Post-Hurricane Irene

Here we are the day after Irene and the winds are still whipping around us. At least the rain has stopped which means that those areas that have flooded will have a chance to have the waters recede. So how did the storm affect me.

To be honest, gladly the storm didn't hit as was predicted. Staying up all most of the night watching movies on Netflix (Iron Man 2, Fire and Ice and Operation: Barbarossa) and drinking coffee, I have to admit that the rain and wind were quite soothing. That's easy for me to say since I live on the top floor of a private house and didn't experience any flooding or power outage. The worst thing of the storm was some broken branches, leaves and a lack of cable TV.

All in all, I believe that the administrations of Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo did the right thing by shutting down the MTA. Even though I still believe that it was a "knee-jerk" reaction (to Mayor Bloomberg's bad handling of the blizzard last winter) to the storm, I would hate to imagine how bad it would be with the tunnels flooded in Lower Manhattan and passengers stuck on trains, as well as, cars being at the mercy of high winds on the bridges. Already there is limited bus service and hopefully full service will be restored by the time I have to go to work tomorrow night. I'm just glad that (as far as I know) everyone that I know came out of this safe. Back to the daily grind tomorrow.

FH

Is It Really Wise to be Drunk During a Hurricane?

I have to say that I am really astonished that so many people that I know through Facebook are actually drinking and getting drunk with the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene. I mean think about it folks, wouldn't you  like to be at your peak mentally and physically when the shit hits the proverbial fan?

Maybe the weather isn't "hurricane-like" but do you really want to be hungover when it does show up? I know how my hangovers can be, and let me tell you, I can barely get up to go to the bathroom when hungover let alone possibly being told to evacuate in a crisis situation.

I know some of you will say: Well, you work in a bar. Yes, I do. I've done so for 15 years or so and I have been serving drinks "professionally" for the last three months. I say "professionally" in a general sense since I am no way near being a professional bartender. Amateurish sure but I'm taking my baby steps to the next level. But I digress. 

Those of you who really know me can attest to the fact that I have always been conflicted with people who drink and those who are drunk. Maybe it has to do with having a father who drank too much and seeing myself walk down that same path. Who knows what really goes on in this big old noggin' of mine. But I do think that getting piss drunk and hanging out on a rooftop or on a beach/shoreline or in an area that is deemed to be hazardous due to potential flooding while "waiting" for the hurricane to show up is a bad idea. Do I think the media is playing things up? Sure do. Why? Who the fuck knows. Ratings? All I can think about is that in optimal survival situations, being impaired by drugs, alcohol or any other type of impairing agent is not a good idea. 

Maybe I am acting older than my 38 years say I am. Maybe I feel that my time here on this little mudball is limited and I want to enjoy it to the fullest. Maybe I want to be here for my family and not be the jackass that gets drunk, crashes his car and runs round drunk in a potential Category 1 or higher Hurricane. In the end, like I told my wife earlier: There's so much that we can control. And I can't control how people are going to act. 

Don't be surprised if the next time you pop into the bar and ask me to do a shot and I politely decline. I think the best way to do something that I can control is by doing it by example instead of sitting here bitching about it while I'm bored at home. LOL. Sisco's off the sauce for an undetermined period of time. I'll get off of my soapbox now. May you all be safe out there during the next few days.

FH

Hey Mother Nature You Trying to Tell Us Something?

Is Mother Nature trying to tell us something? Between last Wednesday's minor earthquake here in NYC and the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene, we have an unprecedented one-two punch of nature's fury. The last time that I remember a hurricane causing this kind of panic in the NYC area was either Hurricane Gloria in 1985 and/or Hurricane Bob in 1991. Luckily for me, I don't read into these natural events as being a sign of something to come. But is it? Could it just be that it's a coincidence that these natural occurrences have happened at the same time? Will it be as bad as the media and politicians are making it seem to be?

I mean the NYC Public Transit system is slated to be shut down at noon on Saturday night. The only time I can remember the entire system being shut down is during the last two transit strikes. Even during the blackouts and on 9/11 there was service (with the buses). Is it a "knee jerk" reaction? I believe it could be especially with the Mayor of NYC Michael Bloomberg. His public approval rating dropped significantly after this past winter's blizzard and lack of a coordinated effort by the City in snow clean-up. Maybe it's better to err on the side of caution.  I guess we'll just wait and see what happens. May everyone be safe during the next few days.

