Agonotheta

« September 2005 | Main | November 2005 »

October 25, 2005

I'm a Bartender

I started my second job this weekend, bartending. When I arrived, I was assigned one person to follow around and they would show me the ropes. He asked if I had any experience bartending, to which I replied, "no."

Him: Did you go to school?
Me: No

Him: Do you have any drinking experience?
Me: Plenty. At the minimum four years of undergrad experience.

Him: I have four years experience in the Marines. I can outdrink any college boy.
Me: ...

Obviously, a very mature bartender. In his first five minutes he turned our conversation into a pissing match. Anyway, as I continued helping out I learned where we have to pick up the clean glasses and set them up; where we get the big tanks full of bottles of beer; how we set up the bar; how to run the registers; and the "legal way*" to mix various drinks that I've been making for years.

It was a lot of fun. My favorite part about it is chatting with the customers. I love it. It is very much providing a customer service, but not under the normal circumstances. What I mean is that you're not dealing with people who are in a bad mood because their internet isn't working. All the people that come up to you are in a good mood and of course are getting in better moods with every swallow.

My first shift I pretty much watched, rang up a few customers, opened bottles of beer, and salted some rims of glasses for margaritas (which along with cosmos are the strongest drink that we can make). The second shift I would take several turns running the bar for several minutes at a time with a veteran bartender watching and providing expertise.

On Thursday I'll be running my own bar without anyone providing any help. Yeah, I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure that once I get my first few drinks made and I start chatting it up with the customers I'm sure I'll do just fine.

* If you're not from Utah, our alcohol laws are very different. Basically, you cannot have more than one ounce of any one liquor in any one drink. From there, you can have as much "flavoring" (something like triple sec) as you choose. What this means is that if you are making a margarita you would pour one ounce of tequila into a shaker and then add as much triple sec as you desire, your lime juice, sweet and sour and margarita mix.

October 18, 2005

On A Clear Day ...

October 17, 2005

Ultimate Spider-Man

Last weekend, both intentionally and unintentionally, I ended up playing a lot of PS2. I had borrowed Ultimate Spider-Man from my 12 year-old nephew (future blog post light goes off in head) because he and his family would be on vacation for a few days and I knew he wouldn't be playing it.

After only a few hours of play I had beaten the main storyline of the game. It wasn't all that difficult and there was only about eight or ten "boss" battles. But what I thought was so well done in this game was the comic book aspect of it. Apparently, the goal of the writers and designers was to immerse the player into a 3D comic book world. From the awesome web-slinging to Midtown High in Queens, New York they definitely achieved their goal. Honestly, I don't think I've ever had as much fun in a video game as I do when I'm swinging through Manhattan.

Check out the trailer and you'll understand what I mean.

Another thing I find interesting is its close relationship to a game like Grand Theft Auto. Sure, GTA is rated M for Mature and of course Ultimate Spider-Man is rated T for Teen, but it seems as though the designers took a page from GTA and made the gameplay the same in that you can roam the city completely free. Like GTA, it also has many "side missions" where the player can get lost doing things as simple as swinging around town stopping capers and helping hurt citizens and even get into some races with Human Torch of Fantastic Four fame.

October 14, 2005

What Can I Get You?

On my lunch hour this afternoon I went to a job interview at the Grand America Hotel. No, I'm not quitting my day job as a lowly school district webmaster. I am, in fact, getting a second job. A night job as a ... drum roll please ... bartender. Kick ass, huh? I'm really excited. Even though I have zero experience, I've wanted to tend bar for years. I do have four years of undergrad bartending experience, but I'm not sure if they would consider that a "real" job.

The Grand America, if you're unaware, is the only five-diamond hotel in Utah. It's host to hundreds of parties and conventions a year, including one for the Governor. This time a year all of the big hotels in Salt Lake hire extra staff to accomodate the visitors who come to enjoy the "Greatest Snow on Earth."

Why am I doing this you ask? It's all about the Benjamins baby. And of course, papa needs a new pair of shoes. Actually, I just want to pay off student loans faster.

So, before long I'll be saying, "What can I get you?"

October 14, 2005

Street Fair

October 13, 2005

Promenade at Dusk

October 04, 2005

The Only Living Boy In New York

Upon returning from New York everybody I know has asked me what I did. I mean, I was there for nine days, right? I must have done so much. I did. And I didn't.

List of what I did:

• » American Museum of Natural History
• » Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met)
• » Last New York Yankees home game of 2005 season
• » Central Park
• » Times Square
• » 5th Avenue shopping
• » Empire State Building
• » China Town/Little Italy

List of what I didn't do that I wanted to:

• » Statue of Liberty
• » Guggenheim
• » Explore Brooklyn more

It may be silly, but New York City is such a symbolic place (to me, at least) that just being there and visiting some of the amazing buildings, landmarks, neighborhoods, and simply walking around were things that needed to be done.

I have a few stories that I need to tell you and I'm going to try to spread out over the next couple days. So stay tuned.

October 03, 2005

Statue of Neil