Swine Flu Scare

It has been awhile since I have written anything on this blog, especially anything pertaining to the food/beverage industry, but as I am ending my tour here in Europe, the reality of me taking orders again has never been more real. So, naturally, I am perking up to stories and articles written about my chosen an mastered profession.
In Madrid, Spain, there is a restaurant going out of their way to stop the spread of H1N1, or Swine Flu, in their particular restaurant. The Thai-themed restaurant, Silk and Soya, goes above and beyond the basic health requirements to ensure their customers satisfaction not only in the food, but also in the comfort of their health.
The restaurant employees' temperatures are taken every day when they arrive at work, and there is hand sanitizer in the elevator on the way up to the restaurant, and also at every table. The bathroom doors are always open, the lights turn on automatically, and the faucets are also 'hands-free' ensuring that customers' hands can stay clean. Also, servers can not touch plates directly, and every person involved with preparation of food must wear gloves and a mask. Another precaution that was taken was table placement. All of the tables were moved further from one another to avoid airborne germs from spreading.
While this may seem extreme (especially to certain restaurant owners) in the U.S., this seems very extreme to me, because I have been on European standards for the past five months. There are certain restaurants here where the hygiene is not at the fore-front of the owners' minds. Just yesterday, my server had open-toed high heels while she was serving me. I know that the food will never touch her feet, yet it seemed incredibly inappropriate for a restaurant.
I commend this Spanish restaurant for their efforts, and the feedback from customers has been popular, but I also think that certain precautions are unnecessary due to the fact that an immunity must be built up in order for people to stay healthy. If every patron and employee is responsible for their own hygiene, extreme measures like this are not needed. I also realize, though, that people frequent places they feel comfortable, so, if nothing else, this is a great marketing strategy.

Genius Waitress Moving on in The World

I've done it! I've quit yet another waitressing job, with absolutely no intent of returning to this line of work again! I know the odds are that I'll be back, but I can beat the odds! I am in Switzerland, and it is interesting to go out to eat here. The servers are paid hourly, so tipping is not required. Some might say that tipping is not required in the States, but we all know that they would be wrong. Very wrong. Because tipping is not mandatory, the servers are not always pleasant. For example, we went out for a couple beers the other night, and there were about twelve of us. We all staggered in because we finished our days at different times, and when half of us got there, the server turned to one of us and said, "Jeez, can't you just wait til everyone gets here so you can order at once??? It would be much easier for me!" I wasn't sure what he'd said, because my German consists of three phrases at this point, but when a teammate of mine translated, I was shocked. Easier for him!?!? Well, no shit it would be easier for him, but where and when does it matter what is easier for the help? I'll tell you when and where. Here and now! I asked if the other people I was with were offended, and they said that type of behavior was pretty typical, and they just would not tip him. Here's what's amusing, though. When they tip here, if the total is $30.50, they just say, 'Make it $31.00, and that is the tip. The servers here have no incentive to be polite, and therefore, aren't. It sort of blew my mind at first, but as I dine more and more, I am getting used to it. I have noticed that the larger restaurants have servers who are less considerate, and the family-owned places care about individual customers much more. I am learning every day, but I thought it was very interesting to see a server say what most servers have thought more than once. Although I didn't tip, I did tip my hat to the guy.

Movie Review


I am one of 40 great grandchildren on my mother’s side. My great-grandmother had 17 children, and had 50 immediate grandchildren. Needless to say, I’ve got a lot of crazy aunts and uncles.
My favorite crazy aunt never forgets my birthday. She always sends a $2 bill, and a movie that she buys at the gas station up the street from her house. For the most part, these movies are second-rate comedy attempts that end up at Goodwill. Last year, though, my aunt sent me a movie called American Splendor, and it has become one of my favorites.
American Splendor is a dry comedy about a regular guy named Harvey Pekar. Harvey has a mundane job, and lives a somewhat mundane life. He collects albums, and comic books, and he lives alone. One day, Harvey begins realizing that he can find comedy in his everyday life, and starts writing his own comic books. They are a success in the underground comic book circle. The best part of this movie is that it is based on a true story. The real Harvey Pekar helped write the movie.
This film was incredibly inspiring and depressing at the same time. Pekar, played by Paul Giamatti, is the cookie-cut image of the ‘common man.’ The tag line of the movie, “Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff,” describes how many people feel on a daily basis.
We have all though about what it would be like to make a television series based on our own lives, but this man actually did it, and instead of television used a form of entertainment that only few can appreciate. After doing the research on the comic books, I found that the last issue of American Splendor was written and released in September 2008. Simplicity is a trend that never fades.
There are many stories that are brilliant, but because of the delivery, the full effect is not seen, heard, or felt. This is not the case in American Splendor. Beautiful shot composition, and lighting, mixed with some animation make for a very enjoyable experience. The commentaries in the film also add to the story as a whole.
Another thing that makes this story enjoyable is that the main character was not a hero who changed the world as we know it. He was a little-known V.A. Hospital file clerk. His story is not well known. I asked many people who lived during the time that the comic book was in circulation, and only a few people had a clue as to what I was talking about. The people that did know the American Splendor comic book knew it well.
While the movie tells a story, the real-life Harvey Pekar, and his wife Joyce narrate the story themselves. Having these two telling their own story in their own voices make it much more than a documentary or a typical “based on true events” tale. The casting was also on-point. Giamatti does such a justice to Harvey Pekar from his facial expressions, to his hunchback walk. His mannerisms mimic the real Pekar perfectly.
While this film was in independent film, it won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the International Critics Award at the Cannes Film Festival, both in 2003.
American Splendor is a good, clean, movie about a series of simple events. This is a movie worth buying and watching over and over again. It delivers hope in a rare form, and makes the viewer appreciate the simplicities of everyday life. My favorite part of the movie though, was in the packaging. Upon opening my birthday present, I found a copy of an American Splendor comic book entitled, My Movie Year.

