Parking Lot

mmm mighty quite in the parking lot must not have the lights on LOL
well PI is gone (knocks on wood)

I was just sittin here thinkin about work and my "boss"...now mind you I am not against anyone having a few drinks as I on rare occasions have a drink or 2 and I know everyone has their own views and standards.

I am just wondering just how good it is when your boss drinks and does so at work.
mind you he does his work and gets things done but I know today when I got to work at 11 that I smelled beer on him.
I also saw him drink several through out the day. It doesn't seem to make him dysfunctional and he does drink coffee, tea, soda pop and water

I guess it kinda bothers me as I have also seen the wait staff come back from their hour break and they have gone someplace to eat and have had a few drinks and one of them you can tell it and usually when she has had a bit much she doesn't wait tables much the other one dies most of that ( of course we aren't' very busy on friday nights either)

I was always trained that you did not "drink" on the job even as a bartender I never drank anything other then pop or water on the clock and if a customer wanted to buy me a drink they could get me a drink chip that I could use after I got off the clock for a drink.
At the golf course the only time you could have a drink was when we had a tasting and then you could taste something after the member /guests did (such as a new wine or a new liquor for a new mixed drink) but again I never tasted until the end of my shift.

am wrong in my thinking or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill because I have an issue with people that drink and get drunk and then into trouble or hurt?????

Unless your job is wine/beer taster, drinking alcohol on the job is a no. It is irresponsible and a liability.

"The Boss" has set a bad example and it will come back to haunt him someday....maybe sooner than later. Obviously, one has drinking problem and is abusing alcohol when they cannot leave it alone during the time they have responsibilities. The owners will eventually catch on and it might get ugly. You are correct in your views.

To each his own, but I agree with Lou.

well the owner is his mom and step dad and when the day comes that they are gone the whole place is his, and from what he the chef has said they already know he drinks he told me about there used to be a keg around the place as he used to make a bread that used beer but that stopped when the step dad figured out there was more beer gone then what he was making in bread.


He isn't "drunk" at work but I know he had at least 3 beers during work yesterday that I saw him drink not sure what he had before I got there or after we left.

*sigh*
I guess I should start looking around to see what else is around here in the line of jobs

What kind of food do you serve at that restaraunt? What's the atmosphere?

oh gee crepes that are filled with like chicken, mushrooms, we have potato soup daily and then a soup we make once a week or more depending on how busy we are.
a southwest chicken salad - grilled chicken with a southwest seasoning he makes served on a bed of greens with corn and black beans and topped with cheese.
apple walnut chicken salad served on a bed of greens

it is suppose to be a healthy type choice for eating versus fast food type.
The steaks are all hand cut and trimmed.

the menu for dinner is changing again this will make the third time since i got here in july.

If you want to have stronger drinks then tea, water and Italian ice you bring your own but anything you open there that can not be resealed can not leave the building.
as for the atmosphere it would be a nice place to go for a dinner for 2 on a date if you can afford it but then there have been times you hear alot of laughing and talking so it's not all that private r quite

Here is the link to the restaurant part
the menu is in pdf format and it not totally up to date but it will give ya an idea

http://www.withclassspa.com/restaurant

MMM, I'll have the miature Walnut Chicken Salad to start

Then I'll have the sirloin cooked medium rare with the rice melange

And I'll finish with Memaw's Brownie a la mode!

If his alcoholism is hurting business, maybe y'all should call Chef Ramsey!

Chef Ramsey?

Yowza, now I'm hungry!!! I love potato soup, and haven't had a really good homemade potato soup in forever. Hmmm hmmm good.

Carla

Lou, he's the chef on the shows "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Disasters". In the latter, he goes all around the country helping people improve their restaraunts.

OK Don't watch much tv in the summer

That is one dude ya don't want to tick off either..likes to use bad words alot..LOL...and he can make you look bad as well..I have seen some of his shows...now if I was one of his helpers, I can just turn my hearing aids off on him while he does all that cussing dept.....LOLOLOL..

Bronc ...lol... you might like the smoked salmon salad as an upgrade to the house salad it is a mini version...we make make the smoked salmon ourselves...mmm yummy
but I make the chicken salad and it is good too for sure.

Good choice on the steak anything over medium is too done and dries a steak out. he just cut more tonight too.
And the rice is yummy for sure even though I am a baked tator gal with butter and sour cream.

