Trust me, I'm truly enjoying being out of Corporate America. Truly. However, there are things I would like to let people know about the restaurant/bar industry that maybe they've forgotten (because let's be honest- 90% of us have spent at least SOME time in it)- namely a little etiquette. To be fair- I spend most of my time behind the bar vs. waiting tables but I feel that I give 100% fairness to both. I'm also not gonna lie, I've been guilty myself. So here goes, in no particular order:
* Order Where You Stay: Unless you plan on sitting at the bar don't you DARE order a drink at the bar and then sit at one of my tables. Really? You couldn't wait to the 15 seconds it will take me to walk across the room to get your order? You do this then don't expect service out of me. I make my living on tips. If you order from someone else and give them that tip, what do I owe you? Nothing. Should you be ordering more drinks and dinner this will be forgiven. Oh- but don't play the 'I didn't know you had table service' game. I don't buy it.
* Take The Menu: Please don't let me offer you a menu, you say 'no thanks' just to have you ask me what I have to eat and/or drink. What?!?
* I'm Not an Animal: Don't clap, whistle or wave at me. I see you. I know you need something. I'm getting there. This goes quadruple for if you are doing these actions while I'm AT another table.
* I'M Your Waitress: This means ME. I understand if I'm slammed and you see someone else I work with walk by and you may grab them. Okay. However, if I was JUST at your table and you 'needed' NOTHING, now is not the time to grab the first person you see to get something. Please also don't look confused when you ask me for your check and your waitress is 5'10'' and blonde and I tell you I will let your server know- clearly we are not the same person.
* Push In Your Chairs!: You wouldn't get up from your dining room table and walk away without pushing in your chairs so why do you think it's okay to do so in a restaurant? Your moms would be so disappointed!
* It's Not An Insult: Ah- the autograt. Without it, Tim & I would be destitute. Without it, some days it might not be worth going to work for me (Costa ships, hello?!). With it, I'm a happy camper. It's impossible to 'read' a table. I've tried. I've tried the experiment of 'maybe they'll be super duper tippers' and failed (family of 8 from St. Louis with the Mizzou visor? Even though you aren't reading this, I'm looking at you! Really? $5 on $41 after I spent 20 minutes talking Tigers?!?) So please, please, please don't be offended. If you normally tip 20% and you get gratted at 15%, add it in! This is our livliehood, not a game and it's NOTHING personal. When you ask me if tip is included and I reply, 'Yes- but just 15%' that's a hint! Who really only tips 15% these days anyways? (Dad- should I be looking at you? Please tell me no!)
* Either You're Ready or You're Not: Do people not remember hide-and-seek? Ready or not, here I come? Then the seeker came to find the hiders? If you SWEAR you are ready to order then hem and haw over the menu I may kick you.
* When You Assume: If you mean a virgin pina colada, then say it. You're at a bar- I serve drinks with alcohol. If you mean sauce on the side, then say it. Just because YOU always get your wings with their sauce on the side doesn't mean I know that. It's not on the menu that way! Good thing to remember? If you assume- you make an ASS out of U and ME.
* I'm Not in it for the Exercise: Yes, waiting tables/bartending is a great way to keep moving. It doesn't mean for you to order things one by one by one.
I've always had the stance, since my first industry job, that everyone should have to wait tables for a day. Doing it 15 years after I first did has only reinforced my stance. I'm super lucky to work with an amazing group of people. We watch out for each other, can complain to each other and can laugh about all the things that happen to us. I welcome all the comments I know this will draw out of other industry folk. Well, the few I have that read this blog!!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Not So Much
I know I've talked a lot about things I miss from home in these posts- to the point where even I didn't realize there were things I DON'T miss. Well, a recent trip to Chicago* made me aware that there are definitely things, outside of the obvious (weather, etc.), I don't miss! Who knew?
- Sales Tax: I kind of forgot that sales tax exists to be honest. If a soda is $1.49, it's a $1.49 down here. On the other hand, I bought a Sprite Zero in the Newark Airport that was advertised as $1.89 and cost me $2.04. Not a big deal but kind of annoying as I had $2.00 in my hand! It's very nice to not have to add that extra percentage to whatever I buy. Kind of makes paying ridiculous prices from groceries a little bit better.
- Grafitti: Strange, I know, but true. As I was riding the 'L' from O'Hare to Becky's place I seem to have forgotten how much tagging goes on in Chicago. There were colorful marks EVERYWHERE! Granted, some of the tags aren't that bad- almost pretty- but, for the most part, they suck. I forgot how many times we called 311 to have our building sandblasted. As I stood at the bus stop the following day, the city workers were cleaning tags off the structure. I can only recall seeing one tag down here on island and I just noticed it recently. I hope that it stays the only one!
