Clevernester's Profile

Those are hideous.

Lovely home. Thanks for sharing. It had a very wise use of space and very clean lines. I would kill for such a beautiful space. I did, however, want to see more of this closet that was bragged about!

If I could make two small suggestions: I think the kitchen floor could use a different tile, perhaps a nice slate? And the map above the kitchen table is nice, but I think it's a bit small for the space. Perhaps something taller, to draw the eye up to your high ceiling? I realize you're limited in height due to the vent.

Awful. Perhaps a talented artist can make me change my mind, but all the examples are atrocious. Plus I'd be concerned that the ink would rub off onto skin and clothing.

Turquoise. Then distress the paint a bit.

For the readers who bemoaned their cats kicking litter everywhere:

I have 2 20-pound cats who are prone to kicking. We decided to pick up two of those geberic household Rubbermaid storage containers. The sides are about 2 feet high, which really cut down on the amount they're able to get out. They jump in easily, but it's a lifesaver!

I have been a server/bartender in the US for 12 years. While I understand that there are vastly different politics and customs regarding tipping from one county to another, here are the facts about tipping in the US. In the US, for good service, the customary tip is between 15% and 20%. For poor service, well, that's a personal decision.

1. Minimum service wage (any person recieving tips - bartenders, servers, bussers) in the US is $2.13 per hour. Only a handful of states have mandated above this level. In 12 years, I have never gotten paid above $2.13.

2. You are indeed taxed based on total sales, NOT on your tips. Because of this, service people live off tips alone. Taxes devour any paltry paycheck you get (40 hours at $2.13 doesn't even begin to cover your tax liability). Most servers owe several thousand dollars in taxes at the end of the year to boot!

3. We're not just talking tips -- we're talking tip-outs. In a restaurant, bartenders and servers are required to "tip-out" support staff (hosts, food runners, bussers, bartenders). That is, it is compulsory for a server/bartender to pay anywhere from 3% to 7% of their total sales, NOT total tips to the staff.

So let's say you stiff your server/bardenter on a $100 tab. Then that person will lose from $3 to $7 of their own money (excluding tax liablity) after serving and cleaning up after you. Tipping is a range, but do you really mean to COST your server money? That just makes you a bad human.

So if I have $1000 in sales and only made $100 in tips, after I tip-out 7% (which is $70), I can leave an 8+ hour shift with as little as $30. Thats it. For the whole day.

4. Regarding the "quality" issue: The amount of time and labor I put into something does NOT change simply becuase you didn't like an item. If you have a service issue, thats one thing, but if a product is lacking, you shouldn't stiff your server/bartender. What you should do is speak up about the problem and give your server/bartender an opportunity to make it better. Help us help you. We'll be happy to make another or take it off the tab. Staying quiet about an issue, getting angry that your server/bartender can't read your mind, then leaving a horrindous tip is ludicrious.

5. Know the customs! When visiting another county, ask what the tipping protocol is. As can be seen above, theres a huge variation. Don't be an inadvertent jerk!

And I'll end my tip rant there.

On #2: Seriously, those garnishes are disgusting. Stay away. Trust me.

Hmm... This is a good question. As a mathematician, here is my approach. Its a bit basic, but it'll give you a pretty close approximation. First, measure the inside of the elevator from floor to ceiling, and from the back of the elevator to just inside the doors. Then measure the width of the door opening.
When looking at a sofa, measure the length of the sofa diagonally from the bottom corner of one side to the top corner of the opposite side. This diagonal measurement must be smaller than the measurement of the height of the elevator. This way you can lead one end of the sofa into the elevator and slowly rotate it so it stands straight up on its arm. Measure the height of the sofa and it's depth. Compare these two numbers to the width of the door opening and depth of elevator. Match the larger of the two sofa measurements with the larger of the two elevator measurements; then compare the remaining measurements. The sofa measurements must be smaller than its corresponding elevator measurement.
It's a bit strange, but it's guaranteed to work!