Hi, I'm Tommy...Like the gun

Sticks and Stones

So this is another night where I wanted to write, but I'm not really up for it.  My feelings got hurt at work, and I just kind of wanted to pout about it, come home, relax and go to bed.  But as I was laying in bed, I thought that I would hate myself if I didn't get out what happened.  So here it goes.  And no, nobody shit themselves tonight.  At least none that I'm aware of.

Today was national foursquare day, and it was a great chance for restaurants and bars to lasso in a lot of foursquare users.  Some places ran specials, some were just promoting themselves to the users, and some were doing both.  It's sort of new idea, to have a social media holiday.  As far as I'm concerned, I think it's pretty cool.  From a restaurant's point of view, today was a milestone.  I mean, if you remembered where you were for your first social media holiday, that's pretty cool.  I've been working at CK's for about 2 1/2 years, and I've also been handling a lot of our social media for about 8 or 9 months.  I do it for free.  I do it because I like my workplace.  I do it because it's actually fun for me.  I do it because I learn new things all the time.  I do it because of all the kick ass people I meet.  I do it because CK's needs it.  I do it because I can.  I do it because, if I'm doing it well, my tips go up.  And so do my coworkers tips.  We may not be doubling our income as servers and bartenders, but we are getting a bigger customer base.  We've definitely seen a lot of new faces in our restaurant.  And I've started to notice a few of those faces are coming back on a regular basis.  And that's our bread and butter.  REGULARS.  They keep us in business.  They're why we're still in business, and every other bar/restaurant in Ahwatukee can't hold a candle to us and are forced to close their doors.  We pride ourselves on seeing the same faces just about every time you walk in.  If you spend some time at CK's you'll understand what I'm talking about.  You can't miss it.

So back to the foursquare day.  I didn't tell my boss about foursquare day until the day it was going on.  She's got too much stuff going on, and I rarely see her.  But when I got to work tonight, it was the first thing I mentioned to her.  I told her a quick synopsis of what it was, because she's not real big into the workings of social media, she mostly wants results.  And I asked her if it was alright if I ran a special for anyone who checked in on foursquare that night.  Nothing too fancy, just $5 off your meal of $25 or more.  But it was something that foursquare users would like to see and use.  Just check in and get $5 off?  That's pretty easy!  She liked the idea, and I tweeted about it, and changed the tweetvite accordingly.  I thought, cool, this is could be kinda big, or it could just be another Friday night at work.

I put a note up in back so that everyone could see what was going on for the night.  I informed the hostess of the event, so that she wasn't caught off guard by any phone calls or questions from patrons.  Then I went around and started telling all of the servers and bartenders the same thing.  Some of them reacted to me telling them about the event like it was a normal occurrence, i.e. out of the soup of the day or something.  Some of them looked at me with blank stares because they don't know what I'm talking about, much less have a facebook account.  And then it happened.  The last person that I told got to me.  I said, "Hey, if any of your tables show you that they've checked in on foursquare, they're getting a discount tonight."  She immediately responded, "What?  Foursquare's so stupid, why are we doing this?".  I snapped back in shock and said, "Screw you", and walked away hurt.  In that 2 seconds it took her to utter her feelings on foursquare, all of my efforts and work that I've put in to CK's seemed to have meant absolutely nothing.  I know it's not true, but it's how I felt.  I was so mad at her.  I couldn't even look her in the eye for the rest of the night.  And I didn't speak to her for the rest of the night either.  It was like someone stepped on a new toy I had received for Christmas.  It was a punch to the gut.  The worst part is, I didn't even want an apology.  Because I know she doesn't understand all that I'm doing.  Half of me wants to tweet from our twitter account and tell people to come in, but don't sit in her section.  The other half of me will brush it off and move on.  It was just one of those tiny little things that I let get to me.  And it may have been a meaningless comment to her, but it was a deep cut for me.

