All the things Hostess and Servers can not STAND!

All the things Hostess and Servers can not STAND!

I started working in the restaurant industry when I was 17 years old. I first started out as a hostess. Over the years of hosting I realized all the things customers do that I can not STAND about the job and here is what I have come up with over the years;

• When a guest walks into the restaurant, the first thing you do is greet them, the customer instantly will ignore you and keep walking like you were not even there! HOW RUDE!
• When you ask a customer do you need a table today? The customer responds with no, I am sitting at the bar. You let them go to the bar and does this customer do? They sit at a TABLE in the bar. HELLO did you not just here me ask if you needed a table? Apparently not.
• When the customer says I don’t want this table its too loud over here is there a better table where it is quiet? (thinking in my head) UM NO! it is a restaurant obviously it is going to be loud especially in a pub. Don’t come to the restaurant if you want it to be quiet.
• When the customer walks through the door and is already on their phone and you have to sit and wait for them to be done while others are waiting to be seated. The person on the phone should move to the side or come in after they are done talking on the phone.
• When the customer doesn’t like the table you sat them at. Customer: uh can we have a different table over here? Me: (thinking in my head) no there is a reason I am seating you there I follow a chart that has a rotation, now you just messed it up. But I actually have to do what the customer wants so I let them sit where they want.
• Having a huge party come in and ask for a table for 12 people. I go set it up and what does the customer do… they follow me and try to help me set up the table. Please don’t this is my job and I am trying to make it perfect and ready before you sit down.
• Calling your hostess by anything other than her name: I constantly will get older men who will constantly hit on me and call me unacceptable names. Not only that but they will walk up to me and demand for the booth in the corner for four people and then ask me to join them. Uh hello I am working and I would never join you in the first place even if I could CREEP!

Those are just some of the things most hostess would agree with me on that we can not stand about customers. Not only do I hostess but I also have been a server since I was 18 years old and there are many things customers do to piss off servers even more than hostess. This video was shared to me by all of the servers I serve with and everything this video says is so true and funny!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TMZkukOB8Ig&sns=em

Internship at KDWB

Last year, I was instructed to find an internship for the Summer of 2014. I honestly did not know what I wanted to do. I researched a lot of businesses and what they had to offer, but none seemed to fit who I was and what I wanted to do. One day, I was listening to, “The Dave Ryan in the Morning Show” and for some reason thought I wondered if they had internships. I immediately looked on their website and sure enough they were looking for interns. I wrote my resume and cover letter and mailed it to KDWB. A week later I received an email from Katie, at KDWB, saying she would love to have me as an intern and wondered when I would be able to start. I told her I would love to start in the summer and she said that will work. My internship started this past May and I intern on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I have learned how to create podcasts for the show, and how to pick out Dave’s Dirt, and I have learned how to talk into the microphone. The most exciting thing of this internship was getting the opportunity to go on air! Here are the clips of me air for The Dave Ryan in the Morning Show.

http://www.kdwb.com/media/podcast-kdwb-dave-ryan-show-daily-clips-podcast_dailyclips/get-to-know-the-interns-24829012/

http://www.kdwb.com/media/podcast-kdwb-dave-ryan-show-daily-clips-podcast_dailyclips/the-summerjamz-megamix-24843573/

http://www.kdwb.com/media/podcast-kdwb-dave-ryan-show-daily-clips-podcast_dailyclips/megamix-songs-you-forgot-about-24874700/

 These are just some of the main ones I was apart of! I can’t wait to see what else this internship has to bring for me! 

Lowering the Drinking Age

 

A public issue I never agreed with and understood was why the drinking age was raised to 21. When you are 18 years old you graduate from high school and are now considered an adult. Most 18 year olds go off to college on their own and experience what it is like to live alone and all the responsibilities it takes to live without your parents right by your side. So why is it you can live on your own with no one telling you what you can and cannot do, being able to gamble, vote, serve on juries, get married, smoke, and join the military but for some reason you are not able to drink? 

People think 18 year olds should not drink because they are not responsible enough and would not be able to handle their liquor. Well to me that is not right because these 18 year olds are living out on their own, have a job, and even go to college. These 18 year olds juggle three major new responsibilities and try and have a social life and to me I always found it a lot of work but I was able to be responsible about it all even when it came to drinking. 

People need to stop thinking 18 year olds are not mature enough to drink because if they are not mature enough then they are not mature enough to live out on their own, vote for someone who will be running our country, go to war and fight for our country and save lives.

Another reason people do not want 18 year olds to be able to drink of age is because they think they will binge drink… and personally from what I have seen throughout my years of high school and college EVERYONE binge drinks. Even the doctor tells me if I consume more than five drinks in one night I am considered a binge drinker. Everyone has different tolerances and I think why not lower the drinking age then kids will be exposed to the alcohol in safe environments and will be able to know how much their body can consume. Maybe if they lowered the drinking age they can actually have more classes, programs, and safety rides out their so these kids are more informed about what they may or may not be getting themselves into.

