So after taking a much needed vacation to Hawaii to see my friends and their brand new baby,. I started reflecting on my own life and why I do what I do for a living. Why am I a bartender?
There are all of the obvious reasons, MONEY of course, but I feel like there is something deeper.
For one thing there is this connection I have made with my coworkers, boss and customers. They are like a second family to me.
I have always had this very strong desire to be social and connected with the people of my community. Now I realize that the majority of the people I serve at my bar may not be going out and saving the world, let alone the community, but, there are those out there that are! The connections I have made slinging drinks have lead to me doing so much more! I have learned about so many different types of people and the lives that they lead, whether they be party animal, or mellow individual taking a load off, almost every person I have come into contact with has had something to offer me. A kind word, advise, a funny story, a friendship.
Besides being a bartender is never boring, there is very few days where I just don't want to go to work, but I never dread it, it's fun! And the opportunities that have presented themselves to me have been immense and the ones that I have taken have enriched me as a person.
I have become aware that here in America, bar tending is considered something you do til you find a "real" job. But for a me, bar tending has been one of the most REAL jobs I have ever had. It's rewarding, hard work that I can do it with integrity, because I know that at the end of the day, it makes me happy and I am damn good at it! I may not be saving the world, but hopefully I can put a smile on someone's face, and make their day that much brighter!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
How you doin?
So, everyone goes to the bar to socailize, hang out with friends and meet new people. The meeting new people thing can be exciting, fun, and for some intimidating. I was thinking about this because I meet new people all the time without a problem, but I do know some people that just don't know how to go about it.
This is for all you folks that just don't know how to get it done but want to!
These are some basic rules of engagement:
Don't be too eager , if you see someone interesting you may want to check them out for a minute, they may be taken. Don't be obvious though
Be yourself when you approach someone, if you aren't authentic the person will probably notice something is off, not know what it is, and blow you off!
Don't be creepy, or use horrible pick up lines, you will not get a very good response.
Make sure your breath is ok and if it's not, grab a lemon from the bar and suck on it, bad breath is not cool... niether is B.O.
Smile, have something to say, whether it be a joke or observation, wit goes a LONG way
Don't talk too much about yourself, ask questions that require more than a yes, no answer. Oh and when you do talk have something a least moderately interesting to say.
If you get past the initial hello, offer to buy the person a drink, no strings attatched, buying a person a drink doesn't mean you own them!
Tip your server or bartender, the other person will notice generosity, which should be a quality of yours anyway, and really the bartender has the power to ruin your chances, we see all!
If you can dance, and there is good music, suggest doing so, it's fun!
If all goes well...Give the person your number, they may not be comfortable enough to offer theirs up. Refrain from offering your place for the night, it's much more rewarding to get to know the person on a different level before you spend the night with them!
But if the alcohol just won't let you wait for another day.... USE A CONDOM!
This is for all you folks that just don't know how to get it done but want to!
These are some basic rules of engagement:
Don't be too eager , if you see someone interesting you may want to check them out for a minute, they may be taken. Don't be obvious though
Be yourself when you approach someone, if you aren't authentic the person will probably notice something is off, not know what it is, and blow you off!
Don't be creepy, or use horrible pick up lines, you will not get a very good response.
Make sure your breath is ok and if it's not, grab a lemon from the bar and suck on it, bad breath is not cool... niether is B.O.
Smile, have something to say, whether it be a joke or observation, wit goes a LONG way
Don't talk too much about yourself, ask questions that require more than a yes, no answer. Oh and when you do talk have something a least moderately interesting to say.
If you get past the initial hello, offer to buy the person a drink, no strings attatched, buying a person a drink doesn't mean you own them!
Tip your server or bartender, the other person will notice generosity, which should be a quality of yours anyway, and really the bartender has the power to ruin your chances, we see all!
If you can dance, and there is good music, suggest doing so, it's fun!
If all goes well...Give the person your number, they may not be comfortable enough to offer theirs up. Refrain from offering your place for the night, it's much more rewarding to get to know the person on a different level before you spend the night with them!
But if the alcohol just won't let you wait for another day.... USE A CONDOM!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
If I Don't Remember It Didn't Happen
Halloween... always an interesting time of year for those of us behind the bar, as I am sure it is for those of you party goers out there. Dressing up and pretending to be someone or something else seems to do something strange to people. Some folks get fully into character for the whole night others you see adjusting their costumes all night and can never seem to get comfortable, and then there are people like me. There is just something about wearing a costume that makes the night so much more fun. It's not like we did anything that different from any other night, outside of our garb...for me, there is just an excited energy that seems to go along with Halloween that sends the party to a different height than any regular Friday or Saturday.
