Wow...what a crazy, whirlwind of a weekend. We got a call on Sunday night at about 11:30 or 12:00 from our manager saying he was leaving that night and taking the motel's cash deposits with him. So, J called the police and reported it as a robbery. We worked it out and just let him take his pay we owed him in deposits so he could leave and wouldn't trash our motel. So we got everything in order and left for Utah Monday morning and we got here this morning at 1:00. We tried to open the door with the keys that were left for us from a guy who came and made sure everything was OK, and we couldn't open the manager's unit door and the front door was bolted from the inside and we couldn't get in, so we slept in the truck, with the dogs. I probably got about 3 to 4 hours of sleep...maybe. All the while this is going on, the manager is threatening to sue us and press charges for whatever...he doesn't have a leg to stand on...completely crazy. Other of our business associates that have had to deal with him completely agree and are singing our praises now that he is gone. So J had to break in the motel through the ventilation system from the laundry room (which had a copious amount of trash and CLEAN, or used to be clean, sheets strewn about everywhere) which we did have the key for. We finally get in and there is some trash all over the apartment, but not too bad. The sink is clogged with nachos and the tub is clogged with dirt, the hot water handle is nowhere to be found (I have no idea how they were showering), but the worst of it is when we remodeled this manager's unit in the beginning we paid a painter to paint over these weird mint green walls in the manager's unit and paint in the lobby, but now, there are pencil sketchings and yellow paint that looks like a honeycomb (none of it is finished) with penciled pillars and such...I AM SO MAD ABOUT THAT!!! That cost a large chunk of change to have it painted nicely and now, it's got crap all over it! Not to mention the fact that in another bedroom, he slammed the door knob through the wall. I don't understand people at all. He wasn't doing his job, was stealing, and basically vandalizing our hotel, and he has the nerve to say he is going to press charges and sue us! For what?! He claims we owe them money for extra stuff they did...this is what he considers extra--lawn work (last I checked, that was included in the job description), painting rooms (which also, was included in the job description), and creating a website (which he owns, we don't, and don't want to own). It's insane and I am trying really hard to wrap my head around how he is feeling or thinking or whatever, and I can't.
This has definitely been an eye opening experience. I have a hard time controlling my anger when I get angry. I start to shake and my heart feels like it will beat out of my chest and I just want to yell and cry. My husband is amazing. He gets these calls and talks to the manager while the manager is yelling at him with all these threats of whatever, and he stays cool as a cucumber, like it's all water off a duck's back. Sunday night, after all of this happened and we were getting ready for bed, we were saying our couple prayers and it was his turn to pray...and the most amazing thing happened. He was saying his prayer, and he asked Heavenly Father to bless the manager and his wife that they would find work and a place to stay. After all the stress and grief that this man has caused my husband, my husband sincerely prays for his well being. Never has "Love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you..." spoken so strongly to me. I am so grateful for my husband and what an amazing example he is to me. I have been trying to really work on it since then. Really try and be Christ-like. Right now, the first step is just trying to keep my mouth shut and not grab the phone from J everytime they call, and I think that's a big step for me. But I am going to try harder.
Well, it's been a nice break, but I haven't eaten all day, so I am going to go get some food. And maybe try and find a shower...I am SO dirty. :( BLECH!
This was the first time I wasn't able to go to my brother's grave on Memorial Day. That's hard. I don't think there is a day that goes by that I don't think of him, even though it's almost been only 6 years. I wonder what it would've been like had he lived, if we hadn't gone through what we went through. Life would be so much different... I would be so much different. I am grateful for it. It's taken me a long time to be able to say this, but I am grateful. It's weird moving on with the rest of my life and not having him be apart of it. He was probably at my wedding, even though I couldn't see him, but he wasn't there there, ya know? He doesn't know J. I think they would've gotten along great...they would've pulled some crazy stunts. Ty was always such a joker...and J has a little mischevious side too. It's hard thinking my kids won't know him. Ty was always amazing with kids. Both my brothers are. I find comfort in the fact that the Lord needed him more on the other side than he needed him here, and that I will see him again. I am grateful he was in my life at all. I learned amazing lessons from him. Some are too great and too sacred to express.
This is the product of late night drives...thinking...wondering...what ifs.
