Yesterday was about as close to a “computer-free” day as it gets around El Casa Móvil De Pennington. I wrote yesterday’s post the night before and used Blogger’s new scheduling feature to publish the post at oh-dark-thirty, or long before those visions of sugar plums had ceased dancing in my head (“Sugar plums” being a euphemism for this sort of thing, of course). Scheduling is pretty cool; I plan to make use of it more often.
A brief hockey update… Last night’s game was too easy for the Beloved Red Wings; they systematically dismantled Dallas Dallas
So… once I was up and about I fired off the coffee, got cleaned up, had one cup here in the house, loaded up the travel mug, and made the short journey over to The Big(ger) CityTM where Baby got her nu shooz mounted (finally!) and I got a late breakfast at IHOP.
About IHOP… I was seated, scanned the menu quickly, and gave my order to the waitress, who, in turn, brought me coffee as I requested. “Do you take cream” she asks? “Yes, please,” sez I. “I’ll be back in a moment…” sez she. Well, a moment came and went, along with several other moments, until I noticed there was half and half on the table next to mine, so I just grabbed that and forgot about the waitress NOT bringing me my cream.
Fifteen minutes pass by, punctuated by two clue-free wait people trying to foist a burger plate and an order of chocolate chip pancakes off on me. “That’s not me,” sez I, on both occasions. Another ten minutes pass by and my order… a simple order: two eggs, two pancakes, bacon… finally arrives. My waitress informs me she’s gonna give me a ten percent discount coz my order took so long, and would there be anything else? “Yes. I’d like some more butter, please.” “OK. I’ll be right back.” She never returned, for the second time.
Note to IHOP waitress: your tip is with my cream and butter. Or somewhere near there.
Service: The Final Frontier.
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Since I happened to be in The Big(ger) CityTM I took the opportunity to get my cell phone reprogrammed. We’ve had an area code change here in New Mexico…our heretofore single, state-wide area code (505) being insufficient to support the explosive growth in cell phones. ABQ and Santa Fe
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I swung by the base on my way back to P-Ville with two objectives in mind: (a) get those scrips for the drugs I have to take prior to my surgery filled at the hospital clinic and (b) make my weekly visit to the commissary. I was half-successful… the commissary was open, the clinic was not.
I was shocked…and that is NOT too strong a word… to find the clinic closed for a “training day.” How, or why, is it the Air Force thinks it appropriate to close an entire facility, and most especially the clinic (!), for a training day? Can you not train half the folks one day and half the next? I think that’s the way we used to do these sorts of things, but I’m old and my memory just might be failing me. But I think not.
Bottom line: I have to return to the base today. I am NOT a Happy Camper about this. Yeah, it’s small stuff and I suppose I shouldn’t be pissed. But I am, Gentle Reader… I AM.
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A brief hockey update… Last night’s game was too easy for the Beloved Red Wings; they systematically dismantled This could be a very short series if the Stars continue to play as they did last night. Everyone in Dallas (and their Moms!) will point to Sunday night/Monday morning’s game as an excuse for the Stars dismal performance and there may be an ever-so-small grain of truth in that. The Stars did look lethargic and did an awful lot of standing around. We’ll see if there’s improvement in Dallas
You can get out the brooms if there isn’t.
Buck, They do that here at Eglin. Most annoying. This is not the same Air Force we were in. I see, on a daily basis, a complete lack of integrity and ethics among the decision makers. Its discouraging to say the least.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure not only the extra trip today is annoying, but that gas was up to $3.75 on Wednesday night when we had to stop by pville. Did you take miss zuki for the quick trip today or was their too much wind and decided to take the hornet with her new shoes?
ReplyDeleteSounds like the whole training thing is just inefficient, as Seven of Nine would say (sorry, hubby and I have been watching lots of Star Trek Voyager lately, it's set on the Tivo. LOL!)
I enjoyed your post about Bloggers scheduling feature. I have been using it since it came out and had problems in the very beginning but now I do a week or two ahead and forget it.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I miss is the excitement associated with doing it live and trying to get it in by a certain time. Anyway, I like it a lot.
I also enjoyed reading your blog post today and noted some comment left talked about the price of gasoline at $3.75. It was that here in pitiful Brookville, Ohio and then they knocked it back to about $3.61. I still predict $10.00 a gallon by Christmas.
Abraham Lincoln: bite your tongue! I SOOO don't need gas to be that much! Diesel has hit $4.19down here in Portales too. Guess it was a good thing we bought that 2,500 gallons already.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried the new scheduling feature. I like doing it live, though I do pre draft some posts.
