It's All Good
Jun. 1st, 2002 02:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_gneechIt was interesting ... it was like Starbucks was giving me a day of everything I didn't like about the job, all rolled into one, as a sort of farewell "Remember why you're leaving!" gesture. :) About the only thing missing was that I only had to be in at 6:00 a.m. instead of 5:00 ... but it was crazy, it was busy, we were vastly understaffed, and I had to stay two hours over my scheduled quittin' time.
Don't worry, Starbucks, I'll remember. You don't have to remind me. :)
Well, to celebrate my leaving Starbucks, Laurie and I went to Matsutake Japanese Steak House right up the street. The "Japanese steak house" is a taste I acquired at last year's Dragon*Con, when Pete Abrams and his retinue, Dave Allen from Plan 9, Laurie, HantaMouse,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jamesbarrett and I all went to Benihana on the last day of the con.
Yummmmmmm... *drool*
The problem with Japanese steak houses, the good ones at least, is that they're expensive. It's worth the $25/plate they charge -- but even if it is, I can only afford to spend that kind of money on a meal once in a great while.
Half of the fun of going to such a place is the little floor show the chef puts on for you while he grills your food. The highlight of Thursday night's routine was when the chef took a thick slice of onion, knocked the rings out, inverted and stacked them like a small volcano, filled it with cooking oil, and FOOSH! Mt. St. Onions. :)
Thursday night, I was too bouncy to sleep, so I ended up playing Jedi Outcast until the wee hours of the morning. It's an okay game; the gameplay itself is fine, but the level design leaves some to be desired.
My first day at Circle was pleasant, slow, and unstressful. :) I learned how to run the phones at the front desk, which I'm going to be doing at lunchtime every day (I am the receptionist's backup person so she can go to lunch etc.), I filled out paperwork, I read various manuals, and I put together some binders. I also went out to lunch with Laurie and a woman named Gail, who reminds me quite a bit of HantaMouse's mum.
Today is just a lazy day. I slept late (yay!), and have spent most of the day playing computer games and/or watching cartoons while running laundry in the background. Later tonight, I should be playing D&D with Camstone and Frisk. Tomorrow I might even be able to -- gasp -- start working on SJ again!
Or I might take a nap. ;)
-The Gneech
Don't worry, Starbucks, I'll remember. You don't have to remind me. :)
Well, to celebrate my leaving Starbucks, Laurie and I went to Matsutake Japanese Steak House right up the street. The "Japanese steak house" is a taste I acquired at last year's Dragon*Con, when Pete Abrams and his retinue, Dave Allen from Plan 9, Laurie, HantaMouse,
jamesbarrett and I all went to Benihana on the last day of the con.Yummmmmmm... *drool*
The problem with Japanese steak houses, the good ones at least, is that they're expensive. It's worth the $25/plate they charge -- but even if it is, I can only afford to spend that kind of money on a meal once in a great while.
Half of the fun of going to such a place is the little floor show the chef puts on for you while he grills your food. The highlight of Thursday night's routine was when the chef took a thick slice of onion, knocked the rings out, inverted and stacked them like a small volcano, filled it with cooking oil, and FOOSH! Mt. St. Onions. :)
Thursday night, I was too bouncy to sleep, so I ended up playing Jedi Outcast until the wee hours of the morning. It's an okay game; the gameplay itself is fine, but the level design leaves some to be desired.
My first day at Circle was pleasant, slow, and unstressful. :) I learned how to run the phones at the front desk, which I'm going to be doing at lunchtime every day (I am the receptionist's backup person so she can go to lunch etc.), I filled out paperwork, I read various manuals, and I put together some binders. I also went out to lunch with Laurie and a woman named Gail, who reminds me quite a bit of HantaMouse's mum.
Today is just a lazy day. I slept late (yay!), and have spent most of the day playing computer games and/or watching cartoons while running laundry in the background. Later tonight, I should be playing D&D with Camstone and Frisk. Tomorrow I might even be able to -- gasp -- start working on SJ again!
Or I might take a nap. ;)
-The Gneech
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
*celebration*
Date: 2002-06-01 01:01 pm (UTC)*bounce*bounce*bounce*bounce* like Tiffany on caffeine.
Congratulations! The curse is broken! The Once and Future Kid can rise again!
*grabs a confuzzled lion by the paws and twirls around with him. @wheeeeeeeee!*
Re: *celebration*
Date: 2002-06-04 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Welcome Back to Reality!
Don't forget to pick up your name tag at the door. :)
So relax, take your shoes off and sit a spell.
You deserve it. :)
Scott
naps are good...
Date: 2002-06-01 03:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-06-01 03:36 pm (UTC)Ok, time for the happy fox dance! *Insert happy fox dance here*
Woo! Glad to hear your free! :D Free! Weeeeeeeeeee!
--Rhan ^o.o^
no subject
Date: 2002-06-01 03:52 pm (UTC)Relaxing very good.
Laundry bad, but a necessary evil.
*cheers for the Gneech* :)
HUZZAH!
Date: 2002-06-01 04:19 pm (UTC)no subject
It seems that your new situation will suit you well. I hope so. While the number of hours may not be much different, the selection of which hours are involved seems to be a dramatic improvement for you. Also, the physical challenges of your previous employ aren't going to be an issue any longer.
Being able to husband your creative time to focus on the things that you want to do is excellent. And I expect that we will see results from this soon.
A resolution to Mopsy's dilemma would be nice; she's been in that iron collar a long time. But, I recognize that this may never happen.
