While debating whether or not to purchase more white towels that will inevitably not stay white I thought of the stereotype of how one lone red sock will turn a whole load of whites to a lovely shade of pink.
Have you ever tried to buy red socks?? I have, they're nearly impossible to find!
Just thought I'd see if I was the only one...
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Waiting
I am a big fan of the "just in time" way. I live in a place where I pretty much have the traffic patterns down pat and I can leave my house and be where I need to be pretty much exactly on time. If I tell someone I'll pick them up at xx:xx, I'm usually on time.
Why aren't other people the same? It's certainly not that I am more considerate than the average person. On too many occasions to count I've been told that someone will pick me up at a certain time only to be at the door, waiting or if I arrive at their place at the pre-arrange time I sit there waiting. More infuriating still, is the invite to come in while they finish getting ready.
Recently I was out of town with someone and after waiting patiently for them to get ready (I'm pretty low-maintenance) we would then go out for a meal, only for them to not ACTUALLY be ready because they still needed to have a cigarette before we went into the restaurant!
So, to be clear, of course I've been late and kept people waiting but it's not a regular thing - I'm just asking that everyone else try a little harder. Please? For me?
Why aren't other people the same? It's certainly not that I am more considerate than the average person. On too many occasions to count I've been told that someone will pick me up at a certain time only to be at the door, waiting or if I arrive at their place at the pre-arrange time I sit there waiting. More infuriating still, is the invite to come in while they finish getting ready.
Recently I was out of town with someone and after waiting patiently for them to get ready (I'm pretty low-maintenance) we would then go out for a meal, only for them to not ACTUALLY be ready because they still needed to have a cigarette before we went into the restaurant!
So, to be clear, of course I've been late and kept people waiting but it's not a regular thing - I'm just asking that everyone else try a little harder. Please? For me?
Monday, December 13, 2010
Too bad "Waiter Rant" has already been done...
I still wait tables. Yup, sadly being Thirtysomething doesn't mean that I get to quit that - yet. It's not my full-time job, it's something I do to supplement my more socially acceptable day job that pays less than I used to earn as a 3/4 time server.
Now, the majority of people will read this and think it doesn't apply to them. That's because you're probably not a horrible person and as a general rule you are not inconsiderate. I hate to tell you, but there's a darn good chance you've done these things but managed to justify it in your mind at the time. Of course, there isn't time for me to list all of my rants right now, but we'll start with a holiday favorite.
RESERVATIONS
There is a reason people make them - and reasons that most restaurants take them. They save everybody from getting frustrated. Or so they should. Now, I don't doubt that there are restaurants that don't hold up their end of the bargain, however, the majority of my serving experience was in an upscale chain restaurant (see definition of oxymoron) and like any good chain, they always erred on the side of the guest. So, if you made a reservation for say, 8 people at 6 o'clock, they would likely just not even seat that table during the dinner service before you arrived - just to make sure YOU got your table at the promised time. Which would mean that the server who started perhaps at 5pm would get the joy of watching an empty table for an hour. You may have heard this, but servers earn their living from tips and empty tables don't tip.
You cry out, but that's not my fault - that's the restaurant's fault! True. But it's how it works to make sure you don't have to wait. Now picture it being 6:10pm. No one has shown up yet. Now, the restaurant will err on your side once again, presuming that you must just be running a bit late. At last! The first member of the party arrives! And finally, by 6:45 you are all there. Joy!
Motherfu....
Sadly, that's a better case scenario. Chances are, at 6:45, there are either only 6 of you who are now coming (which means perhaps you could have been sat at another table, rather than two tables pushed together) or you are getting snarky with the 17 year old hostess because there are now 12 of you and you just can't possibly understand why there isn't another table you can sit at. Gee, if only you had made a RESERVATION.
Another favorite is the extremely large party. Oh yes, a reservation for 45 people please! So the restaurant calls in extra staff, fusses over getting the tables set up etc etc. And then 27 of you show up. Oops! you say, I guess we all couldn't make it. Chances are you people also order soup and salad for dinner instead of real entrees. So now the restaurant loses money because they had to turn down other reservations or walk in traffic while they waited to see how many of you were actually going to show up and the servers lose money because all the tips need to be split evenly and they are overstaffed by at least one person. The only potential winners here are maybe the kitchen staff because they are now overstaffed and can go for a few more smoke breaks.
