Random Thought Thread

[Riggo-toni]

Kate Beckinsale at 43...oh my.

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Damn, what a bad start to the weekend (last Friday) and week (yesterday).  My internet upstairs was giving me ****ty speeds, so I power cycled the modem to reset the connection, then the internet wouldn't come back on.  Spoke with a tech and they told me they had to put in a ticket to engineering to look at it and it could take up to 2 hours.  **** was down last Monday and they fixed it in 15 mins while I was on hold, but the rep stated it wasn't their proper protocol, WTF ever.  Called them back 2.5 hours later and demanded they escalate the issue, they did and got me back up and said they still wanted to send a tech out Saturday as my speeds were still lower than they should be.

 

Later that day (around 8:45 pm), the ****ing AC stopped working.  And it was going to get into the mid to high 90s Sat. and Sunday.  Luckily, the company we use offers weekend repair, and was able to send someone out Saturday morning to take a look at it.  I then noticed while my upstairs internet was working when connected directly to the modem, my wireless network channels were gone.  Not showing up at all on the list.

 

Saturday morning, Windstream guy comes, swaps out the modem and tells me when they fixed the old one's connection they screwed up the wireless.  AC shows up later that morning, can fix it, but had to drop $800 on parts, labor and afterhours/weekend rates.  Everything was finally looking up.  Then yesterday comes.  At 8:45 am my downstairs internet (through Spectrum - for work) goes out.  I had to then find my 100 ft ethernet cable and run it from upstairs to my work computer downstairs so I could continue working.  **** was out all day long.

 

I called back around 6pm and it said it was back-up, but mine wasn't.  Call them and they tell me it's my modem or something outside, I get them to escalate to get a guy out there last night.  Provide them with both my home and cell phone #s and specifically instruct them to make sure all calls that are to my home phone, if not answered, they call my cell as I will have to step-out at some point and want to make sure I'm there when they are coming to take a look at it.  Dispatch calls me and sets me up for a 7-8 time slot.

 

Drama with Tazette ensued from 6:30 - 8:30.........no calls from Spectrum either, nobody showed up.  We go out to eat dinner at one of the local pubs/restaurants and there is literally 4 people sitting at the bar, a couple at one end and two people at the other end, like 8 seats open in the middle.  I prefer to sit at the bar, even with Tazette because 1) there is no smoking anymore inside restaurants in NC, 2) you get better service at the bar, the bartender is right in front of you and 3)I wanted to relax some and watch the beginning of the basketball game.

 

One of the managers (one I don't know, I do know one of the owners wives, her sister - another mgr and a lot of the staff) tells me that they have a policy at the bar for kids that if your feet don't touch the floor (due to the seats) then you have to sit at a table or booth due to liability in case they were to fall.  I've been through this bull**** before at a different place years ago, they can **** off with that BS.  I look at the guy and say my feet don't touch the floor and I'm 6'2".  He laughs and then says he meant the raised up floor underneath.  Which Tazettes feet touch, hell she's not much shorter than the guy himself.  

 

So we have to move to a flipping booth.  At this point, I wanted to just leave.  But it was late, I go there often to eat, so I suck it up.  Then Tazette starts backtalking, etc., which started getting on my last nerve.  Get home, two calls from Spectrum were on caller ID, no msg left on my answering machine (came in at 8:34pm and 8:37pm) and the ****ers never called my cell phone like instructed.

 

I call back and am told that the guy came out and I wasn't home, then I just lost it.  While ensuring this poor lady that it was not her fault, I went on a full out Denis Leary type rant you would hear in an episode of Rescue Me.  I get off the phone and say to my wife, I think she was about to cry.  My wife was like WTF, that was pretty harsh.  Needless to say, the outage was back (never was fixed).  Finally came back up like 30 mins ago.  

 

First world problems........I get it.  I just cannot stand dealing with stupid ****.

[Riggo-toni]

I gotta be honest with you dude - my biggest reason for eating at the bar is that there are no children allowed. It annoys the **** out of me on those rare occasions when bartenders let it slide (in NJ it was illegal for minors to sit at the bar. Not sure about here in GA).

