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Oh, the company Christmas party, or as we like to call it "The Parker Prom...just like your senior prom all over again. However I'm still not certain if I meant that as a good thing. And from the get-go speculation abounds:

"Who are you taking?"
"Really, is 'such and such' going with 'so and so'?"
"Where's the after party?"
"What's the plan for getting drunk before the party?"
"I heard there's an after party at some hotel."
"What are you gonna wear?"

By the time I got to the party, which by the way is really the pre-party, everyone was drunk more or less, so I had some serious catching up to do that night. You have to remember that for 40 hours a week we're the people who serve you food and drinks. So when it's our turn to do it, we definitely go big....]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/nathaniellourn/2007/08/merry_christmas.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/nathaniellourn/2007/08/merry_christmas.php Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:29:33 -0500

At the Parker, it's no different than any other work place. Being around your coworkers so much -- which in our case is more than your own family at times -- you develop a close bond with certain colleagues. The makeover that Danielle and Adrianna gave to Annette really shows the love that some of us have for each other. I mean, I could be working with Brian on Thursday, and on Friday he's helping me get my car towed to the mechanic because I hit a curb going 40 mph.

I really can't say enough about the people I work with -- they are genuinely great people. We have fun together at work as well as outside of work, which is one of the reasons we're able to tolerate the long hours and constant running. It really is like a small secondary family for some of us.

The day these guys from the "charm school" showed up all the employees at the hotel were cracking up. It was cute, but at the same time it was kind of sad. I mean, these are grown men who are not capable of talking to women. It's pretty simple really -- find someone to talk to and say something someone might want to hear. From a Darwinian standpoint these guys are a genetic dead-end in some respects.

But what many of us at the hotel thought was more humorous was that none of us were really able to distinguish the pupils from the teachers. And maybe if these professional seducers were genuinely concerned for their less than socially apt fellow man it would be alright. But I could imagine some of these guys are just taking advantage of the dorks. It's like high school math class all over again. And some of these...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/nathaniellourn/2007/08/the_pick_up_artists.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/nathaniellourn/2007/08/the_pick_up_artists.php Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:00:05 -0500

Even though I wasn't in this week's episode that much, I still have a few things to say. I wasn't around for most of what Twomey goes through in this episode. Although I see him all the time at work, I never really know exactly what he's doing. So in that sense he and I have something in common! (Burn!)

As for the site inspector, all I have to say is that those are the days when you're glad that you have a few days off. I didn't have anything to do with the visit and I was glad for that. It's a very common thing around the hotel to have to "perk" up for guests whose visit has a greater impact on the amount of business that we could receive.

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However, what I recall most about this episode is the flooding of the kitchen. As you may or may not...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/nathaniellourn/2007/08/shock_then_awwww.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/nathaniellourn/2007/08/shock_then_awwww.php Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:43:25 -0500

When Jonathan Adler visits the hotel, it is a lot like having the owner of the hotel or General Manager checking up on the property. He's not just a person that advises on the hotel's appearance, he actually is the inventor of the whole happy chic concept.

Meeting him is a bit more significant for me than perhaps for most of the other hotel employees because I was an art student back in college, which is where I'm hoping to go back to in the near future. Moreover, having been able to converse with him gave me some insight into what it really means to becoming and being a working artist, because there really art a whole lot of people who succeed on that level. And though I am a waiter, I also continue to create art in my spare time. My last project was a skateboard design for my old college buddy's skateboard...]]> http://www.bravotv.com/blog/nathaniellourn/2007/08/waiter_to_exhale.php http://www.bravotv.com/blog/nathaniellourn/2007/08/waiter_to_exhale.php Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:00:04 -0500 Well, in this first episode, if you could imagine, was a lot like the first week of school. There are definitely a lot of new faces, mine included, that have just appeared on the Parker landscape. Many of the people are still trying to find their place. And, truth be told, it is absolutely different from any job I’ve ever worked. In particular, the core values, brand, and the reputation that the property has it’s stake in, are not taken lightly.

I think, although I probably couldn’t prove it, that I am much more capable than this first episode makes me out to be. Just keep in mind that the episode probably takes place during my first month on the job, and they are definitely putting me through the paces.

So keep watching, and hopefully you’ll come to appreciate the sometimes-strange nature of my job.