Top 10 Things to NOT do to your Server!

At work, we have been talking about the best way to accommodate the guests on a daily basis. Most restaurants and servers go out of their way to help the guests every time for every visit. There are ways for you as a guests to also help your server, serve you better.

Here is the top 10 things servers Hate to see at a table they are serving.....

10. Control your Kids ~ Yes, kids are hard to control in a restaurant and yes most restaurants give coloring pages to kids but it is not the job of the server to entertain, feed, clean up your child, it is also not their job to take your child to the bathroom (Yes, I have had this happen.....) or chase your child around the restaurant. Children are given a highchair or booster seat for a reason.....Do not let your child follow the server into the kitchen. If your child is not behaved enough to sit for an hour in a restaurant and not scream at the top of his lungs, then take him to McDonald's or hire a babysitter.

9. Ordering items not on the menu ~ If you do not see the item you want, then the restaurant does not have it and can not make it for you. The servers have no way to magically make the ingredients appear for the cooks to make. Most cooks don't even speak English to be able to understand the "new" items anyway. Order off the menu or go somewhere else.

8. Don't shake your empty glass at your server. ~ Show your server respect by asking for another drink....most times the server sees your need for a new coke after you drank the last one in 2 gulps but has 10 other tables to take care of and will be right back with a drink soon!

7. Do not create your own entrée ~ It is okay to order a salad with the dressing on the side or no cheese but do not order a caesar salad, only romaine lettuce, ranch dressing, no cheese, add tomatoes and bacon on the side. This is no longer a caesar salad. Especially don't complain because you do not like your new creation.

6. Verbal Tips ~ Servers are glad that you enjoyed your meal and happy you think they are best waiter in the world but when you then leave a $2 tip on a $50 check.....the server just thinks you are cheap!

5. Animals in Restaurants ~ We know you love your animal/pet but they do not need to come in to a restaurant and eat with you. Do not try to stuff your dog in your purse, we still see you feeding him under the table. Please take your food and pet to the park to eat not our restaurant. No one loves your pet as much as you do.

4. Do not ask for water and a bowl of lemons with extra sugar. ~ most restaurants have lemonade, do not be so cheap as to ask for water, bowl of lemons, and extra sugar to make your own lemonade because you do not want to pay $2 for lemonade.

3. Do not get mad at your server when YOU spill your drink ~ It is not the fault of the server or the restaurant when you spill your own drink. Do not ask for a discount on your food because you spilled your drink.

2. No matter what kind of hurry you are in, it still takes time to actually cook your food. ~ The server is not just letting your food get cold in the kitchen. The cooks are cooking your food and it will be out when it is ready. When you order a well done steak, it will take 20 mins, not 5.

1. CAMPERS! ~ If you want to sit at a table for 4 (with only 2 people) for 4 hours, that is fine. Just remember that the server could have had 10 other tables while you sat and sipped your 8th cup of coffee. Tip accordingly because they were your server the entire time you sat and drank coffee.

Here is a video from YouTube that a server made about guests. This is not always the case but it is very funny to other servers!
Why Your Waiter Hates You - part 3

Modern Family ~

On Modern Family Tonight, Tristian Eggerling will be guest starring. This is a picture of him playing at my house. He does a great job of playing the little boy. Tristan's mom, Melissa has become a great friend and our kids love playing together. Tristian is 3 and taped this show while I was at Conan back in November. If you did not get a chance to watch Modern Family, you can catch the episode on ABC online. 

Santa Monica Pier (take 2)

On Monday, everyone (minus Nate who had to work) went to the Santa Monica Pier. We all rode the rides, shopped in the shops, took pictures on the pier and walked on the sand. My kids had never been on the Ferris Wheel which was fun for all. I am not a huge fan of heights. I can deal with them but still not a fan. The Ferris Wheel is really hard for me to ride, as I swing out over the ocean with nothing but air between me and the ground. I was trying to be strong for the kids. I have pasted my fear onto Cori but want her to grow out of it before she gets to be an adult. Joel just acts scared till he gets half way thru the ride and starts loving it. I also rode the rides with everyone (last time I opted to let my kids ride by themselves....i will do the same next time). The coolest new thing for the kids, was a guy who had trained birds to let kids hold and pet. Here is a couple of pictures (I will put more on facebook). The kids had a blast.

Joel has decided to start collecting pressed pennies....he has a book to keep them in and has 4 or 5 already, from the pier and hollywood. Anyone find a penny press machine, he would love to add to his collection. I like it because it is a cheap thing to collect.

It does not look like it here - but Joel is super excited about the bird on his arm

AWWWWW

Getting ready to go up on the ferris wheel

Joel on the roller coaster (you can tell it was not that scary if I can take a picture while riding)

The view of the ocean

Christie bought this picture of us after the ride!

After our day in Santa Monica, we drove back to the house. This was the last day for Mom and Christie. We enjoyed having them and they enjoyed being here.....Now 2 days later, I am getting my house back in order and kids to bed early to help re-cooperate from their lack of sleep.

Taking Christie to the Beach

On Sunday, Nate and I were both off work, so we were all able to squeeze in our car and go down to the beach. This was Christie's first time on the Pacific. We could not have asked for better weather, sunny and 70's all weekend. Christie loves to souvenir shop, so the kids played in the sand while she shopped.

Walking along PCH from the car

Kids playing in the sand

US!

Cori - smiling as always

The 3 of us on Huntington Beach Pier

Cori was done with shopping

Joel 

Christie on the beach!