ReplyDeleteSad to say my Flyers are down 1-0(been there twice before however)...as the twin Pen powers Michelle Malkin and Cindy Crosby get a 4-2 game #1 win....after the 5 goal first peroid it was pretty much a snoozer....still plenty of Hockey left in this one.
ReplyDeleteService ain't what it used to be. We ate at Olive Garden a few days ago, it was 4 women. The young male waiter came to the table, you could see his " Oh women don't tip" attitude. The service was terrible. Although the young ladies with the low cut shirts next to us received very good service. I always tip, a good waiter, I tip well. ( I have waited tables ). This young man received no tip from any of us. I'm sure he was thinking " See women don't tip". LOL
ReplyDeleteHaving been a waitress, I am particularly picky about service. I love IHOP, but there is a waitress in Lawton's IHOP that snaps her gum constantly while she takes and servs your oder. I've seen cows that have more appeal. It seems like we used to eat at a Denny's in Clovis.
ReplyDeleteDan sez: This is not the same Air Force we were in. I see, on a daily basis, a complete lack of integrity and ethics among the decision makers. Its discouraging to say the least.
ReplyDeleteThat's discouraging to hear. I've felt somewhat the same way for about a year or two now, but attributed those feelings to my grumpy old age. My father used to go on sorta like this, and I thought MY air force was just fine, thankyouverymuch. OTOH, I really did admire HIS air force, and still do. Perhaps what we're seeing today is the inevitable "bureaucratization" that happens to most all large organizations.
All that said... I had issues with the careerists when we were in, and you could tell who those boys were from a mile away. These days MOST ossifers and senior NCOs seem to be of that ilk. Pretty sad.
Jenny sez: Did you take miss zuki for the quick trip today or was their too much wind and decided to take the hornet with her new shoes?
I put it off until Monday, Jenny. It was too late to go by the time the coffee was finished and I'd made the rounds. Ms. Zukiko will never see the roads of CAFB ever again. The last time I rode her out there I was "allowed" on base with a warning that I need to wear contrasting colors in the future. Pardon my French, but fuck that. The base commander has stipulated that, in addition to wearing reflective material (which my leathers have, sewn in), one must wear contrasting colors while riding a motorcycle. My leather is a blue/black combo (with silver reflective panels), so I was told I'd need a light-colored vest to be legal. As I said...f**k that.
And I think it's a good thing indeed that you bought your diesel when you did...
Abe sez: I still predict $10.00 a gallon by Christmas.
I think we'll see $5.00 or possibly $6.00, but not ten.
Becky: The issue with scheduling unattended posting, from my perspective, is those freakin' typos that ALWAYS seem to sneak through, no matter HOW many editing passes I make...
Pat sez: ...after the 5 goal first peroid it was pretty much a snoozer....still plenty of Hockey left in this one.
Agreed on the last. Philly better figure out how to deal with Malkin, though (not to mention Crosby/Hossa). Or it'll be over sooner than you'd like, Pat.
Diva sez: The service was terrible. Although the young ladies with the low cut shirts next to us received very good service.
Hmmm. Maybe there's a message there for ya, Diva? ;-)
But: I hear ya. It's a sad state of affairs when you go "Wow! That was sure good service!" on those rare occasions when you actually GET it. Wal-Mart seems to be the exception these days... I always seem well-served there.
Lou sez: Having been a waitress, I am particularly picky about service. I love IHOP, but there is a waitress in Lawton's IHOP that snaps her gum constantly while she takes and servs your oder. I've seen cows that have more appeal. It seems like we used to eat at a Denny's in Clovis.
Ooh. Gum-snapping drives me up a wall. I WOULD say something about that to that woman.
The Denny's in Clovis closed a few years back; the building is still a restaurant, but not a good one. I've eaten there on occasion coz it's one of the very few 24-hour eateries in Clovis. It's handy for breakfast when the bar closes... and your expectations are low.
Ooh. Gum-snapping drives me up a wall. I WOULD say something about that to that woman.
ReplyDeleteNot me. I wouldn't say anything to HER about it. I would, however, speak to HER MANAGER about it. I would kindly inform the manager that gum snapping by a waitress is a disgusting and unsanitary habit and that waitress has just cost me my appetite, therefore she has just cost YOU a customer.
Up here in the unseasonably cold northeast, gas hit $4.10/gallon about a week ago. Ouch!
ReplyDeleteYou have the correct approach, Becky.
ReplyDeleteKris: About your gas prices: Wow! I was out at the base yesterday and we're at $3.71 for regular, $3.91 for premium. But we'd better get used to it...