced shoes endorsed by rappers and athletes, liquor and six packs, shoes, leather coats, butt-ugly shirts on hangers, shoes, a radio, and duffel bags thank clinked when handled.

Did I mention shoes? Because there were a lot of shoes.

After loading the last pair, I began my journey through the lobby, fearful of what awaited me at their temporary dwelling. I looked back and watched as the young “power couple” had a conversation I’ve observed from a distance a million times:

  • He sat in the car, prepared to self-park in order to save $5.
  • She stood at his window, a perplexed look on her young face as he gave her instructions to follow me to the room.
  • She held out her hand, no doubt hoping he would pony up a few dollars and spare her the inevitable embarrassment of having to explain to a bellman that she has no funds to give him for services rendered.
  • He shook his empty head.
  • She walked away shaking hers.

As a member of the male species I am unaccustomed to having my suppositions proven correct, but as a bellman my instincts are second-to-none.

Sure enough, as the last pair of shoes left my grasp my buxom guest took up a position in the corner of the room beside a bed and set in motion the events that began our little tale.

“What’s your name, honey?”

“I’m Robert.” I knew where this was going, even as the words left my lips. At least, I thought I did.

“And what time are you working until, baby?’ Why do women always assume that utilizing another word for infant and giving it a sexy twist will reduce any mammal with a penis in the immediate are to a malleable puddle of jelly, subject to their every whim?

Scratch that. My knowledge of how the world works and my vision of how it should work just collided…

“I’ll be here until six.” (“Even though I’ll never see you again and you’ll soon fade into memory” I thought) But I was wrong about her fate; she wasn’t destined to fade into the obscurity of my memories. Not a chance in Hell.

“My boyfriend is parking the car and he has the money. We can come see you later,” and this is where we came in…

“Or I could give you this.” Technically, she should have said “these”, but I’m guessing she wasn’t much for book learnin’ in school. She appeared to be the type of girl who only visited her school’s library to hide away in the stacks with a willing partner.

But getting back to her bountiful offering: I remember thinking “They’ve really come a long way in terms of the structural integrity of ladies’ double-barreled slingshots.”

Seriously, she was asking A LOT of that bra, and it held firm. Literally.

At this point, many of my male readers are screaming “Yeah, baby! The Hook finally has a story worth sharing! The hell with the cheap douches, bring on the boobies!”, in their heads.

Sorry, guys, but you’ll have to stick with Tube8 or some other web portal if you want to see some of God’s most glorious creations. There are plenty of other bloggers out there who spin salacious tales of bodies wrapped together to form the Beast with two backs.

I didn’t miss a beat; I responded from my heart, utilizing my patent-pending deadpan style of delivery, “If it’s all the same to you, miss, I could really use the cash.”

Granted, I cannot recall if I directed my words at her faceor just what her expression was at that point, for that matter – but I definitely spoke in a clear tone of voice to avoid any confusion.

I then got the hell out of there, just as a very loud “Hey!”, escaped her open mouth.

I’m guessing she’s employed this method of payment in the past, but I wasn’t biting. Or groping. Or licking. Or anything else. And it’s a good thing too: I heard her boyfriend return to the room as I was waiting for the elevator (and formulating the creation of this post) in the service area.

I can only imagine what would have happened had he returned to see his busty companion being bounced around the room like a piñata by a tall, balding bellman in his forties. Fortunately for him, I wasn’t interested in his girlfriend’s rack. (Although, to be truthful it was PERFECT!)

I’m not that kind of bellman.

The visual memory of his companion’s immaculate breasts is not considered an acceptable form of currency in Canada. I can’t pay my mortgage with it. It won’t buy me comic books or put food on my table. In short, her offer of role-reversal – for once I would have been the one doing the “stiffing” – didn’t titillate me, it irritated me.

What can I say? I’d rather go home and face my wife with money in my pocket rather than a dirty deed hidden beneath my face.

So there you have it, my character in a nutshell.

Have a happy Monday, folks!

