Last night had me and my husband at Wrigley Field for a Cubs game. We were so excited about going - until a few days ago when the Cubs started going on a losing streak. We were able to witness the fifth loss in as many days.
But it wasn't the game that stoked my interest (because the Cubs couldn't hit to save their lives yesterday)...it was the people. We sat in a section where everyone seemed to know everyone else. I don't know if it was some kind of brotherhood of electricians (I only got electricians because some guy was wearing a sweatshirt that said 'Brotherhood of Electricians...') or just a group of guys that know eachother from coming to the games but I can honestly say that 95% of them were complete assholes. They showed up to the game drunk, they "watched" the game drunk and they left the game drunk. On top of the asshole status, there were ignorant assholes in the group that upon seeing that I was Asian, muttered 'Konichiwa' when I looked their way. I was SOOOO ready to smack them upside their heads...ignorant bastards! Thank goodness for the 5% (the two people sitting next to me) that were drinking soda and water like we were. But when they left in the middle of the game, I thought it was for good - and I got scared.
One guy was so drunk, he decided that his underage son should get drunk too. I would put his son somewhere between 16-18. Any which way, he was sitting directly behind my husband and the kid was drunk (surprise!). Not only that, he had a phlegm issue where he kept hocking loogies below his seat. My husband had me check his back a few times to make sure loogie shrapnel didn't make it onto his back.
Aside from the annoying drunk guys at the game (cause you're going to get that at every game, aren't you?!), there was a pluthera of people to watch and inwardly comment on at the game.
For instance, there were two girls that couldn't stop taking pictures of themselves. Honestly, they must've taken at least (AT LEAST) 100 pictures of themselves - those self-captured moments where they stick their heads together and click the button only to find, after flipping the camera over, that they were off-center or one of them didn't look as good as they hoped. Those girls were sitting a few rows down from us and I only noticed the picture taking because the flash was going off so much - I thought the paparazzi had followed me to the game!
There was a man - a very large man, that I spotted before the start of the game. The first thing that came to mind when I saw him was 'He could go on the Biggest Loser.' But then after observing him some more, I don't think he could make it through one episode - he had to lean on the rows of chairs just to descend the steps. And it was amazing to me how he even fit into a stadium seat....I was mesmerized - but then my husband told me to stop staring.
So I diverted my attention to what people were wearing...natch. Wow - if you ever wanted some acid wash or hair metal, shredded jeans, this was the place to find them. I haven't seen so much acid wash or shredded denim since 1993! This led me to believe that the youth of Chicago are kind of ass backwards- unless they're trying to bring those two things back...for God only knows. Oh yeah, and back to the underage drinker behind us - 'Marky Mark called - he wants his baggy jeans that sits below the ass back - but you can keep your nasty, plaid boxer shorts.'
Last night was the first night that I looked at my husband and said, 'I think I know what you mean now...I'm starting to hate people!'
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Conclusion of "As The Cupcake Turns..."
The last time we left the situation of the new cupcake shop that opened up in DC, I had tried to order a substantial amount of cupcakes for the Labor Day BBQ I was having. This was when I was informed of a few things: they weren't taking orders over the phone, they didn't have the mini-cupcakes that they advertised on their website, and they seemed to be totally unprepared to open for business as they couldn't fulfill the demand of a potential customer. It wasn't like I was asking for 100 cupcakes - I was merely trying to order two dozen.
If you've been keeping up with this saga, you then know that I was told that I could come into the Dupont shop as they sold on a first come, first serve basis. And that is exactly what I did. Before I took Amanda to the airport on Saturday morning, we drove into Dupont to get my two dozen cupcakes. What happened when we got into the store? This...