- Paying for Parking: Ugh. I didn't even have a car but seeing those little payboxes everywhere made me remember how much the City of Chicago screws car owners. Places that previously didn't even have meters now have payboxes at them and that's just the beginning. The other day I got to delete my email from the city reminding me that my City Sticker is coming due. What a racket. You mean you want me to pay $100/year to have the 'right' to then pay a paybox or garage? Oh- if I can FIND a spot? And if we had lived in a residential zoned area then we'd have to pay even more for the right to park in front of our own house. That's larceny and I don't miss it!
- Drink Prices: Yikes! I forgot how much drinks cost! It's sad the Illinois law states that if you serve a drink at a certain price during the day it has to sell at that price all day because happy hour is a wonderful thing! Especially places that have all day or late night happy hours! Cheers!(Thank god we don't live in Alaska where friends who worked there last summer said if you charge a price on a day it has to be that price all week!)
- Lack of Bud Light: While I may miss draft beer I don't miss it enough to be forced to drink Miller products. (I'm exempting Coors Light here b/c it's not that bad) I still remember to this day one of my first nights out in Chicago, at Hye Bar, asking for a Bud Light and being told they don't serve AB products. As a native St. Louisan that is basically blasphemy and I was floored! I kind of felt that way again when I tried to order a Bud Light and got shot down. The Southern doesn't even serve Coors Light though and I was forced to drink Miller Light :( Although I do admit the Vortex bottle isn't half bad.
Wrigleyville: Maybe I just hit it on a bad day but it made me feel very, very old. Granted, I'm guessing my soberness did not help my impression. Most everyone in Wrigleyville for the Cubs/Sox game had come directly from the Blackhawks parade and was HAMMERED. Maybe I'm a fairweather Wrigleyville fan and only like it on Cards/Cubs game days? I don't know. All I do know is I wanted out and I never thought I'd be saying that.
McDonalds: True, we have McDonalds on the island but I haven't had it since before we moved. That's 7 months with no golden arches meals. I passed plenty in the airport and in the Chi but never felt the urge to go see if I like it. I think part of it is I want to see how long I can live without it. I mean, I've made it 7 months- I don't think I've ever gone this long without it before- do I ever really need it again? At least until we have kids that can be bribed with Happy Meals I mean.
Extreme Temperature Changes: It was 88 and humid (I heard the Cubs announcer say it was 'oppressive heat' and laughed because I thought it was quite pleasant!) on Friday but Saturday it was rainy and 60. Luckily I packed a pair of jeans and had a hoodie! I don't miss the days of using the AC and the heat in same day!!
While I did discover these things that I don't miss, some of the conveniences I do were made more obvious. My showers were amazing. I'd say they worth the price of my ticket... well, almost. It was very nice to have hot water, pressure and not have to turn it off and on! It was nice to have central air and be able to blow dry my hair without sweating AND to wear my hair down!
One thing that I found odd is I didn't feel as if Chicago is home anymore :( I guess not having a house there is a big part of it and we have a bunch of friends who have moved or are in the process of moving out of Chicago. It was a weird feeling and I don't know how I feel about it. It makes me wonder if I'll feel like St. Louis is home when we visit this summer or if the VI is home home. Things that make you go hmmm....
*Disclaimer: This was a very last minute (as in booked Tuesday and left Thursday) and very quick (as in got in close to midnight Thursday and left at 4:45 AM Sunday) trip. I told only one person in Chicago I was coming b/c I knew it would be impossible to see everybody. That is what August is for :) We will be in Chicago 8/27 - 9/1 and can't wait to see one and all!!
- Sales Tax: I kind of forgot that sales tax exists to be honest. If a soda is $1.49, it's a $1.49 down here. On the other hand, I bought a Sprite Zero in the Newark Airport that was advertised as $1.89 and cost me $2.04. Not a big deal but kind of annoying as I had $2.00 in my hand! It's very nice to not have to add that extra percentage to whatever I buy. Kind of makes paying ridiculous prices from groceries a little bit better.
- Grafitti: Strange, I know, but true. As I was riding the 'L' from O'Hare to Becky's place I seem to have forgotten how much tagging goes on in Chicago. There were colorful marks EVERYWHERE! Granted, some of the tags aren't that bad- almost pretty- but, for the most part, they suck. I forgot how many times we called 311 to have our building sandblasted. As I stood at the bus stop the following day, the city workers were cleaning tags off the structure. I can only recall seeing one tag down here on island and I just noticed it recently. I hope that it stays the only one!
- Paying for Parking: Ugh. I didn't even have a car but seeing those little payboxes everywhere made me remember how much the City of Chicago screws car owners. Places that previously didn't even have meters now have payboxes at them and that's just the beginning. The other day I got to delete my email from the city reminding me that my City Sticker is coming due. What a racket. You mean you want me to pay $100/year to have the 'right' to then pay a paybox or garage? Oh- if I can FIND a spot? And if we had lived in a residential zoned area then we'd have to pay even more for the right to park in front of our own house. That's larceny and I don't miss it!