[LadySkinsFan]

Horrible service, I hope you reported it. 

 

My experience with Peapod last week. Guy came by within the delivery window. That's good. He spends about two minutes loading up the bin to bring up to the porch. He then empties the bin in about a minute. Asked him about the eggs (1.5 doz), can see from the bag that it's wet, so broken eggs (6), blueberries spilled out of clamshells into bag but okay, and packaged coleslaw package broke open, milk dripping on my porch. He writes up the order about the eggs. Then turns back and wants to use my bathroom, of course I said No. 

 

Immediately wrote an email reporting my experience. Peapod refunds eggs, blueberries, and coleslaw. Don't know what they did about the guy asking to use my bathroom. I don't let the Peapod guys come into my house at all, meet them at the porch. It's a safety thing. 

 

Since the camper is parked in the street attached to my car, I don't want to drive it too the grocery store. Major pain. And as long as it's attached to the Tahoe, I am not getting tickets. Plus I move the spot every few days and it's obvious no one is staying in it.

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Just now, Riggo-toni said:

I gotta be honest with you dude - my biggest reason for eating at the bar is that there are no children allowed. It annoys the **** out of me on those rare occasions when bartenders let it slide (in NJ it was illegal for minors to sit at the bar. Not sure about here in GA).

 

It's not illegal in NC.  And if it's their policy to not allow children at the bar, that's 100% fine by me.  Just tell me that, just like that.  Don't come at me with some bull**** excuse about her being too short to sit in a chair and toss in liability if she falls, blah blah blah.  And for the record, my wife told me she sees kids at that very same bar when she goes into get carry-out, granted they are playing on one of those bar-top video games.  

 

She didn't say that to them, which is fine, I pick my battles and honestly, the mood I was in last night, if I had started on the guy, it would have ended badly, cause I was definitely a loose cannon.  And knowing one of the owners wives and her sister and staff, I didn't want to make a scene.  

 

I will say this, if I ever see any kids at the bar there, even at the end playing that video game machine, and he's there, I'm gonna tell him he better tell them they can't sit there and move them to a booth/table like he did my kid.  

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

5 minutes ago, LadySkinsFan said:

Horrible service, I hope you reported it. 

 

My experience with Peapod last week. Guy came by within the delivery window. That's good. He spends about two minutes loading up the bin to bring up to the porch. He then empties the bin in about a minute. Asked him about the eggs (1.5 doz), can see from the bag that it's wet, so broken eggs (6), blueberries spilled out of clamshells into bag but okay, and packaged coleslaw package broke open, milk dripping on my porch. He writes up the order about the eggs. Then turns back and wants to use my bathroom, of course I said No. 

 

Immediately wrote an email reporting my experience. Peapod refunds eggs, blueberries, and coleslaw. Don't know what they did about the guy asking to use my bathroom. I don't let the Peapod guys come into my house at all, meet them at the porch. It's a safety thing. 

 

Since the camper is parked in the street attached to my car, I don't want to drive it too the grocery store. Major pain. And as long as it's attached to the Tahoe, I am not getting tickets. Plus I move the spot every few days and it's obvious no one is staying in it.

 

That sucks, breaks your eggs, destroys other groceries and then asks to use your bathroom.  What a tool.  

 

Report Spectrum?  I haven't yet, might do so later if I remember.  As for the restaurant, I didn't report it, probably won't because it is one of our local pubs, family owned (two families) and I actually enjoy going there.   Thinking about it, we all went there to eat lunch (me, wife, Tazette) and sat at the bar and had no issues a few months ago.  

 

 

[Kosher Ham]

Bro, you can't take you daughter to the bar at Hooters. 

 

That **** would have set me off too. 

Thing with restaurants that is a NEED is consistency. Especially when is comes to food quality and policies of the business. 

 

[Elessar78]

31 minutes ago, Riggo-toni said:

I gotta be honest with you dude - my biggest reason for eating at the bar is that there are no children allowed. It annoys the **** out of me on those rare occasions when bartenders let it slide (in NJ it was illegal for minors to sit at the bar. Not sure about here in GA).