Ok, enough of a rant on this topic for now, I'm sure there will be more; every week I'm reminded why I can't wait to give up serving tables.
Happy holidays! (*formerly known as Merry Christmas!)
Now, the majority of people will read this and think it doesn't apply to them. That's because you're probably not a horrible person and as a general rule you are not inconsiderate. I hate to tell you, but there's a darn good chance you've done these things but managed to justify it in your mind at the time. Of course, there isn't time for me to list all of my rants right now, but we'll start with a holiday favorite.
RESERVATIONS
There is a reason people make them - and reasons that most restaurants take them. They save everybody from getting frustrated. Or so they should. Now, I don't doubt that there are restaurants that don't hold up their end of the bargain, however, the majority of my serving experience was in an upscale chain restaurant (see definition of oxymoron) and like any good chain, they always erred on the side of the guest. So, if you made a reservation for say, 8 people at 6 o'clock, they would likely just not even seat that table during the dinner service before you arrived - just to make sure YOU got your table at the promised time. Which would mean that the server who started perhaps at 5pm would get the joy of watching an empty table for an hour. You may have heard this, but servers earn their living from tips and empty tables don't tip.
You cry out, but that's not my fault - that's the restaurant's fault! True. But it's how it works to make sure you don't have to wait. Now picture it being 6:10pm. No one has shown up yet. Now, the restaurant will err on your side once again, presuming that you must just be running a bit late. At last! The first member of the party arrives! And finally, by 6:45 you are all there. Joy!
Motherfu....
Sadly, that's a better case scenario. Chances are, at 6:45, there are either only 6 of you who are now coming (which means perhaps you could have been sat at another table, rather than two tables pushed together) or you are getting snarky with the 17 year old hostess because there are now 12 of you and you just can't possibly understand why there isn't another table you can sit at. Gee, if only you had made a RESERVATION.
Another favorite is the extremely large party. Oh yes, a reservation for 45 people please! So the restaurant calls in extra staff, fusses over getting the tables set up etc etc. And then 27 of you show up. Oops! you say, I guess we all couldn't make it. Chances are you people also order soup and salad for dinner instead of real entrees. So now the restaurant loses money because they had to turn down other reservations or walk in traffic while they waited to see how many of you were actually going to show up and the servers lose money because all the tips need to be split evenly and they are overstaffed by at least one person. The only potential winners here are maybe the kitchen staff because they are now overstaffed and can go for a few more smoke breaks.
Ok, enough of a rant on this topic for now, I'm sure there will be more; every week I'm reminded why I can't wait to give up serving tables.
Happy holidays! (*formerly known as Merry Christmas!)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
4 Toasters.
I have 4 toasters.
There is absolutely no good reason for this. I don't even like toast. I do however love good design and a good bargain even more, which is how one ends up with 4 toasters. One of them isn't even practical, it just keeps cooking the toast until you unplug it. I think that's how people burned houses down in the olden days.
Welcome to me and what pops into my head. Why not a journal you ask? Well, I can type way faster than I can write and I like to pretend my ramblings are witty and fun and if I keep all of my thoughts hidden in a book under my bed then no one but me will ever know just how clever I really am.
Not that I expect anyone but me will ever read this, which, with some of what goes on in my head might be a good thing. Note to self: Please bear with me (you) until I learn how to use this blogging thing.
Peace.
There is absolutely no good reason for this. I don't even like toast. I do however love good design and a good bargain even more, which is how one ends up with 4 toasters. One of them isn't even practical, it just keeps cooking the toast until you unplug it. I think that's how people burned houses down in the olden days.
Welcome to me and what pops into my head. Why not a journal you ask? Well, I can type way faster than I can write and I like to pretend my ramblings are witty and fun and if I keep all of my thoughts hidden in a book under my bed then no one but me will ever know just how clever I really am.
Not that I expect anyone but me will ever read this, which, with some of what goes on in my head might be a good thing. Note to self: Please bear with me (you) until I learn how to use this blogging thing.
Peace.
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