So you can ask anyone who has known me for any length of time, all restaurants used to have a picture of me hung up in the back with a warning "BE NICE TO HER...SHE WILL CALL THE COMPANY AFTER SPEAKING TO THE MANAGER". I've never had a problem complaining when service or food was bad......EVER. However, in the last few years I've tried to be more forgiving of mistakes. I've asked for the manager frequently when we've had great service to compliment the server or meal. We normally tip at least 20% for good service.
NOW.....for the issue at hand. I was thinking the other day about those places that add a gratuity automatically for parties or 6 or more, 8 or more, whatever. One of my daughters brought up a good point. If they know the tip is going to be added anyway, do you think they just intentionally go slow or don't try as hard to do a good job for that party? Hmmm. Something to think about anyway.
There's been twice in my life that I've approached the manager and refused to pay the added gratuity because the service was THAT bad. Neither time did I have any problem having the tip removed from the bill.
What if it's great service though and they're just gypped the server out of the extra tip I would've given by just adding that 18%?? If service has been exceptional, we'll usually hand the server a little extra on the way out but.....I guess it's just a practice I disagree with in general.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!
Another year come and gone and what a wonderful one it was!!! My family made it through relatively unscathed :-) We're looking forward to an even better year in 2008 if that's even possible!
We managed to get a lot worked into this past year. We started it off in the usual fashion New Year's eve of '06 hubby and I were asleep before midnight :-) In Jan we had a super surprise party for my grandmother's 91st birthday. It was a raging success and I'm very happy to say, in 9 more days, God willing, we'll have a quiet celebration for her 92nd.
In April Jerry & joined the First Baptist Church of Hokes bluff on Easter then were both Baptized the following Sunday. We've really been blessed to be part of such a wonderful congregation. We were welcomed warmly and have been made to feel a part of everything there.
In May Britt, Keith, Maliyah, my mom, Jerry and I took a trip to Vegas for a week. It was my mom's first trip there and she loved it. We stayed at the Excalibur and managed to leave behind enough money that they ended up comping our room AND all our meals. We had a great time though and plan to go back for a weekend this summer.
In June, our nephew, Jeremiah, graduated high school and we (Britt, Keith, Maliyah, Amber, Jerry & I) took a trip to PA for his graduation party. Both Jerry's brothers were there and it was an awesome time. First time Grammy has had all her boys together in 17 years. All 3 of them have been in the military and it's been impossible for them to gather at the same place. There was soooo much food and so many people there! We're really hoping to have an annual reunion amongst the immediate family. I know that would make Grammy and Pap extremely happy! By the way, we flew back first class and have decided to NEVER fly coach again :-)
July saw our annual 4th of July bash at my mom's pool. We still have a good time but it's just not the same without my dad. July 4th and Christmas were definitely his fave holidays.
August was the month we let Keith semi-plan our vacation. I was planning a trip to the beach but was having a hard time finding a large condo that would take pets that had a private pool. Keith suggested we go to Gatlinburg instead. What a great idea he had!! We rented a beautiful cabin (seriously, it was gorgeous!!). Britt, Keith, Maliyah, Jerry and I stayed the whole week. Amber got to come up for a few days. Davin and Kaylor were both working and didn't make it :-( We did something different every day and saw a different dinner show every night. It was great!! We're thinking of making the trip again this year for Thanksgiving.
September was boring LOL
Oct saw Maliyah's first birthday!!! I can NOT believe the child is over a year old already. It's just flown by. She is such a wonderful baby!! She's pleasant almost all the time and never ceases to put a smile on my face. Words could never begin to express how much I love that child.
Of course, you know about Thanksgiving already.
We couldn't find an Angel Tree for kids around so we sponsored a child through the Baptist Missions Center. We also did an Angel Tree for the elderly. We chose an elderly man at a nursing home and got him shirts, sweat pants, socks and houseshoes. I hope he enjoys them. :-)
Christmas Eve we (meaning all the kids this time plus a couple of their friends that are like family) gathered with my extended family on my dad's side at my grandmother's house. We had homemade vegetable soup, tons of desserts and exchanged gifts. Afterwards we gathered at Britt & Keith's house for Jerry & I to open gifts from the kids and each other. The kids outdid themselves this year. I got a ginormous set of super nice luggage, a Coach purse, Coach contact case, Coach medicine case, spice rack, mirror and A COACH WATCH with diamond markers. It is GORGEOUS!! Jerry got a beautiful personalized archaeological Bible, new tree stand, new camo and a Liberty Bow. We also gave each of the kids one gift from us. Instead of all the kids exchanging gifts this year, each one of them bought a $25 gift card, put them in card holders and we drew numbers. Whomever had #1 drew a card. Whomever had #2 could either take that one from person #1 or draw a new one. Everyone ended up with a great gift card and it was tons of fun.