- Drink Prices: Yikes! I forgot how much drinks cost! It's sad the Illinois law states that if you serve a drink at a certain price during the day it has to sell at that price all day because happy hour is a wonderful thing! Especially places that have all day or late night happy hours! Cheers!(Thank god we don't live in Alaska where friends who worked there last summer said if you charge a price on a day it has to be that price all week!)
- Lack of Bud Light: While I may miss draft beer I don't miss it enough to be forced to drink Miller products. (I'm exempting Coors Light here b/c it's not that bad) I still remember to this day one of my first nights out in Chicago, at Hye Bar, asking for a Bud Light and being told they don't serve AB products. As a native St. Louisan that is basically blasphemy and I was floored! I kind of felt that way again when I tried to order a Bud Light and got shot down. The Southern doesn't even serve Coors Light though and I was forced to drink Miller Light :( Although I do admit the Vortex bottle isn't half bad.
Wrigleyville: Maybe I just hit it on a bad day but it made me feel very, very old. Granted, I'm guessing my soberness did not help my impression. Most everyone in Wrigleyville for the Cubs/Sox game had come directly from the Blackhawks parade and was HAMMERED. Maybe I'm a fairweather Wrigleyville fan and only like it on Cards/Cubs game days? I don't know. All I do know is I wanted out and I never thought I'd be saying that.
McDonalds: True, we have McDonalds on the island but I haven't had it since before we moved. That's 7 months with no golden arches meals. I passed plenty in the airport and in the Chi but never felt the urge to go see if I like it. I think part of it is I want to see how long I can live without it. I mean, I've made it 7 months- I don't think I've ever gone this long without it before- do I ever really need it again? At least until we have kids that can be bribed with Happy Meals I mean.
Extreme Temperature Changes: It was 88 and humid (I heard the Cubs announcer say it was 'oppressive heat' and laughed because I thought it was quite pleasant!) on Friday but Saturday it was rainy and 60. Luckily I packed a pair of jeans and had a hoodie! I don't miss the days of using the AC and the heat in same day!!
While I did discover these things that I don't miss, some of the conveniences I do were made more obvious. My showers were amazing. I'd say they worth the price of my ticket... well, almost. It was very nice to have hot water, pressure and not have to turn it off and on! It was nice to have central air and be able to blow dry my hair without sweating AND to wear my hair down!
One thing that I found odd is I didn't feel as if Chicago is home anymore :( I guess not having a house there is a big part of it and we have a bunch of friends who have moved or are in the process of moving out of Chicago. It was a weird feeling and I don't know how I feel about it. It makes me wonder if I'll feel like St. Louis is home when we visit this summer or if the VI is home home. Things that make you go hmmm....
*Disclaimer: This was a very last minute (as in booked Tuesday and left Thursday) and very quick (as in got in close to midnight Thursday and left at 4:45 AM Sunday) trip. I told only one person in Chicago I was coming b/c I knew it would be impossible to see everybody. That is what August is for :) We will be in Chicago 8/27 - 9/1 and can't wait to see one and all!!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Say What??
Even I can admit that when I go on vacation maybe I'm not thinking 100% of the time. I cannot say, however, I was prepared for all the things that come out of tourist's mouths. So as you read this, file it away for your next vacation. When you're tempted to ask/say any of the below- remember this post and DON'T DO IT!
- Do you work here? One of my friends used to tell people that he lost his wallet and is just working to make enough money to get home. Another one tells them that he missed the cruise ship and is trying to make money to fly to the next port and catch it there. Yes, I work here. I'm wearing a shirt that matches the bar name- that should be your first clue. Common sense- is it too much to ask for?
- Do you live here? Seriously- I cannot tell you how many times this question was asked. Um, where do you think I live? Tim likes to tell people that, no, he does not. Rather he takes the tunnel from Puerto Rico (or Miami) everyday. You have no idea how many people exclaim, "I had NO idea there was a tunnel, that's so cool!" I actually once had a guy point at the houses on the hills and ask if people lived in them. No, dude, it's just decor for you to look at from up here. Of course people live in them- they are HOUSES!
- Oh! We didn't expect you to speak English! Are you kidding me? #1 we are IN the US; I understand that the West Indian dialect may not SOUND like English but it is. I swear. #2 what do I LOOK like I speak??
- Do you take American money? I reiterate- we are IN the US. This may also go along with the couple that was dumbfounded we don't accept Canadian money and asked me multiple times to be sure. They only had $8 in American currency and no credit cards, I'm not sure how they made it through the rest of their vacation.
- Is it expensive to live here? or How much do you pay to live here? or Do you make enough money to live? I have no idea what your idea of expensive is. I'm also not getting in your pockets asking what you do and how much you make. Why do you think it's okay to do the same thing to me? I know you are just curious but let's have a little respect.
- Do you have to drive the golf cart on the left side of the path too? The course here is JUST like courses in the US- the path is kind of a one way type of deal. There is no left or right so, technically, yes, you have to drive on the LEFT side of the one way path. To be fair, we can tell the difference between tourists and locals by the way the go around the round-abouts (left vs. right) but it's not a life or death choice.
