This industry requires a constant grooming of the soul. Some use drugs, alcohol, sex, tobacco...the list is endless. I'm in the middle of our busy season. Hordes of tourists, rich retirees, kids on spring break - all trying to cleanse their souls and recharge thier batteries, by draining mine. And I let them. It's easy for me to recharge. I pull out a book, meditate, and smile on my hammock in the endless beauty of the desert mornings. I think to my greater moments. The moments when I was one with myself.
I'll share one with you now.
When I lived in Los Angeles, I was an apartment manager and had copious amounts of free time. I filled this time with various projects; building surfboards, welding cars, writing, etc. I can't remember what made me start my next venture, a moment of clarity maybe...a desire to feel that I was doing something 'right' for a change, for whatever reason, I'm glad I did it.
I decided to wash cars, but not just any cars, the dirtiest ones I could find. I would 'stalk' cars in mall or grocery stores parking lots and wait till their drivers went inside. I would pull in next to them and as fast as I could I would wash their car with sponges, soap, and buckets of water I'd prepared in the trunk of my car. If I was making good time, I'd towel dry them. Sometimes I'd just wax a clean car. When I was finished, I'd leave a business card that said, "your car was washed by random acts of kindness. Have a great day." Sometimes I'd wait to see the owners face, often I'd just leave with a smile on my face.
That is a moment, or moments, that define me. I am a bartender, yes, but that does not define me.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
the natives are getting restless
I've been in this business a long time. I've seen trends come and go. One thing that has never changed is how people treat each other. I don't get it. It's either getting worse or i'm losing my mind. I don't get that people have to take their dogs with them everywhere and that they carry 'working dog' cards for pomeranians. I don't get that people get bent out of shape when they are cut off after 3 hours of hard core drinking. I don't get why people open doors by pushing on the glass instead of using a handle. When did we become a society of individuals? We are no longer a society of people or even communities. The family unit is dead. "fuck everyone else, what can i get for free?" "What's the quickest and easiest way to make a buck?"
This isn't even just the food service industry. It's just easiet to spot in a restaurant, because everyone eats out...because it's easier to pay someone else to cook for you. It's all about cruising down easy street. Why? So we can race home and watch american idol? What happened to a hard days work?
I remember growing up and everyone in my family cooking. Someone was chopping vegetables, setting the table, making the salads. Maybe that could be a new Wii game. family cooking! or family lawn care...oops we're out of gas for the mower...we'll have to walk a quarter of a mile to the gas station....but no ipods!!!!! we have to talk!!! Nintendo could make a mint from that. Hell, the Wii carnival game is much more fun than a real carnival, because you don't have to interact with morons or people trying to get shit for free.
"It all boils down to the loss of person to person communication," he writes in his blog. LOL - good thing they have acronyms or I might have had to actually type laugh out loud. Another necessary time saver.
I'm not even sure there's much to talk about anymore. It's all been done for us. I don't have to do anything. I can have it all brought to me. So when my girlfriend asks me 'what did you do today,' and I say, 'nothin.' It's a true and complete conversation.
Maybe when they find a way to insert a cell phone into our brains we'll have more to talk about.
This isn't even just the food service industry. It's just easiet to spot in a restaurant, because everyone eats out...because it's easier to pay someone else to cook for you. It's all about cruising down easy street. Why? So we can race home and watch american idol? What happened to a hard days work?
I remember growing up and everyone in my family cooking. Someone was chopping vegetables, setting the table, making the salads. Maybe that could be a new Wii game. family cooking! or family lawn care...oops we're out of gas for the mower...we'll have to walk a quarter of a mile to the gas station....but no ipods!!!!! we have to talk!!! Nintendo could make a mint from that. Hell, the Wii carnival game is much more fun than a real carnival, because you don't have to interact with morons or people trying to get shit for free.
"It all boils down to the loss of person to person communication," he writes in his blog. LOL - good thing they have acronyms or I might have had to actually type laugh out loud. Another necessary time saver.
