Your Innkeepers
Becky and Greg Anglemyer--Innkeepers and Owners of The Villa for the past 8 years:
A Day at The Villa.
Guests frequently tell us they "envy" the life of an innkeeper. Frankly, it is the best job either of us have ever had. We have a great deal of control over our lives and lifestyle. No one gives us orders (except Ruth). Our guests are truly wonderful--most become friends. Some are almost like family. We have taken wonderful vacations and have more time together than we ever did. The tax benefits help make it financially rewarding--and we would certainly not be living in this magnificent a mansion were it not for the B&B!
But it is a job and can be demanding. Here is an inside look at an innkeeper's day:
5:30 AM It is early--Becky would call it very early--the cats who have been up for hours and are famished would say it is about time---when the alarm goes off and our day begins--with breakfast for the cats first, then the guests.. Seven AM reveille is considered sleeping in. We at least enjoy our commute--a climb upstairs, with no traffic at all.
6:00 AM From the kitchen comes the jangling of pots and pans. Greg pauses in the laundry room, folds the clothes from the dryer, checks his watch to see if guests might be showering. Still too early, so in goes a load of sheets.
6:30 AM A weekday morning, a regular is grabbing an early continental breakfast. Coffee is ready, along with juice, scones, jam, fresh strawberries, homemade granola and yogurt. Becky takes a couple of minutes to chat before returning to the kitchen--there are two more coming down for breakfast at 7 AM and she has bacon frying and a baked egg dish in the oven. Greg is in the office--eating breakfast while he checks E-mail, prints off statements for those leaving and welcome letters for the arrivals as well as a housekeeping report showing the new guests' arrival times.
7:00 AM Greg joins Becky in the kitchen--jumps out of her way--and flees to the relative safety of the dining room. The first guests have been seated, so he takes juice orders, while Becky brings in more coffee. For the next two hours there is constant activity--more guests coming to eat, check outs, coffee refills, entrees served, dishes cleared, a couple of runs to the laundry room to move wash to the dryer or fold sheets. Our wonderful assistant, Ruth, arrives, greets our guests, swallows a quick cup of coffee and leaps into cleaning rooms. Becky finishes dishes, cleans the kitchen, feeds the squirrels and begins planning for tomorrow's breakfast. Later she bakes cookies. Greg completes some routine maintenance, don's his "Head Gardener" cap and disappears into the gardens.
11:30 AM Today was light--only four rooms checking out and most of the housekeeping chores are finished. Cleaning involves all the chores you would do at your own home, plus restocking supplies: soaps, lotions, candy, welcome letter for the new guests, turning off alarm clocks and phones, water glasses and pitchers, robes, stationary and office supplies. Becky did a quick run to the berry farm for more wonderful Washington raspberries. Ruth started with beds, then bathrooms, then finished with vacuuming. It's time for lunch--a quick break with the goal to eat between phone calls--a goal that is seldom accomplished.
12:30 PM Lunch done, Becky is down for a well earned rest and will then be "working" on a new silk flower arrangement (she admits the B&B lets her count most of her hobbies as work). Greg is still in the garden--the hammock is looking tempting. The lot is a half-acre, with over four hundred different plant varieties (not counting the couple dozen weed strains). Greg also admits the B&B indulges his hobbies of gardening and "making stuff". He has phone duty while Becky is napping. Ruth has switched to ironing--mangling the sheets, pillowcases, napkins, placemats and anything else that will fit through the machine (it almost makes ironing fun--repeat--almost).
3:30 PM Ten hours of work have produced results. Ruth has gone--and will be missed until the following day. When Becky gets up, Greg grabs a short nap. Guests start to arrive and the house comes alive again. Refreshments are served, luggage hauled, someone needs a shirt pressed, another needs directions, and everyone wants to know about restaurants.
6:00 PM Quiet. On this day all the guests have checked in so we decide to head down to Cafe Divino for dinner and a stroll along the Ruston Waterfront Park before heading over to Costco for a quick run through.
9:00 PM Home again, with only a couple of phone messages and email inquiries to answer. Greg handle these, while Becky sets the table for breakfast and gets a pastry ready for the morning.
9:30 PM TV or reading for a while, then Becky can't keep her eyes open and heads to bed with Greg soon to follow. Tomorrow is another early day.
The rest of The Villa's residents: Lord Shaka, Prince Tramp (in consideration of our guests with allergies, the cats are not allowed out of our basement)
Ciao from Italia!