Miscellaneous Quotes (these are specific to STT and to us or our friends so you'd likely never ask them but they are so absurd it tells you just how far some people's minds drift on vacation)
- If no one lives on the island, why did they build such a pretty beach? This one was to Tim who was pointing out Hans Lolick. It is an island that you can see from the 14th hole on the course and owned by a resort company. As he was explaining that the resort company is selling it because it is only zoned for residential the man interrupted and asked the above question. Tim was dumbfounded.
- It's closer to get to the beach by from up here right? I work 700 feet above St. Thomas. The beach is at ground level. You do the math.
- The cat is attacking the dinosaur!! Again, this one is from Tim. It's pretty well known that we have iguanas running all over the island. The course also has a 'course cat' named Paris who hangs out on the back 9 (I think his owner lives somewhere in the condos). One day Paris decided the iguanas were too much for him and, I guess, showed them who was boss. The poor tourists watching this were very distressed and called the clubhouse to report it.
- How do the cruise ships find St. Thomas if it's always floating? I cannot remember who told me they were asked this so I apologize for not giving credit but it HAD to go in here!!
Don't get me wrong- I'm not really complaining. I find most of these to be very humorous and my livliehood is in the tourists. I sometimes just wonder what people are thinking!! If any of my STT followers have more to add, comment away!!
- Do you work here? One of my friends used to tell people that he lost his wallet and is just working to make enough money to get home. Another one tells them that he missed the cruise ship and is trying to make money to fly to the next port and catch it there. Yes, I work here. I'm wearing a shirt that matches the bar name- that should be your first clue. Common sense- is it too much to ask for?
- Do you live here? Seriously- I cannot tell you how many times this question was asked. Um, where do you think I live? Tim likes to tell people that, no, he does not. Rather he takes the tunnel from Puerto Rico (or Miami) everyday. You have no idea how many people exclaim, "I had NO idea there was a tunnel, that's so cool!" I actually once had a guy point at the houses on the hills and ask if people lived in them. No, dude, it's just decor for you to look at from up here. Of course people live in them- they are HOUSES!
- Oh! We didn't expect you to speak English! Are you kidding me? #1 we are IN the US; I understand that the West Indian dialect may not SOUND like English but it is. I swear. #2 what do I LOOK like I speak??
- Do you take American money? I reiterate- we are IN the US. This may also go along with the couple that was dumbfounded we don't accept Canadian money and asked me multiple times to be sure. They only had $8 in American currency and no credit cards, I'm not sure how they made it through the rest of their vacation.
- Is it expensive to live here? or How much do you pay to live here? or Do you make enough money to live? I have no idea what your idea of expensive is. I'm also not getting in your pockets asking what you do and how much you make. Why do you think it's okay to do the same thing to me? I know you are just curious but let's have a little respect.
- Do you have to drive the golf cart on the left side of the path too? The course here is JUST like courses in the US- the path is kind of a one way type of deal. There is no left or right so, technically, yes, you have to drive on the LEFT side of the one way path. To be fair, we can tell the difference between tourists and locals by the way the go around the round-abouts (left vs. right) but it's not a life or death choice.
Miscellaneous Quotes (these are specific to STT and to us or our friends so you'd likely never ask them but they are so absurd it tells you just how far some people's minds drift on vacation)
- If no one lives on the island, why did they build such a pretty beach? This one was to Tim who was pointing out Hans Lolick. It is an island that you can see from the 14th hole on the course and owned by a resort company. As he was explaining that the resort company is selling it because it is only zoned for residential the man interrupted and asked the above question. Tim was dumbfounded.
- It's closer to get to the beach by from up here right? I work 700 feet above St. Thomas. The beach is at ground level. You do the math.
- The cat is attacking the dinosaur!! Again, this one is from Tim. It's pretty well known that we have iguanas running all over the island. The course also has a 'course cat' named Paris who hangs out on the back 9 (I think his owner lives somewhere in the condos). One day Paris decided the iguanas were too much for him and, I guess, showed them who was boss. The poor tourists watching this were very distressed and called the clubhouse to report it.
- How do the cruise ships find St. Thomas if it's always floating? I cannot remember who told me they were asked this so I apologize for not giving credit but it HAD to go in here!!
Don't get me wrong- I'm not really complaining. I find most of these to be very humorous and my livliehood is in the tourists. I sometimes just wonder what people are thinking!! If any of my STT followers have more to add, comment away!!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Six Months Already? Where Has the Time Gone?
Today is our 6 month anniversay of arriving in St. Thomas and I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone by. Lucky for us we are truly enjoying this experience. I'm not going to lie- I have my moments when I really, really want to go home but they generally pass quickly. I couldn't do this life forever but I'm certainly doing my best to enjoy every minute of the time we have here.
A lot has happened in the six months we've been down here. Here's a quick rundown by numbers!
