P2S09 Day 56-57 - Missoula, MT

P2S09 Day 56-57 - Missoula, MT, originally uploaded by tinochow.

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Back from the dead!

It's been a long, dark road. They told me that's the only way to get here. So I kept driving. I lost the power steering at one point, came close to running out of gas and almost hit what I think was a heard of giant rats but I kept going. The saving grace might have been that my radio worked the entire time.

So let's see. I have checked into my hotel and I am ready to see what kind of fun there is to be had. Still have to take it easy for a couple of weeks, nursing that knee injury still. Shouldn't be too much longer until I am 99%. Can't ever be 100% again. Sometimes the body never fully heals but it gets close. It's a good thing, helps you remember how you got here.

Conversation bits-33rd and park south

Standing on the corner sipping my coffee this morning I overheard these two snipets of conversation. It always amazes me what people find important to talk about. A lot of times it is insignificant dribble, to me. But to them it is the world. Perception is a powerful thing. One persons concern can be crap to another. Pulling out these one liners from conversations is fun because it allows me to reconstruct the conversation based on very limited knowledge. I will never know the true basis of the discussion, nor do I care to. What is most fascinating is the contrast in conversations as two peoples lives pass within inches of each other and then in a moment they are gone.

Modern Security

an excerpt from my elevator conversation today.

Maybe you had too much coffee

Just when you though that making a pot of coffee was going to be the most complicated thing in your life for a while the script gets flipped. It can seem bad, inconvenient, sad, frustrating, un-called-for, inconsiderate, crazy, ridiculous, crediculous and even stupid. But it's not. It is life. You can't call it, you’re not the director. You can only put on the best show possible. Remember, the “entire” audience is always watching, so make sure you are being the best you can be not just for them but, more importantly, for you. You are your toughest critic so you have to be happy with yourself in order to make the audience truly love you.

Maybe you need to rehearse more. Maybe not. Ad-lib can be really funny, but if you’re not good at it can be really terrible. Whatever the case, just remember to breath and put one foot in front of another, show your emotions, but don't lose your momentum. You got it. Go now. Do.

Not what you think....GRRRR!

No. This is not an armed robbery. This is what I wish I could do to put some step in the morning crew at my local fast food establishment. All I want is my god damn yogurt parfait and small coffee. What do I have to do to get this in under 5 minutes? It's your f'in job. Please just do it.

Let's break this down. 10am, way after the breakfast rush I walk through the doors. I make my way up to the counter where no other customers stand. There is approx. 2 minutes of chatter between the staff members. No one is doing a damn thing to help a customer or prepare for the possibility of one.

Finally I get a "how can I help you" I order and pay in less than 1 min. The fastest part of the whole morning ordeal. The cashier takes my money easily enough but then the whole transaction falls apart. She casually goes back to the conversation as if I just paid her for a small conversation because she is such an eloquent speaker. The conversation continues. Oh, by the way, the conversation she is having is with the manager!

I can see the yogurt parfait I ordered. It is sitting 2 feet behind the cashier in the refrigerator. The coffee I ordered is nowhere in sight. A third employee now arrives on the scene with a cup of coffee. She puts it down on the counter and walks away. No communication to me or the cashier on whose coffee that is. She then disappears into the back for a few minutes. The cashier doesn’t move, doesn’t speak to me, doesn’t nod, glance or even sneeze in my direction.

The third employee returns, grabbing my yogurt parfait that I have been staring at for 5 minutes from the refrigerator. She places it next to the coffee and then struggles to reach a bag from the other side of the cashier, who will not move to make it easier for the third employee to bag the items. I assume at this point that the order is mine, but still do not have a verbal confirmation. The cashier gets disgusted and takes the bag from the third employee. They have a verbal fight and stop bagging my breakfast. They argue for a bit while the manager looks on laughing. Finally the two of them finish bagging my order and speak for the first time in 7 minutes. “Have a nice Day. Come again”, they say simultaneously.

Of course I would never load the gun but if the cold metal barrel was lodged up on their pearly whites for just a few seconds I think that things would happen a little quicker from now on. I wouldn’t be this pissed if this didn’t happen everyday for a week. I tested the theory that it was a fluke day for the crew. I gave them the benefit of the doubt before I drew my gun. But they failed. They failed me and the rest of NYC.

We are hitting an all time low in customer service. No one cares anymore. Big biz has really botched things up this time. Problem is Americans are in such a daze that they don’t even notice. Or do they not give a shit either?

World Cup Eating

I know it's been a while. I know the world cup has been over for a month. I was digesting. I was stupid enough to take on a bet that I could eat 1 bratwurst for each game number I attended. Let me explain.

I was working in Berlin for the World Cup. Berlin had 6 games played there. Yes I saw the headbutt. Moving on, At the first game in Berlin I ate one bratwurst. At the second game I at two bratwurst. So the bet was born. I needed to eat three brats the next game and so on until the finals (my game 6, 6 bratwursts).

Now let me explain the bratwurst. Imagine out footlong dof but 4 times as thick. Then wrap it with a fresh semolina rollthat only covers one quarter of the brat. Smother with mustard. NOW POUND 'EM DOWN.

By game 5 I was hurting but not out. By game six I had to fold. I fot through 4.5 brats and then had to throw in the towel. It was impossible. Even for an eater like me. It just can't be done.

UGHHHH! BURP!