kdel's Profile

Be thankful on the day of Thanks that restaurants, movie theaters and most importantly, bars are open on the holiday. I wish I could spend the day without relatives but having the option of getting out of the house and enjoying a cocktail makes everything go smoother. To show my gratitude I leave a big fat tip - I remember the Thanksgivings and Christmas holidays I had to work. Big tippers are always welcome!

ChrisGal,

This comment really belongs on a different thread, but here goes:

Tipping is not compulsory, but a minimum of 15% is expected. Most servers rely on tips for their income. I have worked as a server in all kinds of places from fine dining to chain restaurants and every waiter expected 15-20% for excellent service. Wait staff work for below minimum wage, usually around 2-3 bucks per hour. I usually never received a paycheck because my wages went toward covering the taxes I paid on claimed tips. And if you are dining in an upscale establishment in an urban area, you should be tipping 25%. If you are not comfortable with these amounts, then frequent establishments where tipping is not expected. The wait staff tolerate you, they argue over who has to wait on you and they will not tell you the truth about your cheap tip because they could lose their job. It's also not cool to sit at a table for four hours sipping on your coffee while you get some much needed work done on your laptop or read a book. Waiters make money by turning that table several times during their shift. If you want to camp out, then leave at least 20 bucks. I'm just sayin'

Bad service should not be rewarded. Let the manager know and tip (or omit tip) as your see fit.

palmetto bugs - another Southern tradition

ebay

Col Mustard in the library with a wrench?

Real Living Australia

design sponge

decor8

Wool and Cashmere detergent from The Laundress. There is a how to video on their site for hand washing.

I'm from a small town in South Carolina that has an annual Chitlin Strut. It's a festival dedicated to chitlins and well, the whole hog. Chitlins are hog intestines for those who don't know. Anyone ever tried pork bbq hash and rice? I asked my mother to describe the ingredients in hash -She replied that it was everything but the squeal.
The Chitlin Strut also has a beauty pageant - humans not swine.

Ditto on the sweet tea. Sometimes we make half sweet tea and half lemonade. It's called an Arnold Palmer.

I use my iron every day because I sew.