Going home again

Going home again
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

The view from the top. I am on my way home. The rest of the week will be hectic. I work doubles Thursday and Friday. I even had to move the AP meeting to the restaurant - not that the girls mind having dinner there - i mean who would right?

Just chilling

Just chilling
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

Love hanging at the pool. I got it all to myself

Florida vacation Part 1

This year for my moms birthday I decided to surprise her and go down for a few days to see here. Sadly our finances didn't allow Grumpy to come along to :( but at least this way the doggies and kitties wont have to go into a kennel. Since my flight didn't leave until 3 something I decided to go into the office till noon to get some work done - big mistake. The doc had me run around like crazy and I barely made it out in time. Grumpy and I went for lunch at my fav indian restaurant - Nawab. Yummy check out my lunch, spicy potatoes, vegetable komora, peas with paneer and the best of all CRISPIES!!! So good. Here is Grumpy's he had some meat too no clue what.

My flight was uneventful - on time which was great. When I checked the board in Charlotte I noticed that an earlier flight was leaving right across from where I got off. They were finished boarding but had a seat open so I hoped on that one vs the one 3h later.

Check out the sunset I saw on the way to my moms place. My cell cam really didn't capture the colors all that well.

The next day my mom wanted to check out some cars, go shopping and then I was to be on vacation - well we ended up buying her a new car - a 2007 Ford Focus which she loves. But as you all know that took forever so no shopping it was after 9pm when we got back. I tried to go to sleep but was up till 4am partly because she keeps the house at 80.

We had to get up early so get her old car to the dealer and then we were to go shopping and then my vacation was to start. Okay so this is day 3 and I have yet to see the pool!!!!! Anyway after 4 hours of sleep I was even grouchier than normal so before hitting the pool I wanted to take a nap.
Missy really didn't care that I was tired and tried to get me to play with her.

Well tomorrow is a new day hopefully I can get some pool time and make it to the gym.

Greetings from florida

Greetings from florida
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

My new "sister" and I at my moms.

Sundayssssssssssssss

Well my weekend was pretty good. I was off Friday night and after hitting the gym I went and got my mom a present for $2 (after all the rebates) She'll love it I am sure especially considering how it will be delivered. Saturday I took it easy after the gym until I had to head to the restaurant. There I got a nice surprise. R. had gotten laser surgery so our day time manager was in and she is good about sitting tables so I managed to make decent money despite it not being that busy. Today was nice since Grumpy and I were both off. He was beat and slept till noon so I had made a nice big breakfast for us. I even baked him the cake I was going to make for his birthday in June. Here is what the muds were doing while Grumpy and i were on cleaning and cooking duty.

Mac on her new favorite spot. Sassy cooling off Misty on the dining room table (yes it needs cleaning) Cleo relaxing on Mac's crate

Why is it ...

... that when I am broke the restaurant is dead? I have only gotten 2 shifts a week lately which is okay as long as I make money on those days. Last week I was sent home one day because it was dead so I only had one day I worked. The problem was that I made only about $50 in credit card tips so my paycheck this week was only $35. So I was really hoping I'd make some money last night. There were 4 of us scheduled but with only one reservation I told R. we needed to sent someone home. He agreed and one of the others went home (as I did the week before). I still didn't get ONE fucking table. We were dead. One table I tried to sit in my section refused. Then nothing until after 7 and that one was a mom with 2 little kids. At that point I had said I was leaving at 7:30pm so I wasn't gonna take a table be stuck and maybe get $5 of it. I did get tips from 2 take out orders I took so I made $9 and got dinner.
Now normally that wouldn't be to bad but I am pretty broke right now and Grumpy is quitting the bar. It doesn't help that I only got one shift next week and maybe one the week after. I HATE BEING BROKE!!! I am however glad that Grumpy is leaving the bar. Things keep getting worse over there. Couple of weeks ago that shooting and then last Friday they had a big fight. He had some bruises to show for and he came in on the end. He was checking the parking lot when he noticed the blinds being messed up on one of the big windows and then the window chattered. So he went inside after calling the cops to take down the guys and holding them there till the boys in blue came around. He didn't even realize he got hit till I pointed out the bruises!

Anyway I am hoping tomorrow will be busy so I can make some money and have a paycheck on Tuesday!
Oh check out these things I got as FWD emails lately:

Some old timey adds

And then some real transcriptions from customer service call centers - go ahead laugh your butt off I did

Customer: "I've been ringing 0800 2100 for two days and can't get through to enquiries, can you help?".
Operator: "Where did you get that number from, sir?".
Customer: "It was on the door to the Travel Centre".
Operator: "Sir, they are our opening hours".
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Samsung Electronics
Caller: "Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?"
Operator: "I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand who you are talking about".
Caller: "On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that I need to unplug the fax machine from the AC wall socket and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now, can you give me the number for Jack?"
Operator: "I think you mean the telephone point on the wall".
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RAC Motoring Services
Caller: "Does your European Breakdown Policy cover me when I am travelling in Australia ?"
Operator: " Doesn't the product name give you a clue?"
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Caller (enquiring about legal requirements while travelling in France ):
"If I register my car in France , do I have to change the steering wheel to the other side of the car?"
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Directory Enquiries
Caller: "I'd like the number of the Argoed Fish Bar in Cardiff please".
Operator: "I'm sorry, there's no listing. Is the spelling correct?"
Caller: "Well, it used to be called the Bargoed Fish Bar but the 'B' fell off".
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Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.
Operator: "Woven? Are you sure?"
Caller: "Yes. That's what it says on the label; Woven in Scotland".
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On another occasion, a man making heavy breathing sounds from a phone box told a worried operator:
"I haven't got a pen, so I'm steaming up the window to write the number on".
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Tech Support: "I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop".
Customer: "OK".
Tech Support: "Did you get a pop-up menu?".
Customer: "No".
Tech Support: "OK. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?"
Customer: "No".
Tech Support: "OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?".
Customer: "Sure. You told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'".
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Tech Support: "OK. In the bottom left hand side of the screen, can you see the 'OK' button displayed?"
Customer: "Wow. How can you see my screen from there?"
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Caller: "I deleted a file from my PC last week and I have just realised that I need it. If I turn my system clock back two weeks will I have my file back again?".
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There's always one. This has got to be one of the funniest things in a long time. I think this guy should have been promoted, not fired. This is a true story from the Word Perfect Helpline, which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say the Help Desk employee was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the Word Perfect organization for "Termination without Cause".
Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee. (Now I know why they record these conversations!):