And the brownie... to die for well maybe not but they are good we love eating the scraps after we cut them out
the ice cream is homemade I just made a new batch last night with the carmel bourbon sauce warm on top sprinkled with pecans ...oh yeah

I wouldn't say his drinking is hurting the business as we do get everything done that needs to be and I do my work regardless on time it just bothers me that he is drinking like that on the job.

I guess after going through a number of times of my step sons getting into trouble from drinking and driving ( no no accidents where anyone got hurt ) and costing us money, like right now the middle step son is in jail because he showed up at the motorcycle shop drunk last Friday and when the boss told he he had to let him go he got pissie and started knocking over the bikes so he ended up in jail. and this step son has even been through rehab.


mmm I was thinking of bringing pasta salad to the RU but maybe I should make tator soup instead so Loonie can have some LOL

Hmmmmm. Wish I was going to the RU!:) I'm hungry for tater soup.:)

On the subject of drinking on the job, it's definitely not good for business in the long run. Anybody that's in business for themselves (and he soon will be) knows that. It will affect his judgement and cloud his memory. If he's drinking on the job, I would suspect it's because he's worked hard to convince himself that it's OK, and that's not good.

well today I went to the Job place workin in texas is the website and applied for a maintenance dispatcher for the Tyler school district.
with hubby retired it would be best if I had benefits and where I ma now I dont.

as for the boss now from what I have been told by the girls(wait staff) he used to be easy going and fun and not soo stressed but that changed as his mom and step dad own the place and well just not real good.

It bothers me that when we have an event we don't get the stuff to fix until the day before if lucky there are some serious control issues going on....you should not have to wait set things up an hour before the event ..meaning the buffet table where you will be putting the food and the chaffing dishes that need to be started at least an hour ahead to get hot enough to keep the food warm.
heck the gal has told me at least twice now she is going to sit down and go over things and how they are to be done and it has yet to happen.
Communication and teamwork are important for things to get done and run smoothly

Ok guys wish me luck I go Thursday morning to the transportation department for Tyler ISD for an interview for bus driving...shouldn't be any problem since I did it for 12 years back in Illinois and was a certified instructor till june of this year.

and for fun who all can read the following and understand what it says??????

Brain Stuff . . >From Cambridge University .

O lny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rgh it pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.
Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!


now if y'all can read that then I don't have to worry about checking my typing anymore when I post and make typos right???? LMAO

That was a very interesting read Mibus.:) I had never heard that.

Good luck with your job search.

Thanks Silver I started the "training" process monday ..have requirements that have to be meet and wait for the national to come back before they can officially hire me.

I had to post this pic of me in Florida next to the super-sized Elephant Ears. HUGE!

Did you get any bulbs? They will grow here. BTW, be sure to check out page 3 in the Home and Garden section of the Dallas Morning News today. Tells about setting up a flower bed.

They really are huge, bur very nice, great picture of you.

Christi, I wasn't sure about bring them back on the plane, or I would have..... along with a bunch of other plants and some lizards.....and maybe an alligator. Hang onto that article, would ya? I'll try to get by there either this evening or tomorrow.

Josephine, thanks. I wasn't smiling because I was in ganster mode.

Yay. It copied. Hope it goes through. If you don't take the paper, or if you do, you can go to DallasMorningNews.com and get the entire paper everyday. It is free to register. This is found under Living and Travel, Home and Garden. Home and Garden is in every Friday. Lots of hints.
Improve the soil while plants are dormant

12:00 AM CST on Friday, November 9, 2007
By RICK ROSEN / The Dallas Morning News
rrosen@dallasnews.com

When your plants go to sleep, it's time for you to get to work.

Because growth slows in fall and plants head toward dormancy, you'll have time to prepare a new garden bed, or to energize an existing one, so it's ready to plant in spring.

John J. Sloan, an associate professor and soil scientist at the Texas A&M University Agricultural Experiment Station in Dallas, notes that gardeners face two challenges with our soil.

First, it's high in clay, which makes it sticky when wet and rock-hard when dry. Second, it is predominantly calcareous, which means it has a high pH (pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity). High pH soil, high in alkaline, ties up nutrients. "Plants have trouble getting certain nutrients they need," Dr. Sloan says.

