Ghosts Move 100 Pound Laundry Carts!

Monday, July 28, 2008, 4:35 p.m.

I was busy re-stocking some non-perishable items that I needed for the next morning's breakfast setup.  This entails spending time in the laundry room where the deep freezer and refrigerators are located and carrying various items to the middle breakfast prep room.  I usually am interrupted several times during this routine, running to the front desk lobby area to assist my co-worker with guests checking in, answering the phone or responding to those guests who require immediate attention.   In other words, it can be pretty hectic during this peak check-in time.  My co-worker remains at all times at the lobby desk, covering it while I'm completing these various tasks.

When I first arrive at the beginning of my 16-hour shift at 4:00 p.m., I always move the laundry carts so they will not impede my movements when I have to get in and out of the area quickly to handle any of the above tasks.  On one of my trips back into the laundry room, I immediately spotted one of the 100-lb. laundry carts that I had moved out of my path only minutes before.  The cart had been moved back to its original location, directly impeding my walkway.

I proceeded to move it again to another location out of my way.  Several minutes later, I was back in the laundry room and, lo and behold, the cart was now moved directly in front of one of the refrigerators where I was headed.  Once again, I moved the cart to an entirely different location.

Five minutes later, I was back in the laundry room.  Once again, the 100 lb. laundry cart had "moved," only this time it had moved to an area that required it to travel around a large table, but still placed directly in my path.  Okay, boys, I don't have time for this!  Please knock it off.  The carts did not move again that afternoon. 

At 10:03 p.m., I had stepped out to the front desk to answer the phone.  As I was in the process of taking a reservation, I looked up and noticed that the lights in the portico, which illuminate the outside of the building entrance, were turned off.  The last time I had been at the front desk as 9:17 p.m. to check in a guest.  At that time, I heard a car pulling up and was able to clearly distinguish the people getting out of their car.  I would not have been able to do that if  the lights were not on.

After I finished taking the reservation, I went back into the inner office to check the panel on the wall where all the light switches for the building are located.   The switch for the portico lights was in the "off" position.  I turned it back on, hearing that very loud click indicating that it was back in the "on" position.  The soldier spirits have done this before, but I usually hear that loud click when they flip the switch.  On this occasion, however, I didn't hear a thing.

There were no more incidents with the lights the rest of the night.