Operator: "Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?"
Caller: "Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."
Operator: "What sort of trouble??"
Caller: "Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."
Operator: "Went away?"
Caller: "They disappeared."
Operator: "Hmm So what does your screen look like now?"
Caller: "Nothing."
Operator: "Nothing??"
Caller: "It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."
Operator: "Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out??"
Caller: "How do I tell?"
Operator: "Can you see the C: prompt on the screen??"
Caller: "What's a sea-prompt?"
Operator: "Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?"
Caller: "There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type."
Operator: "Does your monitor have a power indicator??"
Caller: "What's a monitor?"
Operator: "It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on??"
Caller: "I don't know."
Operator: "Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??"
Caller: "Yes, I think so."
Operator: "Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall.
Caller: "Yes, it is."
Operator: "When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one??"
Caller: "No."
Operator: "Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."
Caller: "Okay, here it is."
Operator: "Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."
Caller: "I can't reach."
Operator: "Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is??"
Caller: "No."
Operator: "Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over??"
Caller: "Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle - it's because it's dark."
Operator: "Dark??"
Caller: "Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window.
" Operator: "Well, turn on the office light then."
Caller: "I can't."
Operator: "No? Why not??"
Caller: "Because there's a power failure."
Operator: "A power......... A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now.
Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in??"
Caller: "Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."
Operator: "Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."
Caller: "Really? Is it that bad?"
Operator: "Yes, I'm afraid it is."
Caller: "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them??"
Operator: "Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer!!!!!"

Saturday night out around town

Saturday out around town
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

Post in progress check back later for foodporn and sex



Alright alright I know you are dying to get the post. So I got up extra early (7am on a Sunday!) to write it for you - It has nothing to do with Grumpy's snoring really nothing!

Anyhow so Grumpy and I went to check out Syndey Meers new restaurant. Syd is a local chef and artist that grew up in Louisiana and loves Cajun cuisine. He was one of the founders of Cowboy Syd's where you could get Alligator and other interesting foods.

Anyhow we had 8pm reservations for The Stove his new place. While our directions got us lost once we quickly found the restaurant along side older small building in what looked like downtown of a smaller older city. Syd greeted us upon walking in to the place. The decor was done really cool, a lot of this work and some of others. See for me a good restaurant has to have more than good food. The ambiance is just as important. See when we went to Create not to long ago the food was good but the place was so small that you felt cramped in it was horrible.

Anyhow back to dinner. See the photo above look closely at the classes - isn't that a cool shape. My little fruit drink according to the check was a Mai Tai but it didn't taste like one - it was yummy so that's all that matters. Sorry for the quality of the photos they are from a phone since I didn't think it was proper to sit there and take pics of the food with my camera.

We started with appetizers, Grumpy had a Shrimp Cocktail and I had the Cheese Platter. You pick out one of many cheeses - mine was a Virginian Goat Cheese. It was so good (aside from some pieces of meat that Grumpy was happy to eat for me). They also served homemade bread with it and OMG it was fabulous. Syd offered me to take some home but Grumpy wouldn't let me :(.

For dinner Grumpy had the "Visiting Dinner" A steak . He loved every bite of it - poor guy doesn't get enough red meat being married to me. I had called ahead since they don't offer vegetarian dishes but will make them if you let them know your coming. Syd made me a Vegetarian Gumbo that was WOW let me see if I can remember all the goodies in it. It had baby corn, radish, squash, tomatoes, potatoes and some other veggies I can't remember (Syd feel free to add via comment!)

I couldn't finish my dinner after all the cheese and bread so I took it home with me because I knew that if dinner was that good I had to try and eat dessert.

After looking at all the yummy choices I had to try Syd's Sextuplet Truffel. It includes six types of chocolate - Jin you would have loved this. PS. Syd shares your believe about ingredients ;)OMG it was amazing I am so going back for that. Grumpy was lucky that I was full or he'd never gotten a bite! I had a dessert wine with it - a German Beerenauslese yummy. Anyhow we'll go back - my 30th b-day is coming up in a month and half (HELP!!!! I AM TURNING, THAT MEANS I AM NOT IN MY TWENTIES ANYMORE)

After leaving the restaurant we went by the bar Grumpy and I met. It was pretty dead so we didn't stick around for too long. We got a pretty busy Sunday - Water country with the au pairs and after that we are to meet up with Grumpy's mom and there is always homework for me.

Catching my breath

Catching my breath
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

Lots of AP drama today but thankfully not my APs or families how they all find my phone number is beyond me. Anyway after playing Dear A.bby all day I was in serious need of relaxationso I decided to sit on the deck and watch the pups despite the 90+ degrees. Well I got a 2000 word paper due tonight so I better hop to it.

yummy

yummy
Originally uploaded by dino0477.

Check out what my friend brought me back from England.