ONE MORE THING BEFORE YOU GO…

The beautiful and talented August McLaughlin has a thing or two to say about Solo Sex and Body Image. Click on her pic to be enlightened…

She's a cutie, isn't she?

Posted in Hotel Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 95 Comments

Le Clown Needs Your Help, The Hook Would Like Your Attention, And The Ironic Mom Wants Your Cash!

The blogger/demigod known far and wide as Le Clown is many things.

He is….

  • The Chosen One in the eyes of the overlords who command the WordPress platform.
  • A man (until I can prove otherwise), father, husband, and activist.
  • Wildly talented and possessed of an old soul.
  • Someone I both admire, and as much as I hate to admit it, resent for his success.
  • A blogger in transition. 

A Clown On Fire  has passed the one year mark and its creator wishes to mark the occasion by positioning his site for even more success with a head-to-toe virtual overhaul.

And he wants your help.

Before he clicks “publish April 30th, friends, he wants you to tell him:

  • Your suggestions: more of / less of;
  • Topics you’d like to see covered;
  • Revamps of existing features—Carnies’ Corner for example;
  • General feedback.
  • How to get blood out of those ridiculously huge shoes clowns wear.

So help a clown out will you? Le Clown is a trailblazer, a blogger who bravely shares the highs and lows of his past, but not in an attempt to get famous. I’m getting sick and tired of writers/bloggers who exploit/manufacture traumas for commercial gain; it’s all the rage these days. Are there any writers in the marketplace today who have had happy, productive, normal childhoods?

Le Clown wants you to laugh and cry with him and heal along the way, not make him rich. Although, that having been said, I’m sure he isn’t opposed to becoming filthy rich – seltzer is damn expensive these days.

So click HERE and help influence the production of blog posts by Le Clown. You’ll feel better about yourself if you do….

And now, back to the show!

I’m sure many of you have the same questions after reading my work. Questions like:

  • How on Earth has The Hook remained employed at the same establishment all these years?
  • Does the Hook ever have a good day?
  • Just how much are people supposed to tip their bellman anyway?

Let’s see..

  • I’ve been very fortunate in my career. I have an award – issued company-wide – for going “above and beyond”  and, ironically,  in all the time that I’ve spent writing about my job, no one has ever complained about the service they’ve received from me.
  • I have plenty of good days – those would be the days that I’m not on the schedule! Seriously though, my stories are focused on the small percentage of mentally damaged guests that cross my path, so most of the time my days are pretty much stress free.
  • As for the last question, the answer lies below.. Sort of.

Lat year Business Insider posted a handy guide with instructions on whether to tip (and how much to leave) in a variety of categories.

I know most people will scan these and say “Fat chance!”, but just remember, these are guidelines. Human beings aren’t very adept at following guidelines – take “Thou Shalt Not Kill” or “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery”, for example – so all I would like to see is an honest effort from the Modern Traveler to follow the spirit of these rules, okay?

And for those who don’t have the time to follow the link, here is a condensed version, focused on The Hook’s natural habitat.

F & B (That’s Food and Beverage, if you’re not in the “biz”!)

According to the list, one is not expected to tip those who serve them coffee or takeout. That having been said, I know plenty of people who will leave the cashiers at Tim Hortons a few coins. In some ways, that’s like tipping your dealer, but to each his own. Bartenders should get $1 a drink; I’ve known plenty of bartenders who get much more than a dollar from some of our guests (i.e. cougars)  on a regular basis, but that’s another story entirely…

Waitstaff should get 15 per cent for adequate service, 20 per cent for excellent service, and 10 per cent (or less) for poor service. And delivery people should receive 10 per cent, says common etiquette, something that, unfortunately, is in short supply these days.

When Staying With The Hook…

According to Business Insider, “you should include money for tips in your next travel budget, because there is a host of people you should be leaving gratuities for when you stay at a hotel.”

I love the folks at Business Insider.

Bellmen and women should get one to two dollars a bag (five dollar minimum), the concierge should get anywhere between five to 20 dollars, and parking valets should receive two to five dollars. Even as I type this, I realize the hopelessness of trying to turn this particular tide, but hopefully a few people will read this and be slightly enlightened.

