these are the things that are on my mind....

these are the things that are on my mind....

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Court's OCD, in her own words......


For the life of me I cannot understand why people seem to have such a hard time sitting in silence. Must people compulsively make small movements and noises including shaking their leg, clicking and tapping pens, cracking knuckles and chewing with their mouths open? Do people find comfort filling a silent room with their own noise? I’m sure that these movements are preformed through out the day unknowingly and that these fidgety people are not out to get me. Nevertheless, I wish people could understand that it feels like a personal attack and that it is all I hear. The small noises amplify in my head and consume me. I completely lose focus and it is near impossible for me to disregard the background clatter. It is my biggest pet peeve.
Last week I had an exam in my psychology class. I felt confident in my preparation and was ready for the 150 question exam. That is, until the boy sitting directly in front of me started shaking his leg. His pants sounded like he was wearing trash bags. I held my breath hoping it was just a temporary twitch. Not only did the boy fail to stop but he began clicking his pen in unison with the swooshing pants. All the strenuous activity must have made his body tense because he would stop for brief periods to crack every single joint in his body. Then back to his orchestrated symphony of clicking and swooshing. He rewarded himself for such a brilliant performance with a box of Mentos. It sounded like he was chewing on a golf ball sized piece of cow fat. Click-click, swoosh, crack, comp-chomp. His symphony played on in my head for what seemed like an eternity. I looked up at the clock, twelve-twenty; I had 10 minutes left with 135 questions to go.
Any rational person who suffers from this pet peeve/handicap would probably make the proper adjustments to avoid these situations as much as possible. Sadly, I have made few. I understand that I can take tests in private rooms, wear ear plugs, or even become medicated to promote higher levels of focus. However, my self-righteous ego tells me that would be letting my pet-peeve win. I do not want to give your clicking pens that much power over me. I will continue to sit in normal classrooms with normal people, suppress my anger and bite my teeth.
I often find myself fantasizing about a place where no one tries to fill silence. I think about a life far away from here filled with serenity. Maybe one day I’ll reside in an isolated cabin far away from knuckle-crackers and pen-clickers. I can see it now. Sitting on my over-sized porch on a misty morning and reading the paper without interruption. I look out beyond my home and all I can see is miles and miles of backwoods. I smile to myself. I will no longer have to deal with the anger that comes with the land of fidgety people. I have my own land now, all by myself. Somewhere in the distance a bird chirps.

customer service


The majority of people my age work in some sort of customer service, as do I. I work at a well-known, corporate restaurant as a bartender. Being a corporate restaurant, there are many rules and guidelines on how we are to address our guests. As a bartender, my job is to be friendly and efficient, as well as polite and engaging. Everyday is an exercise in basic manners- polite greetings, conversation starting, personal inquiries, and “please” and “thank you"s. They are basic rules of social interaction that are instilled in most people at a young age. And yet, it never ceases to amaze me just how many adults seem to lack these manners. On a daily basis, I am faced with rude behavior. It is my biggest pet peeve. I am a young adult, and these offenders are not uncommonly business executives and educated professionals whom double my age. Every day, I deal with rude, inconsiderate, manner less people.
When a guest sits down at my bar the first thing I do is greet them. I offer your basic “hello” and “how are you?” which is something we have all been saying since grade school. Now typically the answer or reply to this refrain is something along the lines of “I’m good, how are you?” or sometimes it’s merely “I’m good, thanks”. Both of these are completely appropriate and acceptable. But let me tell you what is not acceptable, and what I commonly deal with. The exchange goes something like this:
Me: “Hi there! How are you today?”
Rude/ Can’t Be Bothered Bar Patron: “Diet Coke.”
Now, dear reader, I consider myself to be someone who is well versed on current trends. But the last time I checked “diet coke” was not a state of being, feeling, nor emotion. It is a beverage, which would be the appropriate response to my next question to this guest, but is not to the one I’ve proposed. At this point in conversation, I usually check out mentally. Being the well-oiled, corporate machine that I am, I go in to basic customer service mode. I get the diet coke, offer them menu additions, take their order, clear their dishes, take payment, thank them, and send them on their way. I make no further attempts to make their dining experience more enjoyable. I make sure that I appear too busy to engage in chitchat. I fulfill their basic needs, and that’s it. I refuse to put my kindness back on the chopping block, only to be met by their rude, inconsiderate behavior. I am indeed a bartender, but also a human being, deserving of the same common courtesy with which I would assume they would address a business associate.
My other grievance in regards to manners is sugarcoated rudeness, or indirect insults. The most offensive of which is this:
Guest (typically collagen-injected, plastic surgery ridden, 40-something): “Did you have a long night last night?”
Me: “No. Why?”
Guest (giggles, awkwardly): “Oh. You just look like you did”
Now, reader, I ask you- what exactly does that mean? “Having a long night” implies that I stayed up all night, and, as I am in my twenties, I assume it implies intoxication. So, what this guest is actually saying is that I look tired and hung-over. Thank you, dear patron that I’ve just met, for insulting my physical appearance and hiding it with a tone of concern or comradery. At this point in conversation my rehearsed response ( sadly, I do have a rehearsed response) is “Nope, this is just how I look” (said with smile). I find that this particular respoinse is the most effective in making the guest feel uncomfortable, without being downright rude myself. You see, the “corporate code” does not allow me to defend my honor, because “the guest is always right.”
Working in customer service is not for everyone. It is only suitable for people with a high level of self-control. Daily, I deal with people who are socially inept, and daily I must control my instincts to combat rudeness with rudeness. Luckily for me, I am able to laugh of these grievances. I can’t help but to think that these rude, manner less people probably lead unfulfilling lives, and that the coping/adapting skills I have fine tuned on the job will take me far in life. I will be he one that ultimately laughs. A more sinister, vengeful side of me hopes that one-day I will meet these offenders again, but will be in a far more superior position; one that does not require me to “keep my mouth shut”.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