I was greeted by a very comforting atmosphere and of course extremely enticing cupcakes displayed behind a plexi-glass window. The salesperson asked if he might help me. I told him that I wanted to purchase cupcakes - two dozen to be exact. This is when I was given 'the look.' The look that I might have been crazy. Another sales person approached, after overhearing my request and looked at me gravely. The original salesperson said, 'We're only limiting people to four today.' Limiting? How do you put a limit on a good you're providing? The ONLY good you're providing? This isn't exactly concert tickets to see Madonna. Well I turned 'that look' right back on them and I said, 'I called to order but I was told to come in person to get them.' That's when they tried to feed me the same malarchy about how they couldn't predict demand and blah blah blah. That's when I turned to Amanda and said, 'This wouldn't have happened if they had a good business plan.' I said it loud enough that they could hear my comment but soft enough as not to disrupt other customers.
Finally, what I could only think was the owner, came up to me and she said, 'Let me go check in the back to see if we have the inventory.'
"LADY! It's 11am in the morning - you've been opened for ONE freakin' hour - I think you have inventory."
She finally came back and said she could fulfill my order. As the salesperson was prepping the boxes for my cupcakes, the owner started in about how she only has one chef and shift making cupcakes and they already start at midnight. Until she can add another shift, they can't fulfill these large orders. Ummm - I don't need to be a business major to tell you that THAT should've been planned for way in advance...maybe she should've doled out extra for more ovens. Maybe she should've planned to start with two chefs and two shifts rather than one. All I know is the business plan must've SUCKED at this point. Cause after telling me her sob story, I did not reply with a 'I understand.' No sir.
As if fighting to get two dozen cupcakes wasn't enough, when I was paying (these are no cheap cupcakes mind you) for my two sizable boxes of cupcakes, I asked if I could get a bag for the boxes. This is when I got the proverbial slap in the face (as if fighting for two dozen cupcakes wasn't enough) that the shop is eco-friendly so they don't provide bags. But they do have boxes with handles on them....but they just don't have them YET.
And this concludes are saga of the little cupcake shop that couldn't deliver (on all their promises).
Epilogue: Everyone at the BBQ enjoyed the cupcakes - they're good cupcakes...moist, rich with icing and very appealing to the eater- but after telling my tale about going through the pains of trying to get these cupcakes and the resistance I had to put up with to get a cupcake store to sell me their cupcakes, no one was sold on the place. Will I ever go back for their cupcakes? Probably not. There are so many more cupcake shops that opened up in DC that need to be tried and tested.
If you've been keeping up with this saga, you then know that I was told that I could come into the Dupont shop as they sold on a first come, first serve basis. And that is exactly what I did. Before I took Amanda to the airport on Saturday morning, we drove into Dupont to get my two dozen cupcakes. What happened when we got into the store? This...
I was greeted by a very comforting atmosphere and of course extremely enticing cupcakes displayed behind a plexi-glass window. The salesperson asked if he might help me. I told him that I wanted to purchase cupcakes - two dozen to be exact. This is when I was given 'the look.' The look that I might have been crazy. Another sales person approached, after overhearing my request and looked at me gravely. The original salesperson said, 'We're only limiting people to four today.' Limiting? How do you put a limit on a good you're providing? The ONLY good you're providing? This isn't exactly concert tickets to see Madonna. Well I turned 'that look' right back on them and I said, 'I called to order but I was told to come in person to get them.' That's when they tried to feed me the same malarchy about how they couldn't predict demand and blah blah blah. That's when I turned to Amanda and said, 'This wouldn't have happened if they had a good business plan.' I said it loud enough that they could hear my comment but soft enough as not to disrupt other customers.
Finally, what I could only think was the owner, came up to me and she said, 'Let me go check in the back to see if we have the inventory.'
"LADY! It's 11am in the morning - you've been opened for ONE freakin' hour - I think you have inventory."
She finally came back and said she could fulfill my order. As the salesperson was prepping the boxes for my cupcakes, the owner started in about how she only has one chef and shift making cupcakes and they already start at midnight. Until she can add another shift, they can't fulfill these large orders. Ummm - I don't need to be a business major to tell you that THAT should've been planned for way in advance...maybe she should've doled out extra for more ovens. Maybe she should've planned to start with two chefs and two shifts rather than one. All I know is the business plan must've SUCKED at this point. Cause after telling me her sob story, I did not reply with a 'I understand.' No sir.
