With this week begun, I’m easing myself back into the daily work grind; not that I’m actually in the office (that’s next week), rather, I’m taking the third week of my training for work at another of the fine hotels just the other side of I-95.

This week, we’re actually slumming it deep within the bowels of the Quality Inn, an older hotel across the street from all the nice new ones. It’s not a bad place, really, just a bit older and more broken in; that, and the fact that the meeting room is in the basement; and smells as if it’s not entirely watertight, with the ever-present scent of mold and damp carpet.

Actually, more than anything, it reminds me of a church basement; it’s got that basement smell, as well as the slightly outdated cabinets against the wall, stacks of folding tables, and too-low suspended ceiling (in fact, there was evidence in the room that someone does indeed use if for church services on the weekends). I feel like I ought to be officiating a boy scout meeting in there or something.

Class is going as well as can be expected; the material’s dry and the instructor’s long-winded and easily sidetracked, but the group is generally made up of good people. The mold and dampness is, however playing havok with my sinuses, which are already seriously irritated thanks to all the time I’ve spent outside in the last couple of days.

Friday I spent several hours in the back yard repairing the kids’ swing set (which appears to be only the first phase of the project; having repaired one section, I’ve noticed another that’s deteriorated), and a good bit of the day Saturday wandering around Busch Gardens, as we wanted to make sure that we get our money’s worth out of those season passes, which we didn’t use quite as much as we’d have liked this year. We’ll probably hit the park one more time this year, as the Halloween re-dress of the park for Sept/October starts this weekend; should be interesting.

The upside of all this adventure was that I got some sun and finally managed to ride the new Griffon coaster at BG (excellent!), the downside was that I got completely wiped out; running the park on about three hours’ sleep (thanks to both Catherine and Jersey), and as such, left the door open for all the pollen I was exposed too to create a nasty sinus headache most of Sunday.

Which brings me back to the moldy basement – it’s not helping. I’m popping lots of Tylenol sinus to stay breathing and lucid.

Oh well…who needs to breathe?