Britt, Keith and Maliyah stayed home Christmas eve so Santa could visit. Kaylor stayed at Davin's house so they could go to their dad's early Christmas morning. This was the first Christmas ever since I've become a mom that I didn't have all my children sleeping under my roof on Christmas eve. I gotta' tell you it was sad.
Christmas morning we got up early and went to Britt & Keith's. We were there when Maliyah got up to see her reaction to the toys from Santa. Jerry & Keith made breakfast and my mom and grandmother joined us for that.
Later Christmas morning all my kids along with my brother, SIL, neice and nephew gathered at my mom's to open gifts from her. Then we came back to our house for Christmas Dinner that I made.
That afternoon, all the kids gathered here again and Jerry & I played Santa. It was pretty much a concensus that this was the best Christmas ever but then the kids say that every year :-) It was definitely the year of surprises. The kids had almost no idea of anything they were getting so it was pretty awesome!! Aside from clothes, games, household and miscellaneous items they had asked for, the big things for them were that Britt got a Coach purse, Coachwallet, Canon Rebel XT camera with extra lens. Davin got a Dooney & Bourke purse and wallet, Sony digital camera, Wii and a bunch of stuff for it. Kaylor got a really nice digital camera (can't remember what kind) that he was wanting , Wi-Fi hookup for his Xbox live, a new laptop & wireless internet. Amber got bunkbeds, a Wii with games, coach purse & wallet, a new laptop and wireless internet. Keith got a Liberty Bow and carl got a gas grill. Of course, Maliyah got everything imaginable between Santa and grandparents. She got a Peg Perego train to ride on that has real tracks. The thing covers Britt's living room. She also got a swing set, a battery powered car and a freakin' roller coaster LOL It's 10 ft long and has a car that takes her up and down little hills. She got a recliner for her house and a Pottery Barn chair for here. All in all...it was a great christmas, mainly because we were all together, healthy, happy, had a nice warm house, food to share and family and friends to share it with.
New Year's eve I made spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner. My mom came to visit. Maliyah was at her other grandparent's house so Jerry and I carried on our tradition of sleeping through the changing of the year :-)
I wish each of you the most properous, healthiest, happiest New Year possible!!
XOXO
We managed to get a lot worked into this past year. We started it off in the usual fashion New Year's eve of '06 hubby and I were asleep before midnight :-) In Jan we had a super surprise party for my grandmother's 91st birthday. It was a raging success and I'm very happy to say, in 9 more days, God willing, we'll have a quiet celebration for her 92nd.
In April Jerry & joined the First Baptist Church of Hokes bluff on Easter then were both Baptized the following Sunday. We've really been blessed to be part of such a wonderful congregation. We were welcomed warmly and have been made to feel a part of everything there.
In May Britt, Keith, Maliyah, my mom, Jerry and I took a trip to Vegas for a week. It was my mom's first trip there and she loved it. We stayed at the Excalibur and managed to leave behind enough money that they ended up comping our room AND all our meals. We had a great time though and plan to go back for a weekend this summer.
In June, our nephew, Jeremiah, graduated high school and we (Britt, Keith, Maliyah, Amber, Jerry & I) took a trip to PA for his graduation party. Both Jerry's brothers were there and it was an awesome time. First time Grammy has had all her boys together in 17 years. All 3 of them have been in the military and it's been impossible for them to gather at the same place. There was soooo much food and so many people there! We're really hoping to have an annual reunion amongst the immediate family. I know that would make Grammy and Pap extremely happy! By the way, we flew back first class and have decided to NEVER fly coach again :-)
July saw our annual 4th of July bash at my mom's pool. We still have a good time but it's just not the same without my dad. July 4th and Christmas were definitely his fave holidays.
