Thursday, October 13, 2005
Shame On You!!!
If you have not yet sent anything to the Red Cross or any other Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund, then shame on you! But you still have a chance!!! Let me know via comments through this site or my email address mikeearnest@hotmail.com if you want to contribute. I am disappointed with the dollar amount that I currently have collected, so please help the Outback in Austell turn in a respectable donation! If you need to, call me at (770) 943-8445. Thank you in advance for this request.
86
The debate is still going on about the term "86". To "86" an item in the restaurant industry means that we are out of something. Three things happen at this time: 1) Mike goe$ to the Kitchen Manager to inve$tigate why he can't $erve a cu$tomer $omething that they wi$h to purcha$e (becau$e he i$ lo$ing dollar$). 2) Mike's head seperates from his spine and spins around three times (also known as a caniption fit). 3) Mike announces to the staff that we are out of a certain item, and goes to the back of the restaurant to cry. The following is an article that I found through Google on the explanation of the term "86". Enjoy!
For those not familiar with the expression, to ‘eighty-six’ something in a restaurant is to indicate you are out of that item. There are many stories of the origin of this expression. Here are a few of them. #1 and #2 seem more likely to me, but who knows!
1) Chumley's, a bar in Greenwich Village, which during speakeasy days threw unruly customers out the back door, which is number 86 Bedford Street - they were '86'd.'
2) Same bar, Chumley's same time period - the front door address was 86 Worth Street and there was a chalk board inside the front door with the address painted across the top - the chalkboard was where items that had been sold out were posted - it soon became known as the "86" board.
3) Same time period, maybe the same bar, when a new customer (not a regular) came into the speakeasy, the bartender would "86" them - serve them 86 proof booze instead of the 100 or higher proof stuff reserved for the regulars.
4) Similar to #3: drunks were given 86 proof booze instead of higher proof stuff they had been drinking.
5) Same city, different restaurant - Delmonico's at the turn of the century had a menu with more than 100 items. They always seemed to be out of #86, and it became an expression used by the service staff meaning to be out of something - 86'd.
6) Same city (New York) The old Manhattan subway route ended at 86th Street. That's it, all out, can't go further, everybody out. You were 86'd.
7) A grave is 8 feet long, 6 feet deep. 86'd.
8) French soldiers in WW I were issued 85 bullets - and that's it!
For those not familiar with the expression, to ‘eighty-six’ something in a restaurant is to indicate you are out of that item. There are many stories of the origin of this expression. Here are a few of them. #1 and #2 seem more likely to me, but who knows!
1) Chumley's, a bar in Greenwich Village, which during speakeasy days threw unruly customers out the back door, which is number 86 Bedford Street - they were '86'd.'
2) Same bar, Chumley's same time period - the front door address was 86 Worth Street and there was a chalk board inside the front door with the address painted across the top - the chalkboard was where items that had been sold out were posted - it soon became known as the "86" board.
3) Same time period, maybe the same bar, when a new customer (not a regular) came into the speakeasy, the bartender would "86" them - serve them 86 proof booze instead of the 100 or higher proof stuff reserved for the regulars.
4) Similar to #3: drunks were given 86 proof booze instead of higher proof stuff they had been drinking.
5) Same city, different restaurant - Delmonico's at the turn of the century had a menu with more than 100 items. They always seemed to be out of #86, and it became an expression used by the service staff meaning to be out of something - 86'd.
6) Same city (New York) The old Manhattan subway route ended at 86th Street. That's it, all out, can't go further, everybody out. You were 86'd.
7) A grave is 8 feet long, 6 feet deep. 86'd.
8) French soldiers in WW I were issued 85 bullets - and that's it!
Wingnut!!!
What a blast from the past!!! Kathy Wingo (nicknamed Wingnut), called me on Wednesday just to congratulate me on my recent promotion (I used to bartend with Wingnut at the Outback on Lakeshore Parkway in Birmingham). I haven't seen Kathy in a long time, but it sure was great to hear from her.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Miles and miles...
When I was offered a position in the Atlanta area, I was excited for 2 reasons: I would be closer to Shannon, and I would be closer to Jimmy and Tracy. I had no idea (at the time) how big Atlanta really was! I live 19.4 miles from Shannon. Now that doesn't sound too bad, until you factor in traffic. On a good day, it takes me 37 minutes. Jimmy, on the other hand, lives on the other side of town (even though it seems like the other side of the universe). I reset my odometer yesterday before heading to Jimmy's house, then checked it after I made it home: I had actually driven 129.7 miles (granted, I took a wrong turn, of course). I'm certain that I lived closer to Jimmy when I lived in Birmingham.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Sad Day in Sports
Mark Brunell drove the Redskins 94 yards for a touchdown and it looked like Washington's charmed season was in for another nice ending. A missed two-point conversion ruined that story, and the Denver Broncos walked away feeling fortunate. A year after a nail-biting seven-game series vs. the Cards, Houston returns to the NLCS after eliminating the Braves with a 7-6 victory in a record-setting 18 innings. Maybe next year (of course, we've been saying that for the last 10 years).
Too funny!
