Speaking Truthfully

These Make Me Giggle

2011-11-23T21:56:00.000-05:00

Truthfully speaking, even weeks later this is still funny, and awkward and uncomfortable.

He he he!! Oh the joys...

Good Service = Good Tips

2011-11-15T14:12:00.003-05:00

Truthfully speaking I think that when you give someone a tip at a restaurant that it should be based on the service you get. I fully understand that the server depends on their tips because even though the meals cost so much the higher ups only give them a pittance. I also understand that when said server signed on to work in such an establishment they were aware that the service they provided would play a crucial role in their tip.

However, there is no guarantee that everyone who goes to a restaurant has enough money to leave a tip. There are times when people are struggling financially and someone gives them a little extra for helping out in some way and that person decides to treat themselves. They may have just enough money for a nice meal and that is it. I do not think that a server should take it personal if they do not get a tip because chances are they do not know the circumstances of the patron. The patron just might not be able to afford the extra bit, but are extremely thankful.

When I go to a restaurant it is usually because I don't want what we have at home or I just want to go out and relax. Since I am paying for my dinner, I expect quality service. If I am not given quality service the tip will reflect that. I personally believe that whomever is serving me is well aware of their demeanor and level of personal service. As am I. If I am having a bad day I know better than to take it out on the server. I am fully aware that if I am out of line, they just might treat me to a little extra cream in my creamed spinach, or add some additional hair to my angel hair pasta. How you treat others does matter.

For that reason there is such a thing called mutual respect. You give me good service, since you are in the service industry, and I will give you a good tip! Now don't get me wrong, if the service is sub par I will still tip 15%. If the service is wonderful meaning the server is attentive, keeps our drinks refilled and doesn't forget that we are sitting there they are liable to receive 25% or more even, if they have a great personality.

So regardless of anything, in my world great service equals great tips. I can only recall one time in my life where the tip left was not monetary. However the grasshopper that was swimming in my drink for 10 minutes put the server and I on equal footing. But just to show him that I do realize how important tips are to servers, I left a few, written on a napkin. They were similar to this:

Tip 1.) Use a notepad to take orders, clearly your memorization technique failed you this time
Tip 2.) Don't get made at the customer when we get frustrated that our orders are all messed up because you didn't write them down
Tip 3.) When a grasshopper lands in my cup, don't take your time to remove said cup. Watching the grasshopper swim and then drown was not part of the entertainment in the restaurant.
Tip 4.) Large party gratuity be damned. If it was your policy you should have added it to the bill like other restaurants. Because there was no way in H-E-double hockey sticks that your bad service was going to make me take out any extra funds to reward service that included witnessing grasshopper suicide.

Thank you...

Could I have saved the grasshopper? Yes, but it's presence made my case stronger to the server. And what do I know? That grasshopper could have just received bad news about it's mortality and decided to take matters into it's own hands.

I Don't Heart Mini-Vans

2011-11-09T13:00:00.001-05:00

Truthfully speaking, I really despise minivans for no reason other that the fact that I associate them with slow people. Not mentally slow people, but slow for other reasons...especially in drive thrus. If you end up behind a minivan in a drive thru, you have just enough time to go home, fix a full Sunday dinner, and arrive back to the drive thru just in time to see the minivan finally driving away.

Even when I'm behind them on the road I'm not a fan. Now I understand that there are some benefits and that when people have kids they feel the need to jump on the minivan bandwagon. There are probably superb safety ratings and benefits like the push button doors, the gas mileage etc. However, so much for being safe when you are distracted and driving under the speed limit...because in my world they all drive under the speed limit. Their busy opening ketchup packets to put on their fries or reaching in the bag in the back seat desperately trying to find the sippy cup. Oh and the space, I get it. There is space to haul all of that extra sports equipment and be the carpool parents. Though I'm liable to add a Uhaul trailer to the back of my SUV and throw those little suckers in it. Okay, not really, but if that doesn't explain how anti-minivan I am, I don't know what will.

I also imagine that the person driving the minivan is frumpy and wearing either capri pants or a jogging suit. And I don't mean a cute Gabrielle Solis jogging suit and fashion forward crop pants, I mean an unsightly mismatched jogging suit and your standard shapeless pant. Now, I too have frumpy days, but you won't find me sporting it in a minivan wandering the world as a double whammy.

I'm certain that not all minivan drivers are like this. It's not like I've actually paid attention to the driver in the minivan and scoped out their gear. It's just what I imagine. But for those who are, they've simply ruined the others for me.

Will I turn into one of these imagined minivan people one day? Maybe, after all I have worn my share of funny looking pants so I guess I'm half way there. However, if I succumb to the minivan gods three things would be certain 1.) I've lost my mind 2.) I've lost any style that I thought I had 3.) I've lost my husband because he too will let hell freeze over before we become those people.

So for the record, I prefer any sport utility vehicle over the minivan any day. Okay, not any SUV, only the nice looking ones. Not those weird boxed shaped SUVs...in that case, might as well get a minivan.

Tell The Truth

2011-11-07T14:41:00.000-05:00

That is a sentiment that we've heard since childhood. The truth shall set you free. Honesty is the best policy. Open and honest communication. The truth hurts.

As you get older you begin to learn more about the truth. Some adopt the idea that the truth isn't always the best way to go. I believe that when you lie under the pretense of "protecting" the other person or to "protect" yourself you create a web of deception. If you lie now, and the truth comes out later you then cause even greater turmoil because now you are not only a liar, you can't be trusted. Joking around is one thing, but purposely lying because you feel justified is just asking for trouble. Even if the truth doesn't get out you can have a constant internal battle...you'll simply never forget.

Opinions are another thing. We all have them and we should all be able to share them to those who don't mind listening. Should we harm others intentionally? No. Should we be able to express our truths? Yes. Are our personal truths fact? Not necessarily. Sometime it's just your personal take on an issue or a situation. Is it bad to have a personal stance? Fact is simply fact and opinions are simply opinions. That is just reality. Whether or not you choose to like said fact is okay too; though it won't change the fact. Having an opinion on a fact is also okay because you are allowed to have an opinion. Just because you may not like the fact does not mean that your opinion is not allowed to exist.

On this site I will post things that I think or feel for the moment. Some things may be inspiring and other things may serve no purpose other than to share a thought.

I believe that you should be able to say how you really feel within reason. For example, if you see a lady on the street and you think that her shirt is ugly, I don't think you should tell her that her shirt is ugly. Her shirt really has nothing to do with you and it's simply rude to do that. It may be your opinion that her shirt is ugly but you benefit none by sharing that with her and you risk affecting her day. If her shirt is bothering you that much, blog about how you don't like ugly shirts and how you saw one today that plagued you...but leave the stranger out of it. On the other hand, if someone on a reality television show is wearing an ugly shirt, putting themselves on public television wearing said ugly shirt makes them subject to scrutiny. For those who choose to target those people, have at it.

There is such a thing as decorum after all. Feel and think what you may but have respect for others. On that note, if you find yourself fitting into one of the categories on my posts, remember I don't know you personally, it's not about you. It just might be about a thing that annoys me that you just so happen to do.

I'm sure there will be people who read my posts and will not like what I have to say, will I argue with them? Not likely, there is zero point in arguing opinion versus opinion. More importantly, my posts are what I want to write for me. If you choose to stay, glad to have ya! If not, feel free to click "next blog" at the top of the page.