I'm not even sure there's much to talk about anymore. It's all been done for us. I don't have to do anything. I can have it all brought to me. So when my girlfriend asks me 'what did you do today,' and I say, 'nothin.' It's a true and complete conversation.
Maybe when they find a way to insert a cell phone into our brains we'll have more to talk about.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
we're calling th cops!
This is the perfect first blog entry. A fruitloop walks into a bar and orders a drink. The waitress cards her and she doesn't have an ID. So she tells her to talk to the bartender and see if he will serve her (knowing that I will not. This server and I have a good time making people jump through paper hoops into a brick wall. Long story, I don't server her and she's, of course, ticked. "But I come here all the time, I just left my ID in my luggage." She goes back to her party, I ask anyone if they recognize her, no one does. Now on staff today we have me, I've worked there 3 years +, 2 waitresses that have worked there longer and 2 that are at about 2 years...you would think someone would know her. The party (geniuses) ask for a new waitress, because the first wouldn't serve her. THey also shift over one table and the manager notices that the wine glasses are now in the middle of the table and everytime someone walks around the corner one member is watching. Sadly, what they didn't realize is that I can now see the table from the well. I wait and I watch....there she goes grabbing the glass and drinking. Now she's mine.
I walk over to the table and let off some steam. She replies with, "the waiter didn't even card him and that's the funniest thing. I'm getting a hard time and he's underaged."
"Thanks for letting me know." and I yank all the drinks.
Turns out the last waitress on knew them and they were both 21, but they decided to cause trouble and were said they were going to call the cops. Then they started asking for my information and before I could get to them the other manager on duty gave them my FULL name. I'm surrounded by morons. Fortunately, she spelled my name wrong.
Can you imagine that call to the cops. I'd pay to hear that recording. "so let me get this straight...you weren't served because you didn't have id, but they served your friend without ID and you're both over 21? So what laws were broken? Oh he took your drinks after you said you weren't 21? And that's a violation of? Are you currently in a motor vehicle?"
click.
I walk over to the table and let off some steam. She replies with, "the waiter didn't even card him and that's the funniest thing. I'm getting a hard time and he's underaged."
"Thanks for letting me know." and I yank all the drinks.
Turns out the last waitress on knew them and they were both 21, but they decided to cause trouble and were said they were going to call the cops. Then they started asking for my information and before I could get to them the other manager on duty gave them my FULL name. I'm surrounded by morons. Fortunately, she spelled my name wrong.
Can you imagine that call to the cops. I'd pay to hear that recording. "so let me get this straight...you weren't served because you didn't have id, but they served your friend without ID and you're both over 21? So what laws were broken? Oh he took your drinks after you said you weren't 21? And that's a violation of? Are you currently in a motor vehicle?"
click.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
in the beginning...
I guess this is my attempt at staying focused with writing. We shall see how long it will last. I'll try to stay on point and be true to my restaurant background, but I have a tendency to ramble and get sidetracked, soooo....anything is possible. You never know what evil-doer might provoke me.
Of course, I'll start with the plugs and get them out of the way. clamchowder.biz - go there buy the stuff, spread the word. Hopefully, I'll have the second book, "Whatever.". linked to it soon. For now, it's available on xlibris.com and amazon.com. It has nothing to do with restaurants, just a twisted love story...kinda like Titanic, except the main character doesn't die, no class segregation, and no Celine Dion...Okay, so the ship sinks and that's where the similarities end.
Always remember you can spend your life chasing money, but chasing dreams is much more fulfilling.
Of course, I'll start with the plugs and get them out of the way. clamchowder.biz - go there buy the stuff, spread the word. Hopefully, I'll have the second book, "Whatever.". linked to it soon. For now, it's available on xlibris.com and amazon.com. It has nothing to do with restaurants, just a twisted love story...kinda like Titanic, except the main character doesn't die, no class segregation, and no Celine Dion...Okay, so the ship sinks and that's where the similarities end.
Always remember you can spend your life chasing money, but chasing dreams is much more fulfilling.
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