* 390 (approximate number of Jager shots consumed)
We are the Jager capital of the world. Seriously. I'm not kidding. We consume more Jager per capita than anywhere else in the world. I actually heard the other night that the heiress to the Jager fortune came to visit the island and was extremely shocked and disgusted at the way people drink her alcohol- as shots vs. an after-dinner sipping drink. Anyways, I came up with this number by taking the number of weeks we have been here (26) x the average number of days/nights per week spent out with friends (5) x average number of shots on said nights (3). Oh, and did I mention bars don't believe in 1.5 ounce shots? They are 3 ounces so I guess technically you should multiply that number by 2...Yikes, that's roughly 12 bottles!
* 264 (the estimated number of songs I was unaware were 'reggae')
Were you aware you can turn ANY song into a reggae one? I was not but I certainly am now! This also includes all variations of Christmas songs!
* 168 (the number of beers won by Tim in Monday Madness)
Monday Madness is a 9 hole game at the course where you play with a partner and a crazy rule every week. For example: play only with even numbered clubs or your opponents get to pick which ball, you or your partner's, has to be played. Everytime you win you get a case of beer, I'll let you do the math...
* 130 (the number of minutes I waited in line at K-Mart on Black Friday)
To be fair, based on amount of time I spend in a normal line at K-Mart, this really isn't too bad. What WAS bad about it is that I got in line at 10:15 AM and got up to the counter at 12:25 PM with a TV in my cart that was on special until 12:00 noon. This was only a few weeks after we got on island and my patience and tolerance weren't quite what they are now. When I was denied I, ahem, politely explained that I was in line long before noon and that she better get a manager over to resolve this issue as she was going to see it for the 12 people behind me who also had said TV in her cart. Surprisingly, problem solved!
* 26 (number of eBay items purchased since 11/7/2009)
We rely on eBay these days for just about everything. Heck, I just bought a Salad Spinner!! This number does not include the multiple purchases from Express.com, OldNavy.com and VictoriasSecret.com
* 23 (number of followers of this Blog)
Hey- I know a lot of you read this on FB but please, please, please become a follower :) Sorry for shameless plug!
* 17 (the number of visitors we have had so far)
We have been incredibly lucky to have had many of our closest friends come check out our new island paradise. I include my 3 friends who have visited St. John but since I got to see them they count. The more the merrier!! We've come a long way from when Tiffany came to visit 5 days after we got on island and knew zero, zilch, nothing about ANYTHING!
* 12 (the number of Jimmy Dean D-Lites in one box)
This may seem odd but, seeing they are a staple in my diet, a big part of our life. Tim and I were walking around Pricesmart shopping for our Superbowl party bickering about how he wanted to buy commercial grade chicken legs when I turned the corner to find them. It was like when the light shines on something with angels going 'ahhhh' on TV- that's how I felt. Immediately Tim could buy whatever he wanted because my life was complete- a CostCo favorite of mine had made on island. To this day, they are still there. Thank you Lord!
* 10 (the number of times our cars have had work done on them)
Seriously, Romeo our car guy is on my speed dial. There are only three people IN my speed dial: my mom, Tim and my car guy. This number includes today as I have to have my back wheels replaced. Who knew that tires too big for your wheel wells that are constantly scraping would eventually split in two? Well, I guess we did but it was just a matter of time...
* 9 (the number of W2's we had to track down for our 2009 taxes)
What. A. Pain. In. The. Butt. Some were extremely easy (thank you Abbott for being normal and having a portal to just print), some were extremely hard (comes as no surprise, it was our government funded unemployment ones). This would be the reason that we had to file an extension and I'm dropping our tax stuff off to our accountant this afternoon.
* 8 (the number of islands we have visited)
Okay, I'm not including St. Thomas in this one. Still, I think 8 islands in 6 months isn't a bad number. Plus we've been to at least 2 multiple times... sometimes multiple times in one week! We've hit Vieques, Culebra, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola, St. John, Virgin Gorda, Marina Cay and Sandy Spit. Must get to Water Island soon...
* 7 (the number in dollars a gallon of milk costs)
Hence why we now drink Silk Light Soy Milk at a bargain basement price of $4.99/gallon
* 3 (the number of times we have had to have our cistern filled)
Driest winter on record. Go figure. Couldn't be easy on us and rain like it normally does could it?
* 1 (the number of live sporting events seen since moving)
Yep, one drawback is no football, no baseball, no nothing. We were lucky enough to go see Paradise Jams and watch Tennessee (before they lost most of their good players to gun charges) play Purdue (before they lost their key player to injury) AND I got my picture with Gene Kady- the owner of the world's BEST combover!
* Countless (the number of times a day I realize how lucky we are)
Cheesy, I know, but it's so true. We're so lucky to have had amazing support from friends and family back home, have made incredible friends here and to have each other. Here's to the next year on the rock!
A lot has happened in the six months we've been down here. Here's a quick rundown by numbers!
