Worst Restaurant Service EVER ?!

I've eaten at many a fine restaurant in my day.  Not on any regular basis, mind you, but often enough to know what is reasonable to expect.  Especially in terms of service and wait time and the like.

Tonight's experience at Texas Roadhouse was the worst overall experience (minus the company we had with us of course) that I have EVER HAD at ANY restaurant ... EVER !!!

Here's the short list of "things that went wrong" (if it doesn't seem short consider that we were at the restaurant for over 2 hours!):
 - Call ahead seating (what a joke!)  We asked for a time around 5:15pm and were told we had to wait until 6:15pm.  Fine.  Except that when my father-in-law called a little later to confirm the time they told him 6:00pm.  WTH ?!
 - Call ahead seating (what a joke! Part 2)  We arrived right at 6:00pm to check in ... and waited ... and waited ... and you get the idea.  At 6:30pm we were apologized to for the wait (after Karen asked what was going on).  At 6:45pm we were finally seated!
 - Seating Experience.  The table wasn't even cleared yet ... so we all stood, blocking the traffic at the front check-in are) for several minutes.  Then we stood, again, for several minutes right next to our table ... because it still wasn't set for our arrival!
 - Where is our waitress? #1.  After sitting for no less than 5 minutes, our waitress finally arrived to take drink and appetizer orders.  Then she disappeared ... for at least another 5 minutes.  The appetizers came ... without the waitress ... still no drinks.
 - Drink orders #1.  Even though she appeared to have written our orders down, the waitress brought two adult sized Cokes (no adult ordered Coke); three orange kid's sodas (only two kids ordered orange); zero Sprites (Brooklyn and I each ordered one); and only two waters (three adults had asked for water).
 - Where is our waitress AND Drink orders #2 (combined to save you time!)  After messing up the drinks the waitress disappeared again for at least another 5 minutes.  When she finally came back she brought ... wait for it ... an adult sized Sprite (correct), another adult-sized Coke (incorrect), a kid-sized Sprite (correct), and another kid-sized orange drink (incorrect).  She then took our food orders and (you guessed it) disappeared ... but for at least 10 minutes this time.
 - Where is our food? #1  A full 15 minutes after taking our orders, Karen finally got the salad that came with her meal.  And then we waited ... and waited ... and 10 more minutes later (that's right!  I timed it!) the waitress came back with some of our food.
 - Meal order mess-ups (Part 1).  Of the first group served, three orders were either incomplete or incorrect.  My mother-in-law had specifically asked for no gravy and her beef tips were swimming in the stuff.  My oldest daughter had ordered applesauce with her meal and got fries instead.  My father-in-law had ordered a medium cooked steak, but it was closer to well done than medium.
 - Drink orders #3.  About 5 minutes after the first group of food arrived, the waitress brought back refills ... and she brought two more adult-sized Cokes (again, no adults ordered Coke!) and two "extra" orange kid's sodas ... and she still had forgotten my father-in-law's water request (he had lemonade too but wanted water to cleanse his palette).  The waitress was so flustered by her own ineptitude that she spilled the two Cokes all over the floor (and a lady's purse, at the table next to us).
 - Where is our waitress? #3 AND Where is our food? #2.  At least 8 minutes after the first group ordered their food, I finally received my burger (how does a burger take longer to make than a steak?!) ... but not from the waitress because she was still no where to be found (undoubtedly hiding out of embarrasment about spilling the un-wanted and un-ordered Cokes).
 - Meal order mess-ups (Part 2).  I guess my burger took longer to cook because they had to add tomatoes (not supposed to be on the burger according to the menu) and put onions on my burger.  I was very clear in my basic order that I did not want onions!  My ordering went exactly like this: I'll have the smokehouse burger with No onions.  And yes, steak fries with that will be fine.  How hard is that to get right?!
 - Bill calculation errors.  Kids eat free and we honor your Texas Roadhouse coupons.  Yeah right!  We had four adults and four kid's meals ordered.  Only two were initially taken off the bill.  Both appetizers we ordered were supposed to be free (based on coupons we had), but neither were taken off the initial bill.  And don't get me started on the whole "two Cokes" situation!

Add to all of the above that the restaurant was crowded, the air conditioning did not appear to be turned on or working, and the tables all around us received "free appetizers" for the delays they experienced.
Worst eating out experience ever!