The good thing about our soil: It is relatively fertile. Amending it with organic or inorganic products, or both, makes the soil easy to work with. "I mostly recommend adding organic matter," specifically, finished compost, says Dr. Sloan. "That's the single best thing you can do to improve your soil."

You can tell if your compost is finished if the edges of material are soft, says John Hunt, a master gardener and longtime member of First Men's Garden Club of Dallas. If a twig in the compost bends, it is finished; if it snaps, it is not done decomposing.

Mr. Hunt, who recently lectured about preparing garden soil for winter, notes that another advantage to compost is that you can make your own. However, if you don't have time, buy it.

"The best program," he says, "is one that you will actually do."

Dr. Sloan of Texas A&M explains why he thinks the best amendment is compost:

Manure has fairly high levels of nutrients, which can throw the composition of your soil out of whack. Compost, he says, is fairly stable as far as nutrients. You can add more without building up the level of nutrients, especially phosphorus, to an unhealthy level.

Inorganic materials such as lava sand and greensand haven't shown the same benefits as compost, Dr. Sloan says. If using an inorganic material, be sure to use an equal amount of compost, he says.

Lavasand or greensand do add trace minerals to the soil, which is one reason many organic gardeners use them.

You can find out whether your soil lacks any needed minerals by getting a soil test done. County extension offices can mail soil-test kits to you.

PREPARING A NEW BED


John Hunt has incorporated the EarthKind gardening guidelines recommended by Texas Cooperative Extension into lectures he delivers. Here is the basic EarthKind program for preparing a new bed:


1. Till the area, or use a turf cutter first to remove lawn.

2. Use Roundup or a similar product to kill weeds.

3. Till the soil as deep as you can, to at least 6 inches.

4. Layer 3 inches of finished compost on top and till it in.

5. Spread three inches of expanded shale, a mineral that helps with aeration and water retention, on top and till it in. You only have to do this once.

6. Level the bed and crown it slightly in the middle so water will drain away.


In spring, plant. After planting, cover with 3 inches of mulch, preferably finely shredded tree trimmings, which break down at a reasonable rate.

Then, about once a year, replenish the mulch with an additional 1-inch layer. No fertilizer is required, except on vegetables, as long as you use a material that readily decomposes.

According to the extension service, this method works for perennials, vegetables, roses, almost any garden bed.


The exception is existing garden beds. That's because expanded shale works only underground. For existing beds, Mr. Hunt recommends spreading a layer of compost topped with mulch.

Great info! I find it a bit peculiar that a program called Earthkind would recommend the use of roundup, but other than that it was very informative. I'll file this for future reference. Thanks Christi!

Don't know where else to put this, so I hope this thread is okay.

A friend from another state sent me these alstroemeria: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55272/. I've never grown them before and don't know the best place to put them (sun, partial shade, pot). Does anyone else around here grow them?

This thread has no title...and even if it did, I get OT so much I often have to go back to the top to see just what the thread was supposed to be anyway. Sorry, I am the last one to help with the plants but I would bet Josephine will know.

This message was edited Nov 9, 2007 2:23 PM

Bronc, Not being 100% organic I don't have the answer. However, frequently on posts from people who are organic, they mention using Roundup. Must be some difference we are not aware of.

I used it this summer on clover that was in between the sandstone on the patio. I had tried everything else including digging, carefully pulling, vinegar, salt.

Regarding RoundUp, I try to be as organic as possible and I'm certainly no expert on such things, but as I understand it, RoundUp kills whatever it is sprayed directly on. It apparently breaks down very quickly and doesn't harm the soil. Or so I've been told. I had a lengthy conversation last year with the owner of Rohde's Nursery and his wife (who both highly tout their commitment to Organics). He said that if he's contracted to build flowerbeds in areas of Bermuda lawn, he insists on spraying with RoundUp. All along I had been resisting RoundUp as a chemical bad guy, but after talking to the Rohdes I decided to give it a try. It works fabulously at killing Bermuda and I have seen no other ill affects of it. I sprayed all of the Bermuda under a Bur Oak last year (to make a flowerbed under it) and also under a Hercules Club tree, and the Roundup didn't seem to harm anything else except the grass I intended to kill. I probably should do more research on the product, but I like how well it controls Bermuda that I really hate the thought of not being able to use it anymore. A real dilemma.

