Still Learning

 I think the first vacancy I have at the lodge is around the 20th and the 1st vacancy next door around the 7th or 8th of November. It's been an amazing run. 

In the past I rarely read the reviews that people wrote about the lodge and myself but I've done a better job at it this year so I can keep up with any criticism and solve it early or if I can't solve it at least explain it.

There have been two criticisms of the lodge. The maintenance and up keep and they are correct. Someone checks out at 11am and we get four or five check outs and check ins that day. You go in a room to clean it and there's a coffee stain on the carpet but there's no time to shampoo it, new guests are already on their way. Linda is going in and getting all the important stuff and washing down walls and doors or places that people might touch or been touched by previous guests but a dust web in the ceiling corner, dirt on the fan blades, and those types of things are not getting handled. There's a sink rusting, some small ceiling water damage, railings needing painting and those types of things that we're slacking on. Linda gave me her time sheet and the hours are outrageous. There aren't days off. It's not even thought about.

What's left of the balanced rock on Hole 13 of the original course.

This one doesn't seem fair but the more things you offer the more things you have to be criticized for. A competitor lists a nice place to sleep and it appears to be. I offer a nice place to sleep, an animal show, Kobae, Jax, hiking, climbing, kayaks, side by sides, a night sky, and incredible scenery. If there's snow melt and the beach is gone, or the side by side breaks down, or it's a cloudy sky, if even just one of ten things doesn't happen the other guy gets a five and I get a four. I'm close to $5,000 in side by side rentals in town but one day the rental company needed it back and I didn't have a side by side for a few days and somebody comments bring your own side by side. I"m thinking the most expensive, least appreciated, most criticized things I'll get rid of.

Moab 240

The Moab 240 came through today and we were the aid station at the 34 mile mark of 240 miles. Here is the live tracking of who is where. 

http://www.moab200.com/live-runner-tracking.html

Some exceptional runners. Most when they got here looked like they hadn't started running yet. David Goggins was in about 5th when he came through. Black shorts on the left of the picture. Worth looking him up and his book "Can't Hurt Me".

One of the runners ask for something a bit more visible to make sure the parts of the road where they shared with the side by sides he was easier to see so I hooked him up. If you're reading this I want it back when you're done. I'm not kidding. Took me forever to find that.

As the day wound down there were three runners in tough shape. I got a call to go get a guy that had collapsed at Jackson Ladder and probably only I could have got out there in the truck. Before leaving the medic informed me there were two more that might need transport to the hospital. Over the HAM radio we got called that a SAR side by side had picked up the injured runner at Jackson Ladder and was bringing him to me for transport to Moab Regional. When they got to the lodge the other two runners were recovering but the medic said this one needed immediate transfer. I had them call the ambulance company and tell them to come this way as I'm going that way and hopefully we'll meet in the middle and they were waiting at the far side of Hurrah when I got there with the struggling runner.

Side by side

All of mine are still beat up. The new engine came in and leaked so got sent back. The transmission for the other one is on back order. So to keep my word to guests I've been renting from in town at way more than I'm charging. I'm over $4,000 deep in side by side rental and doing it again tomorrow. I made the decision tonight. I'm not doing side by side rentals next year. It's too costly, too time consuming, and too stressful. I'll negotiate the best deal I can in town for them and Jeeps and let guests make the decision. Part of my deal in town is that if they get someone who will pay full price, and it's not hard, all the rental places in town are booked solid, then they call me and I have to have it back by 5pm. That happened last Friday so I had to rush it in town and then catch a ride back with Kathy who is giving rides out here for $125 so I got one. On the way, coming over Hurrah we found this in the evening setting of the sun. Courtesy Kathy.

Michelle/Jax

Michelle showed up a week or so ago and said she didn't want Jax to get jerked around anymore and go through the stress of staying then leaving. She wanted him happy and he was happy here. She said "Tom, you can have him. I'll put it in writing if you want." Then the next day she left without him and a few days ago I got this email from her with just this picture.

Prepared

We got the washer in the lodge going for emergencies but I'm ever mindful of a few years ago when we did all the laundry here and the well went dry so we've got to use it sparingly. Still that gives us three washers spread across the property. One washer and dryer is in the main house so when it's rented it's not available. The dryer in the big garage next door is not producing heat. It will roll it around awhile and eventually dry everything but it's time consuming. We've called appliance repair but so far no return call or email. The dryer at the lodge we haven't been able to get anybody to come out here and do the propane installation to the laundry room so it's a non starter. With all that in mind Linda has stacked up extra stuff in the office and even more in her room.

Jax is too efficient and got a hair cut

 Jax job use to be patroling the parking lot for rock squirrels. At one time I counted 37 and now I think I have three and usually I see them off in the distance up toward the mud huts. He didn't kill or even hurt any of them he just chased them so much it's not worth being anywhere near the lodge or the parking lot. 

Now his new job is to keep the nightly feeding of the Little People under control. It's imperative the skunks stay in their area, the foxes in theirs, ringtails in theirs and for sure the raccoons in their area. If somebody wanders Jax sits out on the sidewalk at night and chases anybody that strays. Mainly the raccoons. He was getting bored with his new job but now he takes a hot dog and leaves it a few feet from him as bait to see if anybody tries to cheat. If a little person starts to stray toward the hot dog he chases them right back into their area. He's amazingly efficient at it.

He's pretty much mastered this job also. Sometimes he gets bored and goes in the lodge. He knows I'll call him if somebody cheats. While I'm feeding and explaining critter life to guests on the front porch each night I look into the living room and his rug where he has one eye open in case I need him. He always has that "put me in coach, I can play center field".

Another Week Goes By

 It's been a week since I posted again and it seems like just one long day. 

It's not just me that is busy Moab is packed and most of the hotels seem to be doing as well as I am.

There have been few times over the years when I've had to turn people away because I didn't have a single day that was open but it's daily routine now. I have a new folder I never had before of people that have requested certain dates but I'm full and have ask me to call them if something opens up. Then people started emailing saying if anything opens up, doesn't matter the day they'll take it.