Dug the Talking Dog

The best character in the movie - Squirrel!

It Pays to Speak Up 2

Then, about a year ago, I went to Oggi's with a friend. We decided to sit at the bar for dinner since the restaurant was quite crowded. We received such poor service it was almost comical. There were two hot, young bartender/waitresses working behind the counter, and they would regularly serve the groups of lecherous, obnoxious guys to the right and left of us, but we could not get a drink or food order in without waving flares and flashing signal lights. Chasing tips, I guess? That was what made the situation so bad - it's one thing if you can see that the servers are overworked and running their asses off, doing the best they can. I would never begrudge waiters in that situation. But these gals would lean over the bar and have minutes-long flirtatious conversations with the testosterone crew, while I sat there for 10 minutes with an empty glass.

After we finished our food, I asked to speak to a manager (I was pretty emboldened two beers in...). I explained to her that I just wanted her to be aware of the situation, that I was used to such great service at Oggi's and that tonight was such a marked contrast, etc., etc. And that led to - you guessed it - sincere apologies and our bill being swiftly retracted.

Once again, I was so happy to see Oggi's step up to the plate. Admittedly, I felt a wee bit guilty knowing that those two servers were probably reprimanded. However, because of that manager's attention, I have been back on many occasions since...and have been pleased with the service each and every time!

It Pays to Speak Up

I am not normally a complainer. Stop laughing, it's true. I'm a very easygoing person, am not easily upset by everyday frustrations, and am always looking for the silver lining. However, when it comes to customer service, I do get a little bit picky. It's expensive to go out these days, and I am pretty annoyed when an establishment does not take basic steps to show me that my business is appreciated. Usually, if I'm disappointed in the service I get at a restaurant or a store, I just don't go back. But occasionally, I feel the need to let the powers that be know how I feel.

A couple of years ago, I went to El Torito with a couple of other people. We sat down about ten minutes before happy hour was to end, and it took forever to get served. But by the time a waiter finally approached our table, there was still a minute or two left before 7:00, so we quickly got in our order for drinks and that delicious fresh guacamole they make. When the waiter returned with the appetizer, he informed us that happy hour prices would not apply. He claimed that the computerized register locked him out beginning at 7, and that there was nothing he could do. "Bullshit," I thought. We asked to speak to a manager. A manager never came. I fumed in silence...It wasn't about the money, of course, we were talking about 5 or 6 dollars. It was the fact that this restaurant was not doing anything to try to make us happy! But we didn't push it any more that night so as to avoid unwanted additives in our food.

The next day, I went on to the El Torito web page to see if there was a way I could complain. I emailed the corporate office and basically told them that I was disappointed and I wanted to let them know so that they could improve customer service in the future. The response I received shocked me! I got a personal phone call from the regional manager, apologizing like crazy. He said that all stores have the ability to override the computer and that we definitely should have been treated differently. He said that he had spoken with the manager of the restaurant we visited, and that he wanted to make sure I returned to El Torito in the future, so he was sending me a voucher for a meal on the house.

A few days later, the voucher arrived, in the form of a typed letter from the regional manager. I decided to go to a different El Torito to, once again, avoid spit in my food. When I handed the employees at this El Torito the letter, they were bending over backward to make us happy. The manager personally came over to apologize for my previous bad experience, and he comped the entire meal for myself and my guest - drinks, appetizers, entrees, and dessert. I was so stunned and pleased. El Torito has a fan for life!

The Visitors are Coming

Terminator: Salvation was pretty ho-hum, so I shall transfer my excitement to the 'V' reboot:

Whoa...Dude...

Have you already seen this? Hilarious!

Physical Therapy

I've been attending physical therapy for about three weeks now. I've had an ongoing hip injury since, oh, around Christmas, and I finally decided it was time to deal with it rather than ignore and hope it would go away. The funny thing is, I ran the Rock and Roll Marathon last June without a single problem in training or on race day. It's curious that this problem popped up when I was just running recreationally. My doctor thinks maybe there is something wrong with my posture/running form that is exacerbated when I'm fatigued. So he sent me to the PT to get my gait adjusted while also working out the knot in my hip. Luckily, it turns out the joint itself is perfectly healthy - it's tightness in the surrounding muscle tissue and ligament that seems to be causing the pain.

Physical therapy is pretty interesting. I work with Kathleen, who is about 5'7", probably 110 pounds soaking wet, and is about as strong as the Incredible Hulk. She climbs up on the table and digs her thumbs into my hip until I want to cry. What's cool is that Kathleen has a student PT working with her, and as they go through my therapy, they talk a lot about what they are doing. I feel like I'm learning a little bit about my body, and it's nice to hear all of the different justifications for the assessments, stretches, and exercises they put me through.

So far, the sessions have each started with some kind of assessment of my range of motion. Next, comes an ultrasound on my hip. The heat and vibrations are supposed to loosen things up in there. Then, it's on to the "massage," which I put in quotation marks because to me, massage has a whole different meaning than the torture Kathleen inflicts on me. Finally, it's on to stretching and strengthening exercises. I've even gotten to use a pilates reformer table a couple of times (it's this crazy-looking piece of exercise equipment with lots of springs and sliding parts). Kathleen sends me packing after an hour with homework exercises I'm supposed to do twice a day.

The PT is not bad, really (except for the massage), but it is kind of tiring and I've been pretty sore on the following day. But it's all worthwhile if this will get me back to running on the beach trails soon - I miss it!

Cystic Fibrosis Walk

This year, I am once again participating in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s GREAT STRIDES walk at DeAnza Cove on May 16.

As many of you know, I am a genetic carrier for Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic Fibrosis is a devastating genetic disease that affects children and young adults. Please help me meet my fund-raising goal of $150 by sponsoring me. Nearly 90 cents out of every dollar you contribute goes directly toward supporting research and specialized care that improves the quality of life for those with CF. And, it's tax-deductible. Making a donation is easy and secure! Just click on the link below to make a donation to my fund-raising page where your donation will be credited to my team. Any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated!

http://www.cff.org/great_strides/JenniferHoward

Oh, and if you’d like to walk too, just let me know!! Thank you!!

Update: The walk was great. Thanks Meg, Mom, and Jared for donating!! I've met my goal!!

Extra Fiber Maybe?

My dog Brandy is a big girl now. She is going on nine years old this August, so she is not too much of a troublemaker anymore. When she was a young pup, I used to have to take deep cleansing breaths before opening the door when I arrived home in the afternoons. I never knew what kind of mess or destruction I might see. She has opened drawers and cupboards to pull out goodies, she's eaten rice, chocolate, textured vegetable protein, powdered drink mix, hard candies, and countless other food and non-food items. I have picked up garbage that's been merrily tossed all over the floor and licked clean more time times than I can count. Brandy has chewed walls and furniture, and I will never forget the time I opened the door and had the impression that it had snowed indoors: she had opened up the down couch cushions and there were feathers everywhere. But like I said, these days, she is usually just content to sleep while I'm gone. However every so often, she goes looking for adventure....

Tonight, while I was out, Brandy was looking for some fun or perhaps some treats:
Yup, they are what you think they are. She ripped open the whole damn box, flung 'em everywhere and chewed on most of them individually. I can just imagine her thinking, "Surely there must be cookies inside of THIS one!...Darn...Oh what's in this package?!"