Random Rant Thread (no moto content)

[Fennellg]

That’s on the menus. Retirement phase 2 . My wife wants a house in the mountains. We have been discussing something with land. She would like to have animals, goats horses ect.... I see a lot of work and money. The care of the animals would fall to me. Our travel together has all but curtailed. We have 3 dogs she won’t leave them and travel with them is a real pain. I finally rented a RV and took everybody to the Great Smokey MT Park. We had fun, And now want a RV. I like the idea of boon docking she likes RV parks. She won’t go full time. We must have a house that’s non negotiable with her.

The second option is a lake house in the Mountains. We both like this one. A smaller property with a pontoon boat. As I get older less upkeep is looking better and better. It’s good to have dreams. Who knows with everything going on now there just might been another deal of the century out there for us. But I have a feeling we will be paying a more rational price this time around. The way it works is I keep saying no it costs too much. That just pisses her off and lights a fire in her. Then after Herculean efforts she finds a deal I can not walk away from. It’s not smooth or pleasant but it works.

 

[Sierra1]

We always had plenty of animals when the kids were young, and at home. At one time we had five dogs. We only have a couple of acres, but even that requires plenty of up keep. As the years pass, less is much better. As the dogs pass, they are not replaced. We've even talked about trading houses with our youngest son as time goes on. As his family grows, our place would be better for them, and vice versa.

We've always liked camping, but, once again, all that's required for doing that can be a pain in the butt sometimes. It's becoming much more enjoyable to throw some clothes in the Jeep, and just go somewhere, and stay in a motel. The remaining dogs stay with one of the kids while we're gone. And we watch theirs when they go on a trip.

I'm definitely looking for "cheaper and easier" as I get older.

 

[Fennellg]

God all this crap with the roof has stirred up some memories almost forgotten. And with all that is going on with our country I am not sleeping well. MSNBC 11th hour and others are hinting around about revolution. On a brighter note we went out to dinner for the first time in 2 plus months. Outback. They had maybe 6 or 7 tables. The place was clean. All the staff was wearing gloves and masks. Had to be hot and unpleasant for them. Our food was off the chain good!!!! We were celebrating a missed birthday and anniversary. It was different but a lot closer to normal. I tipped 50% the food was good and their volume was way down. They were not there for their health. I also noticed some patrons giving her a hard time and running her. I knew they were not going to tip.

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . I also noticed some patrons giving her a hard time and running her. I knew they were not going to tip.

That seems to go hand-in-hand, bad customers leaving bad tips. Texas Roadhouse is our favorite place to go for steaks. I've never been to one, and received bad service, or a bad steak. We usually order the Cactus Blossom, and the largest sized steak(s) we like. (That way, we have leftovers for lunch the next day)

Another great customer service corporation is Discount/Americas Tire. It's another place that I've never had a bad customer service experience.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

There's no justification for leaving bad tips right now. Time to reevaluate how you're making decisions if you're thinking that's okay.

 

[Fennellg]

We use to go out 1 or 2 times a week. Lot of pent up demand for me. I told my wife we set a record. 2 months not going out. I told her don’t get use to it I expect her to keep cooking. She laughed and looked at like my life was about to change for the worse. I need a motor cycle trip real Bad.

 

[magic]

We always had plenty of animals when the kids were young, and at home. At one time we had five dogs. We only have a couple of acres, but even that requires plenty of up keep. As the years pass, less is much better. As the dogs pass, they are not replaced. We've even talked about trading houses with our youngest son as time goes on. As his family grows, our place would be better for them, and vice versa.

We've always liked camping, but, once again, all that's required for doing that can be a pain in the butt sometimes. It's becoming much more enjoyable to throw some clothes in the Jeep, and just go somewhere, and stay in a motel. The remaining dogs stay with one of the kids while we're gone. And we watch theirs when they go on a trip.

I'm definitely looking for "cheaper and easier" as I get older.

I really don't care much for camping anymore...too much work. We stay at hotels or resorts and I bring one of my bikes along in a trailer. Wife can play tourist (shopping) and I can go exploring on the bike.

 

[Sierra1]

For the most part, I agree. But, bad service is bad service. I do not reward poor behavior. I'm an easy person for a waiter/waitress. I don't run them around with stupid requests. My food NEVER goes back, even if it's wrong, or tastes bad. So, as long as they are not "bad", they will get tipped well.

 

[Fennellg]

Well let’s examine this for a second. Tip stands for To Insure prompt service. If you are always suppose to tip no matter what goes down? You essentially have an employee who can do no wrong and can’t be punished or fired. I have never had a job like that. And they don’t exist in the real world.

With that said I have a problem with a patron who enters an establish never intending to tip with the sole intent to cause as much trouble as possible in order to score a free meal. I think In 57 years I have left no tip 2 times and less than 15 percent 3 times. usually 20 percent. More if the food / service is exceptional. The two times I did not tip, I left some Advil for obvious reasons, the second time I left s note. “You are supposed to wait on me. I am not suppose to wait on you. we waited 1 1/2 hours for our food, The server forgot our order and had to ask us again what we wanted again, all the while was busy socializing with other servers ignoring us and the few time they did come around smell like cigarette smoke.