I'm here to eat, like anybody else

As a waitress, there are many a thing that piss me off (slow cooks, overbearing bosses, conservative tippers, CHILDREN, and sleep deprivation, just to name a few.) But believe it or not, as a customer, I am not very sensitive. I have gone out to eat with other servers and been embarrassed, not only because of the way they treated our server, but because of the way they tipped. There are only a few things that irk me and I typically won't even comment on these things to the server or let it affect their tip, (I will just go home and blog about them.)
One thing that really bothers me is when I go out to eat, and my server knows that I am server, and he/she the takes this as the cue to unleash the night's problems on me. I know that serving sucks. I am a server, so why would you want to bitch about things that happen at a serving job the one night I am not serving? If I cared at all about the ten top that you didn't get, or the guy that left you $6 on an $80 ticket, I'd be at work and experience those things myself. I am out to eat to enjoy a quiet evening with my friends or my dude, not to hear about the fact that you requested not to work doubles anymore, yet you're still scheduled for doubles for the next two weeks.
Regardless of your profession, you should find joy in dining out and as a server, regardless of the profession of your customer, you should not bombard them with your problems. I guess it is a good tactic if you are trying to stress your fellow server out and get him/her to have a couple extra beers during the meal, but for the most part, it is pretty insensitive.

Strange how a phonecall can change your day

I used to do things that I loved on a daily basis, but now it seems that I do things to please or meet the needs of others. While I'm not proud of this fact, I do understand that it is part of being part of this society. I received a phone call that changed my entire day Saturday afternoon. I spoke on the phone for nearly three hours, which is nowhere near typical for me. I'm the type of person who makes excuses to get off the phone with my mother (I know, I know, she makes me feel guilty enough, you don't need to). This was a different type of phone call, though. This was a phone call from one of the people I love most in the world. Someone who brings out the best in me. This person has known me for years, and still manages to love me.
While a phone call doesn't seem like much at face value, the day, and week, and month, have been putting stress on my life that I've never encountered before, and this friend's voice seemed to take me back to a more peaceful, serene time. I realized part way through this call, though, that this peaceful, serene, time is now. My life is perfect. Sure there are snags here and there, but for the most part, I am happy for the bulk of the day/week/month. Sometimes it takes a friend who wants to hear you talk, to hear yourself talk about how good life really is. Ironically enough, I was letting my i-pod control my mood by putting it on shuffle during this talk, and immediately following my phone dying, this song shuffled in.

She Dreamed A Dream

Susan Boyle wants to be a professional singer. She went on the television show, Britain's Got Talent, and was basically laughed at upon arrival.



While this woman doesn't look like a typical pop-star, she has the voice of an opera starlet. She shocked audiences when she began singing "I Dreamed a Dream," from the musical Les Miserables. Although I know this song, and this musical, an outsider looking in and hearing a little bit about this story and this woman would say that the lyrics in this song were very fitting to Susan's situation.

"Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted"

"I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed."

This woman said that since she was twelve years old, she has dreamed of becoming a professional singer. She now lives alone with her cat. She has never been married, nor has she ever been kissed.

Going on national television took a lot of courage. There are many people who are too worried about criticism to even compete, and this woman faced it with grace, and boldness. While she didn't do anything profound, that will change the world as we know it forever, she did something that took a lot of guts. She stood in front of a large audience and she lived her dream. There has been quite a bit of media coverage over this, I believe, because it inspires average people. Her fan site's motto is to never judge a book by it's cover. It's a tale as old as time. In case you haven't caught this, here she is....

Susan's performance

Although her popularity will surely fade with time (our attention spans don't allow for long-term stardom), today Susan Boyle is famous. She dreamed a dream and chased that dream. At 47, she is getting the recognition that a person with a gift like hers deserves.

The whole truth and nothing but the truth...

There are certain stand-up comedians who make phenomenal points. While this might not be the case, it still can deliver a laugh.

*****WARNING*****EXPLICIT LANGUAGE*****



Now, Mr. Rock talks about women wearing make-up, heels, and Wonderbras when they meet men...luring them in. He has a point. While not every woman does this, and not every man is dumb enough to fall for tricks like this, there are exceptions. I had a conversation with a male friend of mine who said that he fell in love with a girl's representative. He met her, he dated her, and he fell madly in love with her. Six months went by, and he met the real her. Needless to say, the real her was nothing like her representative. The real her was opinionated, and had bad days from time to time. The real her made (gasp) bowel movements! Now, this male friend of mine is pretty shallow and full of himself, but I keep him around for educational purposes, and he had a point.

As women, we shouldn't dress/act/smell/talk one way if that's not who we truly are. It is incredibly hard to be yourself sometimes because you know that people may disagree with you, or even make you feel like a total outcast. That is not a reason to compromise your beliefs, though. This is not as common in college as it is in high school, but I definitely still see it at times. I have a friend who is going to school to become a doctor. This girl has more personality and wit in her pinkie finger, than most do in their entire body, but I'm the only one who knows this about her. I have seen her talk to guys, and I am almost embarrassed for her. She acts very docile and agreeable, when I know she is anything but. To be honest, this blog post was inspired by her (and Chris Rock).

Be yourselves ladies! It is hard to discover that a guy likes you for the wrong reasons. It is even harder if you can't blame the guy, though, because you introduced him to your representative instead of yourself.