Hollywood! ~ Tour ~

We took a tour on a "trolley" (which was more like an open topped van) around Hollywood. We saw a couple of different studios' and a couple of sites where movies were shot. Our tour guide had a "chip" on his shoulder and was NOT funny. He would get mad at the drivers in front of him and complain about LA. He made bad jokes and liked to hear himself talk. We were glad to see the things on the tour but also glad when he was done talking.

The only picture of all 3 of us taken in Hollywood!

Fire escape from Pretty Woman

Hollywood is an interesting Character. The tourist part of Hollywood is only about 4 blocks in length and then the rest is residential and studio's.  I was dressed down because I wanted to be comfortable during our day out. I was in jeans n tennis shoes while Christie were a nice shirt, her glamor shots hair and high heel boots. I am sure we Screamed Tourist!

After Hollywood, we drove up to get a better view of the Hollywood sign.

 Then the long and traffic filled drive back to Orange County. I cooked dinner again and we played board games with the kids. Joel got a new Clue game for Christmas and we must have played it at least 5 times.

As we were about to sit down for dinner, my mom stepped outside of our condo and tripped over a water sprinkler. She fell and hit her head, which gave her a black eye. We iced it and bought mom new sunglasses to cover the bruise. I also called the maintenance people and on Tuesday (the next day they were open) they came and dug up the sprinkler. At least now, no one else will fall.

Hollywood! ~ Names in Cement ~

After the Characters, we went to the front of the Chinese Theater which has all the names and hand-prints in the cement. It was fun to look around and read the different actors names and size of their hands. Christie did not put her hand on any of the cements....She likes the real people better.

Doris Day

Dean Martin and Jimmy Stewart

Arnold Schwarzenegger 

Part of the Chinese Theater

Ginger Rogers

The Harry Potter Gang

Hollywood! ~ Characters ~

After Rodeo Dr, we drove to Hollywood. There are lots of street vendors that dress up like different characters and you can have your pictures taken with them. These people work on tips but make a killing. We spend $5 on pictures just in the hour we were there. Because this is a business for them, they have to have a business license in order to be on the strip and take money from people. Here is some of our character pictures. 

Shrek (statue)

Dancer

Marilyn - signing her name in the cement (statue)

A killer

Yoda

Pirate

Scream Killer

Mickey Mouse (statue)

The Start of Mom n Christie's visit

On Wednesday January 12th, 2011, my mom and Christie flew into town. Their flight was later because the plane in Atlanta, GA had ice on the wings. Christie has never been this far west before and does not like to fly. I was proud of her for making the trip. We fought traffic home to wait for the kids to get home from school. I made dinner and we chilled around the house the rest of the day.

On Thursday we sent the kids to school, Nate to work and then we "hit" the town. We drove into L.A. and stopped on Rodeo Drive. Christie wanted a picture of herself under a Rodeo Dr sign. We never saw anyone actually shopping in the stores, just lots of people like us taking pictures and walking up the street. Rodeo Dr is only about  a mile long but is packed with lots of shops.

Rodeo Collection 

Filming a commercial or something in front of GUCCI

More Shops

Picture taking

Christie under the sign

Both of us 

There is a statue on the Drive

And these are in front of the stores

Glamor shots across the street 

After we spend 30 mins on Rodeo Drive we drove over to Hollywood.....

New Year Resolutions ~ 2011

New Year Resolutions ~ 2011

~ Read at least one book every week ~ 

~ Exercise more ~ 

~ Not stress about my house (as much as before) ~ 

~ Read my Bible more ~ 

So....that is pretty much my list. I am not one to make a lot of resolutions each year. These are just a few things I would like to change about myself this next year.....baby steps! 

Flashback 2010

While getting ready to ring in the new year, I have been remembering the big things that happened to our family in the last year. Here are the top 10 things that changed our lives this year.....in no particular order....Honestly! 

1. I ran my first 1/2 marathon with Nate's family in April. Mom, Jen, Carrie and I drove to OKC to visit with the rest of the family. Most of the family that visited ran/walked in the 1/2 marathon in honor and memory of Nate's grandparents. It was an AWESOME personal accomplishment, and was a lot of fun to do with the family.

2. Nate and I took a vacation to Los Angeles, CA (to pick out a place to live) and were able to visit the beach, Santa Monica Pier, Hollywood and the sites. 

3. Nate and I made the decision to move our family to California. We loaded up our family, 2 kids, 2 dogs, and 2,000 miles later we were unpacking in our first "rented" condo in Huntington Beach, CA. 

4. Jennifer (Nate's sister) and her husband Matt, had their first little boy, Bryce Matthew Dillard. WE were so excited to be an Aunt and Uncle again. We are super excited to see them in April. 

(this is proud Grandma and Grandpa)

5. Nate and I bought our first Couch! It is brand new and not a "hand me down". We only got it a couple of days after Christmas, which meant we did not have a couch for 7 months. 

6. Thanksgiving Day! (by ourselves) Nate and I made our first Thanksgiving meal....for an army!

7. In June of 2010, I had the worst job of my life......which only lasted a few weeks. Thankfully! 

(no picture....the job was too horrible)

8. First time visiting the Pacific Ocean!

9. After our move to CA, my mom came for a visit! We had a great time with her, and showing her around our part of Southern Cali!

10. Nate and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary in October. WE didn't do something special for the night but we enjoy celebrating our marriage in our everyday life!

I am looking forward to all that the Lord has in-store for our family in 2011!