USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Ernie S.]

Thanks so much Foxy. I think I'm going to write out some of my questions tonight or tomorrow so that I don't forget some of the important questions I have. I hate when that happens . . . when they ask if you have any questions and you draw a blank. Lol. I'm going to be prepared though!

When I did the hiring for any of my businesses I would always ask a job applicant what they considered to be their greatest weakness. ( this question often drew a blank )

I've often wondered what, exactly, is the point of asking such a question. Is it just to try and make the interviewee uncomfortable, take them away from any prepared answers?

I remember once when I was in my early 20s, I went for a part-time waitressing job for some extra cash at a TGI Friday's restaurant. They asked the stupidest questions. Like, what will I bring to the Friday's team??? I was thinking to myself, this is a waitressing job that pays LESS than minimum wage. I had no idea how to answer that question for such a job? I was thinking . . . . Ummm, wait on tables???

I agree. I had one interviewer ask me why he should hire me over the other applicants for the job. I didn't KNOW who any of the other applicants were, so that struck me as an exceedingly dangerous question to answer. I think I answered it that I didn't know what the others were offering, but I knew that I would give the job my very best 100% of the time. (I didn't get the job.)

And I happened to know a person in another firm where I had also applied and didn't get the job. And I asked her why I was probably passed over. What were they looking for? And she told me point blank that they were looking for somebody who would sleep with the boss and I didn't look like somebody who would so. . . .

Sometimes the jobs we don't get are bigger blessings than the ones we do get.

Really? He just wanted an employee that would have sex with him? That's disgusting. What is WRONG with some people?

You looking for work Chris? Can you tend bar?

 

[Ernie S.]

When I did the hiring for any of my businesses I would always ask a job applicant what they considered to be their greatest weakness. ( this question often drew a blank )

I've often wondered what, exactly, is the point of asking such a question. Is it just to try and make the interviewee uncomfortable, take them away from any prepared answers?

I remember once when I was in my early 20s, I went for a part-time waitressing job for some extra cash at a TGI Friday's restaurant. They asked the stupidest questions. Like, what will I bring to the Friday's team??? I was thinking to myself, this is a waitressing job that pays LESS than minimum wage. I had no idea how to answer that question for such a job? I was thinking . . . . Ummm, wait on tables???

I agree. I had one interviewer ask me why he should hire me over the other applicants for the job. I didn't KNOW who any of the other applicants were, so that struck me as an exceedingly dangerous question to answer. I think I answered it that I didn't know what the others were offering, but I knew that I would give the job my very best 100% of the time. (I didn't get the job.)

And I happened to know a person in another firm where I had also applied and didn't get the job. And I asked her why I was probably passed over. What were they looking for? And she told me point blank that they were looking for somebody who would sleep with the boss and I didn't look like somebody who would so. . . .

Sometimes the jobs we don't get are bigger blessings than the ones we do get.

Really? He just wanted an employee that would have sex with him? That's disgusting. What is WRONG with some people?

That's what she said. Back when I was much younger and less wise, I have been chased around a desk a time or two. At least the women's lib movement, for all its flaws, did help us out in that regard. It is a rare employer or supervisor who will take such a risk these days.

But I married a career guy who got transferred a LOT during the early decades of our marriage. And as such, we agreed he would be the primary bread winner and I would be the one that would start over in each new place. And in many of those new places I had to start out in minimum wage jobs or not much over that and often dead end jobs. But it is much easier to get a better job if you're already employed so I never had to stay in those low paying jobs for long.

But along the way I had a lot of really crappy bosses. Incompetent ones. Psychotic ones--one guy sent me to his psychiatrist for an intelligence test before he would hire me. That should have been my first clue that it wasn't going to end well and it didn't. Terrible job.--and those who were just plain unpleasant, even abusive. And I've had some great bosses.

I still like working for myself the best.

I had an interview once and the guy took my hand and shook it firmly and said. "My name is David Xxxxxx and I'm obnoxious. I can't help it. I just am."
I replied "We should get along just fine."
I did take the job and yes he was obnoxious. We did get off to a rocky start until I refused to run a job the way he insisted. I essentially said, "You push the button. I'll stand over there."
When all hell broke loose and he ruined a grand worth of tooling and material, he started respecting my judgment. We got along pretty well, once he knew who was the boss.