Means to an end

I feel like a loser on a day-to-day basis. There is always someone who puts me in my place and makes me feel like I’m just not quite good enough. I walk away smiling, though, because I know the truth. I know who I am, and who I love, and that’s good enough for me.
As a waitress, I am ‘the help.’ Regardless of my hairstyle or make-up for the evening, I am still the one who cleans your child’s chicken strips up off the floor, and also the one who responds to snapping fingers, and raised eyebrows
Until recently, I cursed my job the entire time I was there. Whether you were part of the five-o–clock elderly rush, or part of the posh couple that dines at nine, I hated you. Please forgive me though, because I didn’t know any better. Until recently.
Sad to say, but I have been serving for five years, and I didn’t pay attention closely enough to realize exactly how enjoyable my job really is.
A person named Kelly came to my restaurant looking for a job a few months back. I saw the application, and actually felt sorry for him. In my eyes, this was a middle-aged man who’d had to resort to working in a kitchen once again (a job I was sure he thought he was too old/good for.) When I met Kelly though, I was surprised. This person came into work the first day wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt and whistling a uplifting Otis Redding tune (not ‘Dock of the Bay’ but ‘Try a Little Tenderness’.) Now, humming and work are synonymous for most, but the thing about Kelly’s humming is that it didn’t cease when the dinner rush came; it amplified. The humming soon turned into singing, and the singing into dancing.
I felt an instant gravitation to this person’s happiness, because I didn’t have much within myself. Work was work, and play was play, and never the two shall meet. Right? Wrong.
I have been working with this person for a few months now, and the genuine excitement has not faded a bit. This person truly enjoys his job. Why, you might ask? Well, you are not alone; I have asked the same.
“Because I have worked a truly shit-job, and this is nowhere near a truly shit-job,” Kelly responded when asked how he sports a grin at all times. “I know what it is like to have to provide for a family, and compromise your beliefs to do so; this job is nowhere near that.”
I have not had a bad day at work since. His words to me were simple, but his actions were incredibly difficult. To genuinely enjoy work seems so foreign to most, but to this person, it seems almost natural.
It is easy to fabricate reasons as to why a job sucks, and it is even easier to justify those reasons, but to truly find joy in a mundane job is a gift that must be recognized.
Thank you Kelly. You make my nights more enjoyable on so many levels. From the playlists and CD’s you make, to the excitement and care that you put into even the most mundane task, it is appreciated.
Although my serving days are numbered, there are always people I wish I could work with throughout my life, and Kelly is definitely one of those people. We all know when a job is only a means to an end, but we also know the people at these jobs who make us realize that life is much bigger than a restaurant.

On the lighter side....

Who would I be if I didn't get back to my ranting waitress persona? Here ya go Blake.

5 April Fool's Day Jokes that servers can play on their patrons (aside from the typical spit in the food that we do anyway)

1) "Sir, actually there won't be a bill tonight....someone else picked up the tab for you....HA! April Fool's!!!"

2) "Of course this is fat-free ranch ma'am....HA!!!"

3) Serving "virgin" drinks and seeing who starts acting tipsy

4) "You'd like a burger with ketchup only?" then bring out ketchup between two buns

5) "Como? No habla ingles aqui"


Have fun tonight guys, this is our day....

My review of a review

I recently read a book entitled Revolutionary Road, which is also now a major motion picture. Obviously, I had my own thoughts and feelings about this book, but I thought I would see what others thought as well. I read a few reviews that I could relate to, but I also read one that I thought was lazily-written, and extremely revealing. Spoiler Alert: this link pretty much tells every climactic point of the book, and also the ending. Thanks John Marcel, Resident Scholar. I think the reason I struggled reading Marcel's review is because it wasn't really a review. It was a re-enactment. Reviewing a book is not only giving a brief glimpse as to what happens, but saying your opinion on the book as a whole. It is hardly opinionated, and a review should be. Also, it is a total buzz kill to read a review, then lose desire to read a book because the critic has already given away the ending, and the beginning, and the climax. They were also basic grammar mistakes on this review, and that causes a writer to lose credibility, in my mind. A teacher once told me that if you aren't getting a rise out of someone, then you aren't writing. This review did absolutely nothing for me. It ticked me off because it was so dull, but not because of the content. I believe if you are brave enough to review a book, you should make your opinion known. Don't hide behind the book itself. Don't just tell us what happened and when. Wet our lips a little bit, and make us want to read a book or tell us not to waste our time. Either way, take a side!

Someone calls me coach

There is only a few weeks left in this semester, and I feel as if my blog has been one-dimensional. I read through my writing, and I have not truly expressed who I am as a person, beyond a ranting waitress, and a damn good one at that. I am a plethora of things, one of which is a coach. I have 19 girls who range from 8-18. I teach them different techniques, different pitches, mound presence, and I try to be a positive influence in their lives. A couple of years ago, a fellow athlete spent a Spring Break in Lake Havasu, AZ. She was photographed during a wet t-shirt contest, and she lost her scholarship. She was a phenomenal athlete, but because of poor judgment, and alcohol, her career was cut short.
A girl in my class told us a story about spring breakers developing disturbing pictures. Here's her story. This made me think about pictures, and other things that can haunt you for years and years to come. Because of stories like hers and that fellow softball player of mine, I try to be careful about what hits the net. Somebody looks up to me. Somebody thinks that everything I do is cool, and somebody wants to be like me someday. Regardless of age, most little girls try to act older than they are. Look around. Look at the teenagers wearing low-rise skinny jeans and low cut tops. Look at girls wearing make-up at 13 and having sex by 14. This kind of stuff goes on, and older girls set the stage and the example for it. Even if someone doesn't call you coach, I guarantee someone looks up to you. Be careful of the examples you set. Something as small as a facebook picture is sending a message to someone very impressionable. You can only control yourself and your actions, but don't forget who else if affected by them.

How Did I Spend My Spring Break?

"Mr. Bell, a blockage in that area of the heart is typically known as the widow-maker."

"Mr. Bell, I have been here for 5 years and never seen a person get to the hospital alive after an attack like that.”

"Mr. Bell, that particular artery has a 92% death rate associated with it."

Regardless of how the doctor phrased it, we all knew it was a close call.
This was not the first close call my father had. There have been car accidents, surgeries, and work-related injuries galore. He is a roofer who doesn’t always “tie-in” to steep roofs. Growing up, I would watch my father as he encountered these close calls, but I never saw them affect him. He would laugh it off claiming the he got lucky. I watched him get in four accidents in one year, then sell the car because it was unlucky. This event, being 3 days before St. Patrick’s Day, made me think a little bit about luck, though.

Luck is defined as a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person's control. I have never believed in luck, personally. I believe in cause and effect. That Saturday morning, though, I watched luck occur in its truest form. My father should not have lived through the ambulance ride to the hospital, but he somehow did. He is an incredibly stubborn man, who won’t visit the doctor unless it is to re-attach something, yet he called an ambulance because he felt ‘a little funny.’ The type of heart attack my father had kills 92% of the victims, but it didn’t kill him. I call that luck, but for the first time, my father doesn’t think it is luck. He thinks he has unfinished business.