As if fighting to get two dozen cupcakes wasn't enough, when I was paying (these are no cheap cupcakes mind you) for my two sizable boxes of cupcakes, I asked if I could get a bag for the boxes. This is when I got the proverbial slap in the face (as if fighting for two dozen cupcakes wasn't enough) that the shop is eco-friendly so they don't provide bags. But they do have boxes with handles on them....but they just don't have them YET.
And this concludes are saga of the little cupcake shop that couldn't deliver (on all their promises).
Epilogue: Everyone at the BBQ enjoyed the cupcakes - they're good cupcakes...moist, rich with icing and very appealing to the eater- but after telling my tale about going through the pains of trying to get these cupcakes and the resistance I had to put up with to get a cupcake store to sell me their cupcakes, no one was sold on the place. Will I ever go back for their cupcakes? Probably not. There are so many more cupcake shops that opened up in DC that need to be tried and tested.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Fish Out of Water
After being in denial for the past four months that I have officially left Washington, D.C., I finally got a good glimpse of what my new life will be like in Del Rio, Texas (pop. 40,000). Shawn, Shawn's dad, and I started unpacking the new boxes in our lovely new home in our new town. I have to say that the house really is beautiful. I seriously lucked out in marrying someone with similar taste. And I think when we have it all landscaped, it will be a wonderful haven.
The problem for me is the town. 40,000 isn't tiny, I realize. Frankly, that's the size of a decent college campus. The issue is that the closest BIG town is San Antonio. A debilitating 2 1/2 hours away. This is not okay. (I realize that it will have to be, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.)
I've done a lot of traveling this summer, spending some time visiting my friends in New York, San Francisco, and back to D.C. For each of these visits, I've stayed with people in the city - in great neighborhoods where I could walk to "stuff." While these trips were great, they made me long for the big city more than ever.
If I'm being fair, I should admit that I've never been a true city girl. I've always been more of a suburbanite. But still - the city was always right there. And the suburbs had their own charm (charm = the great chain stores I frequent, such as Target, Barnes & Noble, World Market, The Gap, etc. etc.). In Del Rio, I will have none of those conveniences. Instead, I will be forced to get comfortable with my nemesis, Wal-Mart. I will have to get used to ordering everything on-line.
It really hit home when I visited my nemesis Sunday, in a mission to find dish soap and a few other goodies for the house. I went through five different aisles before I heard a soul speaking my native tongue. It's not like I haven't heard Spanish spoken in a store before. Whenever I visited my nemesis in Alexandria, VA (during desperate times, of course), I often heard customers speaking Spanish. I don't have a problem with it, really - I don't.
But for the first time in my life, I truly felt in the minority. A fish out of water.
The problem for me is the town. 40,000 isn't tiny, I realize. Frankly, that's the size of a decent college campus. The issue is that the closest BIG town is San Antonio. A debilitating 2 1/2 hours away. This is not okay. (I realize that it will have to be, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.)
I've done a lot of traveling this summer, spending some time visiting my friends in New York, San Francisco, and back to D.C. For each of these visits, I've stayed with people in the city - in great neighborhoods where I could walk to "stuff." While these trips were great, they made me long for the big city more than ever.
If I'm being fair, I should admit that I've never been a true city girl. I've always been more of a suburbanite. But still - the city was always right there. And the suburbs had their own charm (charm = the great chain stores I frequent, such as Target, Barnes & Noble, World Market, The Gap, etc. etc.). In Del Rio, I will have none of those conveniences. Instead, I will be forced to get comfortable with my nemesis, Wal-Mart. I will have to get used to ordering everything on-line.
It really hit home when I visited my nemesis Sunday, in a mission to find dish soap and a few other goodies for the house. I went through five different aisles before I heard a soul speaking my native tongue. It's not like I haven't heard Spanish spoken in a store before. Whenever I visited my nemesis in Alexandria, VA (during desperate times, of course), I often heard customers speaking Spanish. I don't have a problem with it, really - I don't.
But for the first time in my life, I truly felt in the minority. A fish out of water.
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