Best wishes, farewell, good luck... to my co-workers that were let go today...
I won't say too much just that it was a gloomy day at work today. Hope this becomes an opportunity for better things to come.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Update... for prev post
Quick update for the prev post on the movie and dinner... so I ended up sending a complaint via their website.... several days later one of my roommates said someone from that place had called and that they would call back... So I got a call back this past week, I am guessing their guest relations, and the person apologized and wanted to do something to make up for it so that I would continue to go to that location. so.. she sent me 2 entree vouchers.... not sure when or if i'll use them. but meh wahtever I am over it...
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Movie and Dinner... from Jan 1st
With my cousin, I went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Jan 1st... loved the movie.. movies like this one make me want to read. Aside from video game magazines and celebrity magazines, I don't read a whole lot. Not because I don't want to, I just fall asleep after reading a few pages of any book. I have to really focus when I am reading 'cause my mind always wanders when I read something that reminds me of something else and then I loose track of what I was reading. then I have to start all over. Amistead Maupin's novels are the only ones that I can read and re-read without putting them down. :)
After the movie, we picked up Aaron and went to dinner. We went to an Applebee's on Baseline by 24th st. Their address is 2180 E. Baseline Road, Phoenix, AZ 85042.
Now I am listing their location, address found on their site, not so you can go to it, but so that you don't. So sure it was New Year's Day so those working on that day may not have wanted to be working, but it is no excuse to start slacking off. It was not packed, but obviously low on staff so we waited for a couple minutes while they cleaned a table to sit us down. Once we were seated, we browsed through their menu,sticky with food residue, as we waited for our waiter. It took a while before our waiter came by to introduce himself, Mark, and ask for out order.
We ordered our drinks, as I was not ready to order food just yet. I couldn't decide what I wanted. Another long wait and our drinks made it. Jerry and Aaron ordered and I asked for more time. He came by a few minutes later and I placed my order. Our appetizer was brought to us by a waitress, obviously not our waiter, and I asked her for individual plates(for the appetizer), extra lemons(they had given me a joke for lemon slice for my iced tea), and extra napkins. She brought them right away. Aaron and Jerry's orders came out. Jerry's was just fine. Aaron's looked like it had been siting for a bit, I'm sure it was so that they both came out at the same time since they were ordered at the same time. My order came a few minutes later.
So we were eating, chatting and then this fat woman comes and stands by our table and comments on Aaron's tea, "letting your tea get dark" or something like that, in an unpleasant sarcastic like tone, he had ordered hot tea. We were like, who the hell is this bitch. She then asks us how our meals were. We said fine. Then she left. We assumed after she left that she was the manager. Her approach wasn't very managerial like.
After we were done eating our check arrives, I decide to pay with my card. Mark takes my card and the check. He comes back a few minutes later, dropping off the receipts to be signed. So as I review the receipt I notice the amount is not what the original receipt said, and my card was not brought back.
I first figured he had given me the wrong receipts, but then I see that the last four of the card used for that were the ones on my card. I was like hell no motherfucker you did not just keep my card and charge me for someone else's food check.
So I get up to try and find a manager. I head towards the kitchen with receipts on hand. As I was going to enter the kitchen, and there is Mark, so I tell him you charged me for someone else's check and kept my card. He reaches for his shirt pocket and out comes his Applebee's card along with my card. As soon as i see it I aggressively take it out of his hand and demand to speak to his manager. He starts walking off in the opposite direction. Not sure what he said, but he was not apologetic, did not direct me towards a manager, nor did he try to explain what happened. So I head back towards our table. Aaron and Jerry assumed it was done. I said no we are waiting for the manager.
The manager, jackpot is was the fat woman that had come by earlier, walking several step behind Mark. I head towards the manager, explained what happened. She apologized and wanted my card to fix it. I was like hell no. So I said I'll go with you to see what you are doing. So she voided the other charge. I asked her for a void receipt. She said she could not give me one, so I asked her to sign and initial the original receipt, so I could keep it as reference/evidence that it was voided. She then processed the amount for my table. I signed it leaving no tip. She kept apologizing and asking me if there was anything else she could do. Obviously she was hinting at me asking to have the meal comped, but I am not that kind of person. The kitchen did nothing wrong, however if she had offered to comp the meal I probably would have accepted. She kept saying that it was an honest error. I didn't buy that. I can understand an honest error if he had given me my card with the wrong receipt, but he kept my card in his shirt pocket. That's a fucking different story.