In any event, buy' ngop ("that's great news", or more literally, "full plates!" -- or, from "Doon": "Steak for dinner sometime soon -- boffo!") ;)
===|==============/ Level Head
no subject
Date: 2002-06-01 06:57 pm (UTC)There's a Benihana about an hour away from us, and about every two to three months, the mate and I brave the traffic and migrate for a tasty lunch treat. (well he braves the traffic, I hate driving, especially near Cherry Hill, NJ. If you've been there, you'll know why. Ugh) They also have some lunch specials that, for some reason, they never advertise anymore, but still serve them when asked. My favourite is the Shrimp Tempura and chicken combo. Our friends think we're nuts, to drive an hour just to eat at a restaurant, but we enjoy it. :)
no subject
Date: 2002-06-02 08:08 am (UTC)-The Gneech
Re:
Date: 2002-06-02 09:34 am (UTC)===|==============/ Level Head
Ich Gratuliere Dich!!!
Date: 2002-06-01 07:56 pm (UTC)Congratulations! :)
Ain't the food industry fun? My superiors have gotten wise: they no longer schedule a quittin' time, so that we don't get pissde off when we can't go home on time.
Now we just get pissed off because we can't plan to go do things afterward.
Ahhh, the relaxed atmosphere of a desk job. I envy you. Really.
Re: Ich Gratuliere Dich!!!
}"Ahhh, the relaxed atmosphere of a desk job. I envy you. Really."
Friend Talon, poor humanai kuvest'. choSuvchugh 'oy'lIj Daghur neH.
("human slave. Struggling only makes it worse.") ;/
It may be time to start knocking on doors.
===|==============/ Level Head
Re: Ich Gratuliere Dich!!!
Date: 2002-06-02 09:36 am (UTC)I have been knocking on doors for some time. But today I must purchass a newspaper to look for more jobs.
no subject
Or pat you down for that bottle of coffee flavoring you were trying to sneak off with on your last day. You did remember to get that right? Right?
Yay!
Date: 2002-06-01 09:50 pm (UTC)'Though, i never quite understood the strange need humans have to spend 30 somthing bucks, for a meal that tastes like chicken with some sauce on it. Steak has always been to expensive for its taste. It just must be a silly human thing.
Like paying 500 bucks on a government toilet when you can get them for free at assorted closed down locations. Ah well.
Glad your finaly off that stress job! Your too young for grey fur!
but I'm young an have grey fur. ...thats beside the bloody point. Shut up Kat.
So gonna start working on that Fabled, Myth, Lore of a strip called SJ? *giggles* Well, only if you want to. Remember Bro, its your strip, to do as you please. No stressing on mind made obligations!
But on a second note, would be cool to see the strip again.
Perhaps we can dig deeper into Leona's insainty! What dig deeper? Its a shallow kiddy cess pool of dillusions an paranoia. Hrm.. Kinda like the FOX network...
Anyway, Sleep well Gneechypookens, 'Aight? ;)
^~Kat
Japanese Steak Houses
One orders are taken, the chef arrives with a rolling cart on which the raw food is transported.
A waitress has brought a bowl of soup (usually quite good -- a clear consomme broth or misu soup) and a salad with a distinctive ginger dressing. Now the chef starts up his act. He will fry rice right on the grill, using several eggs, a collection of spices and diced vegtables and of course the rice itself. But moreover, while all this is going on he is twirling the spatula, juggling the condiment containers, and moving very quickly so that the preparation is itself the entertainment.
As the rice bowls are filled, he will sometimes juggle them on the spatula. Not all chefs have equal skill at this, and many don't try the fancier stunts.
The shrimp appetizer -- simply grilled shrimp, is entertaining because of the rapid-fire slicing of the shrimp that is done. One way to spot the skill level of the chef is to note how many of the shrimp are "pre-cut" -- a good chef has no pre-cut shrimp, whereas a new one will have three-fourths of them cut, as the chef could not get them done in time to keep something from burning.
Vegtables: typically mushroom and zucchini and onions.
Entrees are usually steak (excellent quality!) chicken, scallops and or shrimp. This part of the meal is individual -- everything else is prepared for the entire table (although some folks ask for steamed rice instead of fried).
The meal is a production. The courses come one at a time, with time to eat in between (if you're quick) and the staging makes the entire meal an event.
Sadly, Benihana's (founded by Rocky Aoki decades ago, and considered "America's favorite restaurant") has lost some of its showmanship, and in many restaurants the fried rice is prepared in advance. A pity. But other chains, such as Yamato (which is just the ancient word for Japan) and Kobe Beef House still do a creditable job.
Locally to me, there is a "Yama Sushi" (Mountain Fish???) that has just installed teppan tables; they are doing well and the showmanship is quite good.
It's worth trying -- particularly to celebrate something. And if your party is less than 8 people, you will often meet interesting folks seated with you. (Some teppan places have small grills for 4 or 5 people.)
===|==============/ Level Hea
Re: Japanese Steak Houses
Date: 2002-06-02 09:32 am (UTC)And it is not the same as the American dish "mountain oysters". ;)
===|==============/ Level Head
That's Rocky Mountain Oysters...
Date: 2002-06-02 03:03 pm (UTC)And I have yet to be given the opportunity to taste a RMO (I would never buy a whole dish unless I knew ahead of time how they tasted...), though it has been reported to me that they taste remarkably like hot dogs. Or is it that hot dogs taste remarkably like them..... *trails off*
Re: Japanese Steak Houses
Date: 2002-06-02 09:40 am (UTC)At Fort Saint James in Seattle, they have both an Americanized side and a Japanese side. The American side uses boring wooden tables and serves Japanese Steaks. The Japanese side uses visual menus (traditional in Japan, I understand) and they are all written in Kana, and some Kanji. They use Teppan tables, though the food preparation is all doen in the rear of the shop for some reason-- perhaps because it's all sushi? :)
Hooray!
Mur