If you order room service, you are expected to leave five dollars minimum. And the girls and guys in housekeeping should get two to five dollars per night or a lump sum at checkout. Some of them should receive extra funds for therapy – you wouldn’t believe what they see.

Ultimately, travelers will tip according to their individual moral code. There are however, certain patterns that apply to specific individuals, such as…

GAMBLERS: They’ll usually tip big when they arrive – before they hit the casino – and HUGE if they hit the jackpot! If they lose, however, they’ll become both miserable AND cheap, which is a deadly combo…

MUSICIANS AND BACK-UP SINGERS: My hotel is within spitting distance of a major music venue and so I’ve dealt with my fair share of famous musicians’ bands and support personnel. They’ll usually slip you five dollars for their bags – which are always weathered and tattered – but if you have to haul their amps, axes and other musical tools, you’ll be looking at a decent payday.

GUESTS FOR WHOM “DISCRETION” IS KEY: Not every couple who checks into a hotel is an actual couple, if you catch my drift. Some couplings must remain confined to the shadows, for the harsh light of truth would overcome them and bring their artificial realities to an abrupt and messy end. .

I’ve seen to the needs of several of these couples in the past and the gentleman will always make sure you remember them. They’re not paying for the bell service, they’re paying for your silence. And I’m happy to shut up – for the right price.

And that’s about it for now, folks. Have a happy, fun-filled weekend. As always, I’ll be serving the traveling public, so say a prayer for your buddy, The Hook, all right?

BUT WAIT!  THERE’S MORE!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: May 9 is fast approaching – like a horde of Beliebers on Red Bull – so put a few pennies away for Leanne Shirtliffe’s first literary offering…

 

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A Double Dose of Top Ten Madness From The Hook.

THINGS YOU DON’T WANT TO OVERHEAR WHILE CHECKING IN AT A HOTEL.

1)  “Have all the dead hookers been removed from room 401?”

2)  “Have all the live hookers been removed from the parking garage?”

3)  “Has anyone found those Porsche parts yet?”

4)  “The squirrels and cats have been delivered to the kitchen!”

5)  “Maintenance wants to know what the “H” and “C” on the taps stand for.”

6)  “We almost have all the blood out of 301.”

7)  “Did we ever find out where those extra elevator parts belong?”

8)  “Wanda from Housekeeping got into the peyote again.”

9)  “The police tell us they have Reese Witherspoon cornered in the garage. They’re bringing in SWAT to take her down.”

10)  “Has The Hook shown up for work yet?”

Do you want another?

TEN SIGNS YOUR FIRST DAY AS A NIAGARA FALLS BELLMAN DIDN’T GO AS PLANNED.

1)  You get rejected by a pack of cougars.

2)  Upon entering a room of college co-eds, you rip your uniform off and say “How about a ride on this cart, girls?”

3)  You refer to a senior guest as a “tyrannosaurus douchebag”.

4)  No one wants to purchase your “Falls Adventure Tour” package.  (Especially when they realize it consists of your crazy uncle driving people around in his station wagon.)

5)  You deliver luggage to Japanese tourists while dressed in a Godzilla costume.

6)  The pop star Pink checks in and while delivering her bags, you grab your crotch and ask her if she wants “Check out this adventure package!”

7)  You tell a guest “Sadly, my bank doesn’t accept ‘Thank You’s as payment on my mortgage, jackass!”

8)  Instead of saying “Thank you, I hope to see you again.”, you say “Lose our number, you sanctimonious, impotent douche-nozzle!”

9)  You hit Russell Crowe with a phone.

10)  When your shift ends, security not only escorts you out of the building, they drive you to the city limits.

June is around the corner, folks – in my mind at least – so here is another plug for what is sure to the kick-ass event of The Hook’s summer…

It's Nerdrific!

BUT WAIT!  THERE’S MORE!

May 9 is fast approaching – like a horde of Beliebers on Red Bull – so put a few pennies away for Leanne Shirtliffe’s first literary offering…

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