The interesting part about tonight is that I've realized that I may be alienating myself from my coworkers.  I feel like they don't understand what I'm doing, or even why I'm doing it.  I wish I could hear some of the conversations about me, and sometimes I don't.  But I've definitely made myself out to be the resident geek.  And there's a line in the sand apparently.  Some don't care about it, and some just stay on their side.  No one's offered to get involved or help out.  I'm taking my own path and not looking back.  Maybe some of them think I'm doing it suck up to the boss.  Fact is, I don't care what they think.  I'm doing it anyway.  And I'm going to keep doing it, and have fun with it.  And no one can tell me I'm doing it wrong.

No, no one wants to hear me sing....Ok, fine

No, no one wants to hear me sing....Ok, fine from Tommy Pierucki on Vimeo.

It's karaoke...there's beer involved....and I don't care if I butchered the song....I had fun.

Posted April 4, 2010

A little less Chicago

I've been living in Phoenix for the last 5 years now.  As most of you already know, I'm from the Chicago area.  I'm a huge Cubs fan, and a huge Bears fan.  If I see someone in my section at work wearing a Cubs/Sox/Bears/Bulls/Blackhawks hat or shirt or whatever, I normally have no problem starting up a conversation with them about where they're from in Illinois.  Talking with people comes very easy to me.  Breaking the ice is a necessity in my job.  I have no choice.  Someone sits in my section, I have to go over and greet them.  I remember when I first moved here and I was working at Friday's and I saw someone with Chicago stuff on, I couldn't wait to talk to them.  A lot of the time it would lead to long conversations about Illinois, or Arizona, or the Cubs/Bears, whatever.  I was just so excited to see someone that knew of Wheaton, IL.  I thought it was crazy that I was 1800 miles from home, and still managed to find people from the same area.  It was such a great part of my day.  It was my way of connecting with people at my job.  Even when I worked at P.F. Chang's, if we were on a wait, and I saw someone in a group that was wearing a Cubs hat, as soon as I had a table open in my section, I sat the group.  I would totally ignore the waiting list.  I didn't care.  These were my people and I wouldn't let them wait.  I was able to make a better connection with them, by one, sneaking them into my section, and two, chatting them up about being from the same area.  I still chat up people that are from Illinois, but lately, it doesn't seem the same.

 

After being here for 5 years, I hear about the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals, the Suns, ASU, and God forbid...the Coyotes.  I'm not really a huge fan of any of them, but somehow being around them and hearing about them all the time, some of them seeped into me.  By no means have I lost my loyalty to the Cubs or the Bears.  But sometimes I feel that because I don't have them around me all the time, I lose a little bit of my fanaticism.  Again, I'll be glued to the MLB package for as many Cubs games as possible, and probably sitting at CK's for every Bears game.  Lately I find that I'm behind on all of the talk that happens about MY teams.  Maybe it's because I don't live in Chicago area anymore, and I don't have ESPN 1000 dialed in all the time, or maybe it's that WGN doesn't seem relevant to my world any longer.  I don't see commercials with Chicago sports stars.  I see commercials like Dan Majerle doing Emergency Chiropractic.  And now these Phoenix commercials are the norm.  I call Phoenix my home.  Heather and I have bought our first house here, and we're not going anywhere for a long time.  Lately, if I see someone wearing a Cubs hat, I'm less likely to say something to them.  I don't know why this is.  I'll still talk to them if that conversation comes up, but now I'm less likely to initiate that talk.  I'm starting to feel a little less....Chicago.

Living Aloha

Tommy-pierucki-tattoo

It's funny, if you Google the term "Living Aloha", you don't get great results.  You really don't get the idea.  Although I believe that it means something different for everybody, Googling  the term won't bring you any closer to the idea.  I never really knew what it meant for most of my life.  I don't expect everyone to get the idea of what it means.  So if you read this and you can't grasp what I'm talking about, it's completely okay.  But what I am going to do for you is take you on the journey of how I learned my definition.

