Why I Want to Own a Restaurant.

"Inarguably, a successful restaurant demands that you live on the premises for the first few years, working seventeen-hour days, with total involvement in every aspect of a complicated, cruel and very fickel trade. You must be fluent in not only Spanish but the Kabbala-like intricacies of health codes, tax law, fire department regulations, environmental protection laws, building code, occupational safety and health regs, fair hiring practices, zoning, insurance, the vagaries and back-alley back-scratching of liquor licenses, the netherworld of trash removal, linen, grease disposal. And with every dime you've got tied up in your new place, suddenly the drains in your prep kitchen are backing up with raw sewage, pushing hundreds of gallons of impacted crap into your dining room; your coke-addled chef just called that Asian waitress who's working her way through law school a chink, which ensures your presence in court for the next six months; your bartender is giving away the bar to underage girls from Wantagh, any one of whom could then crash Daddy's Buick into a busload of divinity students, putting your liquor license in peril, to say the least; the Ansel System could go off, shutting down your kitchen in the middle of a ten-thousand-dollar night; there's the ongoing struggle with rodents and cockroaches, any one of which could crawl across the Tina Brown four-top in the middle of the dessert course; you just bought ten thousand dollars' worth of shrimp when the market was low, but the walk-in freezer just went on the fritz and naturally it's a holliday weekend, so good luck getting a service call in time; the dishwasher just walked out after arguing with the busboy, and they need glasses now on table seven; immigration is at the door for a surprise inspection of your kitchen's green cards; the produce guy wants a certified check or he's taking back the delivery; you didn't order enough napkins for the weekend -- and is that the New York Times reviewer waiting for your hostess to stop flirting and notice her?"(Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential.)

I just picked up a bachelors degree from Colorado State and was planning to use a simple serving job to help pay the bills through grad school. I do feel some people are dissappointed that I'm not putting my ridiculously expensive education to proper use and I understand. Honestly though, going through college I had no idea what I wanted to accomplish. I started taking a few biology classes and noticed it was something I was good at. Except for a disasterous stint in Iowa city, I kept my grades up. When I graduated from CSU I had no idea what the hell I wanted to do, so I went to more school.
This is when my spoiled ass got cut off. I had to pay my way through this one. After searching for a couple weeks I saw Barbiere's Mama Mias was hiring. I figured what the hell. I know the place, Joe worked there for a bit. I'll subject myself to this life to pay my bills. After a few weeks at the place I found out I actually enjoyed the work. I asked to be put on more shifts just because I liked being around the place. After a year or so my future wife and I were promoted to managers. That was one of the best years of my life. From here on out I started contiplating a future in this business.
Katie and I got big headed, looked for other working thinking we could just shoot up the ranks. Started at Turner's... Pure hell, thank god I got out of there. In desperation we moved to door county and worked 6 months at the summertime in fish creek. I wouldn't change that experience for anything. Only problem was I couldn't live in mom's house and work in door county forever. Katie and I decided it was time to move back to milwaukee.
We saved over $12,000 in door county. Moved back home and figured we could take it easy. Did a quick road trip to colorado, then swung around through ohio to visit some family. Then we went home and started applying around the city.
NO ONE wanted us. We got desperate. God you should of seen some of the shit holes we were willing to work. Yet they denied us. Finally I got a call back from all places "Bosley on Brady."
I never even heard of the place when I applied. When they told me to come in for an interview I actually thought I was interviewing at Balzac up the block. Drove past Balzac and was surprised to see the awning didn't read bosley on brady. Had to call Katie, get the address of the place and then show up.
I thought the interview went well, went home and waited.... and waited. Finally a call from Bosley. They saw Katie sent in an application and they wanted to interview her. I cursed up a storm knowing that that meant I didn't get the job. Low and behold, I got called back 2 hours later and was told I could come in and start training.
I've learned so much about the business here. Katie and I are able to make a decent living as servers there. Of course the monotony of the work gets to me but I just can't see myself doing anything else. I love this business, I love this life, there is NOTHING short of managing the brewers that I'd rather do.
What gets me is everytime I tell someone I want to get into this business I get the same line... You know how hard the restaurant business is? The answer of course is NO! I've never owned a restaurant before... How could I? One thing is for sure though, I know more than 95% of the fools who've done it before me. I study this every day. I think about it constantly. I know exactly what it is that I'm getting into and I'm willing to bear down and attack.
I wrote all this with no proof reading or prior thought. Just a bunch of rambling some I'm sorry if it's in a language that's difficult to understand.
Time to shower and put on that damn apron. Another friday happy hour is about to start. Rock on!

One more thing...