I have seen my father cry twice in my entire life. The first was when my parents separated, and the second was Sunday morning when my brother and I got into our routine argument. We have one each time I come home. My father cried, and brought us outside to his patio.
“I am here for a purpose, and I know what my purpose is. You, and you,” he said as he pointed at the two of us. “My priorities have changed. I didn’t change them myself, but when I woke up in that hospital bed, nothing mattered in the world except for you, and you,” his voice cracked as he pointed to us again. I am typing through bleary eyes, because my father is not the most emotional person. He is a strong Southern man, who prides himself on being the backbone of our family. His way of expressing his feelings is patting his wife on the butt after a good meal, and buying me a punching bag after a guy breaks my heart.

Will my father forever be changed by this experience? It’s too soon to tell, but I know that something happened to that man. I saw the way that he looked at things throughout the week. It reminded me of my two-year old niece, seeing things for the first time. He told us everything too. He told us everything that he’d been holding in all these years. He told us that he wasn’t going to hold back any longer, and that we shouldn’t either. We talked. We all talked until there was nothing more to say, and I left Colorado knowing that my father and I had connected for the first time in our lives.
There are many things that need to change in the next few months in order for my father to stay healthy, but I know now that with his willpower, the love from his family, and a little bit of luck, he can do damn near anything.

S.A.M.E. is a much different concept

In downtown Denver, just off East Colfax, poverty seems to be the one trend that ties people together. Until recently, the only options for food were fast-food, or gas station food. In 2006, though, a young couple from Illinois decided to open a restaurant that was different from any other in that area. It was not as run-down as the rest of the area, and it granted hope to anyone and everyone who walked in the door, as it still does. It is called S.A.M.E. It stands for So All May Eat. It is a non-profit restaurant, one of the only ones in the country. This restaurant serves nearly 15,000 customers a year, but doesn't charge a single one. The customers are asked to pay what they can, when they can. If a customer can not offer any money at all, they are asked to volunteer an hour in the kitchen helping to prepare or serve food. While some might see this restaurant as a modern-day soup kitchen, they would be mistaken. S.A.M.E. offers a different menu for every meal, and most of the food is organic.

This is phenomenal. When I read about this restaurant, I thought to myself, 'Now that is the definition of community service.' This restaurant offers a healthy meal to people who can't afford a meal at all, in most cases. It is amazing that people get so caught up in restaurants to realize that no matter how good their souffle is, certain people can't afford to go out to eat.

This restaurant isn't just attracting people of limited means, though. There are business-types, hippie-types, college students, and more. There are people who come to support the cause, and people who truly just enjoy the food.

This is a new way to look at the restaurant industry. These owners are helping people one meal at a time. They are asking nothing in return, and they are truly unselfish people in this horribly selfish world. I commend you.

Local Favorites

Nothing is better than a locally-owned restaurant. There is no better restaurant to work for, either. Few people understand that locally-owned restaurants and bars have fewer rules and regulations to abide by. Now, don't get me wrong, there are always going to be standards, but there are less and less corporate incentives to "up-sell," an there is definitely a hometown feel. This is one editorial writer who agrees with me. It seems like certain restaurant chains are all the same. It seems like the food tastes the same, regardless of the state or city you are in. That's because it IS the same. These restaurants are sent pre-made sauces, veggies, and even certain meals. They want their food to taste the same way around the country/world. Locally-owned restaurants can differ in taste from day to day. Some other perks to dining at a local place is the atmosphere. Odds are, the owners are much more involved in their own restaurants, than some manager would be about a chain they're not even really involved in. Locally-owned restaurant owners understand that every customer counts, and they are definitely more apt to remember your name, your drink, and what you typically like to eat. Certain chain restaurants are delicious, but they are corporate entities with no face to identify with. Locally-owned restaurants are usually staffed with good, hard-working people, who truly understand that the customer comes first. Oh, and the last perk of a locally-owned restaurant...if you wanna buy your proficient waitress a drink after her shift, there is no corporate rule prohibiting it...just a thought for the next time you go out, hehehe.
If you are traveling, pay attention to the parking lots. Are a lot of locals at the Applebee's in the center of town, or are they on the outskirts of town in a little cafe with a studdering neon light? Locals can usualy tell you a lot about a place.

Top Ten Reasons UNK Parking is Better than Dating

OK....so my teacher Double Dog Dared me to write about UNK parking. I loathe writing and reading about UNK parking just about as much as I loathe reading anything (ever) written about dating. So, with a little Letterman in me, I decided that you two most over-written about cliches should be grouped together in this handy-dandy countdown.

10) The UNK campus parking lots are always so packed that you know who's been there directly before you.

9) A parking spot is either available or unavailabe. There are no parking spots with benefits, or "open-ended" parking spots.

8) If someone takes your spot, there is no need to take down facebook pictures or go on a 10-day drinking binge ending with you crying in your spot's mom's front yard.

7) Rather than burning a hole in your pocket eating out evenings, you are burning calories, mornings, walking to class.

6) There is never a need to pretend that you like the parking spots that are surrounding your spot.

5) 30-minute spots are honest with their commitment issues from the get-go.

4) The UNK parking lot is equal-opportunity. It doesn't care that you drive your dad's 1991 green Ford Taurus, or that you work at a fast-food joint.

3) Parking spots have no objection if you rotate between them and the one next to them every other day.

2) The UNK parking lot is small enough that everyone has parked here or there at least once, and we all know this, but unlike dating, no one seems to mind.

And the number one reason that UNK parking is better than dating.....(drumroll).....

1) It costs you $60, once a year, and you are promised (in writing) exactly what you are going to get. Enough said.

They've done it again

From the makers of Waiting comes a new comedy about the shenanigan's that go on in the service industry. Still Waiting makes a complete mockery of my job, and everything that goes along with it. This straight to DVD classic uses sexual innuendo, cheesy comedy, and a couple of would-be stars to sum up anything and everything that goes on in a corporate restaurant. If someone sees it, lemme know how it is, as I will probably not be spending the $5 to buy this movie at whatever gas station/24-hour diner it ends up selling at.

Kearney/UNK Issues

These are a few ideas for my next editorial.