So anyways, I may suggest to you that you do not go to this Applebee's, but if you do go beware of waiter Mark. He may be keeping cards "in and honest error" kind of way. Who knows how many cards he kept that night.
Now I am just watching my account every day to make sure the void goes through. Not going to go to that Applebee's location again. Let's hope this is a fluke and not the beginning of what my dining experiences will be this year.
Hope everyone's first movie and dinner experience in 2009 is a good one!!! :)
After the movie, we picked up Aaron and went to dinner. We went to an Applebee's on Baseline by 24th st. Their address is 2180 E. Baseline Road, Phoenix, AZ 85042.
Now I am listing their location, address found on their site, not so you can go to it, but so that you don't. So sure it was New Year's Day so those working on that day may not have wanted to be working, but it is no excuse to start slacking off. It was not packed, but obviously low on staff so we waited for a couple minutes while they cleaned a table to sit us down. Once we were seated, we browsed through their menu,sticky with food residue, as we waited for our waiter. It took a while before our waiter came by to introduce himself, Mark, and ask for out order.
We ordered our drinks, as I was not ready to order food just yet. I couldn't decide what I wanted. Another long wait and our drinks made it. Jerry and Aaron ordered and I asked for more time. He came by a few minutes later and I placed my order. Our appetizer was brought to us by a waitress, obviously not our waiter, and I asked her for individual plates(for the appetizer), extra lemons(they had given me a joke for lemon slice for my iced tea), and extra napkins. She brought them right away. Aaron and Jerry's orders came out. Jerry's was just fine. Aaron's looked like it had been siting for a bit, I'm sure it was so that they both came out at the same time since they were ordered at the same time. My order came a few minutes later.
So we were eating, chatting and then this fat woman comes and stands by our table and comments on Aaron's tea, "letting your tea get dark" or something like that, in an unpleasant sarcastic like tone, he had ordered hot tea. We were like, who the hell is this bitch. She then asks us how our meals were. We said fine. Then she left. We assumed after she left that she was the manager. Her approach wasn't very managerial like.
After we were done eating our check arrives, I decide to pay with my card. Mark takes my card and the check. He comes back a few minutes later, dropping off the receipts to be signed. So as I review the receipt I notice the amount is not what the original receipt said, and my card was not brought back.
I first figured he had given me the wrong receipts, but then I see that the last four of the card used for that were the ones on my card. I was like hell no motherfucker you did not just keep my card and charge me for someone else's food check.
So I get up to try and find a manager. I head towards the kitchen with receipts on hand. As I was going to enter the kitchen, and there is Mark, so I tell him you charged me for someone else's check and kept my card. He reaches for his shirt pocket and out comes his Applebee's card along with my card. As soon as i see it I aggressively take it out of his hand and demand to speak to his manager. He starts walking off in the opposite direction. Not sure what he said, but he was not apologetic, did not direct me towards a manager, nor did he try to explain what happened. So I head back towards our table. Aaron and Jerry assumed it was done. I said no we are waiting for the manager.
The manager, jackpot is was the fat woman that had come by earlier, walking several step behind Mark. I head towards the manager, explained what happened. She apologized and wanted my card to fix it. I was like hell no. So I said I'll go with you to see what you are doing. So she voided the other charge. I asked her for a void receipt. She said she could not give me one, so I asked her to sign and initial the original receipt, so I could keep it as reference/evidence that it was voided. She then processed the amount for my table. I signed it leaving no tip. She kept apologizing and asking me if there was anything else she could do. Obviously she was hinting at me asking to have the meal comped, but I am not that kind of person. The kitchen did nothing wrong, however if she had offered to comp the meal I probably would have accepted. She kept saying that it was an honest error. I didn't buy that. I can understand an honest error if he had given me my card with the wrong receipt, but he kept my card in his shirt pocket. That's a fucking different story.
So anyways, I may suggest to you that you do not go to this Applebee's, but if you do go beware of waiter Mark. He may be keeping cards "in and honest error" kind of way. Who knows how many cards he kept that night.
Now I am just watching my account every day to make sure the void goes through. Not going to go to that Applebee's location again. Let's hope this is a fluke and not the beginning of what my dining experiences will be this year.
Hope everyone's first movie and dinner experience in 2009 is a good one!!! :)
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Welcome 2009!
