Category: marriott @ vanderbilt

Toot Toot

Don’t mean to toot my own horn . . . but, I set up a room with some audio visual gear yesterday for a meeting that the hotel and their corporate folks are having today. As I stood in the room making sure presentations were working properly my set up got some nice compliments. It’s really not that big of a deal but when the director of sales is in the room and he is one of the reasons my company hired a different director it was kind of satisfying to show him what he’s losing. Not that it matters anymore because I hope the Nashville Doubletree will be better fit.

One other presenter was from the Renaissance Asheville (I’m not sure what her position there is). My company just listed a director position there that is open. Unfortunately, I can’t throw my hat into that ring because the Elder Extroverted Holy One has one more semester. Aargh! She wasn’t too happy with my idea of me taking that job to set up the homestead back in western North Carolina. Especially with the Young Extroverted One and a new human and school. With being at the Doubletree I’m kind of obligated to stick around for another year.

Oh well, <vague t.v. reference> “Missed it by that much.” <anyone get it?>

The Tale of Employment Woes Continues . . .

Which has nothing to do with ‘The Man’ keeping me down.

But it seems that the hotel and PSAV higher-ups have interviewed a candidate for the position of which I am in right now. Thankfully, I knew about this ahead of time and was fully prepped by my boss that it was happening. Well, the hotel, apparently, liked this guy but I was told that they like me too. What is that saying about cake and stuff?

If they hire this guy and I stay he would be the director of a/v and I would go back to being a technician. I’m not quite sure what would happen to the current technician, maybe they would put him at the Gaylord Opryland. Which, if you are a floor technician, is not that cool of a job.

At the same time, though, I am hearing the Opryland PSAV rigging department is struggling and has been since I left to take the job I now have. I’ve been seriously considering going back to rigging to take care of that mess and wait for another director job to open up. My problem is that I feel that I need to be paid around what the other two guys are getting paid. Especially the rigging supervisor, who got a significant raise since I left. Which now doesn’t make sense if this guy doesn’t have the skills to keep the ship running. If I go back and straighten things out I should get a significant raise, too. Right?

It’s just that I’m a big wuss when it comes to confrontation and money. Deep down inside I know that I deserve it. The department ran well when I was there doing inventory, scheduling labor, along with some actual rigging. When I’m gone it falls apart. I need to do my own math I guess and point that out to my boss. But, also, on the surface we (the extrovert/introvert family) need an increase in my pay. There’s a parasite just waiting to stop feasting on it’s host (the Elder Extroverted Holy One), enter the world and eat my money (and that will cut into my beer money and as the Young Extroverted One knows, daddy doesn’t share beer)(I do, really, share beer. I can prove it 🙂 )! Which, as soon as EEHO graduates and gets a job won’t be that big of a problem. For now, though, we need me to get a more significant raise.

‘The Man’ Keepin’ Me Down

On Mondays and Wednesdays I pick up the Young Extroverted One from school. It’s on Mondays, however, that I take her back to work with me. Mainly because the technician that works with me has prior obligations on Monday nights. So, after many weeks of the YEO hanging out in my office playing some sort of Diego game on my computer the director of food and beverage tells me yesterday that I can’t have the YEO on property any more. WTF?!? This is after the director of sales has seen her and talked to her Continue reading “‘The Man’ Keepin’ Me Down”

The Roof, The Roof, The Roof is on Fiiii-yuhh . . .

Well, it seems that the building near the building where I work caught on fire a little bit. See news here.

As I leave work everyday in the most capable hands of a great A/V technician (pssst . . . he blogs on occasion here) I tell him, “If the place blows up call me, okay? I have a bag of marshmallows in the trunk of my car. We’ll roast some ‘mallows over the ashes of our building.” Apparently, he didn’t take me seriously because I had to call his cell phone to make sure he was okay and not making s’mores without me.

So, either Fleming’s or P.F. Chang’s is the new hot spot. But, you Nashville folks should avoid it this weekend.

Speaking of hot . . . it was 101°F on my front porch. My front porch that is covered and on the north side of my house. Ugh.

The Rainbow Connection

Driving along James Roberston Parkway into work this morning I was treated to a lovely rainbow west of town.  It made up for the fact that I had to come into work to babysit this room that only has a projection screen and an a/v cart on which to put their projector. Ugh.

Thanks for the rainbow, God!  As I sit in my stuffy little office squeezed into a closet behind the concierge desk I can picture the lovely half arc of the rainbow above Church Street.  Coincidence? Hmmm . . .