Mark my words here and now ... I will NEVER be going back to Texas Roadhouse again!
I think the only situation when I will change my mind on this would be if
A: I had a gift card there ... or
B: If someone else is paying and it is NOT the one on Powers Boulevard!

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Too Much Basketball ?!

On Thursday I played over 4 1/2 hours of basketball.  I think (at this age anyway) that this may be too much.

I played in the afternoon for about 2.5 hours.  This was full court basketball with LOTS of open running and hustle on defense, etc.

I played again in the evening for about 2 hours, which was on a 3/4 sized court so there was much less open running, but much more physical play in such tight quarters.



I never thought it could be possible to have too much basketball ... but the way my body ached afterward (even with two ibuprofen + a 32-ounce gatorade + at least that much water in my system) I thought I might die!



Remember "that guy" from the movie
Along Came Polly ?!  I'm NOT that
hairy and I NEVER play shirtless!

On a side note (one which you will wish you hadn't read about) ... when did I start sweating so much while playing basketball?!  I never had to change shirts before but now I think I am becoming one of those guys that need to bring extra "dry" t-shirts to switch into between games.  After driving home (about 10 minutes) that evening, Karen noticed and commented on how soaked my shirt was.  Yikes!

I guess I really am getting older!  Dang it!  :)

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What do you think about these haircuts ?

Yesterday morning my mother and brother took my two sons to the Final Harry Potter film.  The boys are almost 12 and almost 10 so I suppose it was okay for them to go, but they made their mom feel better about it by promising her to close their eyes for the really scary parts!  :)

Thursday afternevening I gave them both haircuts to their OWN specifications!  So here now are the final results of their decisions ... I reserve the right to "clean" them both up before church tomorrow!

Ben (9) with a mohawk.

Josh Jr (11) with the initials "H P"
(for Harry Potter, duh!)

So ... what do you think ?!  Coolest dad ever right?!  :)

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Do You Know Why I Pulled You Over ?

I am fairly certain this blog title needs virtually no explanation.  If you are a person who has never been asked that question, then consider yourself lucky (or way too cautious behind the wheel of a car).

It was a unique series of events that led to my being asked that question by the fine Officer of the Colorado Springs Police Department.  I'm not blaming anyone but me (and I told the cop it was my fault and thanked him for holding me accountable for a very poor series of decisions) ... but I thought the circumstances leading up to the situation were interesting.

I was originally going to leave work at Noon, so I could pick up my kids and go play basketball.  But Karen suggested I just go straight to basketball so I decided not to leave until about 12:15pm.

As I was getting ready to leave, I said goodbye to Ellen (the supervisor who sits in the aisle next to me) because I wouldn't see her again until next Tuesday.  This led to a short conversation with her ... until the phone at my desk rang.

I answered the phone and had a short conversation with my brother-in-law Daniel, who had a general question about Progressive EFT / Banking procedures.

This led to my leaving work later than I wanted ... but it also made me miss a text from my wife.

As I was walking to my car, my phone beeped with a reminder about that text.  I checked the message and decided to call home (it was not a happy message).

I continued talking with my wife as I was driving toward the church for basketball.  While driving and talking (bad combination, especially when emotions are high) I realized that there was construction in my lane ... so I sped up to pass the car on my left and merge before reaching the first flagman.  Because of this, I did not notice that there was a police officer on the opposite side of the street with his speed gun directed right at me.  Suffice it to say, he caught me ... and rightfully so!  I was too preoccupied to be driving safely and I deserved to be pulled over.  I'm not happy about it, but I hold no ill will at all to the policeman.

Hopefully this $130 lesson will linger for many years so I don't have to make more donations to the local police department.  :)

Crime doesn't pay ... but "criminals" sure do!

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Ever Randomly Remember a Song ?

This happens to me often, probably because I love music so much.

I love how music can change your mood or help you feel any emotion more fully.

I love how music often transplants me to a different place and time.  Sometimes it is an event in my life that I had forgotten about.  Other times it is to a place I have never been but dream about going.

I love to think that my life has a movie soundtrack and that at any given moment there is a song that sums up the emotions and energy of whatever is being experienced, right THEN!

Here's a song that came to my mind, literally out of nowhere, about two weeks ago.  It has been on my mind at least once a day since then and I eventually found it on YouTube and added it to my "favorites" just so I could hear it any time I want!  For anyone who remembers this song, kudos to you!