 

[Gracie]

Your shadow man seems friendly. Or not friendly but..comfortable there. That's good.

 

[Gracie]

The only ghosts I have ever seen weren't really ghosts, I think. They were messengers from my deceased furkids.

 

[Ernie S.]

Okay, I want one or more of you resident geniuses to explain how this is possible:

third row from the bottom has 4 sections only 75% the size of the other sections

 

[ChrisL]

Yep. Nothing to lose by taking advantage of opportunity when it is dropped in your lap. You aren't committed to anything until the job is offered and you say that you accept. So we're keeping our fingers cross for you that if this is the right job, you'll get it. And if it isn't that you will know it.

Thanks so much Foxy. I think I'm going to write out some of my questions tonight or tomorrow so that I don't forget some of the important questions I have. I hate when that happens . . . when they ask if you have any questions and you draw a blank. Lol. I'm going to be prepared though!

When I did the hiring for any of my businesses I would always ask a job applicant what they considered to be their greatest weakness. ( this question often drew a blank )

I've often wondered what, exactly, is the point of asking such a question. Is it just to try and make the interviewee uncomfortable, take them away from any prepared answers?

I remember once when I was in my early 20s, I went for a part-time waitressing job for some extra cash at a TGI Friday's restaurant. They asked the stupidest questions. Like, what will I bring to the Friday's team??? I was thinking to myself, this is a waitressing job that pays LESS than minimum wage. I had no idea how to answer that question for such a job? I was thinking . . . . Ummm, wait on tables???

The answer there is "a cheerful disposition".

Well that all depends.

 

[ChrisL]

When I did the hiring for any of my businesses I would always ask a job applicant what they considered to be their greatest weakness. ( this question often drew a blank )

I've often wondered what, exactly, is the point of asking such a question. Is it just to try and make the interviewee uncomfortable, take them away from any prepared answers?

I remember once when I was in my early 20s, I went for a part-time waitressing job for some extra cash at a TGI Friday's restaurant. They asked the stupidest questions. Like, what will I bring to the Friday's team??? I was thinking to myself, this is a waitressing job that pays LESS than minimum wage. I had no idea how to answer that question for such a job? I was thinking . . . . Ummm, wait on tables???

I agree. I had one interviewer ask me why he should hire me over the other applicants for the job. I didn't KNOW who any of the other applicants were, so that struck me as an exceedingly dangerous question to answer. I think I answered it that I didn't know what the others were offering, but I knew that I would give the job my very best 100% of the time. (I didn't get the job.)

And I happened to know a person in another firm where I had also applied and didn't get the job. And I asked her why I was probably passed over. What were they looking for? And she told me point blank that they were looking for somebody who would sleep with the boss and I didn't look like somebody who would so. . . .

Sometimes the jobs we don't get are bigger blessings than the ones we do get.

Really? He just wanted an employee that would have sex with him? That's disgusting. What is WRONG with some people?

You looking for work Chris? Can you tend bar?

Does it pay well?

 

[Gracie]

Ernie is happily married, Chris.
Mrs Ernie will kick yer ass.

 

[Ernie S.]

Tips are good. The 2 bartenders each made $350 Saturday night.
Slow days, you get restaurant level pay plus tips. Might be $70 for a 6 hour shift or $125 on a slow 13 hour shift
One girl works 6 shifts a week; a double on Monday that works well because of poker, another on Tuesday where we're starting an open mic night. It's historically slow and she works another double on Friday which can be good to very good. She makes about a grand a week. She is a Hooters girl though so there's that going for her.

 

[Ernie S.]

Ernie is happily married, Chris.
Mrs Ernie will kick yer ass.

But she does know I'm madly in love with all my staff. She lets me hug the ladies and sometimes give them a kiss on the cheek.

 

[Ernie S.]