1) Here on campus, we have a luxury over many other schools in our athletic conference. The Health and Sports Center. This indoor facility makes it possible for athletes and students alike to train or exercise when the weather doesn't allow for outdoor activities. This has always helped baseball and softball players because the rainy and snowy weather during their seasons prevent them from practicing on their fields. This semester, though, there is a new rule that prohibits balls thrown in the Cushing Field House. The rule only allows balls being thrown, or kicked, during reserved time by teams (University or intramural.) This does not seem fair to the athletes who's sport is paying their college tuition. They are simply trying to better their skills, and they pay the fees to use the facility.

2) Speed limits need to be better enforced on and around campus. It is a game of "frogger" getting across 25th Street, and it is also very bad on 29th between the football field and the sorority/fraternity houses. Not only do some people speed, some people go well below the speed limit (looking for these mythical parking spaces some speak of), which can be just as dangerous.

3) April is Sexual Violence Prevention Month. An issue on this campus that could be resolved is lack of awareness. Many women do not realize the resources they have here on campus that could lower their risks of becoming a statistic. Here on UNK Campus, we have a SafeRide program with Kearney Cab that few people know about, and also a SafeWalk program that insures the safety of students leaving their night classes or late-night study sessions. Many women come to college feeling more independent than ever without realizing the risks of living as a single women on a college campus. Kearney and UNK are both very safe places, but bad things happen everywhere and prevention and knowledge are the only ways to protect oneself.

Tip Your Tender

Ever think about what a bartending job entails? Not only do they need to know every drink, they need to know the menu. They keep your drink full, put in food if you order it, run credit cards for servers, and keep the tables' drinks full. So why don't people feel the need to tip them? I have never stiffed a bartender myself, but many many people do. Next time you think about stiffing a bartender, think about the little things they do for you while you are eating/drinking. Did they put a glass of water in front of you? How about silverware? Odds are they got your salad for you, and maybe they even brought you that side of mayo that you asked for. Not every bartending job consists only of spinning bottles and shaking martinis. Remember that bartenders, unlike servers, cannot take a break. If a server doesn't have a table, he/she can sit down for a few, roll silverware, even order some food, but not bartenders. Unless there is not a single person drinking in the restaurant or sitting at the bar, the bartender has something to do. Also remember when you are tipping that your drink bill is accumulating with every drink. If you would tip $1/drink, and you have 7 drinks, don't think that leaving a $5 bill is acceptable. It is just like a server waiting on you.

THIS SITE knows what's up, and THIS ONE is something I wish I'd started

TIP FOR SERVERS:
Tip your tender. Most of the time there is a mandatory amount that every server must tip out, but if not, take care of your bartender. They will take better care of you.

I dig travelers!!!

I'm not sure what it is about people on the road, but I love love love them! They are laid back, they are gonna have a few beers with their food, they are gonna ask questions about the city they're in, they are gonna ask about their server, and they are gonna tip! I met a young couple on their way to Utah to go snowboarding this evening. They were interested in me. Not the fake kind of interested (you know, the kind that I pull when someone tells me about a baby, or a marriage) the real interested. They asked questions, told stories, and laughed. Again, it was real laughter, not the kind that I use when a customer tells me the same joke that he has told me every Thursday for a month about the guy walking into a bar and saying ouch, get it? Get it? Yes sir, I get it, I just can't laugh at things that aren't funny. I don't have it in me. Nonetheless, if you, as a server, have time to talk to these people, they really are amazing. And if you, as a customer, are taking a road trip, make an effort to go into locally-owned restaurants and visit with the staff. You may make her night =)

Community Voice

This is an editorial for class



On January 15, 2009, the Attorney General of Nebraska began an effort to get Kearney, Nebraska to change its 51-year old concealed weapons law. The law states that no person can conceal and carry a weapon. This is not a state law; this is a Kearney, NE City statute. The Attorney General continues to fight this issue saying that the law is costing the state too much money. The state law in Nebraska allows for concealing and carrying a weapon as long as the person has obtained a state certified permit. The problem lies in certain cases when a person is carrying a permit, yet is concealing a weapon in a city that bans concealed weapons. While this may not seem like a difficult issue to work around, it is causing quite a stir because the state is doing everything in their power to turn Kearney’s laws around.
Why? What is the point in having local government if the decisions are overturned by the state? Every city is different from the next in one way or another, and to generalize an entire state in lawmaking is foolish. In the way of guns, a concealed weapon in Chadron, Nebraska is much different from a concealed weapon in East Omaha. The people who live in the community should help to decide the laws because they are the people who have to live with them and abide by them. There is nowhere in the Nebraska statute that says a city must abide by state law. The statutes say that cities can make and pass laws as they see fit, as long as they don’t contradict state or federal laws.
A smoking ban has been in effect in Lincoln, Nebraska since October of 2006. The city voted to enact one and it passed. While this was not a state law, it was still enforced in the city limits of Lincoln. Now, this law did not catch any grief because it didn’t cost anybody at the state level money. Had someone objected to this law, would the state have urged Lincoln to overturn the ban?
Consistency is key in a democratic government. This country is different from anywhere else in the world because everyone has a voice, and everyone has an elected official helping to make that voice heard. If the highest government in the state is just going to take away that voice, then there is no point in having a city council or a mayor. The state as a whole is only complete when the individual cities are complete. If a city wants to keep guns out of their community, the state must respect that right. If a city wants to permit smoking, the state must respect that right. Every state in the U.S. is different, and therefore, they have different laws. Cities are no different. Each city must deal with their own problems as they come without having to fear the state overriding, and eventually making the decisions for them.

The times they are a changin'

Valentine's Day 2008= 6 hours @$2.13/hr=$12.78 + $240 in tips = $252.78, $42.13/hr!!!!!