Bad parenting moment last week related to this. We were on vacation and met some friends at a restaurant. The place was pretty empty and our kids were milling around the table. At some point, a waiter comes up to us, "can you not let the kids throw the frisbee around in here—they almost hit a patron."

 

I'm like WTF? We didn't come with any frisbees, so I don't know how they got hold of one. I guess our friends had one in their stroller and the kids had snuck off a bit behind us and started throwing it. 

 

Probably the most shameful, thing I've experienced as a parent so far. 

 

Anyway, so waiter tells us this, and I whip my head around to see where they are and the guy at the bar is turning around and yelling at us because the kids were still throwing the frisbee. #baddad

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Just now, Kosher Ham said:

Bro, you can't take you daughter to the bar at Hooters. 

 

That **** would have set me off too. 

Thing with restaurants that is a NEED is consistency. Especially when is comes to food quality and policies of the business. 

 

 

And I'm 100% fine with that if that's their policy.  Preach on Brother Kosh!  That's all I want, consistency and straight/real talk, no BS reason, I don't need to be coddled or have stuff sugar coated.  Especially when they have never said a word about it before and other kids sit there all the time.  

 

Another reason I prefer to sit at the bar is there is usually seats available right away (for places that have wait times) and you can eat there and get in and out quicker.  Plus all of the other reasons I stated above.  And I completely understand those who don't want kids sitting at the bar too.  

 

We never take Tazette to Hooters anyhow, unless it's running in to pick-up carry-out.  While it's not a strip club or anything, I personally don't think younger kids (both boys and girls) should even dine in there.  Though I see families eating there all the time with kids of all ages, sitting in booths/tables of course.  But most chain restaurants don't seem to care (Outback, Chilies, Longhorn, O'Charleys, Ruby Tuesday, Applebee's, etc.).

 

Speaking of Hooters, me you and @pjfootballer need to get together again and eat some wings, drink some beers.

[Warhead36]

People still go to Hooters?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Just now, Warhead36 said:

People still go to Hooters?

 

You don't go to Hooters? 

[JSSkinz]

I still think Hooters has the best wings and the best massive grouper sandwich.

[Elessar78]

2 minutes ago, JSSkinz said:

I still think Hooters has the best wings and the best massive grouper sandwich.

I was just at Hooters this past week. First time in 2 years. I got their smoked wings: excellent. 

[Spaceman Spiff]

4 minutes ago, JSSkinz said:

I still think Hooters has the best wings and the best massive grouper sandwich.

 

I think their wings are pretty good.  For best quality of wings I go to red hot and blue, they always have good sized wings and good flavor.  But if I want to hate myself for the next 12-24 hours, it's Hooters all the way.  

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Just now, Elessar78 said:

Bad parenting moment last week related to this. We were on vacation and met some friends at a restaurant. The place was pretty empty and our kids were milling around the table. At some point, a waiter comes up to us, "can you not let the kids throw the frisbee around in here—they almost hit a patron."

 

I'm like WTF? We didn't come with any frisbees, so I don't know how they got hold of one. I guess our friends had one in their stroller and the kids had snuck off a bit behind us and started throwing it. 

 

Probably the most shameful, thing I've experienced as a parent so far. 

 

Anyway, so waiter tells us this, and I whip my head around to see where they are and the guy at the bar is turning around and yelling at us because the kids were still throwing the frisbee. #baddad

 

Bad parenting......nah.  Guy yelling at your kid.......this reminded me of our flight home from Disney World back in 2012.  I had just started to doze off, next thing I know the guy in front of us (was him and his daughter who appeared to be in her 20s) starts screaming at Tazette about kicking his seat.  Like flat out standing up and yelling at her.  Wife said she barely hit the back of his seat when she was getting re-situated.  

 

I went off on his ass, entire plane watching, my mom (sitting one row behind me and across the aisle) telling me to calm down.  I told him to sit his ass down and never say another word to my child again.  That if has something to say, talk to me or my wife and we will take care of it (she was only 4 years old at the time).  He mumbled something else and I just said, wait till the ****ing plane lands.

