Good Day

     Good morning all!    We recently had a big jump in our rent prices, so decided to cut our home phone and cable from the bills.  With cell phones and Netflix it really was a big waste of cash.  And the company was so worried about keeping some of our cash each month, that they gave us a very good deal on just Internet service.   I must say, today was the first weeksend day we had no home phone service, and it was beyond nice to not wake up to the phone ringing at 7 AM.  With a dreaded telemarketer or in law on the other end of the line!

     The rest of the week I hope to post and promote my newest local blog sight.  All about exploring Bellingham Washington and Whatcom county.   Full of pictures and things to do and explore.   If you live in the area, or know someone that should visit here---PLEASE check out the sight, give me feedback, and than share the link.    

  **All local new sight needs more readers. MANY new pictures and posts in the works! Please check it out & give me feedback. http://exploreb-ham.blogspot.com/**

   I am coming very close to working four months at my current job.  And I love it!   More on all of this in a future blog post.   I would just like to touch on "sympathy hires" real quick.  Every work place has them.   The worker that is not allowed to wear there helmet to work, but maybe really should.   I am sure there is a way more PC term for this worker, but I call them as I see them.  If you look around your place of work, and do not see anyone that takes 40 minutes to bus one table, or tries to fill drink cups--with the cups upside down, or is kept in the back room most of there shift---you just might be the sympathy hire ;)   I work at a casino on an Indian reservation and as many times as I might try to claim being a lil bit native-- am 0% native.  In fact from living in Washington so long, I am Casper the ghost white.   So I often describe myself  as the token white boy at work, to provide the work place with it's quota.   This may be wrong, but it entertains me, and isn't that all that really matters?
       A few weeks back the casino hosted a banquet for many of the local tribal members.  The food looked beyond good, or I was just extra hungry.  And I was trying to figure out a way to sneak into the meeting.  With out offending anyone, of course.  In an effort to keep my job, I will not share many of my ideas here.   I will say that after informing several co-workers that I was part Indian----they responded with lots of laughing.   This hurt my feel goods.   And I than tried to convince them that I was part of the dying out Chip A Hoy tribe.   Dying out because diabetes, I believe it is.  Some how this did not help my cause any, and boring story short, I did not get to join in for the feast or meeting. 

    All of this rambling makes me think about one of my favorite holidaze----Turkey Day!!
Living so close to the boarder of Canada---Aye, we just celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving at the casino.   It was on our Columbus day in fact.  I have not had the time to Google all of this, because I feel that Google is evil and knows to much.  BUT how does Canada even have Thanksgiving??   Columbus and his motley crew did get lost, but they did not discover the country way up North, Aye--they discovered America.  I think they just wanted yet another holiday to add to there super long list.   I was OK with all of this, because the buffet at work turned into turkey dinner with all of the fixins' and the leftovers ended up in the break room for all of the workers to enjoy and be thankful for. 

 

Hey look it is coffee-30!!

 

 

 

Below is my kind of statistics!.....

 

 

 

 

                     Are these picture books---or how does that work??

                      Don't forget to get out and vote---and than enjoy cocktails!!

    Doing things in the reverse order could be dangerous to our countries health.

                                           Were is this button on my computer?????/

    I have been workin' on many new pictures for new posts up the wazoo!  

    Between working at Wally World for years, and working as a waiter for about as many years, I have seen every type of customer.  The main difference is that in retail, you make a living wage, and can not take tips.  Also in retail, if you kiss butt  the customer might wish to come back, and be a pain in the ass again.   In either case, I usually enjoy the "problem customer" for some reason.  Maybe because I have been one so many times in the past.   I do believe the sign above is very true.  Be it your server, or cashier.   For a real test of the above statement, see how the person treats there mother.  I believe if more people watched the movie "Waiting" they would be muuuuuuch nicer to there food providers.  Being a server helps me be nicer and much more understanding when I go out to eat also.  But it also makes me much picker.   I still tip very nicely, but if I choose to spend my hard earned cash, while out to eat, and the problems are directly from a lazy server, he or she is going to receive a much smaller tip.
      Too many people don't understand that in Wyoming, servers make an amazingly backwoods wage because we make tips.   This isn't so bad, in the winter when the tourists are out in full force.  But in the winter, after everyone gets there credit card bills back, and stops eating, it is beyond harsh.   I had two customers tell me as they were leaving, that if they had known we made so little per hour, they would have tipped more.  This statement did not prompt them to return to the table, with more tip money.  But will hopefully make them think next time they enjoy a lunch out.  I would love to write an editorial for the local paper about tipping and being nice to servers in general, but have started it many times, and it comes across way to, ummmm bitchy I guess.
    The worse tip I have ever received, was years ago.  And looking back on it now, it is funny as heck, but I was not amused that day.   The customers left no cash, they left the  help wanted section out of the paper.   They had even circled some jobs in the section, for me to check out!  The 2nd worse was at my current job, a party of six acted happy and content every time I checked back on there table.  When they left I found a single dollar tip on the table.  Beside it a long note written on not one but two napkins, stating all the things I had done  wrong, to earn me such a low tip.  Each of the items would have been easy fixes, if the customers had clued me into the problems.  Things like the coffee wasn't warm/fresh enough   etc.   I personally find these "tips"  including coupons for fast food, and random candy, much worse than leaving no tip at all.   In short, you further belittled me.  A server is already expected to bring your food, entertain, joke with you, perform a quick but good show at your table, etc etc, and than if you decide your salad wasn't green enough, leave you with a mess to clean up, and no tip.  I will not share how low my pay is per hour, but will say that with overtime pay, I do not make $5.00 an hour. 
    As I said we for the most part have great customers.  And I usually go home with much more in my pocket than I could make any were else.   Today further proved how great our customers are.   I was enjoying lunch with my parents, and an everyday customer of ours, decided he should buy my meal.  After talking to our waitress, he decided he should buy my parents meals also.   How kool is that!?  Another couple of regulars brought $50.00 for every worker on the day crew for Christmas.  Being on the day crew, I was more than happy to receive. 

  
     Although I like to be a planner, the above is true in almost every situation.   I lye awake at night and over think everything.  Beyond NOT gaining a steady plan, I get no sleep, and stress myself out.   Although you have to plan things some.   Everything happens for a reason.  And it would be much easier to present everything to God and enjoy the ride.   I often forget this.   Plus God often laughs at your well thought out plan, because it doesn't match his plan for you at all. 

   Speaking of plans, I think this is what I am going to do over the weeksend.   Anybody want to join me?   Anyone have a couch I can borrow? ? 

    A co-worker of mine talks about awkward turtles all the time.   It is usually when she is overly red-faced from learning something embarrassing about another worker.  We tend to be very open at work and all.   This is also what another co-worker looked like flopping around on the ground after he attempted to trip me, and I tripped him. 

       I have a whole blog post coming just about Facebook.    But really enjoy the above picture.  Maybe because Facebook is running in the background while I am typing this blog.

Some of you have said you would like to see a picture from when I was little.  Above is the farthest back I could go!   Have you seen any of those 3-D pictures of babies still inside the womb?

They are very kool, but also more than a little freaky.

 A real picture of me as a wee-one!   This was in Casper, Wyoming.  The true "windy city"    And I am with my stuffed bear, named Bear.    OK  my mind wasn't always as active.    In this picture I am either pretending I'm in a boat.   Or my parents hadn't bought diapers that week.   That is the perfect carpet for kids though, dark colored.   It seems every apartment I have been in with my fiances kids, had light tan carpet.   Who's great idea is that?   The carpet salesman's??    I feel after about the age of 7, I was not cute anymore.  And have been straying more from cute every year since.