Joe McNamara just turned 30 today. Congatulations. I'd be there soon but I decided I'm going to remain 27 until my wife catches up to me in age. Rock on!

He Has RETURNED!!!!

My god, did you guys see him at the press conferance. "I'm Brett Favre! I'm a cute little goofball... Look at everyone else trying to look decent for their press conferances. Not me, I wear a cut off t-shirt and a dirty hat! Why? Because I play football like an adorable child. You just can't help but giggle every time I take the field." Brett Favre is just to DIE for isn't he!

So Favre gets to skip the preseason workouts. Has the owner fly him into town on his own private plane. Has Childress himself pick him up from the airport and drive him to camp. Seriously, what the F#$!%#!. I think someone in the journal sentinal said something along the lines that he may have not been bigger than the Green Bay Packers, but he sure as hell got bigger than the Minnesota Vikings. You think the team is going to embrace this crap? I think the mutiny has already begun.

Now lets think about this from a pure football perspective. Everyone is pretty much thinking the same thing. Favre has Adrian Peterson. All he has to to is drop back and hand him the ball. Maybe a dink or dunk pass here or there. Easiest job in sports! Unfortunatly for Minnesota, they're they're talking about Brett Favre. The guy's a spaz. There's no way he'll just sit back there and be obedient to the all powerful Peterson. He can't play a single game without just chunkin one up there. Packer fans are way too accustomed to it. Then there's the Vikings receiving corps. Name one! Do it! I can't.

It's like they downplay the importance of a quarterback on this team because their rushing attack is that good. If that's the case why sign Favre in the first place? Any qb can just sit back there and hand it off 60% of the time. I'm sure Sage Rosenfals or Tvaris Jackson would of been just fine. They're a hell of a lot cheaper too.

Oh but now we have a guy who can perform when the game is on the line. When they really count! 6 picks vs. St. Louis. Game losing interceptions vs. the Eagles and Giants. Getting creamed by Michael Vick and the Falcons. Favre can be blamed for 5 post season failures. Remember that huge matchup between the Packers and Cowboys a couple years ago? Favre went out there and completed spazzed. It was a joke! Then he goes and gets hurt and Rodgers comes out and at least established some order and control to that offense. Favre is not the guy you want on your team when the game is on the line.

Aaron Kampman said it best. "The red shirt comes off." Minnesota, you are about to start the most embarassing season in your franchise's history..... oh wait, there was the orgy on lake minnetonka. Make that the second most embarassing season ever. Oops, there was that time Onterrio Smith got busted in the airport with the whizzinator. Ok fine, Minnesota, get ready for your third most embarassing season ever.

In 6 months, take a look at this picture Childress. This is why you got fired.

Password Nightmare

For some reason this thing changed my login email/password on me. Took me forever to figure this mess out. This is what I think happened. Katie hates it when I give my email -- brewcitydan@whatever.com to people during important meetings so she tried to set up a more professional sounding account. I can kind of see why she gets embarassed hearing that during loan consultations. So, I guess she jumped on this site and set some danielrmcnamara@whatever.com as my default email. Unfortunatly I never knew it existed. That's why I've been gone for such a ridiculously long time.
While I was gone Katie and I bought a house. I'm sure you're all aware and annoyed by my constant discussions of our new home... So I don't really have much to write about that. Oh except that there's a house warming party here on the 23rd.
There's the brewers? Man have they been sucking it up. They did just grab two of three from the dodgers in LA. Maybe a little hope is left? I don't really see it.
Packers started training camp, Brett Favre isn't a Viking, Michael Vick is done killing dogs, and the Bears still suck. Could make for an entertaining football season. I think I'm going to get a little more into the nfl this year. Last year I was still watching baseball during the first half of the season and didn't know what to do with myself. I actually experienced some sort of sports overload. I never thought that would happen.
Haven't talked about work in awhile... I guess because there's nothing to really report on that front. Food's still good and the people still give us money.
Oh, one thing has been really bothering me lately -- the amount of people using the phrase "hot mess." As in, I'm so embarrassed, god I was such a "hot mess" last night. It's everywhere. Anyone else notice this? I offer you a challenge. Well actually it's two challenges in one. Challenge 1 = Watch VH1 or MTV for 15 minutes. Challenge 2 = Finding a 15 minute window where someone doesn't say "hot mess." It's impossible. God, I hate it!
Well, password nightmare is over... I'll continue to change the world with my fascinating insights for days to come. Or until I forget my password again. Now it's off to Conejitos because that's where Katie and I go when we don't work. It's just too perfect. We actually tried to think of somewhere else to go instead... impossible. Rock on, GO BREWERS!