by waiter | Oct 5, 2017 | Uncategorized
I was calling a worker bee at government agency when I got this gem of a voicemail message, “I’m not available to take your call at this time, but if you leave your name, number and a brief message, I will call you back at my earliest convenience.” I hung up the phone...
by waiter | Sep 29, 2017 | Uncategorized
A few weeks ago I was in the pharmacy picking up a prescription for my wife. Trouble was, the pharmacist wouldn’t give it to me. “Can you spell her name again? he asked, holding a bottle of pills in his hand. My wife kept her last name when we got married. I spelled...
by waiter | Jul 17, 2017 | Uncategorized
My wife had a business meeting in Seattle and, having never been there myself, we decided to make it a mini-family vacation. After a tumultuous plane ride with a three-year-old, we landed in the birthplace of Starbucks. Annie didn’t wrap up work at the convention...
by waiter | May 21, 2017 | Uncategorized
My wife and I were packing the car and getting ready to leave our rented house off Hollywood Boulevard when a storm of howling profanity suddenly filled the air. Turning my head towards the noise, I spotted a disheveled man barreling straight towards us. Black, in...
by waiter | May 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
When my wife got home from work yesterday the look on her face said it all. “Tough day with the baby?” I said. “She was a terror all day,” Annie said. “She fought over everything little thing and she screamed all the way home.” I winced. When trapped inside a...
by waiter | May 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
Over the years, I’ve written extensively about the various machinations restaurant owners employ to pilfer wages and tips from their waitstaff. Whether it’s mom and pop operations or big chain restaurants, many owners seem unable to resist the temptation to steal from...
by waiter | May 3, 2017 | Uncategorized
My daughter is three, broke and unemployed. Time for her to pull her weight. “You now have a job,” I told my daughter one fine Sunday morning. “Job?’ she said, bewildered. “Go get Daddy’s newspaper. It’s at the end of the driveway.” Natalie’s face lit up in a...
by waiter | Apr 29, 2017 | Uncategorized
The car rental counters at LAX are the busiest in the world. Luckily for me, my wife and I arrived during a slow time. “You go get the car,” my wife said as we got off the shuttle bus. “I’ll get the luggage.” Since my wife was in L.A. for a convention, she had brought...
by waiter | Apr 28, 2017 | Uncategorized
“Wake up sleepy head,” I said to my daughter, Natalie. “What? What?” she said, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “It’s time for your special treat,” my wife said. “It’s not my birthday,” Natalie, said. “It doesn’t always have to be your birthday to get a treat,” I...
by waiter | Apr 26, 2017 | Uncategorized
My wife and I were walking down Hollywood Boulevard, heading towards Musso & Frank Grill for a drink. In Manhattan, looking up at Gotham’s skyscrapers marks you as a tourist. Here, looking down at the sidewalk is a surefire indicator you’re from out of town....
