Eating In
Tipping really gets me in this country. I have found it frustrating since day one to be honest. In saying that, my opinion may be changing. First of all let me say that I understand why people, primarily in the service industry, receive tips. To supplement their below average hourly rates of pay to a level that is acceptable.
What I don’t understand is why their employers aren’t forced to pay them more? I worked in a couple of restaurants when I was younger and wanted to buy my first apartment. I was earning anywhere between $15 and $18 an hour. We received tips on top of that if and only if, we did a great job. Here, despite some people deserving as much as you can give them I think that others just expect it. That bugs me.
Either way, like I said, my opinion may be changing. I go to this particular store. I go there regularly. The staff there annoy me so much that I wish they were on a performance pay system like tipping. Some are throwing balls to each other, some are talking behind racks of clothing, some couldn’t care less that you’re approaching them with a question to ask. It has made me realise that this whole tipping thing in restaurants is actually a good idea. Do a good job, get rewarded. Do a lousy job like these guys and get nothing.
Wow, what a rant. Sorry about that but I was there today. I’d go somewhere else but I don’t think there is another store that has what they have. I’ll have to check.
I was out at UWGB this afternoon to do an interview with “Here and Now” on PBS. I was very impressed with my ability to find my way around a University campus the way I did. This interview was interesting. It was the first one I had to do from a studio, staring down the barrel of camera, with the host of the show, from Milwaukee, in my ear asking questions. It was good fun. It is funny though how they place you in front of a camera, never having done it like that before and start asking questions like it’s your 8th interview of the day. It all worked out in the end and the challenge was well worth it so that’s all that counts.
This evening the 4 of us, with our friends Tom, Kathy and their kids went out to dinner with a new friend of ours Father Richard Getchel. We had heard of his culinary skills previously and even sampled a little after the Redskins game this year so it was nice to get to his house and try it out for a whole night. He certainly didn’t disappoint. For a second there, without going into too much detail I looked out of the window for waterviews ‘cause that was the sort or restaurant I thought we were at. Thankyou Father Richard, i hope it’s not inappropriate to ask if your skills were “heaven sent”?
Another area that he knocked us out in was his Christmas tree as pictured above. (I particularly liked the half dozen or so Packers ornaments right there in the middle of the pic.) I know I’ve said this before but all of the trees we have seen here are so lavish. I don’t know what it is but here, they just scream Christmas. If there is one memory I’ll take back with me when we leave (and I’ll be taking hundreds by the way) it’ll be the Christmas spirit and the way that your Christmas trees take absolute, no holes barred, centre stage in the house. It’s awesome. We’ll be doing the exact same thing next year.....assuming that is we have a house by then.
