The laughing Marriott customer representative.
Specifically, the J W Marriott Desert Ridge Resort And Spa located on Tatum road in North Phoenix.
It is within walking distance of the Dave and Buster's where our company's end-of-fiscal-year party is going to be held.
I stayed there I think 2 years ago at a discounted rate and now for the life of me cannot remember how I got that rate, but I was asking for it again anyway.
So, I inquired of the lady who - laughed at me.
She thought it was some sort of joke that I should be asking for a lower rate than the lowest advertised rate of $160.
Yeah, that didn't go over too well with me.  "What are you laughing at?".  "Excuuuuse me?  I didn't laugh at you".  "YES, you did".  She began to get argumentative with me which is when I asked for her manager.

I said nothing to this woman to warrant the kind of behavior I received on the phone from her.  NOTHING. I was totally respectful and was ready to move on and try to find something else if they simply had said no, we don't have anything cheaper, we're sorry. I'm of the mindset that it "never hurts to try" and the worst they can tell you is no.

I'm guessing that woman is regretting that response to me last night as I not only informed her manager, I also wrote in a complaint, but figuring it would be forever before I got a reply, I decided to call corporate headquarters as well.  And no, I wasn't aggressive panhandling.  I simply did not, up until that encounter anyway, associate J W Marriott hotels with that kind of condescending, haughty and spiteful type of behavior coming from anyone working there.  Normally, at least for me, one connotes the Marriott name with complete and total professionalism.  I have no idea whether calls are recorded but I was informed that the person I was dealing with whose name is Sharon will be having her calls monitored.

Indeed.

Whatever the case, the party is tomorrow afternoon and I intend on enjoying myself.

Onto other things.  If you came here on a Google search, well, that's the end of the Marriott tale and the rest is just my day to day life.  Such as my fish ponds.  Today marks the first day that I did not find any dead fish in any of the 3 ponds.  I am not declaring the problem over, but it is a good sign that I didn't find any very large fishies floating around on the top of the ponds today.  Fortunately I have not lost any of the large Koi, it's mostly been goldfish and some smaller Koi.

I have been aggressively dealing with the problem in emptying out large amounts of the pond water and replacing with fresh tap water. Taking the filters apart, cleaning them out frequently and then putting them back together again.  Yesterday adding pond - stuff - whatever it is - that helps with fish stress.  I can only do so much.  It is still a bit puzzling that all 3 ponds had the same problem all at once.  That indicates something external was introduced, not a naturally occurring event inside the ponds.  Again, the rains and the potential of all that chemical that has been sprayed all over the property is the number 1 "suspect".  Number 2, though unlikely but certainly not inconceivable, is that some sort of poison was added to all 3 ponds.  I find it inconceivable because they would have had to jump my fence and take another risk of me catching them in the act.

The thought of catching someone dumping poison into ponds that are  behind fences in my back yard is - a bit troublesome indeed.  But I'm going to put that idea on idle and hope that it was just the poison from the exterminator, who last time was out sprayed a lot of that stuff onto the rocks and plants - no problem there, but I am guessing she must have gotten too close to the ponds.  From this point forth, the exterminator will not be coming over here unless I am at home so I can monitor where that person is spraying the poison.

I am going to church tonight, though I definitely do not feel like it, it's the weekly prayer thing.  I am very tired and I am not feeling particularly well for some reason.  But I am not going to allow that to stop me to go as pastoral staff is encouraging everyone to get into those Friday night meetings and join in the prayer celebration.  I'll go for at least an hour.  There is no one telling anyone that they have to stay for X amount of time. I figure an hour good, come home and go to bed.

So that's it.  Church starts in less than an hour.  Time to get ready both mentally and of course my attire, lol.

G'day.

ben