Valentine's Day 2009= 6 hours @$2.13/hr=$12.78 +$100 in tips = $112.78, $18.80/hr =(

Don't get me wrong, nearly $20/hr. is still quite a bit of money, but less that half what I made the year before? Come on people. And here's the worst of it! Someone stiffed me! On Valentine's Day! I popped their champagne for them, drew chocolate swirls on their cheesecake, wrote "Happy V-Day!" on the ticket itself, and still got stiffed. How can you do that? I'll tell you how...you go out to eat once a year. You decide to take your wife out for a nice meal, and realize that you haven't been out to eat since waitresses wore pink skirts! You don't realize how much things cost, and you definitely don't realize that tipping is a requirement! You tell me how great my service was, then draw a straight line through the tip amount on the credit card slip. Wow! As if working on Valentine's Day isn't somewhat depressing in itself, someone stiffing you is an arrow to the heart. Mind you, the tickets on Valentine's Day are nearly double what they typically are. My average ticket was $50, and the ticket I got stiffed on was almost $50. $47.33 to be exact.

This may offer some insight as to why people feel the need to tip or not tip. "To Insure Promptness" was the original slogan for the reasoning behind leaving a tip, but now it is a necessity to leave money to your servers, especially on a holiday.

SNOW DAY!!!!

Typically means no dinero for this girl =(. It's odd, I never correlated eating with the weather until I worked in a restaurant. It is a Friday night, and typically money on Friday nights is very good (people had a long week, they wanna sit and enjoy a drink and a meal, they don't want to cook, etc...) Oh no! Not tonight my friend. The second the first snowflake hits the ground, people cease to leave their homes. I guess this makes sense, somewhat. I don't particularly like driving in snow myself. One thing that I don't understand is the opposite of this, though. When it is beautiful outside, people don't go out to eat. They barbecue. Hmph! Basically, in a perfect waitress world, everyday would be fifty degrees with clear skies, and optimal road conditions. Oh yeah, and every table would be young, businessmen, who want appetizers, salads, drinks, entrees, and desserts with coffee. They'd also want to help out the aspiring lawyer who is taking their order and trying her hardest to flirt without flirting. To all you diners out there, enjoy your night in, please call and cancel if you have a reservation, and please please please don't let this weather keep you in for Valentine's Day tomorrow (it's like the Christmas of serving holidays!)

My First Rebuttal

Ok...so it's not really a rebuttal, but I should clarify. An avid reader of mine brought it to my attention that I was a little bias in my editorial. I should clear things up a bit. In my editorial, I ranted about owners and investors of restaurants. I used the example of car dealership owners offering their employees hourly wages to compensate for the lack of cars being sold off the lot. I should let the general public know that while servers make $2.25/hour, owners are required to pay their servers minimum wage. This means that at the end of a shift, a server must add up their tips, and if it doesn't average out to minimum wage, the owner must pay the server the difference. *CUSTOMERS* Please do not think this means that you don't have to tip. You have to tip. You have to tip well, very very well, please and thank you. B.P., hope this clears the air!

Tips for Servers

****DISCLAIMER***** EXTREME PROFANITY IN THE YOUTUBE VIDEO*******

Here's some advice for all my server friends out there...

1) SMILE.Nothing is more awkward and depressing than a server coming to the table acting unfriendly. Even if it is a fake smile, SMILE. I was out to eat last week in Omaha, and our server was so impolite. She didn't smile once, and she didn't make eye contact at all. It made me feel like I was inconveniencing her by dining out. Also, I wanted dessert, but she didn't offer it, she just dropped our ticket without a thank you, or a grin. Smiling in everyday life is important, but a smile is part of your uniform when you are serving.

2) Say your name. Say it clearly, say it a couple times, use it in a story you are telling, write it on the back of the ticket when you drop it, just make sure you get it out there. Just like servers remember good tippers, customers remember good servers. If you want repeat customers, say your name. Also, it helps eliminate customers that get your attention in a rude manner.

3) Check your baggage at the door. This is important in any job, but especially in serving. Sorry you had a bad day, it happens, but serving is one of the professions where you can not let your day affect you dinner rush. No customers care how bad your day was. No customers care how you feel. Sorry, it is a harsh reality, but a reality no less. One thing that helps me to leave the drama at home, is to leave my cell phone at home, or at least in my car. Pay attention to your job, and it will go by faster. Use the restaurant as a release from the rest of the world. Keep your hands busy, and your mind will rarely have time to catch up. If you must must must show emotion at work, keep it in the kitchen or serving station. Let it build up and boil as much as you can, then go back into the kitchen and string as many four-letter words together as possible.



Won't solve anything, but will offer some temporary release. Something else that helps is throwing something as hard as you can with your opposite hand (Thanks T.K.) I am right-handed, so when I am about to explode, I grab a towel and throw it as hard as I can into the hamper with my left hand. I feel better because I look and feel like a moron, but I don't feel like killing the lady at table 13 anymore =)

4) Be honest. If you don't know if the Alfredo has garlic, be honest. "Ma'am I am not positive on that, but I will go check with the cook and be right back." Then....you go check with the cook and come right back. This is common sense folks, but it is commonly overlooked. Some servers want to look like they know everything (trust me, I'm one of those servers.) But if you tell this customer that there isn't garlic in the sauce, and there is, BOOM! Allergic reaction, lawsuit, unemployment. It takes a few seconds to clarify. This can all be prevented by knowing your menu, though, and asking questions for yourself before a customer ever has to ask.


5) (If you are a customer, please stop reading now) Servers...here is a tip to make more tips. UPSELL!!! UPSELL!!!! UPSELL!!!! UPSELL!!!!
"I'll have a vodka tonic please," "OK Sir, would you like Absolut, Grey Goose, or Ketel One?"
DO NOT SELL WELL. If a customer hears their options, they are more likely to pick one, rather than just resorting to well drinks. This increases your bill one dollar at a time, but it is important. Always suggest soups and salads, and always bring out the dessert tray or describe it in succulent terms. The more money people spend, the more they tip (typically.) In this tough economy, servers must get customers to spend as much as they can. Know your booze so that you can list the various types of top-shelf vodkas, bourbons, scotches, and rums. Also, know your wines and beers. Don't just sound knowledgeable, be knowledgeable.

Tips for customers

*****Disclaimer*****This is a link to an R-Rated movie. It contains very graphic language and should not be viewed by people under 18 years of age.


Time for me to give back to my friendly customers. Enjoy!