FH 

On My Way Home From Work

So after working a seven day in a row stretch, here's a few highlights of my ride home:

- The token booth clerk at the Uptown Bleecker Street Station is in apparent need for a potty break. So as he's walking towards the bathroom door, he lights up a smoke and proceeds to smoke it before going in. Hey, I understand sometimes you need a smoke before using the can but as far as I know its illegal to smoke on MTA property. Why can someone who pays get busted but an employee not. And this would be the same guy to yell out "Pay Your Fare" at someone hopping the turnstile. Smells hypocritical to me. Just saying.

- There's a drunk and hungry dude who stumbles on to the train. Why do I think he's hungry? He's holding onto an open can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew and eating the contents can to mouth. Apparently there are no utensils required with this meal. To make matters worse, his upper lip and chin were red from the can hitting his face with every bump the train made. At least his tummy was full. Yummo!!!

- There's a family that gets on the train on 125th Street with two kids and a baby. I know its 5:00am, maybe they had somewhere to go. So the baby starts letting out the kind of screams that Jamie Lee Curtis was known for in the late 1970's horror flicks. Hey, I had kids. I know when they are that age they cry. Its how they communicate. I personally didn't mind since I had my headphones on, but the other riders, especially those who were sleeping might have something different to say. But I digress.

So the kid is letting it rip and the parents are scrambling to prepare a bottle of formula. Mom is holding the baby and gives dad a bottle to rinse out. Mind you we're on the 6 train. Dad takes a Coke bottle with water and transfers some to the empty baby bottle to clean it out. He rinses it a bit and empties the contents on the platform.

Ok, cool. But apparently the bottle wasn't clean enough. So he decides to do it again. This time it seems that he's trying to time his dumping of the water with the closing of the train doors. He mis-times the empting of the bottle and instead of dumping the water on the platform, it hits the now closed door causing a wet mess on the floor and on the sleeping person on the other side of the door. Finally he makes the formula and the kid eats and goes to sleep.

- As I'm walking towards the bus stop near Parkchester, this person is walking my way wearing a pink dress. I'm assuming that its a woman (though I can't tell from their looks). So let's use "She" for a lack of a better term. She is looking for empty bottles and can. Hey, doing her part for the environment. That's cool. But that's not why she catches my eye. As we cross paths, I notice that she is well endowed with a large bosom and a pair of the biggest and hardest nipples that I have ever seen on anyone that is dressed. I mean these were protruding to the point that I had to do a double take along with the other people walking in my direction. If those missles were that noticble when she's dressed, she'd poke an eye or two out when she would remove her bra. Again, Just saying.

And with that, I am almost home. Can anything else happen? LOL.

FH

A-Rod, Poker and MLB.

After a few quiet years of no Alex Rodriguez controversies, the tabloids have dusted off their presses. The papers here in NYC have reported that A-Rod is being investigated to see if he was involved in any underground and illegal poker games in 2009. It is believed that the games were frequented by such A-list movie stars as Tobey McGuire, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. You know what I think about it? I really don't care.

Now, I understand Major League Baseball's sore spot when it comes to gambling. The game has yet to shake off the results of the 1919 Black Sox scandal where a number of Chicago White Sox players took bribes to throw the World Series. I mean look at Pete Rose, forever banned from the game for betting on the game. The league banned legends Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays for a year because they took a job at a casino AFTER they had retired. Mantle and Mays aside, A-Rod's case differs from the others I listed. 

Where these Black Sox and Rose examples affected the play of baseball, A-Rod is playing poker, not betting on Baseball games. Sure, I understand the point where his bosses and MLB told him directly andI indirectly to stop engaging in underground card games but haven't we all not listened to our bosses. I was told once to not date within the office. Did that stop me? Not at all. A-Rod is a man who has millions on top of millions and if he wants to act like many Americans do and spend his money in a card game then so be it. So it's fine if players host  poker parties at their homes whether illegal or not but they can't join in one anywhere else AND they can play cards in the clubhouse before, during and after games sure sounds hypocritical to me.  

I understood MLB's position in 2005 that by A-Rod participating in the NYC underground poker games it would expose him to possibly danger and a seedy element. In the end, he's a grown man and many a grown man (or grown woman for that matter) whether rich or poor enjoy playing cards whether online, at a casino, in a friends' basement or in a bar. If he was placing bets on baseball then I would agree with MLB 100%. No player should do so since his actions can possibly affect the way a game is played. That would ruin the integrity of how the game is played by him in response to the betting line. But with this situation, it just seems to me that MLB is taking it's anti-gambling crusade a little too far. Agree? Disagree?

FH

Bye Bye Dunkin' Donuts at Parkchester

I try to not complain too much about people who work in the service industry since I work in the service industry. But there are times when I can't help myself. Like now.