This is the one I mentioned:

 

[Nutz]

Okay, it's seems I had some of my info wrong. The wifes phone interview today wasn't Reno, apparently that one didn't work out. It was for Las Vegas NV and she's been getting more and more calls. This morning she got a call for one of three jobs in New Mexico, one in Alamogordo, one in Gallup and one in Albuquerque she also got one for a job in Chicago...... she said no to that one........

You really want Albuquerque instead of Gallup or Alamogordo neither of which are close to anywhere. But given a choice between Alamogordo and Gallup, I would take Alamogordo in a heartbeat. At least you are minutes from alpine mountains, White Sands, and an easy four-lane drive to Las Cruces for serious shopping for things you can't get in your small town.

We drove through Alamogordo on the way down to El Paso and I looked it and Gallup up online. Yeah Alamogordo is closer to larger cities like El Paso and Las Cruces but it's smaller than Gallup, in fact half the size. Still waiting on the final word from El Paso and the Las Vegas people said they would let the wife know by Friday. Yes we would prefer a larger city over the other two.

I lived in Alamagordo for a spell...not really that bad of a town...military town. Las Cruces is only about 45 minutes away...an easy drive through White Sands. I moved to Las Cruces after about 6 months for a job...I LOVED CRUCES....Alamogordo isn't too bad either if you like smaller towns....close to Ruidoso, which is beautiful. I wouldn't move to Albuquerque...shit hole.

 

[Ringel05]

Okay, it's seems I had some of my info wrong. The wifes phone interview today wasn't Reno, apparently that one didn't work out. It was for Las Vegas NV and she's been getting more and more calls. This morning she got a call for one of three jobs in New Mexico, one in Alamogordo, one in Gallup and one in Albuquerque she also got one for a job in Chicago...... she said no to that one........

You really want Albuquerque instead of Gallup or Alamogordo neither of which are close to anywhere. But given a choice between Alamogordo and Gallup, I would take Alamogordo in a heartbeat. At least you are minutes from alpine mountains, White Sands, and an easy four-lane drive to Las Cruces for serious shopping for things you can't get in your small town.

We drove through Alamogordo on the way down to El Paso and I looked it and Gallup up online. Yeah Alamogordo is closer to larger cities like El Paso and Las Cruces but it's smaller than Gallup, in fact half the size. Still waiting on the final word from El Paso and the Las Vegas people said they would let the wife know by Friday. Yes we would prefer a larger city over the other two.

I lived in Alamagordo for a spell...not really that bad of a town...military town. Las Cruces is only about 45 minutes away...an easy drive through White Sands. I moved to Las Cruces after about 6 months for a job...I LOVED CRUCES....Alamogordo isn't too bad either if you like smaller towns....close to Ruidoso, which is beautiful. I wouldn't move to Albuquerque...shit hole.

The wife and I are big city suburbanites and we've been to Albuquerque many times, don't have a problem with it. It's the little Podunk towns we don't like if that town is more than an hour away from a big city and doesn't have at least a grocery store and a gas mart.
Oh and I grew up in military towns.

 

[Dajjal]

I just had a strange, and somewhat disturbing experience. I went to the toilet and found it streaked with shit.
I am completely sure I did not do it because I would have flushed it away. I then searched the flat and it is secure and there is nobody in it but me, nor do I see how anyone could have got in. That leaves only two explanations I can think of. Either I did it myself and I was sleep walking, or some poltergeist took a dump in my loo.
I don't like either possibility as I do not think I have sleep walked before and I do not want to start now.
Either way I think I will be leaving a light on when I go to bed tonight.

If you were sleepwalking be glad that is all you did.
As a child, I used to sleepwalk quite often, as an adult, much less often.

The last time I am aware that I was sleepwalking was about 20 years ago.
I awoke laying on my kitchen floor at about 3:00am wearing nothing but a coat. Really, nothing but a coat, no underwear, no shoes, no pants, just the coat. It was January and my front door was wide open letting the cold in. I closed the front door and went back to bed. The next morning, I couldn't find my car keys. They weren't on the end table in the living room where I always left them and remembered leaving them the previous evening. Eventually, I found them. In the ignition of my car, and oh, by the way, my car doors were locked. I had to call a locksmith to get into my car. To this day, I don't know if I drove somewhere that night.