It all started with a trip to visit my sister Kelly that was living on Oahu.  Her and her husband were living there because he was stationed on the Marine base in Kailua.  They had been living there for a little over 2 years by the time I got the chance to visit.  I wish it would've been sooner.  I went to visit them with a friend of mine.  Neither of us had ever been to Hawaii.  We wanted to do so many different things, like visit Pearl Harbor, go snorkeling, try surfing, rent scooters, play some golf and basically just be as touristy as possible.  Little did I know that I was in for the biggest change in my life during this week.  Upon arriving to Honolulu airport, one of the first things I noticed about Hawaii was that a lot of signs and street names were in Hawaiian.  The first highway we saw was named Like Like.  We made a little fun of the fact that we were taking a highway named Like Like.  But my sister quickly corrected my pronunciation of the words.  It is pronounced lee-kay lee-kay.  And she explained to me how to pronounce words in Hawaiian, and from there on out it was fun to start saying all of the street names out loud.  There was my first lesson in living aloha.  Respect for local language.

Once we got settled in, we wanted to hit the beach.  Kelly lived about a mile from Waikiki Beach, and it became the first place that I stood up on a surfboard.  We took some surfing lessons in the shadows of Duke Kahanamoku's statue before we actually went out in the water.  And then once we went out and started paddling into some very small waves on some very large foam boards, we actually were able to stand up and have some fun.  It didn't hit me that we were riding the same waves that the originators of the sport were riding.  It's pretty cool now to think of this, the fact that I learned to surf on the same waves where it was invented.  It's equivalent to learning how to play golf on The Old Course at St. Andrew's in Scotland.  The view from our beach was breathtaking.  As long as you don't mind all of the hotels and urban feeling you got from just off the beach.  But those hotels weren't always there, of course.  We, as Americans after acquiring the strategically geographic islands, put them there.  But that's a whole different story.  Now that I had had a bunch of practice runs on Waikiki Beach, my Brother in-law took us to the spot he loved the most, Diamond Head Beach.  It was at the base of Diamond Head Crater.  Which is an old volcano, but now completely dormant.  The waves were great.  They weren't too big for us beginners to handle, and weren't as small as Waikiki.  But this was the day that changed EVERYTHING.  I had caught a few rides and was having a great session for my first day at Diamond Head.  I had paddled back out to the best place to catch another wave, and it was there that I took a look around.  I looked straight down and saw crystal clear water and beautiful coral right underfoot.  There was a slight breeze blowing, and it was the perfect temperature that day.  I took a look at all the other surfers having the time of their life.  I saw the smile on my friend's face and all the joy that came from all the fun we were having.  I looked up to see the dormant volcano.  THE DORMANT VOLCANO.  This thing used to spew lava and destroy everything in its way.  But now it's a peaceful backdrop for just another piece of paradise.  It was then and there that something inside me had changed.  I felt like I had a new found appreciation for what Hawaiians had been experiencing for generations.  I had just been smacked in the face by aloha.  And it was awesome.  I never had a feeling of being so small, and so amazed at where I was.  It was one of those moments that doesn't happen often.  It felt like this was where I was supposed to be.  Like I had found what I had been looking for all my life.  The one moment of peace and tranquility that was right in front of me and had come to me so suddenly.  I knew I liked the water, but I didn't expect to find my own personal sanctuary while sitting on a surfboard.  But there it was, staring me in the face and I was unable to ignore its magnitude.

The word aloha that everyone is familiar with means hello, goodbye, and love.  Aloha is really a state of mind.  It's more than just a greeting or a farewell.  It means having mutual regard, affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return.  It means living in harmony with your surroundings, the land, and each other.  It's a life force according to Hawaiian law.  See the last paragraph in this link, http://bit.ly/bjgKk6.  It means loving yourself and returning and sharing that same kind of love with others.  It means doing things purely out of kindness.  Aloha is contagious.  Take 10 minutes after you land on any island and look around.  People are different towards each other.  There's unsolicited respect for one another.  You just don't find that everyday.  So take away what you will from my words, but what "Living Aloha" really means to me you will see in my day to day actions.  And if I'm wrong in that assumption, then correct me.  Remind that I need to live more aloha.  And I'll probably tell you you're right.