August was the month we let Keith semi-plan our vacation. I was planning a trip to the beach but was having a hard time finding a large condo that would take pets that had a private pool. Keith suggested we go to Gatlinburg instead. What a great idea he had!! We rented a beautiful cabin (seriously, it was gorgeous!!). Britt, Keith, Maliyah, Jerry and I stayed the whole week. Amber got to come up for a few days. Davin and Kaylor were both working and didn't make it :-( We did something different every day and saw a different dinner show every night. It was great!! We're thinking of making the trip again this year for Thanksgiving.
September was boring LOL
Oct saw Maliyah's first birthday!!! I can NOT believe the child is over a year old already. It's just flown by. She is such a wonderful baby!! She's pleasant almost all the time and never ceases to put a smile on my face. Words could never begin to express how much I love that child.
Of course, you know about Thanksgiving already.
We couldn't find an Angel Tree for kids around so we sponsored a child through the Baptist Missions Center. We also did an Angel Tree for the elderly. We chose an elderly man at a nursing home and got him shirts, sweat pants, socks and houseshoes. I hope he enjoys them. :-)
Christmas Eve we (meaning all the kids this time plus a couple of their friends that are like family) gathered with my extended family on my dad's side at my grandmother's house. We had homemade vegetable soup, tons of desserts and exchanged gifts. Afterwards we gathered at Britt & Keith's house for Jerry & I to open gifts from the kids and each other. The kids outdid themselves this year. I got a ginormous set of super nice luggage, a Coach purse, Coach contact case, Coach medicine case, spice rack, mirror and A COACH WATCH with diamond markers. It is GORGEOUS!! Jerry got a beautiful personalized archaeological Bible, new tree stand, new camo and a Liberty Bow. We also gave each of the kids one gift from us. Instead of all the kids exchanging gifts this year, each one of them bought a $25 gift card, put them in card holders and we drew numbers. Whomever had #1 drew a card. Whomever had #2 could either take that one from person #1 or draw a new one. Everyone ended up with a great gift card and it was tons of fun.
Britt, Keith and Maliyah stayed home Christmas eve so Santa could visit. Kaylor stayed at Davin's house so they could go to their dad's early Christmas morning. This was the first Christmas ever since I've become a mom that I didn't have all my children sleeping under my roof on Christmas eve. I gotta' tell you it was sad.
Christmas morning we got up early and went to Britt & Keith's. We were there when Maliyah got up to see her reaction to the toys from Santa. Jerry & Keith made breakfast and my mom and grandmother joined us for that.
Later Christmas morning all my kids along with my brother, SIL, neice and nephew gathered at my mom's to open gifts from her. Then we came back to our house for Christmas Dinner that I made.
That afternoon, all the kids gathered here again and Jerry & I played Santa. It was pretty much a concensus that this was the best Christmas ever but then the kids say that every year :-) It was definitely the year of surprises. The kids had almost no idea of anything they were getting so it was pretty awesome!! Aside from clothes, games, household and miscellaneous items they had asked for, the big things for them were that Britt got a Coach purse, Coachwallet, Canon Rebel XT camera with extra lens. Davin got a Dooney & Bourke purse and wallet, Sony digital camera, Wii and a bunch of stuff for it. Kaylor got a really nice digital camera (can't remember what kind) that he was wanting , Wi-Fi hookup for his Xbox live, a new laptop & wireless internet. Amber got bunkbeds, a Wii with games, coach purse & wallet, a new laptop and wireless internet. Keith got a Liberty Bow and carl got a gas grill. Of course, Maliyah got everything imaginable between Santa and grandparents. She got a Peg Perego train to ride on that has real tracks. The thing covers Britt's living room. She also got a swing set, a battery powered car and a freakin' roller coaster LOL It's 10 ft long and has a car that takes her up and down little hills. She got a recliner for her house and a Pottery Barn chair for here. All in all...it was a great christmas, mainly because we were all together, healthy, happy, had a nice warm house, food to share and family and friends to share it with.
New Year's eve I made spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner. My mom came to visit. Maliyah was at her other grandparent's house so Jerry and I carried on our tradition of sleeping through the changing of the year :-)
I wish each of you the most properous, healthiest, happiest New Year possible!!
XOXO
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