Maybe I've been spoiled. At the Dunkin' Donuts near the Parkchester train station, there have been a few employees that I have been satisfied with. Before the renovation, they had young teens and young adults working the counter in the evening who were sharp at making what you ordered. Never an issue with repeating orders more than twice. Never an issue with getting your order wrong. Even recently, a few of the ladies who worked there were so good that I wouldn't even have to ask me what I wanted. I'd walk in and by the time I reached the register my coffee was ready. Alas it seems those days are gone. 

Last week I walked in and asked for my usual: large coffee, double cream, 1 splenda. Simple enough, right? Well, with the new batch of workers at DD, it wasn't that easy. I had to repeat the order 5 times and one last time when it was being made because I knew that they were going to screw it up since they had to remake it. I really like to support local businesses but not at the expense of not getting what I want. Perfect example, last night I poured a woman the wrong beer. What did I do? I didn't charge her and made sure I gave her the correct drink her next rounds. Accidents happen and anyone can have them. Well, after today, the jig is up.

I walked in with my kids to get them a few donuts and to buy a bag of ground coffee. Getting the donuts was fine, it's the coffee that threw a wrench into the gears. There were three workers behind the counter who looked like I spoke to them in Kryptonian or Klingon when I asked for the coffee. Why? Well, apparently these three people had no idea how to ring in the bag of coffee into the register. After exchanging dumbfounded looks to each other and to me, one of them takes his "Smart-phone" and calls someone who proceeds to walk him through on how to enter the purchase. After 3 minutes on the smart-phone, which did not transfer any smarts to it's owner, he still couldn't enter the coffee into the register. To which I told him to never mind. I took the three to task as to how they can work alone without being properly trained and without any  management. Mismanaged was the term I used. What asked where their manager was, they sheepishly told me that he had just left. Right, and I have a bridge to sell if you are interested. 

I'm sorry to say that I will not be frequenting that particular location any longer. You might think I'm being a bit extreme but I love to have a cup of coffee on the way to work. I love my coffee and hate to settle for less. It's quite simple really. Now I will have to be take my business to Au Bon Pain and Starbucks which are both located in Parkchester. Au revoir DD. It was nice knowing you. Maybe when you get your act together, I'll come back.

FH

Bye Bye Dunkin' Donuts at Parkchester

I try to not complain too much about people who work in the service industry since I work in the service industry. But there are times when I can't help myself. Like now.

Maybe I've been spoiled. At the Dunkin' Donuts near the Parkchester train station, there have been a few employees that I have been satisfied with. Before the renovation, try had young teens working the counter in the evening who were sharp at making what you ordered. Never an issue with repeating orders more than twice. Never an issue with getting your order wrong. Even recently, a few of the ladies who worked there were so good that I wouldn't even have to ask me what I wanted. I'd walk in and by the time I reached the register my coffee was ready. Alas it seems those days are gone. 

Last week I walked in and asked for my usual: large coffee, double cream, 1 splenda. Simple enough, right? Well, with the new batch of workers at DD, it wasn't that easy. I had to repeat the order 5 times and one last time when it was being made because I knew that they were going to screw it up since they had to remake it. I really like to support local businesses but not at the expense of not getting what I want. Perfect example, last night I poured a woman the wrong beer. What did I do? I didn't charge her and made sure I gave her the correct drink her next rounds. Accidents happen and anyone can have them. Well, after today, the jig is up.

I walked in with my kids to get them a few donuts and to buy a bag of ground coffee. Getting the donuts was fine, it's the coffee that threw a wrench into the gears. There were three workers behind the counter who looked like I spoke to them in Kryptonian when I asked for the coffee. Why? Well, apparently these three people had no idea how to ring in the bag of coffee into the register. After exchanging dumbfounded looks to each other and to me, one of them takes his "Smart-phone" and calls someone who proceeds to walk him through on how to enter the purchase. After 3 minutes on the smart-phone, which did not transfer any smarts to it's owner, he still couldn't enter the coffee into the register. To which I told him to never mind. I took the three to task as to how they can work alone without being properly trained and without any  management. Mismanaged was the term I used. What asked where their manager was, they sheepishly told me that he had just left. Right, and I have a bridge to sell if you are interested. 

I'm sorry to say that I will not be frequenting that particular location any longer. You might think I'm being a bit extreme but I love to have a cup of coffee on the way to work. I love my coffee and hate to settle for less. It's quite simple really. Now I will have to be take my business to Au Bon Pain and Starbucks which are both located in Parkchester. Au revoir DD. It was nice knowing you. Maybe when you get your act together, I'll come back.

FH