1) The most important rule, the Cardinal rule if you will, is *****DO NOT F*CK WITH PEOPLE WHO HANDLE YOUR FOOD*****. While nothing as drastic as this would ever happen at a real restaurant, it is a warning. Be smart. Just because you do not have as much control over your life as you'd like to, does not mean that you can control and make the people who serve you feel like less than they are. Don't forget that the cute ditsy blonde that is bringing you your salad with lite ranch, is going to school to be a doctor. Just because you make $8.50/hour + benefits does not make you a better person, so don't act like it.

2) Everything from here on out will be a version of rule #1 worded differently. For example, there are 2 reasons that a server remembers a customer. Either they tipped very well, or they tipped very poorly. Sorry to break it to you. As much as you think the waitress was into you by the way she kept your beer and water full, it is her job. Nothing more. Now if you left her $50 on a $30 ticket (Which I've had happen by the way) she will remember every little thing you said. In my case, he was traveling from Iowa to Denver to watch his niece graduate. He had 2 Miller Lites with a NY Strip cooked medium. He doesn't care for soup or salad, because he likes to indulge in dessert; that particular night it was just ice cream with chocolate syrup. Thank you if you are reading this, I owe you my black open-toed stilettos from Baker's.

3) Cell phones are rude. The reason I am asking you if you are ready to order is because I am ready for you to order. I do not want you to think that, but I am at your table ready for a reason. I have a plan! I send in drinks for table 3 while checking back on the steaks from table 5. I just dropped table 8 his check and he is reaching for his card, indicating he is ready to leave. Do you see where you fit into this scheme? You on your phone means that table 3 is waiting for drinks, while table 5 might need their steaks put on longer. Table 8 is checking his watch, because he is trying to make a movie, while you sit and chat with a friend who is too important to call back. It is rude.

4) My name is Amanda. I will be taking care of you tonight. Ok, I will go put that order in for you right away, again MY NAME IS AMANDA, please let me know if you need anything. Know how bad it makes you feel being called sir or ma'am? Well it stings a lot deeper being snapped at, hollered at, or hearing "Excuse me, EXCUSE ME!!!" from across the restaurant. I promise if you at least attempt at my name, say something that begins or ends with an "A", I will respond.




5) Tip accordingly. Nothing is worse than making less than a bad server, when you did a better job. Certain people think that tipping 15% all around makes them a good tipper. Well, would you pay your gardener for doing half your yard work? Would you pay your doctor for a false diagnosis? Serving is no different from serious professions. Do not tip well unless you were satisfied. Do not condone, or promote bad service. If she didn't do well, let her know. If he forgot your salad, forget his 15%. It is an awful feeling doing a great job and not being rewarded accordingly, but it is an even more awful feeling watching someone else make money for a mediocre, or at times, pitiful job.

Editorial

Money is a point of uncertainty in every American’s life right now. Even millionaires are worrying about their stock portfolios and their capitalist ventures. The economic crisis really affects the middle class, though. It affects the people that work for the millionaire’s corporations. It affects us, and it affects you. The fear of spending money at a time like this, can be seen everywhere from car sales to movie ticket sales. One industry that has not been greatly affected by this recession is the food and beverage industry. Sales have actually been up when it comes to dining out. However, the people that work in these restaurants are dependent on customers for their money. Coming back to the issue of fear. The fear of spending has caused Americans to withhold money in certain areas, while splurging in others. This goes back to a certain server’s saying, ‘if you can’t afford to tip, don’t go out to eat.’
Food and beverage servers work for some of the lowest wages in the United States. There are places that pay their servers $2.13/hour, with much of that going toward taxes. The I.R.S. assumes that servers make a certain amount, and they tax on that amount, regardless of what the server actually made. In the past this has not been a problem because for every patron that tips 10%, there are two that tip 20%. Now that money is getting tight for everyone though, people are still spending the money on the meal, they just aren’t paying for the service.
The food and beverage industry hasn’t been the only one to encounter this dilemma. Late last year, car dealerships face a similar problem with the majority of their employees being paid on commission only. The thing is, they did something about it. They paid their employees hourly to compensate for the lack of cars being sold. Restaurant owners and investors need to do something similar. No one can get by living on a taxable $2.13/hour. Minimum wage would at least keep servers on their feet through these hard times.
Enforcing a law that either paid servers hourly in addition to their tips, or made 15% a mandatory tip amount would help servers immensely. Being able to guarantee these hard workers a certain amount of money would secure restaurants with a hard-working wait staff. It would also help people prioritize their money, making them realize that when dining out, they must budget enough money for a tip. Everyone enjoys the feeling of going out for a nice meal, but the people serving the food must also be able to enjoy the security of going home without a paycheck, knowing that their customers will take good care of them.

Tipping: Part I

***DISCLAIMER: This is a link to an R-Rated movie entitled Reservoir Dogs. It contains very graphic language. RECOMMENDED FOR VIEWERS 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.

This will be an ongoing issue that I believe in and advocate long after I hang up my non-slip black shoes, and apron. Tip. Tip well. Tip well, because servers in most states make between $2-3/hour. California is different. Those people make $10.75/hour + tips, so they don't really get much empathy from this girl.
Many people think that 15% is fair, and I agree. If I could consistently make 15% per table, I would be monetarily satisfied every night, but this is rarely the case. People seem to be able to sleep at night by tipping between 10% and 12%. I have received less than that obviously, but it was because of horrible service. The worst feeling is not getting stiffed, believe it or not. The worst feeling is getting tipped a quarter, or two quarters, or a dollar. It is the worst feeling because it often happens when the customer is not trying to send a message. When you get stiffed, you usually know why. When someone leaves a dollar, they may feel that your service was great, and that's why you deserved that extra green back. This is a deeply sickening feeling because you think of all the servers along the way that are going to come into contact with this person.
***Believe it or not, certain people truly do think this way. I don't understand it and I never will be able to. One of the hardest things is walking away from a bad tip, and not letting it affect you until the end of the night. Your instinct tells you to chase the customer to the parking lot, and grab their child, who had 25 chocolate milks that you made by hand, and hold them as ransom until they give you another $5.25, but somehow you must maintain.