 

[Sierra1]

I can't remember where I hear it, but I was told that for poor service, etiquette recommended leaving a penny. If no tip was left. . . . it could be construed that you were just an ass. The penny signifies that you did leave a tip. . . . in the exact amount of what the service was worth. The one time I left a penny, the waitress chased me outside, and threw it at me. She told me that I needed it more that she did. I was 20ish at the time, and maybe she figured she wasn't goin to get a tip from a kid. In reality, my parents had taught me about tips when I was 13ish.

I've always wondered about exceptional food though. Tipping the waitress for fantastic food doesn't seem right. . . . she didn't cook it. I've never heard of tipping the cook. There have been times though that I've asked the waitress, or management, to pass on my compliments to the chef/cook.

 

[Alexander]

Typically, you don't tip the cook because cooks are paid a much higher hourly wage than servers. Servers might make $2 an hour + tips -- they basically survive on tips alone.

Be aware that the road goes both ways: You mention not being able to tip good cooks directly, but what happens when there's a bad cook who screws up orders, causing hour-long delays that pisses off the customer -- who gets yelled at by the customer? The server takes the blame and receives a lousy tip, even though it's 100% not their fault. Happens all the time.

Yes, of course, a server is going to be pissed if you give them $0.01. They basically served you for an hour for free, for nothing, like slave labor -- even if the service wasn't great, they were still on their feet bringing you things. There are bad servers out there, lots of them, but sometimes the poor service is due to events that are out of the server's control -- someone didn't show up for work and they're bogged down, slow cooks messing up orders, having to redo orders because of a nightmare customer who is insatiable, etc. Sometimes servers stand around because they can't do anything until someone else in the back room fixes a problem for another customer.

Reason I say all of this is because I once dated a server, and you wouldn't believe the crap they go through. They face a lot of harassment (verbal and physical), but have to smile. They're often run ragged by people who don't even leave a tip. It's a tough job that most people couldn't handle.

 

[Fennellg]

When I first started dating my mom pulled me aside. The told me To go to the door ring the bell. If the father answers stand tall shake his hand and be respectful. She said don’t sit in the car and honk the horn like I was picking up one of my buddies. Then explained about tipping. Then she said I was to get the car door for her. I looked at her and said Dad does not get it for you. “She said he did when we were dating and he does when we go out to dinner or a party together you are not with us during those times”. Then she said “Getting the door tell her and the world you care and anyone who does not treat her well will answer to you.” To till this day I still get my wife’s door. She came from a less affluent neighborhood than I. Lands Down MD and has often said no one has ever treated her like that before. I thought that was sad and I also realized I had a good Mom

 

[Fennellg]

I put myself threw college I have tended bar and served tables. You can make good money if you are nice and give a shit about what you doing, The good balances out the bad. You get a cheap guy then you get a generous one.

 

[Checkswrecks]

When my boys and then nephews wanted to date, I told them to just walk up to a girl and say "hi."
By that time the girl's already figured out where this thing is going.

 

[Tenman]

I used to wonder why my 9th grade girlfriend's dad gave me the evil eye. I know now.

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . but what happens when there's a bad cook who screws up orders, causing hour-long delays that pisses off the customer -- who gets yelled at by the customer? The server takes the blame and receives a lousy tip, even though it's 100% not their fault. Happens all the time. . . .

. . . .Yes, of course, a server is going to be pissed if you give them $0.01. They basically served you for an hour for free, for nothing, like slave labor -- even if the service wasn't great, they were still on their feet bringing you things. . . .

. . . . It's a tough job that most people couldn't handle.

I can honestly say that I've never taken poor food out on the server, but you're probably correct. The waitress that I gave the penny to. . . . that was the issue. . . . she didn't serve me. . . . at all. She brought the food, and later the bill. I had to get my own drink refills. I totally agree about the difficulty of the job. That's why I tip well for good service.

 

[Alexander]

I can honestly say that I've never taken poor food out on the server, but you're probably correct. The waitress that I gave the penny to. . . . that was the issue. . . . she didn't serve me. . . . at all. She brought the food, and later the bill. I had to get my own drink refills. I totally agree about the difficulty of the job. That's why I tip well for good service.

Apologies, I was playing devil's advocate to shed light on the other side of the transaction, and I opportunistically used your post as a springboard. What I wrote had nothing to do with you specifically, and I should have made that clear.

I've no doubt that your server deserved that penny. I know I've given a $0 tip myself before, when I found chips of glass in my salad, and that probably wasn't the server's fault. But I try to have more patience now, and to be more generous, since vicariously learning more about the industry.

 

[Sierra1]

Topic change. . . . I have a garden hose, and somehow it got a small hole. No big deal, get the fix-it kit, and be done. First thing I noticed, was that the screw/bolt that tightens the hose clamp, is no longer S.A.E. 6mm is the new size. Tighten the hose clamp, and it "strips". I have never had a hose clamp that can't be tightened properly. It could not be tightened enough to stop the hose from leaking. . . . worse than the original hole. In the end I went all. . . . me . . . . on it: First, Flex Tape. Second: Duck Tape. Next: the original hose clamps, backed up by zip-ties. Overkill? It doesn't leak anymore.

 

[Sierra1]

Flex Tape works well, as advertised. Flex Seal is just ok, not quite as advertised. I have some Flex Paint, but haven't used it yet. Let me know how it "pans" out.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Used FlexSeal paint to waterproof DMs Givi Trekker cases. Works great.