It's been a couple of weeks since I posted the Sugar Shack up for rent on Airbnb and boy, oh boy, has it been an adventure. I've hosted 18 different guests 21 nights now and so far, it's going well. This little camper is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
We're in the midst of Spring Break at work and things have been crazy, which means that the camper is booked solid but also that I'm working 70+ hours a week, and it always seems that the feces hits the fan right in the middle of a crazy rush at work. We've had stove-lighting issues, backed up septic issues, hot water heater issues, bathtub draining issues, and bathroom door coming off the hinge issues, but luckily, we've handled everything without incident and I've gotten positive reviews from everybody that's stayed so far...which is pretty incredible, considering...
What was probably my 3rd(?) guest had gotten in early and parked on the opposite corner from the camper and then walked around to the front, so I didn't know that she was actually out there. 3 o'clock was looming and Bugaboo was out roaming the neighborhood, so I figured that I'd call him in just in case he was thinking about rubbing against her leg or bolting into the camper when she was attempting to unlock the door with luggage in tow.
Now, just for a brief backstory: We never used to let the kitties outside because we didn't want them to get eaten by something larger than them or get hit by a car, so they've been primarily inside kitties. However, I firmly believe that cats should be allowed to explore and hunt and stalk and do things that kitties inherently do and keeping them cooped up on beautiful sunny days is basically cruelty and torture. I feel like I wouldn't want to be cooped up all day when there's a whole world to explore and what's the point of living if you're just worried about dying, am I right? So, I've started letting them out during the daytime when I'm out and about and can kind of keep an eye on them. Jasper tends to stick to the porch and isn't terribly adventurous but Bug likes to run and play and catch birds and climb trees, and he DOES NOT want to be inside pretty much ever. Therefore, it's quite an undertaking luring him back indoors when the time comes. Usually there are laser pointers, hunks of meat, Friskie's Party Mix Wild West treats, and lots of sweet talkin' involved. I have to use my baby voice and call him "Boo Bear" and "My Handsome Boy" and click at him until he pops his little head out of the hedge and comes running.
So, that's what I do, and he pops his head out...as does the guest in the camper. "Kate?" I hear from the corner of the lot. "Oh HI!...I'm so sorry! I was trying to get my kitty in before you got here!". We ended up having a nice conversation for several minutes while Bugaboo was ripping into his kitty treats and dragging them around the house.
Then there was the New York City dancer that came up to the back patio doors of the house and waved the flashlight on her phone until a shirtless Brian answered the door to show her where the key was...even though I'd left thorough check-in instructions in an e-mail. She then told Airbnb that the instructions could have been "more clear" and were very confusing...even though the previous dozen guests had no issue what-so-ever.
A couple of days later, the guests pulled right up to the camper, in kind of a blind spot from the house. It was about 8 pm and I was taking out the recycling in my bathrobe (it was dark out, so what are the odds anybody would see me?) and wondered if they had arrived as it was pretty dark and quiet. I dropped the boxes into the recycling bin and peeked around the corner to see if their car was parked when they came walking up the street behind me and hollered out, "We're not in there!". I was officially the creepy host lurking around in my bathrobe and was thoroughly mortified. They were just out for an evening stroll and had gotten a little lost, so were returning a little later than they'd anticipated. Anyway, they were lovely and (hopefully) not creeped out at all.
I've been lucky enough to have really great guests so far...very respectful and low maintenance, but I'm waiting for the little bit of faith I had in humanity to be blown to smithereens. Somebody took all of the coffee out and another group "had a bloody nose" and totally trashed my linens. I also just love it when guests make a huge mess and spill wine or something and then use my white bath towels to clean it up instead of the black kitchen towels I've supplied. I guess that all comes with the territory though, and the extra cash that's rolling in makes that pill a tad easier to swallow :) I'm currently being reviewed for "Super Host Status" which will be conclusive on the 14th, so hopefully nothing catastrophic happens before then. I'm sure I'll have tons of funny stories down the line and a few people that make me want to pull my hair out, I'll be sure to keep you all posted.