Welcome 2009! Let's hope this year is a good year for everyone... So what's the first thing you did when you woke up? Did you party hardy last night? Did you wake up with a hangover, headache, a person sleeping next to you who's name you don't know?
First thing I did was go pee(tmi maybe). Then made a pot of coffee. Drank coffee as I wished a Happy New Year to my online friends. If I forgot you, then happy new year to you! :)
My mom called to wish happy new year. Back home they are getting together, like every year, for breakfast. I think she said it's menudo or posole this year. After breakfast is the loteria and piñatas. Wish I was there.
Then to pay bills. I'm usually ahead of the game and have all the bills for the month paid by the mid to end of the month previous to it. Not this time. All done now. Yay! Those of you who leave bills unpaid to the last minute or past their time... well I won't get into it, but for a short period my previous position included collecting on past due accounts, so I have heard just about every reason and excuse for not paying.
Anyways, hope your 2009 is a good one!
The photo on this post is from x-mas 2007 with family.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Goodbye 2008, Welcome to the new year!!
What a year two-thousand eight has been. From mourning the passing of my grandma the previous x-mas to Reventon Superestrella to Memphis(follow link for one post of various) and volunteering(follow link for one post of various throughout the year), diversity events(follow link for one post of various throughout the year), LGBT issues, moving/not moving, the economy, the election, a new job position, and everything in between. What a year!!! is all I can say. Let's hope I have learned from my mistakes.
New year's resolutions: save money, better diet/exercise, get organized, move, go green, visit family, at least one vacation, love, purge, and so many more... really I'm just listing things I would like to do that are not necessarily going to happen.
Here's some photos of this past year:
To the coming two-thousand nine, you be good now!
New year's resolutions: save money, better diet/exercise, get organized, move, go green, visit family, at least one vacation, love, purge, and so many more... really I'm just listing things I would like to do that are not necessarily going to happen.
Here's some photos of this past year:
To the coming two-thousand nine, you be good now!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Happy Holidays Y'all !!!
Happy Holidays Y'all !!!... So now to catch up.... PBS day. 12/6/08, went good. I thought it would drag, but the fours hours went by really fast... Later that day went to the Parade of Lights, my first time. Next time I should take a chair. It was a looong parade, and it got cold by the end of it. It was pretty.
Holiday Party 2008... This year it was at a friend's house on 12/20/08, with maybe only a week of planning. Food, drinks, Singstar, and more drinks, it was great. Woke up with a headache the next day, too much wine I think.
...On a (long) side note... this year I didn't feel any holiday cheer, even though I have been signing loudly for all to hear. I haven't been really all that festive this year, I sort of have immersed myself in work, volunteer events, and diversity events. Also, because I was going to be moving by the end of September, I had packed all my Fall and Winter Holiday stuff, and then I didn't move, but didn't feel like unpacking since moving would be in six months(maybe). I think that maybe I am still mourning my grandma's passing last year. I think maybe the prices going up on everything just made me not want to shop. Usually I shop for my roommates(Jerry, Aaron), mom, a couple of aunts, a couple of friends and give cards to almost all work friends, old friends, new friends, and family. So this year all I got out were 3 cards, my mom and 2 aunts. Not sure what's going on with me, maybe it's the over commercialized holidays or a combination of all the above, and somehow I need to cheer up. Although, today as my roommates gave me gifts and they gave gifts to each other and I had no gifts, not even a card to give them I felt that little x-mas spark lighting back up. It's not about the gift is about the giver.
My family back home, Texas/Mexico are very catholic, not crazy catholic, just very, and they do a traditional x-mas. Traditional of course is different to every family.
My family's traditional is to pray a rosary, then a classic posada, then dinner, then some fireworks, then to midnight mass. We wear corsages that are usually made by one of my aunts. This is all done on the 24th. On the 25th they all get together for breakfast, usually barbacoa, then a couple of pinatas. Both kids and adults get in the action. Then we play loteria(similar but not congruent to bingo) for wrapped prizes/gifts that several of us have brought. The prizes are varied from a box of cherry cordials, kitchen towels, sopas, avon items, etc. Then after this there is a raffle of a basket that consists of mostly pantry items. Everyone's names goes in a bowl, someone draws a name and that person wins it. This was something that we have done as long as I can remember. The person who wins the basket will fill it up the next year, if they can't, my grandma or my mom or another aunt would help fill it. My grandma, as far as I know, is the one who made the basket raffle tradition.