Job Drama Continues

Well, I knew that I had to jump through some hoops in order to get the director of av job at the Marriott at Vanderbilt University but I didn’t know I had to do the limbo and play twister at the same time!

My boss said I had to do a quick phone interview with someone from corporate. Wha? I’ve been working for this company for about two years. Okay, I’ll do it. Did that on Monday. Then my boss told me that I had to do an interview with some of the head cheeses from the hotel. Alright, whatever it takes. He set it up for yesterday with the hopes of making the human resources call that afternoon. Well, what he thought was a group hug with the new director and his hotel partners turned out to be cuddle time with my boss and the hotel crew (of which I was not invited). Talking about me. Why not talk to me?

So, they all agreed that I would do this as a temporary or interim position for a couple of months as a tryout. That means I don’t get director pay until it’s official in the minds of the Marriott mob that I can indeed ‘sell’ audio/visual in this teeny (remember I used to work at the Gaylord Opryland) hotel.

At least I get along with the people that I will be working with directly. Those guys that talked about me? They only see me working. They don’t work with me. As long as I’m doing what the sales folks here need me to do (which I am doing) we’ll be golden. I suppose I’ll continue to be, as my facebook updates say, “playing ‘director’ of AV @ the Vanderbilt Marriott.”

The Future Looks Bright . . . Someone Cut That Light Off!

It’s looking more like I am getting the Director of Event Technology gig at the Marriott at Vanderbilt University. It seems like an exciting venture but there is a little more involved than just technology. I have to check in regularly with the hotel sales staff to get audio/visual leads, call these leads, meet with clients and generally be a real good audio/visual presence with hotel staff. Unfortunately, my technical background of 15 years or more is not enough because I can set up some mad a/v gear for a presentation and then gaff tape the hell out of some cables.

So, there is a bit of apprehension about the people thing. As the name of this blog suggests I am not much of a people person. I do alright, generally speaking. But that’s every once in awhile. And after a couple of beers. Dealing with people everyday might just drive me to drink.

. . . oh wait. I already do that. Nevermind, I guess I’ll be alright. For the most part. Must . . . stay . . . sober . . . at . . . work.

Southern ‘Urban’ Living and Pet Peeves

At the moment I am trying to make a move up the corporate ladder. Yup, I am climbing up ‘The Man’s’ damn ladder. Hey, it looks good on the resume and it means more money while the Elder Extroverted Holy One is in school.

I work for Presentation Services or PSAV which holds the audio visual services contract in many properties across the states. I found that a director of event technologies (which used to be director of av) position is open at the Marriott at Vanderbilt University. This is a very cool opportunity because not only is it advancement but it’s also closer to EEHO’s school and the Young Extroverted One’s school. Plus, the hours are a little more flexible and no real late night rigging hours.

Now on to the peeves: With this new property I am very close to downtown and have to drive through downtown. So, not only do I have to get familiar with new traffic patterns I also have to watch out for more pedestrians. And this is where you have to listen to this song while reading the next paragraph (if you can): In the Middle, In the Middle, In the Middle – by They Might Be Giants.

I began noticing the awful practice of crossing a busy, wide street in the middle of the block when I spent a short time living in Memphis with the then fiance EEHO (although she was just the Extroverted One at the time). We would be driving down Union to Idlewild Presbyterian Church (where she and I worked) and these people would be crossing the street at random times and spots along the block. On top of that they were going slow!?! As if daring us to run them over. Well, I am seeing the same thing here in Nashville. It’s not like it’s miles to the next corner to cross appropriately and safely. The corner and a traffic light are right nearby! I feel like I’m playing Frogger but I’m one of the cars and the not-so-smart pedestrian is the not-so-smart frog. I just don’t understand it. Does this happen everywhere? Is it just a southern ‘thang’? I just don’t get it.

My next pet peeve is probably a lot of people’s. The lack of turn signal use which really pushes my buttons. It really is the only thing that makes me yell out loud when I am driving. With this new commute I have been doing I’ve been seeing it more and it drives (ha!) me nuts.

Last, but not least, is rampant cell phone use while driving. I feel like I’m the only one that’s not using the phone. Am I somewhat indaquate that I don’t have conversations to carry on while I’m driving home? Am I not important enough? I just don’t see what is so important that it can’t wait until you get out of your car or before you even get in the car.

Heck, those are the folks that aren’t using turn signals I bet . . .