* 390 (approximate number of Jager shots consumed)
We are the Jager capital of the world. Seriously. I'm not kidding. We consume more Jager per capita than anywhere else in the world. I actually heard the other night that the heiress to the Jager fortune came to visit the island and was extremely shocked and disgusted at the way people drink her alcohol- as shots vs. an after-dinner sipping drink. Anyways, I came up with this number by taking the number of weeks we have been here (26) x the average number of days/nights per week spent out with friends (5) x average number of shots on said nights (3). Oh, and did I mention bars don't believe in 1.5 ounce shots? They are 3 ounces so I guess technically you should multiply that number by 2...Yikes, that's roughly 12 bottles!
* 264 (the estimated number of songs I was unaware were 'reggae')
Were you aware you can turn ANY song into a reggae one? I was not but I certainly am now! This also includes all variations of Christmas songs!
* 168 (the number of beers won by Tim in Monday Madness)
Monday Madness is a 9 hole game at the course where you play with a partner and a crazy rule every week. For example: play only with even numbered clubs or your opponents get to pick which ball, you or your partner's, has to be played. Everytime you win you get a case of beer, I'll let you do the math...
* 130 (the number of minutes I waited in line at K-Mart on Black Friday)
To be fair, based on amount of time I spend in a normal line at K-Mart, this really isn't too bad. What WAS bad about it is that I got in line at 10:15 AM and got up to the counter at 12:25 PM with a TV in my cart that was on special until 12:00 noon. This was only a few weeks after we got on island and my patience and tolerance weren't quite what they are now. When I was denied I, ahem, politely explained that I was in line long before noon and that she better get a manager over to resolve this issue as she was going to see it for the 12 people behind me who also had said TV in her cart. Surprisingly, problem solved!
* 26 (number of eBay items purchased since 11/7/2009)
We rely on eBay these days for just about everything. Heck, I just bought a Salad Spinner!! This number does not include the multiple purchases from Express.com, OldNavy.com and VictoriasSecret.com
* 23 (number of followers of this Blog)
Hey- I know a lot of you read this on FB but please, please, please become a follower :) Sorry for shameless plug!
* 17 (the number of visitors we have had so far)
We have been incredibly lucky to have had many of our closest friends come check out our new island paradise. I include my 3 friends who have visited St. John but since I got to see them they count. The more the merrier!! We've come a long way from when Tiffany came to visit 5 days after we got on island and knew zero, zilch, nothing about ANYTHING!
* 12 (the number of Jimmy Dean D-Lites in one box)
This may seem odd but, seeing they are a staple in my diet, a big part of our life. Tim and I were walking around Pricesmart shopping for our Superbowl party bickering about how he wanted to buy commercial grade chicken legs when I turned the corner to find them. It was like when the light shines on something with angels going 'ahhhh' on TV- that's how I felt. Immediately Tim could buy whatever he wanted because my life was complete- a CostCo favorite of mine had made on island. To this day, they are still there. Thank you Lord!
* 10 (the number of times our cars have had work done on them)
Seriously, Romeo our car guy is on my speed dial. There are only three people IN my speed dial: my mom, Tim and my car guy. This number includes today as I have to have my back wheels replaced. Who knew that tires too big for your wheel wells that are constantly scraping would eventually split in two? Well, I guess we did but it was just a matter of time...
* 9 (the number of W2's we had to track down for our 2009 taxes)
What. A. Pain. In. The. Butt. Some were extremely easy (thank you Abbott for being normal and having a portal to just print), some were extremely hard (comes as no surprise, it was our government funded unemployment ones). This would be the reason that we had to file an extension and I'm dropping our tax stuff off to our accountant this afternoon.
* 8 (the number of islands we have visited)
Okay, I'm not including St. Thomas in this one. Still, I think 8 islands in 6 months isn't a bad number. Plus we've been to at least 2 multiple times... sometimes multiple times in one week! We've hit Vieques, Culebra, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola, St. John, Virgin Gorda, Marina Cay and Sandy Spit. Must get to Water Island soon...
* 7 (the number in dollars a gallon of milk costs)
Hence why we now drink Silk Light Soy Milk at a bargain basement price of $4.99/gallon
* 3 (the number of times we have had to have our cistern filled)
Driest winter on record. Go figure. Couldn't be easy on us and rain like it normally does could it?
* 1 (the number of live sporting events seen since moving)
Yep, one drawback is no football, no baseball, no nothing. We were lucky enough to go see Paradise Jams and watch Tennessee (before they lost most of their good players to gun charges) play Purdue (before they lost their key player to injury) AND I got my picture with Gene Kady- the owner of the world's BEST combover!
* Countless (the number of times a day I realize how lucky we are)
Cheesy, I know, but it's so true. We're so lucky to have had amazing support from friends and family back home, have made incredible friends here and to have each other. Here's to the next year on the rock!
Monday, April 26, 2010
A Shopper's Paradise? Not So Much!
Those of you that know me know that I love, love, love shopping. Of any kind. I don't care if it's clothes or groceries, I love it! While this may be music to Tim's ears it saddens me- I'm tired of shopping.