This is probably because I really love getting dressed up and like to get really creative, let loose and party down! This year was no exception, the first of 2 Halloween parties was Saturday with the Motet. Those guys are just sick, they did Jamiroquai and I swear if I had never seen the real band before I would never have known it wasn't them!
We were rocking...probably the best spot to be that night, everyone was dressed up and getting down! I was Hippi Dreadstocking, which was a hit and I honestly have to say, the majority of the people out that night had really creative costumes. When I got to work that night I could already tell it was going to be a great night, and it was. We were slammed busy and prepared for the crowd, we were making bank and having a blast doing it. Everyone seemed to be having alot of fun and there were no fights, yeah, it was good! Everything went off without a hitch, except... your favorite bartender had one too many witches brews... NEVER GOOD.
The embarrassment of knowing all those people that see me on a regular basis have now seen my "evil twin"... ouch, that hurt a little bit. I am not going to go into great detail about it but lets just say: I had a really good time but it really didn't do too much for me in the way of appearances. This reminded me of a valuable lesson, as a bartender our job is to :WATCH EVERYONE ELSE MAKE ASSES OUT OF THEMSELVES, and then at the end of the night after everybody is gone you can laugh about all the funny/dumb/obnoxious stuff you saw people do all night! Hearing about the things that happened and not remembering them is NOT FUN! My favorite line used to be "if I don't remember, it didn't happen". Yeah, I don't really like that one any more, I have a new philosophy on that part of life I am not quite sure there is a funny catch phrase to go with it but, at least I'll remember everything in the morning.
This is probably because I really love getting dressed up and like to get really creative, let loose and party down! This year was no exception, the first of 2 Halloween parties was Saturday with the Motet. Those guys are just sick, they did Jamiroquai and I swear if I had never seen the real band before I would never have known it wasn't them!
We were rocking...probably the best spot to be that night, everyone was dressed up and getting down! I was Hippi Dreadstocking, which was a hit and I honestly have to say, the majority of the people out that night had really creative costumes. When I got to work that night I could already tell it was going to be a great night, and it was. We were slammed busy and prepared for the crowd, we were making bank and having a blast doing it. Everyone seemed to be having alot of fun and there were no fights, yeah, it was good! Everything went off without a hitch, except... your favorite bartender had one too many witches brews... NEVER GOOD.
The embarrassment of knowing all those people that see me on a regular basis have now seen my "evil twin"... ouch, that hurt a little bit. I am not going to go into great detail about it but lets just say: I had a really good time but it really didn't do too much for me in the way of appearances. This reminded me of a valuable lesson, as a bartender our job is to :WATCH EVERYONE ELSE MAKE ASSES OUT OF THEMSELVES, and then at the end of the night after everybody is gone you can laugh about all the funny/dumb/obnoxious stuff you saw people do all night! Hearing about the things that happened and not remembering them is NOT FUN! My favorite line used to be "if I don't remember, it didn't happen". Yeah, I don't really like that one any more, I have a new philosophy on that part of life I am not quite sure there is a funny catch phrase to go with it but, at least I'll remember everything in the morning.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Why Can't We Be Friends?
While the majority of the world looks forward to the weekend for it's recharging qualities, I, as a bartender look forward to it for a whole different slew of reasons. Of course money is my number one reason for showing up at work on any given day, but there is so much more to look forward to. It's always fun running in to an old friend who just happened to make their way into my establishment, or making a new friend. Learning how to make a fabulous new cocktail, or a joke to share can brighten my evening. Sometimes I think I could do this forever and other days I think, "what the hell am I doing with my life."
This weekend I learned a little something about tolerance, and it really made the whole weekend worth it to me.
It started Friday at about 6:30 or so, I had just finished opening the bar and a very interesting character entered. Let's call him Pat. Tall, older man from the south with one VERY flamboyant personality. I learned pretty quickly that yes, Pat liked to talk, oh boy did he like to talk, and mainly about himself. I could barely get a word in edgewise. But since it was slow, I humored him. As a side note you should know that I was still pretty hung over from the night before, so I was feeling a little drained. As Pat talked and talked, I listened and laughed when queued, and before I knew it I was his "good girlfriend".
This scared me a little at first, knowing that since Pat recently moved to Fort Collins and his "charming personality" probably kept him from making a ton of friends in a slightly homophobic town, I knew this would not be the last time I was to spend time "chatting"with Pat. At some point it started to get busy, but that didn't stop Pat, oh no, if anything it heightened his fervor as he now had competition for my attention.