Another thing that bothers me is you are out with your family and you are the only one who is not able to drink because you are not of age. It should be your parents decision and your decision by that age if you should be able to drink or not. Not only that but these teenagers actually have it so easy for them to receive liquor from someone. They can get it through there parents or even a friend that is older. 

A study found that the main reason teenagers drink under age is because it is an illegal thing to do and to them it gives them adrenaline, excitement, badass, fun, etc.“But the main reason for doing so is “breaking the law.” 87% of high school seniors have used alcohol. We all know why teens drink, I mean it is common sense. Just the feel that they get of breaking the law is huge. Being rebel and not following the rules is an important role of a teen’s life.”

So why not just try and lower the drinking age for a year or two and see how it goes, measure the results  and hopefully positive, but if not then they can go ahead and change it right back to being 21.

Diet Soda!

Diet Coke

Diet Soda!

There has been a long debate on whether diet soda is bad for you. I have been drinking diet soda for years and I have not had the health issues that many articles indicate. Reading the 7 side effects of diet soda again makes me question who did these studies.

Kidney problems

This article states that women who drink two or more diet sodas a day may have have a decrease in kidney function. Is it a fact that the diet soda is causing the kidney decline or are these women not drinking enough fluids? Being dehydrated can also cause a decline in kidney function.

Messed-up Metabolism

This article states that one diet soda a day can cause metabolic syndrome. I have been drinking diet soda for eight years. I have average belly fat and low cholesterol. My mom has been drinking diet soda for 37 years and she also has low belly fat and low cholesterol. They do say they are not sure if it is diet soda or people’s eating habits. I say it is people’s eating habits that cause this problem.

Obesity

For years researchers have been saying that diet soda causes obesity because the body is tricked into thinking it is eating sugar and wants to have more. I find that diet soda helps curb my appetite. I am not obese and my mom is not obese either. What about the food these people are eating and are they working out to stay fit?

A Terrible Hangover

When you drink too much alcohol you are going to get a hangover. Diet soda or regular soda will not change that fact. If you don’t want a hangover, don’t drink.

Cell Damage

Researchers believe that diet soda can cause allergic reactions and mild irritations because of cell damage. Diet soda could possibly cause this but what about preservatives in all foods? I am sure there are many products that have preservatives that are just as bad. How about the chemicals they put into the drinking water. That could also cause cell damage.

Rotting teeth

Acid in diet soda can cause the enamel on your teeth to dissolve and then your teeth will begin to rot. There are fruits that are highly acidic. Lemonade and orange juice are acidic. Many children drink those and their teeth are not rotting. I drink a lot of diet soda and my teeth are not rotting. Maybe people who drink diet soda do not take care of their teeth.

Reproductive Issues

Now they are blaming the plastic bottle that the soda comes in. I agree plastic is not the best to drink out of. Glass and aluminum cans are a better choice. This is really stretching the belief that diet soda is bad for you.

Diet soda is one of the many things that have many artificial ingredients. Think of chips, cookies, candy, packaged food, frozen food, etc. Those products have just a many harmful ingredients as diet soda. Even our meat, dairy, and produce contain hormones or pesticides that are harmful to humans. In the end it comes down to moderation and healthy living. If you eat a healthy diet, exercise, and eat limit packaged food and soda you will more than likely be fine. But you never know, you could walk across the street and get hit by a car and die. You can’t blame that on diet soda. I’M NEVER GIVING UP MY DIET COKE! 🙂

1990’s vs 2000 Kids

 

When I think back to being a child, my favorite toys were Barbies, dolls, Beanie Babies, Laser Tag, Nintendo 64, Gameboy, Pogo Sticks, Easy Bake Ovens, Polly Pockets, Pogs, and even a simple board game. I believe I was fortunate to grow up in the 90’s compared to the children who are growing up today. The children born today are  born with some type of handheld electronic in their hand. These children are taught to look at a screen for entertainment, which I find so depressing for their generation. Where do children learn how to imagine or learn how to socialize face to face if they are constantly looking at an electronic screen?

I remember growing up and my cousins and I were always being creative. We had an imagination by playing house, school, store, and many more imaginative games. We also played outside. We went sledding, rode bikes, played with sidewalk chalk, and we went swimming. Today, I do not see many children outside playing. Where are they? I see many of my young cousins today who sit in the house and constantly play video games. They have game accounts where they can play video games and talk to each other over the internet. When I see my cousin, who is a girl, she  is always on her phone. How do children stay fit and use their imaginations when they have an electronic screen to entertain them?

