Red Lobster Misgivings, Spying Eyes, YouTube Wows, and End of Year Plans

We went out with Mom after church. She wanted to buy my birthday dinner. I know she likes Red Lobster and we enjoy it too (if they are on their game) and I knew she had a gift card for there. We enjoyed it very much and this is a story about our Red Lobster experiences at the Mount Juliet location. I was happy to say that they were pretty much on their game. At least they were trying. The food was good and the service was good – not excellent – but good. George did not get the slaw he ordered, but didn’t say anything. I think he didn’t want Mom to know so there wouldn’t be a scene. She will stand up and say “does anybody work here”, so he let it go.

 We actually talked about this at the table because the waitress said “sorry if I’m slow to get back to you, as I have a party of 17 also”. I was thinking “don’t worry dear, my Mother won’t let you forget us”. After she left, I told Mom I was thinking that. She said “I’ve only done that once in the hospital”. I said, “nope, you did it in Lowe’s and in Jonathan’s. I don’t forget because it’s embarrassing every time.” I’m getting braver at letting her know the behaviors that are not appropriate – or at least the ones I don’t want to be associated with. And I may or may not have mentioned she might need to get another ride home if it happened again.  Sometimes our outings have just been extremely exhausting.

However, all that aside, the waitress did pretty good. It could have been and has been much worse. For example the endless shrimp meal – it was always too hard to get waited on to get the next batch so we always paid the higher price for it and didn’t get seconds. George doesn’t order that anymore. They also just served rice instead of the orzo rice dish I ordered. It didn’t have any orzo in it and I would not have ordered it otherwise. Usually the rice comes free under the shrimp, lol. Now it’s a side and not as described. And Mom’s baked potato was embarrassingly small for a restaurant to serve. And the salad is now a premium side that you have to pay for. Imagine that! I am sure that has made enough people mad to lose some customers if the service had not already run them off. But what food we DID get was good! We enjoyed it. But it wasn’t without those minor annoyances.

Also the people at the next table were listening to every word we said, lol. It’s no biggie but was very noticeable. I was thinking that Mom would surely entertain them with her complaints. IF not perhaps they will find my blog and listen to my own. At least those that want to read —ahum, spy, or troll along— can do it at their own whim.

Spying Eyes

Speaking of trolls and spies, lol. When you “put yourself out there”, there are those that for what ever reason _________(fill in the blanks), like to watch every word you say to see if there is ____________(fill in the blanks again – something wrong with it, something to tattle about, something to whisper about, something juicy to start a fire over. I can’t really say because only the people doing it can answer that.  It’s always been there every blog I’ve had. I’m not sure of the motivation. These folks might need to ask themselves that I guess. What is the passion there? What is behind it? Is there not some other more interesting past time for them? Or they looking for an “I gotcha moment” or something to meet some inward psychological desire or need to make themselves feel better about themselves? lol

So last week on the video I mentioned I gave an advance but I was glad I could be able to do that and all from home (talking about the snow days and working from home). I also had mentioned (if they had listened appropriately) that it was because UPS didn’t deliver the main check the day I drove in (carried to work by George on a very bad ice road day with wrecks everywhere) to get the UPS overnight out. Well UPS didn’t deliver and employee was without a check so I got PERMISSION <—read that closely with your hourglass yes PERMISSION to give the guy an advance. 

And maybe there is NO coincidence here, but ummm, likely yes. So yesterday, two days after my video posted I get a call from HR asking if we do advances. lol lol lol My answer was “No we cannot do an advance unless it is our fault and we make a mistake. I added, of course the old phrase, “We are not a bank”. It may just be coincidence, but my guess is that some JOLLY has watched the video and thinking I’m up there running a loan service and went to test the waters. Don’t know if it was some JOLLY or HR themselves, or some UPPER, but anyway, whoever made the quest, I got the call. And just busted with laughter about two hours later when I connected that the TWO was likely connected.  Yeah, it could have been a coincidence. But… The timing was too SPOT ON. 

Speaking of YouTube, Wow!

I somehow have gained a lot of subscribers in recent days and my last video got over 650 views as of this morning. I think it’s a little more than the private eyes though, although I’m sure they are part of the success, so thanks to ALL whether being a private eye, or just delighted to be there for better reasons.

 I’m a little channel so anything more than 1 or 2 a week added as a subscriber is exceptional for me, lol. I think I have gained over 30 in a just a week or so. So a switch is flipping since my 100th video post and passing 300 subscribers. I’ve met the first YouTube milestone, finally. I can monetize my own products if I wanted and create a private community, but I don’t have any products and likely won’t as I’m not here to sell products, lol. The next one is 1,000 and then I can monetize for ad money and I believe accept sponsor ships and add affiliate links, etc. 

I’m not ready for a private community. Those are for those that pay for your private perks – things like early release of video, access to private behind the scenes material, etc. I never join those groups and I can’t imagine anyone joining a group like that for me, however, as much as some folks like to dig in, you never know. lol. Perhaps the private eyes or trolls might like that if they signed up under a ficticious name. But not this year – no time to concentrate on that. Once this year is over, likely all of that will go away. They’ll find someone else to gander over, lol.

Speaking of the End of the Year

As mentioned before. I’ve pretty much decided my date of retirement, but I’ve not given notice, and this is not totally for certain and in no way should be taken as “THE WORD” or notice. But I just can’t see myself going into January of 2025. Each week in January this year has so far pushed the pendulum to the December side instead of the once planned January side. Whether it be snow, the extra year end returns and w-2 scenarios, or just plain antics (just bazaar, or absurd things that happen or occur – not particularly by any person – or maybe it is, I don’t know). It’s just chaos to me and very stressful. And usually something happens every year that creates more work or further chaos and I’m just not wanting to go through all that again next year. If the snow week didn’t already seal the deal on that, this week DID! So I think it’s safe to say I’ll be retiring THIS YEAR! Unless something changes and we decide different. 

Meanwhile In Texas

Our little one has had the flu. But on this day he went back to day care and felt much better after 3 days of fever, antibiotics, and very long 13 hour sleeps. I love this little man so much. We are hoping Katy does not get the flu. She is taking TamiFlu, and does not need the flu since is very pregnant with our 2nd grandson.

I have to share. Isn’t she a cute? Due the last week in March.

Ok the sun has come up enough for me to see the potholes in the road. The sunrise was amazing this morning. You’ll see it on an upcoming video. 

Anyway take care everyone. Gotta go close payroll.