Shopping on the island just isn't the same as shopping at home. For one, I miss the convenience of going to one grocery store for my groceries. I never imagined that I'd have to go 3 or 4 places just to complete my shopping list. I have to go to one place for produce, one place for decent deals on staple items, one place I only trust for canned goods and then there's PriceSmart (our version of Costco). Then there's trying to hit all these places at the right time to avoid standing in 3 or 4 very, very long and slow lines. Planning the trip is almost as important as the trip itself. This island could make a killing if it got a PeaPod to do it for you... maybe I'll look into franchising that!
Then there's the matter of clothes. For someone who worked 4 (yes, 4) miles from an outlet mall, gettting used to not having 'real' stores is still something I'm adjusting to. I used to be able to leave the office and hop in my car to hit Banana Republic Factory Store, Gap Outlet AND the Bed, Bath and Beyond Outlet all in under an hour over lunch. Go another 8 miles and I could hit the Coach Outlet and J Crew Factory Store too! That required me to drive a bit faster though and know exactly what I was going to get. I lived in Chicago which had amazing shopping- so many boutiques in so many neighborhoods. I could hit one a week and never run out! Now I have K-Mart. Just K-Mart.... and I just can't bring myself to buy clothes there.
That leads me into something that was another passion of mine in my downtime at work- online shopping! I love eBay and before I moved here it was just a casual thing. Now eBay is our savior and quite possibly an addiction. We order everything from clothes to make up to kitchen gadgets these days. Right now I am anxiously awaiting delivery of a salad spinner! It's sad but it's cheaper on there than it is to go to K-Mart, even with the cost of shipping! We use Drugstore.com for items like razorblades and vitamins and stuff because it's so much cheaper. Talk about planning though- their shipping time to the VI is 21-45 days and it's usually much closer to the 45! I shop on OldNavy.com and Express.com and VictoriasSecret.com like it's my job. I search the clearance items and hope that everything will fit because it's probably cheaper to just keep the $5 skirt than it is to pay to ship it back! What I would give to just be able to try something on again! Then there are stores that don't ship here- Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Kohl's are a few that come to mind. I think I may make it my mission to get them to change that policy!
So those of you that have visited and had to do some stateside shopping for us- thank you. For those of you still to come, keep your eyes peeled for our lists :)
Shopping on the island just isn't the same as shopping at home. For one, I miss the convenience of going to one grocery store for my groceries. I never imagined that I'd have to go 3 or 4 places just to complete my shopping list. I have to go to one place for produce, one place for decent deals on staple items, one place I only trust for canned goods and then there's PriceSmart (our version of Costco). Then there's trying to hit all these places at the right time to avoid standing in 3 or 4 very, very long and slow lines. Planning the trip is almost as important as the trip itself. This island could make a killing if it got a PeaPod to do it for you... maybe I'll look into franchising that!
Then there's the matter of clothes. For someone who worked 4 (yes, 4) miles from an outlet mall, gettting used to not having 'real' stores is still something I'm adjusting to. I used to be able to leave the office and hop in my car to hit Banana Republic Factory Store, Gap Outlet AND the Bed, Bath and Beyond Outlet all in under an hour over lunch. Go another 8 miles and I could hit the Coach Outlet and J Crew Factory Store too! That required me to drive a bit faster though and know exactly what I was going to get. I lived in Chicago which had amazing shopping- so many boutiques in so many neighborhoods. I could hit one a week and never run out! Now I have K-Mart. Just K-Mart.... and I just can't bring myself to buy clothes there.
That leads me into something that was another passion of mine in my downtime at work- online shopping! I love eBay and before I moved here it was just a casual thing. Now eBay is our savior and quite possibly an addiction. We order everything from clothes to make up to kitchen gadgets these days. Right now I am anxiously awaiting delivery of a salad spinner! It's sad but it's cheaper on there than it is to go to K-Mart, even with the cost of shipping! We use Drugstore.com for items like razorblades and vitamins and stuff because it's so much cheaper. Talk about planning though- their shipping time to the VI is 21-45 days and it's usually much closer to the 45! I shop on OldNavy.com and Express.com and VictoriasSecret.com like it's my job. I search the clearance items and hope that everything will fit because it's probably cheaper to just keep the $5 skirt than it is to pay to ship it back! What I would give to just be able to try something on again! Then there are stores that don't ship here- Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Kohl's are a few that come to mind. I think I may make it my mission to get them to change that policy!
So those of you that have visited and had to do some stateside shopping for us- thank you. For those of you still to come, keep your eyes peeled for our lists :)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Seasonal Concepts
No- I'm not talking about the furniture store (I actually think it's out of business) but rather how much the word 'season' means down here. Before I moved here season meant one thing- Winter, Summer, Spring and Fall. Okay, maybe two things- there are definitive sports seasons that I was a fan of: Baseball Season, Football Season and College Basketball Season. Now the word season defines our lives. How, you ask? Let me tell you.