When I was young my parents would take my brothers and I out for dinner. At that time, there were some handheld electronics but we never brought them with us. We were taught to behave and talk to each other when we went out to dinner. The one thing we could do was color because that is what the restaurant gave us. When I look back, that was how most families behaved. Today, I see most children in a restaurant either playing an electronic game or watching a video. What’s worse is the parents are also on their phones taking care of email or texting. I once sat in a restaurant and watched a mother talk on her phone, the entire time, while her young daughter sat in silence eating. There was the perfect opportunity for the mom to ask her daughter about her day, but she felt it was more important to talk to the other person on the phone. My family continues to go to restaurants. We enjoy and respect each other’s company. There might be a quick text to someone else, but 90% of the time we are enjoying each other’s conversation.

When I was in middle school, the cool thing to do was write each other notes. We made sure those notes were written with our colorful gel pens and folded in the perfect way possible. The best part was trying to get the note to the other person without the teacher seeing you do it. My mom is a middle school teacher and she notices most students email, instant message, or facebook their friends. She does not see many students writing notes anymore. The students know if they get caught the note gets confiscated and then the note gets read. Notes will always be written. However, most students today do it electronically.

Finally, who can argue that the music, television shows, and gaming were the best in the 90’s. There was NSYNC, The Hanson Brothers, The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Spice Girls, TLC, Destiny’s Child, Notorious, 2Pac, and much more. Not only did we have the best music to listen to but we had those fun little Hit Clips that played Britney Spears or whoever for thirty seconds. We also had great television shows to watch like Nickelodeon, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Rugrats, Hey Arnold, All That, The Amanda Show. You also had The Cosby Show, That 70’s Show, Full House, Saved by the Bell, and many others. The shows were great because they were shows that took you away from reality and made you laugh. Finally, the best gaming systems were in the 90’s. Games like Nintendo 64 (MARIO PARTY all the way), Game Boys, Tamagotchi’s, Pokemon, Sega (all about Sonic and Knuckles) and many more. Today the music is more explicit. It is hard to find music that is not rated for mature adults. People do not tend to buy albums anymore. They buy more singles off of iTunes. Most television shows are reality shows or NCIS. There are not many shows that take you away from reality and make you laugh for half an hour or one hour. The video games have gotten more violent and children are playing games that are killing other people than playing games that are eating dots.

Many of you who are growing up today are thinking no way, today is the best day to be a child. The kids today are thinking all adults believe their childhood is better than what the children have today. It can be nostalgia for adults or it can be the truth. It all depends on how you look at it. My worry is there is less face to face conversation, more electronic babysitting,  less entertaining shows, and more violent video games. You be the judge. What do you see? Are you seeing society’s children changing for the worse or for the good?

Auditory Processing Disorder

Ever since I was a little child, my mom and dad knew something was off about my learning abilities. My parents sent me to a speech therapist to be tested and figure out what my difficulties were. Once I entered middle school, I was diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder. I am not able to process information I hear in the same way as others do because my ears and brain do not fully cooperate. This disorder adversely affects the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, most notably the sounds composing speech. People, including myself, who have this disorder experience problems with learning and behavior. Growing up I was extremely embarrassed for anyone to know I had this disorder. I would have to leave during the middle of class and attend speech therapy. I was allowed extended time on tests, and I would always have a note taker (which explains why the teacher asks for a note taker at the beginning of the class, thank you for the help :)). School has always been very difficult for me. There are many things I struggle with through out the day. I have difficulty distinguishing the difference between similar sounds, An example woule be seventy and seventeen. They sound very similar to me. Another difficulty is understanding spoken language, following directions and remembering details. I have difficulty listening when someone is talking to me. I have trouble remembering names and telephone numbers. I cannot follow multi-step directions. I have a hard time recalling stories or songs. I also have difficulty sequencing events, I get confused with lists, and I stuggle with remembering the correct order of a series of instructions. To sum it up for you, my brain does not process things as fast as the average person’s brain does. It took me a long time to accept the fact that I have this disorder and I have come to realize it does not make me any less of a person. I learn a little slower than other people and I am okay with that. I have realized over the years that this disorder is very difficult to get people to understand what it is and that it does make school very difficult for me. Take a minute and think of all the things I listed off and think if you had these difficulties to deal with everyday. Just think how it feels to be  given directions that are easy for everyone else to follow and for some reason you cannot figure it out what the directions are telling you to do. Try sitting down for two or three weeks straight and studying notecards over and over again and still fail a test because either a simple word, in a question, is worded differently. How about having relationships with people and you are listening to them and are very interested in what they are saying, but some reason you can’t remember a word they said. These are some of the examples I deal with everyday and I want more and more people to understand that this is a real disorder some people have to deal with everyday. So remember, the next time you are upset because someone may seem not to be listening think about this disorder and try to be patient.  

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