The picture you're seeing is the tattoo I designed.  It is a wooden surfboard stuck in the sand.  In the background is the view from Waikiki Beach of Diamond Head Crater.  This is my daily reminder of how, where and why I should live aloha.

Aloha and Mahalo for reading,

Tommy

I've had better nights at work...

So tonight is the first time I've ever felt compelled to write.  I really didn't want to open the laptop tonight, I just wanted to sit and zone out in front of the TV and not think about what happened.  But as you can clearly see, I've opened it, and now I must tell my story.  So here goes...

Tonight started out like any other Wednesday night on the patio at CK's.  There were familiar faces at just about every table in the restaurant.  There was a little bit of a dinner rush, but nothing none of us couldn't handle.  It was a typical week night.  There was a table of four ladies that were all dressed in scrubs sitting out on the patio.  I'd never seen them before, and for all I know, this was their first trip to our restaurant.  They didn't seem to want any food, they said initially upon sitting down that they were there to "drink some beer".  I'm pretty sure it was around 5:30 when they came in.  They seemed to be all over the age of 40, and one was probably sniffing 60 years old.  They were a fun bunch of women.  They seemed to all like each other, and it looked like it had been a while since they'd had happy hour together.  They were making calls home after a while saying they wouldn't be home for a while.  Three of them started off sharing a pitcher of light beer, the fourth was drinking a Sierra Nevada.  Mind you, a pitcher of beer is pretty much equal to four pints, give or take a little bit.  They had finished their first round of drinks within a reasonable amount of time.  They didn't seem to be drinking too fast, nor were they drinking them very slowly.  We (Brooke and I) brought them another round of drinks.  Everything was going just fine.  They were laughing, telling jokes, and having a great time.  I'm pretty sure that another round of drinks came to the table in about the same amount of time.  Midway through the third round of drinks, they wanted to switch it up a little bit, they wanted some liquor.  So, the one drinking the Sierra Nevada ordered a double Grey Goose Bloody Mary, while the three others ordered a shot of Patron.  At this point I remember telling Brooke that it was going from 6 to midnight real fast at this table.  They were still having a good time, and everything was still normal.  Even a couple of regulars had front row seats to how much fun they were having.  Our regulars were saying how funny it was to watch these ladies, because they were complaining about work loudly, and swearing a little bit here and there.  About 8 o'clock or so they had ordered their last round of drinks.  It was the fourth pitcher of light beer for three ladies, the second shot of Patron, and the second double Bloody Mary.  It looked like the night was about over for these ladies, whether we told them it was, or they decided on their own.

For a while, the restaurant was busy and we needed some help in the kitchen.  The patio wasn't really all that busy, so I went to run some food for a while.  I was back there for maybe 20 minutes or so helping out.  When I came back out to the patio, Brooke came right up to me and said that the oldest one of the ladies was throwing up.  I couldn't believe it.  They all seemed fine when I went to the kitchen.  Now throwing up at a bar doesn't happen everyday, but it does happen from time to time, and we deal with it.  We can't always be expected to know if someone is at their limit, although we do a pretty good job.  I'm not saying this to be mean at all, but the woman was cross eyed.  She looked the same when she came in, as she did at this point.  After informing the ladies that it was obviously time to leave, one of them was slightly upset with me.  She said that she couldn't believe I would do that, that her friend needed time to compose herself so that they could get her home safely.  Another one of the ladies was completely understanding of the fact that it was time for them to leave.  Thank goodness for a little bit of reason in an unfortunate situation.  We let her try and compose herself for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then I was forced to ask them to at least sit out on the bench so that our customers that were eating didn't have to watch this woman vomit.  During the time for her to compose herself, her friends were making light of the situation.  They were laughing about what had just happened, and making arrangements to get her home, and even said they'd understand when she didn't show up for work the next day.    This lady could barely stand up, and couldn't walk on her own.  She had to be helped outside by all three of her friends, and even that took some effort.

