file Under Anecdotes pt. 19.

I figured it out.

Unfortunately I am no longer employed by the SLMC. I just got back from Portland and Unfortunately My former rockstar energy drinking boss was informed of a bartender seen drinking after hours. My exboss is very hardlined alongside the wonderful business he runs better than anything I've ever been a part of. He and Will are primarily responsible people who have taught me everything I know aside of a few brown and bitter dashes. I want to jump the gun and say I have no animosity over everything. I was fired in January from another successful business for getting HAMMERED and allowing a neighborhood barstaff stay after hours and prettymuch finish whatever they wanted to do until the timer went off and the lights shut down automatically. Yup I was asking for it, losing 2 jobs for 1 offense. I was extremely tired. I overworked myself for the holidays and through the season I was more of a scrooge.

So here is my side of the story.

I wasn't asking for it.

We have a new 23 year old kid who worked his first training barback shift on Monday and maybe I was possessed by the Swaze and thought it was my job to make bad decisions. We created the Ban Kai Punch by using about 30$ worth of product and sold it at 5$ a glass and sold about 10-15 glasses. Made our money but the process left over alcohol to worry about.

I should have acted wisely and committed a sin and dumped it down the drain. Even though I feel thats a worste form of alcohol abuse. I have a +1 skill in freepouring and am usually very accurate to the point that every drop in the glass fills a cocktail glass to the brim. I'm starting to work on my Jiggering skills.

So back to the new Danson. I spent about 45 minutes going over every last detail in closing that bar down properly. In taking time now, I was hoping to make it easier on myself later. I hope that they give a girl thats become the fastest most accurate barback we have a chance and don't poach from another bar. That is bad juju. I have a friend who has worked 8+ years in fastfood to get thru college who can't leave his 24 hours a week there cause the money and the bennies are too great. He would be perfect.

So I thought it was a good idea to sit down with him and to force him to watch the movie Roadhouse. We also enjoyed the last of the punch. The purpose was for him to see this scene, which is a tradition amoung doorguys. Somebody told me he didn't seem very nice.

The owner had some business early before the coffeshop opened and saw we were there. Case closed.

So

File Under Anecdotes pt. 18. MxMo : Ban Kai Punch

Sometimes it takes longer then you think.

Watch episode 58

View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Be warned it's kind of a spoiler, but will hopefully give you incentive to watch all 250+ episodes.

I've worked the past 5 nights and haven't been able to spend a chunk of time on the compute until now. I'm as usual a day late and a dollar short.

I'm doing my mixology monday post a little late. I've been busy.

Ban Kai Punch.

We have a large old skool punch bowl.

It normally stays in the fridge holding fruit. I didn't want to Boudreau the glass.

So I ran cold water until it was half full and then cut the cold water and ran the hot.

It was pretty tempered when I ran it through and It came out in one piece.

Recipe by Kevin Langmack and Cale Green ( Tavern Law )

1 bottle gin

1 double rocks glass Laird's bonded

1 double rocks glass Yamazaki

Juice of 4 grapefruits, cutting wheels out of the center

Juice of 8 limes and 3 limes cut into wheels

1 single rocks glass Orange Curacao

1/2 single rocks glass Maraschino liqueur

2 oz Pernod

2 oz Simple

1 bottle Champagne

Large ice

file under Anecdotes, pt 17.

Thats my Dog.

She is the laziest bitch I know. She has some really bad habits, can occasionally puke or crap all over the place if I work too long of a shift and my roomate is at his ladys place, and occasionally licks her paws til they raw. Her original owner committed suicide and I have had her since 2002. This picture was from one from one of those times. I had to tape socks to her so she wouldn't do more damage. She is at this moment in time hopefully enjoying the finest service from Downtown Dog Lounge getting a bath and her nails done.

Today being the first day off in the last 5 I was feeling silly and I think I pulled off one of the funniest pranks I've ever done. I mean no dis-service to the police. They do a great job if you decide to call them.

Back in my fast food management career I became good friends and got to work alongside with a lot of our cities finest. One of my officers was a fan of hats and since we always wore Seattle Supersonics hats and shirts on gamedays, As a manager I worked a deal to exchange a Sonics hat for a SPD cap. I don't wear it out often cause it has a magical +1 ability where when I wear it people don't want to talk to me.

Today I wore it as I got coffee and a doughnut and took my dog to the DDL. I usually get funny looks from people but moreso when I wear the hat. Dressing in all black and wearing it to an afterhours party and getting trashed and making out with that asian chick was not a good idea.

So as I arrived, after taking my dog on the longest walk she has had in a while, made her sit, and stay on the couch while they handed me a clipboard to do paperwork. Afterwards I had to keep as straight a face as possible while wearing a SPD cap and walking around, clipboard in hand, and coffee in the other. My dog had to go into a kennel, AKA doggie lockdown.

I also stopped in again and got another doughnut and coffee. I have to pick her up in about 2 hours. Think I'm going to hit the shower and enjoy my day off.....

In parting, here's a photo from the good ol' days.

file under Anecdotes, pt 16.

I ain't never read a book by Hemmingway, but anyway I like his drinks.......

File under Anecdotes, pt 15.