Male vs. Female servers

This is an epic battle as old as time. This will not be settled in this blog, nor in my lifetime I imagine. No it is not the argument of abortion, race, politics, or UNK parking! It is males vs. females in the service industry! Who makes more money and why? Who does a better job and why? Who is more detail-oriented, and who is more friendly to customers?
I worked at an "upscale" restaurant for about a year, and would constantly compete with one of our male servers. We would compete to see who could make more money in a night or weekend, who would get more requests for their service, and even who would get more verbal compliments(which is pretty much a way of people justifying the fact that they are leaving you a 5% tip when you both know damn well that you deserved 20%.) Typically, I would win these little competitions, but not always. As frustrating as it was for him, we tried to dissect the reasoning behind this and here's what we came up with.
1) Black pants.
Really? Need I say more? Men put on black pants, and they look professional (especially if they are pressed.) Women wear tight black pants, and they look everything but. Well, they may look professional, but it is not the profession that most women want to be perceived as having.

2) Who is picking up the tab?
Typically men pay for more expensive meals. Typically men tip cute girls more than they tip for good service. I only say typically because there are men out there, like my father, who believes everybody deserves 20% no matter what! Funny that this is the same man who has constantly tried to teach me a hard work ethic, and who opposes any type of re-distribution, or any presidential candidate who would ever be accused of idealizing re-distribution of any kind, hmmmm...
3) What type of restaurant is it, and what type of meal is it?
If it is 6 men at a sports bar watching a game, you can bet your $2.13 an hour that they are gonna want a flirty, ditsy, jersey, lip gloss, and eyeshadow-wearing, girl. Not woman. Not man. Girl. (Now just for clarification, most of these men get frustrated with females who have been serving for more than 6 months, because after that initial 'i don't wanna screw up so I'll just smile' stage, we don't put up with you. Sorry, that quarter you give us per round of Busch Lights you and your buddies are sucking down isn't helping me more than me repeating some random thing I heard on Sports Center a month ago to try to sound knowledgeable is helping you.
Now, on second thought, if this group of 6 men are at an upscale restaurant discussing business matters, they want one of their own. A smart, promising, young man who will eventually rub elbows with these schmoes, and since those are so prevalent in the service industry, they can have their pick. One frustrating thing about men is that while women spend their time competing and hating one another, men form this bond, a bond that typically ends with one guy picking up the tab and the friend who wanted to pay slipping the waitER a $50.


4) Wanna chat?
Women like to talk. In the service industry, this can be a great gift, but it can also be a curse. If a customer enjoys talking with their little entrepreneur who also happens to wait tables, they may bypass the fact that she forgot their salad, and topped off their Absolut and Tonic with water. On the other hand, if they just want to read, talk amongst themselves, or watch a sports game, then a Chatty Kathy is not what they need. This is one of the few occasions that a male server actually comes in handy.
5) Hearts, swirls, and signatures.
Ever get a bill that says 'Thank You...heart your server name here?' Odds are that as delicate as that looks, man hands couldn't have done it. Sweet girls do sweet things, and in-turn they make pretty sweet money. Although this is a minute detail, it does pay off, I have tested it. Men who do the very same thing though, could actually be hurting their tips. No, I do not understand it. Yes, I take advantage of it.

None of these things prove or disprove who does better. No flirting, chatting, black pants, or sweet note on the back of a ticket can make up for good service, and customers will tip according to great service, not according to cup size. Hahaha! Yeah, and Anna Kournikova was a phenomenal tennis player.

Who needs money when we've got booze?

The unsteady economy has affected us all in some way or another. My father had money tied up in stocks, my mother tried to sell a house, hell, even my lender for my student loans couldn't well, lend. In an odd way though, the bad economy has helped certain professions. I bet you can guess what one of those professions is by looking at my blog name!!! Correct! The bad economy has not stopped people from going out to eat, and drink, and drink some more. I am not the only one who has noticed this trend. As a server of alcohol and food, I definitely can't complain. I do find it quite humorous though when I am serving a table and ask if they would like to add a salad to their meal. They reply, "Does it cost extra," and I say, "Yes, $1.25 extra." They then look to their spouse with worry in their eyes knowing that that extra $1.25 might just break them in this unstable economy, swallow their pride and say, "No, I'd better not...but I will take another beer!" It kinda makes you wonder. I understand that people have their priorities and they must make compromises and sacrifices when times are tough, but they don't seem to budge on booze. It makes perfect sense to me because I am a borderline alcoholic myself, but to the common man alcohol may seem like a luxury. Or should I say it seemed like a luxury before the common man became the poor man who now sits at your local bar and rants about the good ol' days, and how he almost made it big!

Coachsurfing huh?

So...I am anticipating inauguration as much as anyone else, but I am anticipating it in the way of reading about it, and watching it on television. Apparently, there are some hardcore political followers who are traveling to Washington D.C. to watch it firsthand. While that may not even seem all that strange, this does. These people sleep in the homes of complete strangers. This article talks about it a little more in depth. Not sure if I would let complete strangers into my home, but people all over the world do it everyday. This site was set up to help people who are traveling abroad on a very tight budget. Very very tight, as in, no money set aside for lodging and food. The CNN article in particular made me raise an eyebrow, because I am less trusting around this time of year. We are at a turning point politically in this country, and if a complete stranger wanted to bunk up with me so he/she could be closer to the president elect, I would be leery. But to each their own. More power to these people that can trust. It is refreshing to see that this is still (somewhat) a nation of brotherly love.

HELLO WORLD!!!!

I am Amanda, and I am a phenomenal waitress. While many wouldn't think that this is a point of pride, they would be mistaken. In addition to that, I am a graduating in May senior earning a degree in Journalism Mass Communication, and a minor in Advertising. I am from Fort Collins, CO and I am traveling to Switzerland in May to live for a few months. Enough about me, back to my blog. This will be a humorously written blog centered around working in the service and food industry. It will help workers and customers alike. This blog is being written for a class, but will be maintained in the future, although the waitress theme will eventually fade out. For now though, here is my inspiration for my blog name, written in a 1991 edition of Playboy by one of my favorite authors, Tom Robbins. Enjoy!