blog @ stone lion cape cod » Innkeeping

May Already?

Janet Loewenstein — Mon, 10 May 2010 03:48:42 +0000

I honestly don’t know where spring goes. It seems like one day it’s winter and the next thing I know the calendar is filling up and I have guests more days than not. Even though summer is considered to be the “busy season” here, in many ways spring is busier because there are certain things that have to be done every year but can only be done during this span of a few weeks when the weather is warming up and before the crowds descend.

This has been an especially busy spring here at The Stone Lion Inn. If you’ve wondered why the blog hasn’t been updated in a while, here’s what I’ve been up to…

I’ve had some necessary projects taken care of, including having the exterior of the house power washed and one side painted, having the foundation re-pointed (it’s disturbing to look at your foundation and think “gee, there ought to be a lot more mortar between those bricks…”) and having a cobblestone apron installed at the base of the driveway.

The apron at the entry to the driveway really improves curb appeal.

While I was having cobblestone work done I also had a transition added between the gravel driveway and the brick patio at the front of the house. The way the patio ended had bothered me for a long time, I think this is a major improvement.

Cobblestone made a neat transition from the brick patio to the gravel driveway.

Most of the shutters on the house are in terrible condition so I made the decision to order new ones and to go with real wood. I looked at the vinyl ones which are much less expensive, but they’re too ugly to contemplate putting on this beautiful house. The new shutters should be here in a week or two.

Massachusetts put together a “cash for appliances” program this year using stimulus funds to entice people to replace old, energy hog appliances with new, more efficient models. I am taking advantage of that to get a new washing machine and a new refrigerator, those will be here sometime next week (I think). The washer will be an easy replacement, the refrigerator less so. In addition to removing the contents and doing a major purge, which badly needs to be done, all the photos, postcards, magnets, etc. plus a cool, funky spice rack on the outside have to be removed and placed on the new fridge. Wish me luck.

Spring is also time for hiring new staff. My housekeeper of over a year quit in February so I was starting from scratch. My first hire worked three shifts and vanished. The two I’ve hired since then are still here… keeping my fingers crossed that doesn’t change. I don’t enjoy the interview process and training is exhausting. I’ll need to advertise for and hire one more housekeeper before the season gets into full swing, that’s a task for next week.

Other things I’ve been doing/having done: researched & ordered new towels, upgraded all the shower heads to a much better model (partly in response to a reviewer comment but something I’d been thinking about anyway), had the unfinished 2nd gazebo in the back yard taken down & removed, had a leaky skylight in the apartment bathroom replaced & repaired the ceiling around that, re-caulked and repainted the stairs, did a major wall patch in the deluxe queen room and several less major ones in one of the front bedrooms which then got a complete new paint job (same color, though), framed some new artwork and made substitutions in various places; had a new light fixture installed in the vestibule and a new ceiling fan/light installed in the kitchen, purchased new area rugs for three bedrooms, had the motor for the dryer replaced; it died literally DAYS after I ordered the new washer & refrigerator, reviewed/approved an ad for the program for the local theater, had the septic system pumped (annual maintenance), upgraded the modem & wireless router for my internet service… and I’m sure I’m forgetting some things.

I wish I could say I was nearly done with my spring tasks but there’s still a ton of stuff to do outside including mulching, planting, getting the fish pond set up for the summer and rehabbing the yard where that gazebo was. I also need to find new rugs for the 4th bedroom, decide whether to order new t-shirts and if so, what to order, and deal with a half dozen other things I’ve either started or researched but not ordered or made a final decision on.

Whew. I think I need a clone.

A Time and a Season

Janet Loewenstein — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:25:07 +0000

Hard to believe winter is almost over. On the one hand it’s been a long one, on the other, as with each of the years I’ve been doing this, the busy season is approaching all too quickly. As usual, there is a lot to do around here.

This is the time of year when I take a look around and decide what needs to be done either to keep up or to improve the property. There’s always some simple maintenance, like patching plaster and touching up paint, tightening faucets, re-caulking showers (one of my least favorite jobs), etc. That kind of stuff is sort of a no-brainer. Then there are things that should be replaced because they’re showing signs of wear & tear. Some of those things I replace often, like towels. Other things, like area rugs, need to be replaced because after ten years they’re showing signs of wear. The house also needs new shutters, the existing ones are probably original and they’re falling apart. These are the projects I do myself.

Then there are some larger projects with which I need help. To that end I’ve been having what I call “The Running of the Contractors”. It’s kind of like The Running of the Bulls, but different. So far this year that has included a roofing contractor to replace a leaky skylight in the apartment, a masonry contractor to install a cobblestone apron at the front of the driveway (an attempt to keep the stones in the driveway) and a concrete countertop guy to look at replacing the sink counter in my kitchen. The first two of those three projects should be done by the end of this week; I’m still waiting on the countertop estimate to make my decision on that. I’d like to do it, but it’s not critical and I may need to spend the money elsewhere.

I still need to talk to my house painter, there’s exterior painting and power washing that need to be done and I want to see if his crew can install new shutters for me. There’s also some landscaping work that I need to have done, parts of the brick foundation that need to be repointed and a couple of exterior carpentry jobs that can’t wait. Oh, and it’s really all got to be done by the middle of May if not sooner. It’s a small window of time, but with the exception of the kitchen countertop, this is all exterior work that needs to be done in reasonably good weather.

Looking at the above list, I’m well aware of how short time is. No doubt about it, summer is coming.

The Blogging Wagon

Janet Loewenstein — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:44:15 +0000

Yes, I fell off, apologies to my regular readers (if I have any). I’m going to try to get back on and stay there, though.

It’s been an interesting season, mostly in a good way. It was my first as a solo innkeeper, so there was a lot to figure out as far as how to do what I normally do plus the things my ex-husband did, like grocery shopping. That may seem like a small thing, but let me tell you in July and August it is definitely not! In those months it has to be done about every 4 – 5 days and the traffic can be a challenge. Not to mention the additional crowds at the supermarket. Figure it out I did, however.

I’m not going to try to summarize the entire summer in one post, I’ll relate stories as I think of them and have time. I did have a good season, despite the grim economy and the less-than-stellar weather, so I can’t complain on that front. And I’m still here. And I will try to stay on the wagon.