Almost Unreal ... By Roxette

I am not sure why this song popped into my memory, but I am very glad that it did because I still love the tune.  It makes me think about when I worked at McDonald's on 10th street in Greeley, Colorado during and after I graduated high school.  I drove "the Babemobile" which was a 1979 Toyota Corolla Hatchback ... until it became a "topless" car when my dad and I cut the top off of her one crazy Saturday!  I remember driving to and from work in that car (spray painted black with white pinstripes) and hearing this song on the radio.  I'd turn it up as loud as I could and drive around thinking about whatever girl I happened to have a crush on that week.  I never saw the movie that this was written for (Super Mario Brothers) but the song was popular enough that I heard it hundreds of times in those early 90s.  I hope you like it!

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What KIND of cake ?

Sometimes questions are funny and other times they are just plain stupid.  One question I asked this evening was the latter, but my blog title was the question that was more funny.


Brittany is on the right in the "crown"
It was her birthday after all !  :)


After cooking burgers, brats, and hot dogs this evening at the VGRA pool, I got into a conversation with my niece Brittany.  She's a really sweet young woman (going to be a junior in high school this coming year) and it is fun to see her growing up.  My earliest memories with her are from when she was just 2-3 years old and I remember how much I loved picking on her at that age (just like I have with all of my own kids).

As I grilled (pun intended!) her about her "boyfriend" she shared that he was going to college this fall.  I asked where and she said "WYO Tech.  In Wyoming."  And here's the just plain stupid question I asked afterward ... "Where is that?"  She looked at me puzzled and said "In Wyoming."  See what I mean?!  My question was ... Just.  Plain.  Stupid.  :)

A little while later, my sister-in-law Mandy was talking with Brittany (and me too, but more Brittany in this example) about the plan for the upcoming birthday party for Mandy's husband Rick.
Mandy said "We'll be having cake and ice cream."
          Brittany inquired "Will it be yummy cake?"
To which Mandy replied "Yes, it will be yummy."
     Then the FUNNY part happened ...
Mandy asked Brittany "What kind of cake would you like?"

Now YOU may not find that particular question funny ...

but here is why I laughed about it.

Before Brittany could respond* I jumped in and said "Yummy!  Weren't you listening?!  She already told you that!"  We then all enjoyed a laugh about it and I think it was Brittany who asked if she should write down "yummy" so Mandy would remember what kind of cake she wanted.  :)

*Follow-up.  I did eventually let Brittany answer Mandy's very fair question.  Apparently "yummy" cake is or can include german chocolate and/or lemon pound cake with a nice sweet glaze.  There may be others but I drifted off into a sugary daydream after hearing those suggestions.  :)

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Is that all I am to you ?

This evening I was greeted by one of my extended family members with a less-than-exciting sort of hello.

The exact words were "Yay, food."

I know the person didn't mean anything rude by it and they later were thankful for my cooking efforts, but it certainly didn't come across very good when it first happened.  My blog title is the question that immediately popped into my head when I was acknowledged with that greeting.

Here's the back story:
I often meet my wife and kids (after I leave work) at the local pool near my in-law's house.  Tonight was supposed to be a Movie Night (where they show a movie on an outdoor screen while people still swim, etc.)  It ended up being cancelled due to lightning and rain (just enough to justify cancelling, but not so much that anyone was ever really in any danger).

Usually for these pool nights, my wife will bring hamburgers and hot dogs for our family.  On occassion we have also provided food for extended family members.  Without intending to make a big stink of it ... there was one evening like this not long ago where three of my wife's brothers were all at the pool ... but she somehow still ended up grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone.  I'm not trying to be sexist, but I have to wonder how THREE grown men (all fathers no less) could sit idly by and allow their sister (whose husband was still at work and who has SIX KIDS with her at the pool) to make them dinner.

Fast forward to this evening.  I barely arrive at the pool from work and as I'm walking in, one of these extended family members welcomes me with the "Yay food!" comment.  As I said before, this person DID thank me later and I KNOW they didn't mean any harm by their comment ... but sometimes I think it is easy for ALL OF US to get lost in our own little world.

For anyone who reads this blog that I may have inadvertantly been rude or insensitive too ... I am truly sorry!  Please let me know the next time we see each other so that I can not make that kind of mistake again.  I am certain I did not intend to offend and I hope you will forgive me.

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