I haven’t been keeping up with my blog for quite some time. I probably have at least a dozen reasons (excuses), all very legit, but one contributing factor has been the app. Let me explain. No, it’s too long. Let me sum up.

WordPress has an official app. It has never successfully loaded my site and allowed me to post. No idea why, but I just can’t seem to get it to work. Today I tried a new approach. I deleted the app and reinstalled it. And here we are, posting from the app on my iPad! This is huge! I can finally keep up with my blog again.

However, I have to wonder… does anyone still care…?

Doesn’t really matter, since this is my blog and I don’t have to care if people care. I just have to satisfy my need to express myself.

Now it remains to be seen how great that need is anymore…

My wife forwarded this article to me, and I wanted to share it with others. My only complaint about the article is the title. I disagree with the blanket term “Everyone” in the headline, because I’m sure there are shoppers who avoid these mistakes. I think the word was used solely for the sake of sensationalism, something I very much try to avoid in my blogging. Either way, it’s good info here, so… Enjoy!

I have become increasingly aware of my own career mortality of late. After four years as a server with the same restaurant, which is a new personal best length of time on a job, circumstances have me thinking about what’s next for me.

The need to move on is driven by several reasons, with my current employment in jeopardy due to a perplexing mix of circumstances, and my current employer unable to offer the experience I need to advance to the next level in the sommelier program. Yet the advantage I have right now, while still employed, is the ability to be selective and pursue several possible opportunities.

In the interim, I’ve adopted a new mentality that at first felt like a survival tactic, but has begun to turn into a teachable moment for others. The explanation usually goes something like this:

“I’ve been reminded recently of something I learned from Robert Kiyosaki’s book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad. There is no such thing as job security in this day and age. Yet, I like what I do, and I don’t want to hate my job. So I’ve decided to treat every shift as if it were my last. Whether it’s the last one before vacation, or the last one before a new venture, I’m determined to make sure each shift is the best it can be. After all, if it is my last shift, I want to have fun with it. I want to work hard, stay focused, and go out on a high note. Since it’s my ‘last shift’, no matter what may go wrong, nothing can bother me, faze me, or break me. I’m just going to do my best and leave satisfied that I did.”

This new attitude is being noticed by coworkers and guests alike. It’s certainly improved my attitude and lifted my morale. It’s given me a better sense of priorities and made my efforts more determined and passionate. I respond with greater enthusiasm, I avoid distractions, I engage my coworkers more, and I strive to leave each night satisfied that if that was my last shift, it was as good as I could make it. Admittedly, this kind of push to leave on a high note whenever that final departure occurs can be a bit exhausting at times. Yet the pride I feel at a job well done, on my terms, giving the best I have to offer, is worth every drop of sweat.

So, consider this for yourselves. If you found yourself suddenly unemployed, what would your last day have been like? What would you want it to be like? It’s easy to enjoy your last day when you know it’s coming, but that’s not always a guarantee. Act as if you’re in control of when your last day will happen by making the most of every day you have.

Of course, if you’ve never had a good day at the job you currently do, keep looking. Even when you’re in your field of passion, you may not always be a good fit for a specific employer. Now’s the time to find a better fit, before you really are facing your last day. Enjoy!

When I first started working at Cooper’s Hawk, they had a training program that included an all day course conducted by Master Sommelier Ron Edwards. Ron is very passionate about service and wine and a great example of what the Master Sommelier program is all about. I took his course twice, the second time unpaid, and would have taken it again if the program hadn’t been discontinued.

Since then, I’ve been preparing for Level 1 of the MS program. It is a two day intensive overview course on the wine world and hands-on training in the Court’s Deductive Tasting Method (DTM). The class is conducted by the Americas division of the Court of Master Sommeliers. As a result the class  is offered throughout North and South America each year, with 1-2 chances to take it here in Chicago. This year, there was only 1 in February, and it filled up before I could register. So I finally settled on taking the course in Louisville, Kentucky on 9/27-28. (Free lodging at a friend’s house was the key factor for the road trip.)