When someone throws up on the patio, they are asked to leave every time.  This is pretty much standard anywhere you go.  It's not always pleasant, but it is part of our job unfortunately.  After cleaning up the table and the area around the table, I thought that everything was over.  Boy was I wrong.  After not seeing the ladies out front for a while, I was told that the lady had shit herself while outside.  No joke.  I say shit herself, because I don't want to use any other phrase.  That's what happened.  And what do her friends do?  They carry their soiled friend through the restaurant past dining customers, and into the women's bathroom.  Now this has turned for the worse.  Erin (the manager on duty) is in the doorway of the women's bathroom monitoring everything.  This lady was not leaving as intended.

I'm gonna step away from the story for a second to explain something.  I can handle a lot of things.  I would consider myself to have a strong stomach.  But when it comes to shit, I don't handle it very well.  If I get one whiff of it, I will gag.  I can't even pick up our dog's poop without having a hard time doing it.  If I was to be anywhere near the scent of what was going on in the bathroom at this point, I was in for losing my lunch for sure.  Jokingly, or not joking, some of the other girls I work with said they had voted me to be the one to carry out this lady.  I was not having any part of that.  I did not sign up to carry out a lady that had shit herself.  No way, no how.

Paramedics were called, and by whom, I don't know.  I'd assume Erin, but that's just my guess.  Erin was waiting at the front door for them to show up.  Now I'm not only feeling really bad for this lady, but I'm also feeling slightly helpless at this point.  I never thought that we'd standing where we were, waiting for paramedics to help this poor woman.  I never wish this upon anyone.  That lady has no clue what's going on, and she's helpless too.  And I was part of what put her there.  I know it's not my fault where is, but I can't help but to feel something.  

They took her out in a stretcher, and probably just got her on an IV, and ran some test to make sure she was alright.  The ambulance was on its way, and the ladies thought they were too.  That was until Erin saw how the restroom was left.  There was shit everywhere, the lady's pants, the lady's shoes, and even on the floor and toilets.  Erin had asked, or maybe told, the remaining ladies to help clean up what was left behind.  Now things are just uncomfortable for everyone.  I mean, who wants to clean up after something like this?  Well, Erin had started cleaning up with the ladies in the bathroom, and they weren't too happy that they were cleaning up after their friend.  They started cussing about the whole situation, and were being rude to Erin.  Erin was fed up and told them to just leave.  They left, and we probably won't see them again, even though they work right down the street at a clinic.  This type of cleaning is not fun, and to add insult to injury, these ladies made it even worse for Erin than it already was.

That's pretty much what happened tonight.  So like the title of the post suggests, I've had better nights at work.  I've never felt so bad for putting someone (Erin) in a position, that really wasn't my fault.  But, there's the part of me that felt so awful and ashamed to have been a part of this.  This is definitely a rare occasion, but when you're dealing with alcohol, it is always a possibility.  I'm convinced that she was a victim of one of two drinking no no's.  She either hadn't had much to eat prior to drinking, or she was on a medication that doesn't mix well with alcohol.  The other ladies had the same amount of alcohol as she did, and they were no where near as bad.  It really pains me to see this happen to anyone.  It's embarrassing for all involved, and just plain avoidable.  I feel like I failed as a server, failed as a leader, and failed at being in control of a situation which I've been in before.  There was a feeling of shame, for sure.

Erin, I'm so sorry for what you had to do tonight, and what you had to put up with.  I do not envy the position you had to take tonight.  Your job as a manager sometimes leaves you with no choice, and you did it without hesitation, even while fielding rude comments from upset women.  I admire you for how you handled everything tonight.  

#BKArmy Tweetup

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Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

This is how bad my BlackBerry can be

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So I'm getting really frustrated with how slow my phone can be at times.  I just wanted to make a video of it and document it.  And to be completely honest, out of all the times that my phone acts up, this video doesn't really show how bad it can be.  I've pushed the button that shows me my texts, and it's taken more than 3 minutes just to switch to that screen.  This video is really not that bad in comparison to what's happened in the past.  I'm so ready to get an iPhone.  Does anything in this video happen to you too?

What a great weekend!

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