New Year's Eve and Day are similar except no posada. We also try to celebrate El Dia de Reyes(I think it's what they call Epiphany in English?), but that day already everyone is back to work, family, etc. so usually their is a Rosca De Reyes(a circular bread like cake) and whoever drops by can have a piece. There is a baby baked into the bread and whoever gets the slice with the baby in it is supposed to throw a celebration later in the year on El Dia de la Candelaria, but I'm not sure when that is as there usually isn't a celebration made. I think maybe once or twice it was done, that I can remember. All these celebrations, xmas, new year's, dia de reyes, etc, are all done at my grandma's house in Mexico.
Anyways, the point of this I think maybe that I should start spending x-mas holiday back home.
Hope you are all having a Happy holiday Season! :)
Holiday Party 2008... This year it was at a friend's house on 12/20/08, with maybe only a week of planning. Food, drinks, Singstar, and more drinks, it was great. Woke up with a headache the next day, too much wine I think.
...On a (long) side note... this year I didn't feel any holiday cheer, even though I have been signing loudly for all to hear. I haven't been really all that festive this year, I sort of have immersed myself in work, volunteer events, and diversity events. Also, because I was going to be moving by the end of September, I had packed all my Fall and Winter Holiday stuff, and then I didn't move, but didn't feel like unpacking since moving would be in six months(maybe). I think that maybe I am still mourning my grandma's passing last year. I think maybe the prices going up on everything just made me not want to shop. Usually I shop for my roommates(Jerry, Aaron), mom, a couple of aunts, a couple of friends and give cards to almost all work friends, old friends, new friends, and family. So this year all I got out were 3 cards, my mom and 2 aunts. Not sure what's going on with me, maybe it's the over commercialized holidays or a combination of all the above, and somehow I need to cheer up. Although, today as my roommates gave me gifts and they gave gifts to each other and I had no gifts, not even a card to give them I felt that little x-mas spark lighting back up. It's not about the gift is about the giver.
My family back home, Texas/Mexico are very catholic, not crazy catholic, just very, and they do a traditional x-mas. Traditional of course is different to every family.
My family's traditional is to pray a rosary, then a classic posada, then dinner, then some fireworks, then to midnight mass. We wear corsages that are usually made by one of my aunts. This is all done on the 24th. On the 25th they all get together for breakfast, usually barbacoa, then a couple of pinatas. Both kids and adults get in the action. Then we play loteria(similar but not congruent to bingo) for wrapped prizes/gifts that several of us have brought. The prizes are varied from a box of cherry cordials, kitchen towels, sopas, avon items, etc. Then after this there is a raffle of a basket that consists of mostly pantry items. Everyone's names goes in a bowl, someone draws a name and that person wins it. This was something that we have done as long as I can remember. The person who wins the basket will fill it up the next year, if they can't, my grandma or my mom or another aunt would help fill it. My grandma, as far as I know, is the one who made the basket raffle tradition.
New Year's Eve and Day are similar except no posada. We also try to celebrate El Dia de Reyes(I think it's what they call Epiphany in English?), but that day already everyone is back to work, family, etc. so usually their is a Rosca De Reyes(a circular bread like cake) and whoever drops by can have a piece. There is a baby baked into the bread and whoever gets the slice with the baby in it is supposed to throw a celebration later in the year on El Dia de la Candelaria, but I'm not sure when that is as there usually isn't a celebration made. I think maybe once or twice it was done, that I can remember. All these celebrations, xmas, new year's, dia de reyes, etc, are all done at my grandma's house in Mexico.
Anyways, the point of this I think maybe that I should start spending x-mas holiday back home.
Hope you are all having a Happy holiday Season! :)
Friday, December 05, 2008
PBS Pledges
Tomorrow I will be on TV at the local PBS station. Well maybe I'll be on TV. I'll be taking pledges via phone during breaks. The local PBS station is located in ASU.
This is the one thing I had always stayed away from volunteering. Because my work used to involve being on the phones, the last thing I wanted is to be on the phones willingly. The work I do now requires me only half or less time being on the phones, and I get very few calls, so now I don't mind doing this. Plus it felt a bit weird not volunteering for anything in November. I'll be there for four hours.
This is the one thing I had always stayed away from volunteering. Because my work used to involve being on the phones, the last thing I wanted is to be on the phones willingly. The work I do now requires me only half or less time being on the phones, and I get very few calls, so now I don't mind doing this. Plus it felt a bit weird not volunteering for anything in November. I'll be there for four hours.
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