Tourist season pretty much drives all of the other meanings of season so I'll start there. It's basically November-ish through May-ish. I use the 'ish' because everyone has an idea of when it begins/ends. Some say it begins when hurricane season ends (November 1) and goes until it starts (June 1). Some say it begins right before/after Thanksgiving and goes until May 1. Some say it's December - April or when Carnival ends. Regardless of everyone's varying definitions of season everyone can agree on one thing- when it ends, it affects just about everything.
It effects work- ships just don't come in as often. They switch their course or come every other week. Less ships = less work on an island that 100% revolves around the Cruise Ship industry. For me at Paradise Point, we don't even open when there are zero ships in- that happens even during season. I foresee more days off in my future!
We've had lots of different types of friends: work friends, friends that lived out of town and friends you saw almost every week. For the first time ever we have 'seasonal friends'. These are our friends who come at the beginning of season, work and go somewhere else at the end of season (probably that location's season) but come back at the beginning of next season. Lots of people have started leaving island and there are many more to take off over the next month. We are lucky that most everyone we work with sticks around AND a few people we thought were leaving island have decided to stay (yeah Potter & Kate!) but there are plenty of people we will miss until they return next season!
One positive aspect of season is many place's rates go down. Better deals at the golf course, hotels, flights, etc. So all of you who keep saying 'We're coming, we're coming' (Benos I'm looking at you) start looking at flights! I'll do my best to not have it hurricane during your visit.
Tourist season pretty much drives all of the other meanings of season so I'll start there. It's basically November-ish through May-ish. I use the 'ish' because everyone has an idea of when it begins/ends. Some say it begins when hurricane season ends (November 1) and goes until it starts (June 1). Some say it begins right before/after Thanksgiving and goes until May 1. Some say it's December - April or when Carnival ends. Regardless of everyone's varying definitions of season everyone can agree on one thing- when it ends, it affects just about everything.
It effects work- ships just don't come in as often. They switch their course or come every other week. Less ships = less work on an island that 100% revolves around the Cruise Ship industry. For me at Paradise Point, we don't even open when there are zero ships in- that happens even during season. I foresee more days off in my future!
We've had lots of different types of friends: work friends, friends that lived out of town and friends you saw almost every week. For the first time ever we have 'seasonal friends'. These are our friends who come at the beginning of season, work and go somewhere else at the end of season (probably that location's season) but come back at the beginning of next season. Lots of people have started leaving island and there are many more to take off over the next month. We are lucky that most everyone we work with sticks around AND a few people we thought were leaving island have decided to stay (yeah Potter & Kate!) but there are plenty of people we will miss until they return next season!
One positive aspect of season is many place's rates go down. Better deals at the golf course, hotels, flights, etc. So all of you who keep saying 'We're coming, we're coming' (Benos I'm looking at you) start looking at flights! I'll do my best to not have it hurricane during your visit.
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Easter Bunny Brings Puppies?
Whatever happened to an Easter Basket or eggs? This year the Easter Bunny brought me a puppy. Well, technically the Easter Bunny would be Tim but still, I thought only Santa Claus brought people puppies.Saturday afternoon I get a text from Tim to check my email, his text says he's kind of serious. What was the email, you ask? It was a picture of this little guy and one sentence, 'Do we need a puppy?' Excuse me? No! We do NOT need a puppy was my exact text response. Then one a few seconds later, 'Well, he is really cute....' Needless to say, Tim walks in the house with a crate and the cutest puppy EVER. I immediately name him Jack since he looks like a Jack Russell, we were assured he was not. Tim thinks it is weird to name him after my dad and just calls him puppy.
Where did he come from? Someone abandoned him, along with his mom and four siblings, at a dumpster :( Someone took him to one of the vets who plays golf at the course and brought him there on Saturday. Hence, Tim taking him home. He's roughly 7-8 weeks old and his brothers and sisters were already adopted (well, one had to be put down) but he had to have his tail amputated so he couldn't be given away yet. How can be people so cruel?? Still, we do not need a puppy! As much as I would LOVE to have one there are several factors not allowing us to: our lease, our time, our much-loved-dog Laddie who, for some reason, is terrified and runs away everytime Jack (or as Tim now calls him- Buddy) pounces up to her.
So now we've volunteered to try and get him adopted. I put a few posts on FB and decided to take him to Easter Dinner at Tara's. Tara also happens to live with our boss, Murray, who happens to have a thing for taking in dogs as I learn before dinner :) Tara and Jess took a picture with Jack and emailed it off to Murray. After waiting an hour they called him and Murray said yes! Jack has a home! We enjoyed a great dinner with great friends and a beautiful sunset. Another successful holiday in our new home :)
Jack will likely get a new name in a few hours. We've spent a great day together- mostly it's been him sleeping or peeing on the floor. He drug Laddie's toys across the family room- quite impressive since they are twice as big as he is! He's quite the sunggler too- he loves to be right up burrowed in your arm. Then he wakes up and tries to eat your fingers... or chin. Tara and Murray are going to love him! Thanks guys, we owe you!
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