As a child, I don't know what caused me to sleepwalk. As an adult, I am only aware of doing it during high stress times of my life. The incident above occured during my seperation/divorce. Funny enough (at least funny to me), prior to that sleepwalking incident the last one I am aware of was just a few days before I got married.

Thanks, I am more worried about the possibility of sleepwalking than I am about poltergeists because,
I ain't afraid of no Ghost.
But I still cannot see how it was me that did it, and poltergeist is the only other option I can think of.

 

[Ringel05]

I just had a strange, and somewhat disturbing experience. I went to the toilet and found it streaked with shit.
I am completely sure I did not do it because I would have flushed it away. I then searched the flat and it is secure and there is nobody in it but me, nor do I see how anyone could have got in. That leaves only two explanations I can think of. Either I did it myself and I was sleep walking, or some poltergeist took a dump in my loo.
I don't like either possibility as I do not think I have sleep walked before and I do not want to start now.
Either way I think I will be leaving a light on when I go to bed tonight.

If you were sleepwalking be glad that is all you did.
As a child, I used to sleepwalk quite often, as an adult, much less often.

The last time I am aware that I was sleepwalking was about 20 years ago.
I awoke laying on my kitchen floor at about 3:00am wearing nothing but a coat. Really, nothing but a coat, no underwear, no shoes, no pants, just the coat. It was January and my front door was wide open letting the cold in. I closed the front door and went back to bed. The next morning, I couldn't find my car keys. They weren't on the end table in the living room where I always left them and remembered leaving them the previous evening. Eventually, I found them. In the ignition of my car, and oh, by the way, my car doors were locked. I had to call a locksmith to get into my car. To this day, I don't know if I drove somewhere that night.

As a child, I don't know what caused me to sleepwalk. As an adult, I am only aware of doing it during high stress times of my life. The incident above occured during my seperation/divorce. Funny enough (at least funny to me), prior to that sleepwalking incident the last one I am aware of was just a few days before I got married.

Thanks, I am more worried about the possibility of sleepwalking than I am about poltergeists because,
I ain't afraid of no Ghost.
But I still cannot see how it was me that did it, and poltergeist is the only other option I can think of.

Did you visit the Spiderwick house recently? Ya may have brought something back with you.

 

[Ringel05]

Grow a ring of mushrooms around the house.........

 

[Dajjal]

Grow a ring of mushrooms around the house.........

I keep checking the loo to see if it happens again, it might give me more of an insight into what happened. If the evidence suggests a poltergeist I might contact a spiritualist medium.

 

[Foxfyre]

You really want Albuquerque instead of Gallup or Alamogordo neither of which are close to anywhere. But given a choice between Alamogordo and Gallup, I would take Alamogordo in a heartbeat. At least you are minutes from alpine mountains, White Sands, and an easy four-lane drive to Las Cruces for serious shopping for things you can't get in your small town.

We drove through Alamogordo on the way down to El Paso and I looked it and Gallup up online. Yeah Alamogordo is closer to larger cities like El Paso and Las Cruces but it's smaller than Gallup, in fact half the size. Still waiting on the final word from El Paso and the Las Vegas people said they would let the wife know by Friday. Yes we would prefer a larger city over the other two.

Are you sure? I thought the population of Gallup was a little over 20k and Alamogordo a little over 30k?

According to the city stats Gallup has just over 70k including the "metro" area, Alamogordo has 30k total.

No way Gallup NM is anywhere close to 70k and there is no 'metro' area. I'm pretty sure.

Just posting what the official population stats are.
Just checked a couple of other population reporting sites and they all state 20k so the one site I was using looks to be wrong.

Apparently so. When we were still working we would be in Gallup at least once a month and sometimes more, plus we go through there on our way to work in Arizona, gamble in Laughlin, or visit in California. And we would be in Alamogordo as frequently and often overnighted there or in Cruces.

Alamogordo is heavily Hispanic, a military town with Holloman AFB nearby, the Space museum is there and the Space Port, plus many points of interest within easy day trips. A neat little town but not at all metropolitan. You would have to like small towns to like it there.