 

He got off the plane before me and once I got off, I found him and said something like, "Hey tough guy, why don't you run your ****ing mouth to me or my kid now?"  "Talking **** when we were up in the air cause you knew I couldn't do anything about it."  His daughter was like, dad lets go now.  Wife and my parents weren't happy, another one of those days I lost my ****

[JSSkinz]

1 minute ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

 

I think their wings are pretty good.  For best quality of wings I go to red hot and blue, they always have good sized wings and good flavor.  But if I want to hate myself for the next 12-24 hours, it's Hooters all the way.  

1

I would check it out but I'm on the west coast of Florida, no Red Hot and Blue down here.

[Spaceman Spiff]

1 minute ago, JSSkinz said:

I would check it out but I'm on the west coast of Florida, no Red Hot and Blue down here.

 

That's a bummer.  It's a DMV local chain that does some decent bbq.  Wings are half price on happy hour.  

[JSSkinz]

Just now, Spaceman Spiff said:

 

That's a bummer.  It's a DMV local chain that does some decent bbq.  Wings are half price on happy hour.  

One of the things I miss about the DMV is the food, Tampa has some decent stuff but I'm closer to the water about 30 miles away so its slim pickings.

[Spaceman Spiff]

2 minutes ago, JSSkinz said:

One of the things I miss about the DMV is the food, Tampa has some decent stuff but I'm closer to the water about 30 miles away so its slim pickings.

 

Man, I had some great food in Tampa.  You can't go there every day, but Bern's is awesome.  That place was fantastic.  And there was a sushi place that was awesome in Ybor City, I can't remember the name of it.

 

I really like it down there.  My goal is to make enough money this year so I can go down to Miami or Tampa and work remotely for a month and a half or so from late january/early february through mid March.   

[Elessar78]

4 minutes ago, JSSkinz said:

One of the things I miss about the DMV is the food, Tampa has some decent stuff but I'm closer to the water about 30 miles away so its slim pickings.

IT was my first time in Tampa this past week. We were technically in Clearwater and Indian Rocks beach, but we flew into Tampa. Nice place—I look forward to coming back. 

[LadySkinsFan]

My local Red Hot &Blue is gone and replaced with Mission BBQ. They are pretty good, several kinds of BBQ, good sides and sauces. 

[JSSkinz]

Just now, Spaceman Spiff said:

 

Man, I had some great food in Tampa.  You can't go there every day, but Bern's is awesome.  That place was fantastic.  And there was a sushi place that was awesome in Ybor City, I can't remember the name of it.

 

I really like it down there.  My goal is to make enough money this year so I can go down to Miami or Tampa and work remotely for a month and a half or so from late january/early february through mid March.   

Burns is great but try Charley's Steak House next time if you want to mix it up, you won't be disappointed.

[Spaceman Spiff]

2 minutes ago, LadySkinsFan said:

My local Red Hot &Blue is gone and replaced with Mission BBQ. They are pretty good, several kinds of BBQ, good sides and sauces. 

 

I went to one in Richmond a couple years back, I remember it being pretty good.  One opened up near my parents a couple weeks ago, I plan on checking it out here soon.  

[LadySkinsFan]

2 minutes ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

 

Man, I had some great food in Tampa.  You can't go there every day, but Bern's is awesome.  That place was fantastic.  And there was a sushi place that was awesome in Ybor City, I can't remember the name of it.

 

I really like it down there.  My goal is to make enough money this year so I can go down to Miami or Tampa and work remotely for a month and a half or so from late january/early february through mid March.   

 

My place in Coral Gables was my remote and vacation place, and future retirement but pets, so I sold it. Lots of fun in Miami, worked for six months for Lucent and Lucent do Brasil when Brasil was putting out bids over the whole country for wireless infrastructure and more. Fun assignment. 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Just now, JSSkinz said:

Burns is great but try Charley's Steak House next time if you want to mix it up, you won't be disappointed.

 

That was the other place that was recommended to us.  Definitely will hit up Charley's, remember seeing it from the highway.