Carla

This is what the Dirt Doctor says:

TJ, it will be allright, yo can just dig it out when it shows up.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pattie, I don't grow Alstroemeria, but I have read that in Texas it is best to have it in part shade, and it is hardy from zones 7 to 10.
Josephine.

Okay, part shade it is. Thanks, Josephine.

TJ. There are lots of thing that are not the very best for us. Very difficult task to determine just who to believe.

bronc, in place of Round-up you can try horticultural-strength vinegar. It isn't as effective as glyphosate, though, so you'll have to use it more than once. Boiling water will also kill it back for awhile, at least long enough for you to get it mulched. But boiling water will also kill your beneficials, so the vinegar is better.

You might also consider trying this modified version of lasagna layering. Instead of doing more tilling, spread out a 16-page thickness of newspaper, and wet it down thoroughly (to keep it from blowing away). Next layer is 2-4 inches of shredded leaves. On top of that goes 2 inches of topsoil mixed with some peat. Then mulch 2-5 inches.

Of course there's other good stuff you can mix in. Expanded shale, Texas greensand, alfalfa, corn meal, compost, whatever you like to use. In this particular discussion, people wanted to plant right away, so they didn't add anything "hot" like manure. (You could add rabbit manure which doesn't get hot.) Some people also said that brown cardboard works better than newspaper for killing grass. The earthworms come up and eat the paper and do the composting, rather than heat, so it's safe to plant in immediately.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that bermuda can continue growing from as deep as six inches. I'll bet if you build your layers at least that deep, you'll get most of it, especially if you use cardboard.

I have a small patch of bermuda growing where the St. Augustine doesn't, and I'm getting ready to turn it into a flower bed. I have a lot of things left that I need to plant before spring, so I'm planning to try this method.

TJ doesn't have a pc at home. Will have to wait until Monday.

Alstromeria is a very hardy plant around here, but I heard that you need to be careful with it because it can take over and it's hard to get rid of. I have some and plan on taking it out because it didn't bloom very much. It gets mostly shade except in winter when the pecan tree is bare. Can't remember who wanted to plant it, but if you come to the the RU in spring and if I still have mine, I'll give it to you.

On the subject of Roundup, I was told by Malcolm Beck at Gardenville in San Antonio that Roundup breaks down into totally harmless compounds after it kills whatever is growing. I asked him why Howard Garrett keeps talking about how bad RU is and he said Garrett is against Monsanto because of all the other chemicals they make.

I used to not use Roundup, but after he told me that I started using it.

Thanks for the tip about the alstroemeria. I think I'll plant it in a confined area.

Very interesting that Malcolm Beck said that about RU. I'd take Beck's word equally to Howard Garrett's, when it comes to what's acceptable organically.

Can't say that I blame HG, though. Monsanto is doing a number on the farmers with their genetically modified corn.

Howard Garrett used to promote RoundUp and has only recently changed his mind. I don't know who to believe anymore! I guess I'm glad, at this point, that I have made all of my flowerbeds so I don't have to face this particular dilemma again. I will continue to spritz newly-emerging Bermuda in the flowerbeds with RU, as nothing else defeats Bermuda as effectively, and hope that an "organic" version hits the market soon.

BTW, I used heavy cardboard in the making of my flowerbeds, and I can attest in its ability to draw in the earthworms and help turn rock-hard clay soil into a wonderfully textured soil. After spraying the Bermuda and making sure it was dead, I put down a layer of leaves, then the cardboard, then a layer of compost, and then mulch. It worked very well.

Carla

You put the cardboard over the leaves?

Just asking. I'm in the process of doing mine right now. So far I've put the newspaper/cardboard on the bottom, but if it works better to put it in the middle, I can change. :)

I don't have enough compost left to use whole layers of it. I'm using up what's left of it, mixed up with whatever else is left--peat, alfalfa, cottonseed, old potting soil, etc. Does that sound like it will work?

Also would like to add molasses, to help attract earthworms. But in my experience molasses heats it up, and I want to plant now. Has anyone else used it?

Pattie, my flowerbeds were going to sit for the winter, so I didn't put too much thought into "which layer goes first." If I were going to plant in an area right away, I probably would put the cardboard down first.

Carla