Gallup is at least 75% Native American and Hispanic population with the Navajo plus a few Hopi being the largest demographic group. As such there is a very definite cultural and historic feel to the town and you feel like you're in the middle of the old wild west. But there isn't much to do there and it isn't close to anywhere. Being near the Continental Divide it does get some of the worst weather in the state.

 

[Foxfyre]

Okay, it's seems I had some of my info wrong. The wifes phone interview today wasn't Reno, apparently that one didn't work out. It was for Las Vegas NV and she's been getting more and more calls. This morning she got a call for one of three jobs in New Mexico, one in Alamogordo, one in Gallup and one in Albuquerque she also got one for a job in Chicago...... she said no to that one........

You really want Albuquerque instead of Gallup or Alamogordo neither of which are close to anywhere. But given a choice between Alamogordo and Gallup, I would take Alamogordo in a heartbeat. At least you are minutes from alpine mountains, White Sands, and an easy four-lane drive to Las Cruces for serious shopping for things you can't get in your small town.

We drove through Alamogordo on the way down to El Paso and I looked it and Gallup up online. Yeah Alamogordo is closer to larger cities like El Paso and Las Cruces but it's smaller than Gallup, in fact half the size. Still waiting on the final word from El Paso and the Las Vegas people said they would let the wife know by Friday. Yes we would prefer a larger city over the other two.

I lived in Alamagordo for a spell...not really that bad of a town...military town. Las Cruces is only about 45 minutes away...an easy drive through White Sands. I moved to Las Cruces after about 6 months for a job...I LOVED CRUCES....Alamogordo isn't too bad either if you like smaller towns....close to Ruidoso, which is beautiful. I wouldn't move to Albuquerque...shit hole.

A warm Coffee Shop welcome to Nutz who is joining us for the first time this morning. Do you still live somewhere in New Mexico? Sorry you don't like my fair city. Albuquerque has been our home for a long time now and it does have much to condemn it but has even more to commend it. We llike it because it has most of the amenities you expect of a big city but still has enough of a small town feel for us--hubby and I are both small town kids--that we feel very much at home here.

But everybody doesn't love everybody or everywhere or else we would all be living on top of each other.

Anyhow welcome to the Coffee Shop and here's your first timer's complimentary beverage:

 

[Ringel05]

We drove through Alamogordo on the way down to El Paso and I looked it and Gallup up online. Yeah Alamogordo is closer to larger cities like El Paso and Las Cruces but it's smaller than Gallup, in fact half the size. Still waiting on the final word from El Paso and the Las Vegas people said they would let the wife know by Friday. Yes we would prefer a larger city over the other two.

Are you sure? I thought the population of Gallup was a little over 20k and Alamogordo a little over 30k?

According to the city stats Gallup has just over 70k including the "metro" area, Alamogordo has 30k total.

No way Gallup NM is anywhere close to 70k and there is no 'metro' area. I'm pretty sure.

Just posting what the official population stats are.
Just checked a couple of other population reporting sites and they all state 20k so the one site I was using looks to be wrong.

Apparently so. When we were still working we would be in Gallup at least once a month and sometimes more, plus we go through there on our way to work in Arizona, gamble in Laughlin, or visit in California. And we would be in Alamogordo as frequently and often overnighted there or in Cruces.

Alamogordo is heavily Hispanic, a military town with Holloman AFB nearby, the Space museum is there and the Space Port, plus many points of interest within easy day trips. A neat little town but not at all cosmopolitan. You would have to like small towns to like it there.

Gallup is at least 75% Native American and Hispanic population with the Navajo plus a few Hopi being the largest demographic group. As such there is a very definite cultural and historic feel to the town and you feel like you're in the middle of the old wild west. But there isn't much to do there and it isn't close to anywhere.

One thing I read last night is Gallup is the violent crime capital of New Mexico. I'm pretty sure I'd take El Paso or Albuquerque over Gallup or Alamogordo any day but if it came down to a choice between Gallop and Alamogordo it would be Alamogordo as it's relatively close to Las Cruces and El Paso.
Oh and the wife was mistaken about the third location being Albuquerque, when she received the job specs/locations the third one is in our second choice location (first being Colorado Springs), Santa Fe and the pay would make living there very easy and affordable.