As my coworkers started to clock in I could tell that his presence was annoying them at best. But he either did not notice or did not care. I was starting to feel the weight of the sighs and ho-hums from my coworkers that accompanied almost everything he said. I won't get into the details of his ramblings but, lets just say they were on the verge of inappropriate, even for a nightclub.
Then it happened, the door guy who I might say is tolerant only because he's at work and has no choice, was about to kick Pat out of the bar, really for nothing outside the annoyance factor. I saw the sadness in Pat's eyes, yet another place has misunderstood him and is sending him on his way. Suddenly it hit me, I could not let this happen, he had done nothing aside be himself, and I could not stand by and let him be thrown out for that. I pulled security guy aside and told him, that while Pat may be slight grating on our nerves, he has done nothing that could be deemed a grounds for removal. He is only talking, alot, yes but talking all the same. When have words, especially coming from someone you don't know, ever really done harm to you? How can someone else's personality, flamboyant as it may be, ever affect you? People do lots of inappropriate things in bars, the least of which is talk too much or annoy the bar staff.
I realized that we were doing the exact thing I despise about some people. We were passing judgment and being intolerant of someone who is outside of our norm. And I believe it is inappropriate for us to judge a man so quickly and harshly when we have no idea of his past or current situation. I would hate to be judged by one fleeting moment and be forever misunderstood by those who judged me. I also realized that if I can be tolerant and accept someone for who they are, I can lead some others to also accept and cherish this person for their uniqueness.
That's pretty much what happened, on Sunday, since Pat had been in every day this weekend, to see his "good girlfriend". He showed up with a huge plate of food that he had spent all day cooking, now, it was for me, but since he had no idea I was a vegetarian, he brought pork ribs. He was still happy to share his food with all of us, and his face lit up to see how everyone enjoyed it.
Later, when I was giving Pat a ride home, he said to me, "girl, I love you. Since I moved to Fort Collins, I have had no friends. Thank You." Nothing I had done all week had made me feel so good.
This weekend I learned a little something about tolerance, and it really made the whole weekend worth it to me.
It started Friday at about 6:30 or so, I had just finished opening the bar and a very interesting character entered. Let's call him Pat. Tall, older man from the south with one VERY flamboyant personality. I learned pretty quickly that yes, Pat liked to talk, oh boy did he like to talk, and mainly about himself. I could barely get a word in edgewise. But since it was slow, I humored him. As a side note you should know that I was still pretty hung over from the night before, so I was feeling a little drained. As Pat talked and talked, I listened and laughed when queued, and before I knew it I was his "good girlfriend".
This scared me a little at first, knowing that since Pat recently moved to Fort Collins and his "charming personality" probably kept him from making a ton of friends in a slightly homophobic town, I knew this would not be the last time I was to spend time "chatting"with Pat. At some point it started to get busy, but that didn't stop Pat, oh no, if anything it heightened his fervor as he now had competition for my attention.
As my coworkers started to clock in I could tell that his presence was annoying them at best. But he either did not notice or did not care. I was starting to feel the weight of the sighs and ho-hums from my coworkers that accompanied almost everything he said. I won't get into the details of his ramblings but, lets just say they were on the verge of inappropriate, even for a nightclub.
Then it happened, the door guy who I might say is tolerant only because he's at work and has no choice, was about to kick Pat out of the bar, really for nothing outside the annoyance factor. I saw the sadness in Pat's eyes, yet another place has misunderstood him and is sending him on his way. Suddenly it hit me, I could not let this happen, he had done nothing aside be himself, and I could not stand by and let him be thrown out for that. I pulled security guy aside and told him, that while Pat may be slight grating on our nerves, he has done nothing that could be deemed a grounds for removal. He is only talking, alot, yes but talking all the same. When have words, especially coming from someone you don't know, ever really done harm to you? How can someone else's personality, flamboyant as it may be, ever affect you? People do lots of inappropriate things in bars, the least of which is talk too much or annoy the bar staff.
I realized that we were doing the exact thing I despise about some people. We were passing judgment and being intolerant of someone who is outside of our norm. And I believe it is inappropriate for us to judge a man so quickly and harshly when we have no idea of his past or current situation. I would hate to be judged by one fleeting moment and be forever misunderstood by those who judged me. I also realized that if I can be tolerant and accept someone for who they are, I can lead some others to also accept and cherish this person for their uniqueness.