How Do We Help?



















For any of you readers who are unsure how to help out, I've come across This  from CNN.
The Red Cross is another amazing organization whose humanitarian aid efforts are unsurpassed! They hold a special place in my heart for the opportunities they've provided my own family.


Hundreds Of Thousands of people have been effected by the devastating disasters in Myanmar and China. It could just as easily have been the United States that fell victim to these horrendous events.....

Don't Forget The Pop Tarts!



Wednesday, May 14, 2008

JESUS LAND

Jesus Land is a memior by Julia Scheeres . She tells the story of her teenage years during the mid-80s, growing up in rural Indian with her adopted, African American brother David. Her story is heart wrenching, to say the least. With parents whose sanity is questionable, and racism raging in their community, David and Julia find that everyday life is a struggle. Eventually, the struggle engulfs them both. I could tell you more, in fact, I could talk about this book for hours.... but I think you should read it. Jesus Land is truly an incredible book... Her story is unfathomable, and her writing is addictive. Seriously, this is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm contemplating reading it again. You can borrow my copy, shit, I'll even deliver it!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Books- God's Gift to The Bored

I have a lot of good reads ( i hope) waiting to be read, so get ready for some book reviews, my friends. Pretty soon I'll actually have time to read them! I love summer.

Today was a Good Day

Got A Ping Pong Table Today!
A great way to end a long week.
Looking for challengers!

Thursday, May 8, 2008

My Public Service Announcement

So, i actually learned something in school.

Most of you I'm sure are as unaware as I was of the dangers of teflon, a common component in stoveware. Teflon is usually harmless, however it becomes an extremely toxic gas when heated. UH, yeah, HEATED...... like when we use our teflon coated frying pans! Many environmental groups are trying to get teflon production banned, as it is really harmful to the environment, AND US! If the surface of your pan gets scratched, the teflon released and consumed will permanantly stay in your body! I've attached a link with some scary facts, but it looks like we should get rid of our teflon coated cookware, the sooner the better! The price we pay for modern conveniance, eh?


An extra note to any of you who keep birds as pets:
Birds are extremely sensitive to the chemicals released when teflon is heated, a mere two or three close exposures could kill a household pet!


Google it guys! And check out some other household items that might be leading to your unexplainable headaches or fatigue!

Or look here.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Two Minutes Of Your Time

ENJOY

God Bless Coffee

Last night I determined that two cups of coffee will keep me up doing work (which meets my own high standard) that I've procrastinated on till approximately 3 a.m. Good to know, tomorrow I'll try four.