The world of wine discussions were broad overviews of the world’s wine regions, which had been covered in greater depth in the book I’d read to prepare, Karen McNeill’s Wine Bible (An updated edition releases this month!) The part of class each day that really opened my eyes was the blind tastings with the DTM. Here’s where I was both surprised and humbled, surprised by what I did know, and humbled by what I didn’t. Cooper’s Hawk teaches the DTM to a degree, but the view of wine I’ve acquired there is incredibly narrow and logically focused on their product line.

So, after knowing about 50% of the test question answers, and successfully guessing enough to score at least 60% to pass (they don’t give out test results), I got my pin and certificate! The Court recommends taking at least a year to prepare for the next level, which would see me become a Certified Sommelier. For that to happen, I’d have to find ways to explore a lot of wine outside of my job, and I’d have to consider possibly finding a new job that would allow me a broader spectrum of wines to sell and serve, possibly a fine dining experience so I can learn and practice serving techniques necessary for the next level. I’ll also have to take advantage of my free 1-year membership to the Guild of Sommeliers website and all the resources available there.

My biggest takeaway was that Master Sommeliers are passionate about humility and service. The program is meant to be open and generous. I left the classroom feeling a strong sense of accomplishment and the drive to raise my own level of service at work. Whatever the future holds, I know I want to continue my studies. Whether or not I go for the Level 2:Certified Sommelier remains to be seen. Either way, I’m already a better student of wine than ever before. Enjoy!

or “Some Things I’d Want to Address if I Were President”

I recently posted a, well, let’s call it half-joking notion, that I am running for president in 2020.

So for the half that may not have been a joke, here’s some things I’d like to tackle.

1. Slowing, halting, or reversing the perpetual devaluing of the dollar, and to a greater extent, all currencies.

2. Increased education in the area of moral fortitude. I’ve often said, “You cannot protect your kids when they go out into the world. You can only teach them to protect themselves.” This goes toward a wide range of challenges they will face, include all things related to sex and reproduction, fiscal responsibility, and how to think and behave communally.

4. Defense that makes sense. We have enemies. We have friends. How do we make friends out of enemies without losing our friends? And how do we protect ourselves from the enemies we can’t befriend without burdening ourselves excessively in the process?

5. The environment. It’s our responsibility whether global climate change is an issue or not. Matter cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be converted from natural resource to styrofoam. How do we change it back?

6. Infrastructure. This isn’t just how we get from Point A to Point B, but how we fuel our vehicles and ourselves along the way.

7. Federal rights versus state rights. Are we letting the wrong parties decide our personal rights?

8. Better communication. I’ve said it many times, “It’s not just what you say, but how you say it.” How much of what we fail to accomplish for the better is caused by a breakdown in communication, whether we’re talking about couples or congresses?

9. Higher education. Student-athletes. These issues play into points 1, 2, 8, and maybe even 6. This has to be reigned in, no matter the cost, because the cost is already no matter.

10. And a whole lot more. I’m sure there’s a reason presidents go grayer in office. I know it would be a lot of work, but I’ve a kid now. That was a game changer for me. Things have got to get better for his sake.

So there you have it. Just some thoughts on what I might say if asked about the issues and my plans as president. Enjoy!

A couple years ago, Cathy and I watched The Answer Man starring Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham. Lauren’s character is a single mom who’s a bit overprotective of her son. There is one exchange in particular that became a running joke between my wife and I. I cannot remember the exact quote, but it was some advice she gave to her son as he went off to school. Something to the effect of “Be safe! Have fun, but be safe! Learn stuff! Be safe! I love you! Be safe!”

It was quite endearing. “Be safe.” It has become my new favorite mantra. “Be safe.” I almost use it as much as “I love you” when departing from my wife. When I’m at work, I use a variation quite often. “Safety First.” I say it to every trainee whenever I’m explaining a need to take a few extra seconds to avoid injuring oneself or others.

Because I see it all the time. Coworkers leaving dishes or kitchen equipment in the most unsafe of places, or precarious of positions. Glasses too close to the edge of a counter, plates left on side stations, blocking access to decanters, or glass rack carts left in the middle of aisles are all scenarios that repeat themselves almost daily. It evokes a truly visceral response when I see that bordeaux glass perched precariously on the edge of the shelf in the dishpit. Because I have seen that glass fall and shatter too many times before. It’s even worse, when I take a moment to try to avert disaster and end up causing it.