That's pretty much what happened, on Sunday, since Pat had been in every day this weekend, to see his "good girlfriend". He showed up with a huge plate of food that he had spent all day cooking, now, it was for me, but since he had no idea I was a vegetarian, he brought pork ribs. He was still happy to share his food with all of us, and his face lit up to see how everyone enjoyed it.
Later, when I was giving Pat a ride home, he said to me, "girl, I love you. Since I moved to Fort Collins, I have had no friends. Thank You." Nothing I had done all week had made me feel so good.
Friday, October 12, 2007
World Peace Cheers
So this week it has been my goal to find out multiple ways of saying "cheers!" when you are in different places. You know what's amazing is that as I asked my customers and friends I got pretty much the same few responses: Cheers, Salud, Cin-cin (chin-chin), Prost, Compai... I am guessing those must be the most popular ones around here. So I decided to investigate further and looked it up on line, I just know there had to be more! I looked the Alternative Whiskey Academy's site and lo and behold there are hundred of ways! And what's more there are formal, informal, whiskey, beer, wine, vulgar and and even biblical cheers!
This got me thinking...that in this world with all its complexities, language, culture and so forth we do share some of the same customs. We all like to sit down and share a cocktail, and celebrate with friends, family and even people we have never met before. (Except in Quatar, they don't allow alcohol there, but I am sure they cheers over some libation) So, maybe world peace is a little simpler than we thought...let's get everyone together for a world cheers, I know after a few beers I can befriend anyone, sooo maybe this could work, or maybe not, there are the angry drunks out there that are just waiting to start a fight!
This got me thinking...that in this world with all its complexities, language, culture and so forth we do share some of the same customs. We all like to sit down and share a cocktail, and celebrate with friends, family and even people we have never met before. (Except in Quatar, they don't allow alcohol there, but I am sure they cheers over some libation) So, maybe world peace is a little simpler than we thought...let's get everyone together for a world cheers, I know after a few beers I can befriend anyone, sooo maybe this could work, or maybe not, there are the angry drunks out there that are just waiting to start a fight!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Bar Etiquette
Okay, so I told you this was going to be about bar etiquette so here we go...
Tip your bartender!!!!
Know what you want, especially if I'm busy
Say thank you, please or even a combo...come on folks, I think that is one of the first things you learn to do as a kid!
Know your limits! While you may be embarrassed about throwing up on the bar, I on the other hand am pissed and slightly disgusted.
If you want a poudre canyon drop off know what's in it, and that goes for any other cocktail you have in mind.
No biting, no fighting.... please!!!!!!
Take care of us and we will take care of you
If your havin fun, so are we soooooo
Have fun...be SAFE
Tip your bartender!!!!
Know what you want, especially if I'm busy
Say thank you, please or even a combo...come on folks, I think that is one of the first things you learn to do as a kid!
Know your limits! While you may be embarrassed about throwing up on the bar, I on the other hand am pissed and slightly disgusted.
If you want a poudre canyon drop off know what's in it, and that goes for any other cocktail you have in mind.
No biting, no fighting.... please!!!!!!
Take care of us and we will take care of you
If your havin fun, so are we soooooo
Have fun...be SAFE
Friday, September 7, 2007
Don't Blend!
Where was everyone last night? Everton Blender, reggae legend played last night and no one showed. Right down the street the stonehouse was packed. i just don't get it... mediocre food and a only half way decent band and the crowd shows in force, a true talent and legend and only a few show. Is it ticket price? Because I know plenty of you that will throw down hundreds of dollars to see Panic, but you won't give up 10 bucks for a true great, who you may never have the opprotunity to see again. And what's more, not to dis local music too bad but, come on, I can only stand to see the same old same old so many times, and for some reason these guys have sell out crowds, OVER IT! I am begining to believe that a good majority of people in this town just want to be seen with the right crowd and don't really care about their own tastes. I thought that ended in high school...
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Cornmeal and Turtles
Another wonderful evening at the job, no seriously. Cornmeal and Blue Turtle Seduction played. Blue Turtle not so much my thing but the spinning hippie LOVED them! He almost knocked me out on my way to walk in cooler! He's usually much better about having extra personal space.
Cornmeal was really good, they did a few covers that were unexpected, one pop song and a disco classic can't remember the names right now, guess you had to be there...One thing I think is funny about hippies, they may claim not like the song, but if a band they like is playing they will shake their asses to it, happily.
Cornmeal was really good, they did a few covers that were unexpected, one pop song and a disco classic can't remember the names right now, guess you had to be there...One thing I think is funny about hippies, they may claim not like the song, but if a band they like is playing they will shake their asses to it, happily.
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