So as much as I'm talking up my new position at Vessel, I want to point out my view on the joys of working at a place that has been managed well enough that the same bartender staff of 3 has stayed together for 3 years. There is only 7 days a week and the 2 bartenders that have ben there since the open each take 3 days a week a piece. I get the one other day. As I've hung onto tooth and nail since I've had it. I think I've taken 3 Mondays off in 3 years.

I moved into the neighborhood about 3 and a half years ago and at the time had been a huge fan of the Dunnes, and spending a lot of time on the old Pike and Pine. One night at the Dunnes drinking, a girl came in and said she had just been mugged about 2 blocks away at her front door. At the time she felt settled and was ready to leave, the bartenders ( who are two of the best I've ever seen working together ) asked me to walk her home. She told me she barbacked at a bar down the street that just opened up and I should come by sometime. I fell in love with the juicer on the bar and even though at the time I was slinging bowling pin shaped beers and

Touchdowns I was inspired to make better drinks. I first started as " I'll grab a drink there and then head to the Dunnes." or "I'll start on Pike and Pine and grab a nightcap on the way home."

Soon enough I was starting and ending there. Usually sitting as close to the well as possible.

I was there on a Monday when the original Monday guy got a full time gig and I went in and asked the boss if they needed someone. He had already offered the job to a friend because he was qualified and was the first on his list to hire. He told me he would have hired me if he had known I would have been interested. That summer I was losing my friday barback shift at the bowling alley and lucky for me the doorguy at the time decided that between working full time administrations for the local college, and running a home remodeling passion, he didnt want to work his one day a week doorshift for his employee discount.

I was offered the doorshift and did my time, but lucky for me the bosses friend had a really bad night that he had to be fired for. I can't go into details out of respect for all parties involved. At the time I was the only staff member with previous bartending experience and was offered the shift. I said thank you and never looked back.

So in working behind the same stick for three years I have had the time to not only learn how to set up my Mize, but have spent so much time there that muscle memory takes over, where as soon as you hear the order you know which ingredients come out of the well using both hands, as well as where every single damn ingredient is located and you know exactly how many steps it takes to reach for all involved with both hands. I had to work a while at a bar that was designed by a lefty and while it was really well equipped it always felt awkward.

File under Anecdotes, pt 14.

Training Day

So I've been sitting on some exciting news that I can finally talk about.

Today I had my first training shift and starting in April I will be joining the staff at Vessel. Unless this is a very thought out April Fool's day joke.

I am excited to take over some shifts left open by Keith Waldbauer's new opportunities. Who knows.... Maybe he'll have time to start writing again.

Vessel has a big reputation. For canadiasake it was designed by Jamie Bouxeaudreaux

My first time deciding to check out Vessel I was accompanied by my very good friend Dustin ( who is now at a great new bar is San Diego) when we went out on a western shirt themed night.

Upon perusing the back bar I noticed the Red Hook Rye. My other good buddy Casey has a bottle that he's told me about that is still unopened because he wants to be buried with it.

Dustin looked over the menu and ordered a Rosewater Rickey. We both watched the fireshow in amazement.

After some chitchat and a really hilarious conversation with some lady who was obsessed with our western shirts Jim Romdall asked who the hell we were.

I have been a fan of the bar since then and am really excited to join a staff that has produced such notable alumni as....

Zane Harris and Anu Apte left Vessel when the teamed up and bought their own bar. I highly recommend checking out Rob Roy

Andrew Bohrer brought cocktails to the eastside when he left to open Naga. I highly recomend checking out his latest endeavor Mistral Kitchen. Occasionally Zane and Andrew play with CHAINSAWS!

I am leaving some very talented people out of mention, but I'm not worried because they are now enjoying working for the aforementioned people.

Hope I see you on a Wednesday or a Friday hopefully soon.

File under Anecdotes, pt 13.

I've been playing a ton of Final Fantasy XIII and listening to Kanye. I'll be taking no days off til my spaceship takes off.

Sunday after daylight savings we had a huge POS system faelure and I had to stay until 4 am on the phone with the tech and after a long process of "type this in the run line, that's gonna send a data pack to our server. It'll take about 10 minutes.... have you heard about the evil conspiracies from the Bush administration?" We figured everything out. I made one mistake. I set the AM/PM incorrectly which affected the next day a weird way where when we punched out it was the 18th.

Ladies and gentlemen according to our POS we have achieved Time Travel.

Couldn't get accurate reports so I just dropped everything in the safe and am awaiting to see how this shakes out.

Also if anyone is getting married in the Seattle area my mother is trying to revive her bridal tailoring business.

She taught me business dealing at an early age when she convinced me to get a haircut by buying me Final Fantasy III/VI and giving me a day off from school.

While I still have high hopes for the party business resurrecting itself I'm getting real bored. One can only read so many books and play so many games of solitaire.

Recently I've been asked by some old friends to handle some sewing projects and it occurs to me that I have talents other than dealing Blackjack.

For those of you that don't know of my deep dark past - Before I started coordinating Fantasy Casino parties I had a great sewing business for about 15 years while the boys were all at home. As they got older it got a little difficult having naked ladies wandering through the house and I was ready to move on to other things.

So, if you choose to accept your mission, tuck this email away in your save file and feel free to pass it along to anyone you know who has children of marriageable age.

It appears that formal wedding dresses have the same issues they had 20 years ago and I have this incredible talent for fitting them.

Louise
SewingTips@aol.com
This is an informational email. I check it every couple of days. If you need to make or change an appointment, please call me.