Yet I keep at it. I keep moving those glass racks, straightening those stacks of dishes, or picking up that lemon wedge and fork off the floor. So no one else slips, or trips, or hurts themselves in any way, shape. or form. I’m committed to a safe work environment, for others, but also, admittedly, for myself.

In the end, the broader picture is one of safety in all aspects of my life. Being hurt sucks! I don’t like it. No one likes it. Yet, so many ignore safety when they put other priorities ahead of it.

A few examples of less than obvious dangers in the restaurant world include the following:

1. The Power Stance – I see it all the time. Someone standing with one or both hands on their hips. This stance may instill confidence and make one feel more relaxed and in control, but it’s taking up extra space in the narrow, crowded spaces that servers have to navigate with heavy, sharp, or spill-prone objects. Elbows at your sides is the way to go.

2. The Right of Way – On the roads, vehicles take turns. It’s polite and independent of size. The exceptions are ambulances and emergency vehicles. In the workplace, it’s silly. Size of burden matters. No matter how busy you think you are, yield to the guy carrying twenty large platters. Also, treat customers/guests like trains. No matter how big a truck is, or how heavy the load, it still has to yield to a train.

3. The Lemon – It’s easy to become too trusting of one’s slip-resistance shoe soles. I’ve found that while they work great on wet tile, they are easily compromised by ice, ice cubes, butter, lemon wedges, and other substances that can take mere seconds to clean up or secure out of harm’s way.

4. Being a “Doorstop” – The flow of staff is a lot like traffic in any given major city. There are numerous trouble spots throughout a restaurant that are often ignored. Most architects have never taken these into account because they assume people are smarter than this. They don’t expect people to stand in the middle of an aisle, so they only design it to have  two “lanes” rather than three. Corners and intersections aren’t designed to accommodate gatherings in their middles. It’s assumed people will slowdown near blind spots; high column/wall/shelf areas that are hard to see around. Yet people ignore these all the time. I see coworkers stop in the middle of intersections, stand in the middle of aisles, or congregate in clusters far our from the sides of an aisle.

There are many more examples, but you get the idea. These are just some of the challenges to safety that I face every day in my workplace. I’m sure they occur in all restaurants, and beyond that, in retail stores, movie theaters, schools, churches, offices, factories, and any other place where more than two people gather or attempt to move through. The cumulative threats to safety are staggering, and easily addressed if we simply, as a people, had one unified goal in mind. Safety first.

So the next time you’re out and about, or working on your feet, open your eyes and think about the safety of others. In doing so, you’ll be insuring your own as well. Enjoy!

I’m considering a new series of posts, but I can’t decide how to classify them.

A little background. As of this writing, I’m 43 years old. Like many of my peers, I sit snugly between the old and the new. I’m old enough to remember all things analog, but young enough to embrace all things digital. My parents were old fashioned by their generation’s standards. While most teens were idolizing Tom Cruise and John Hughes films, I was admiring the works of Danny Kaye and Cary Grant. I spent a good portion of the 90’s catching up on the 80’s. I’ve worked more jobs than I can count, in multiple career fields, such as service, retail, restaurant, design and marketing, etc.  My parents taught me values that have carried me through my toughest times. As a late bloomer, I’m now raising my first child, a precocious 10 month old who’s exploring his newfound ability to stand up in the crib behind me as I type.

Because of him, I think a lot now about the legacy I can leave behind. I also think a lot about how I’m wired, mentally, relative to my peers. Much of my character, and moral/ethical compass point me to higher notions of nobility, honor, and a strong work ethic. I’ve also learned to apply intelligence and logic to perform most tasks more efficiently.

Here’s my dilemma. I can’t decide if I should just focus on advice for a stronger work ethic and better job performance, or if I should think in broader terms and record my advice on all things in life. One motivation is to address the need to teach others better thinking in the workplace. I experience daily reminders that many go through their day to day oblivious to how much better it would be if they elevated their approach. However, I’m also motivated to record my thoughts for my son, should something happen to me and I not be there to speak him in person.

As I write this, an idea begins to take form. Perhaps the simplest solution would be to write bits of job advice and then correlate them to a broader life application. Perhaps I’ll write one and see what people think. In the meantime, be well, and as always, enjoy!