Thursday, May 18, 2006

Yesterday was Dori's birthday and we had a few people over for a surprise cake. The cake said Happy 65 th Birthday Doris. Hey, we still have a sense of humor after trying to open a restaurant here in the DR.
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I was supposed to pick up the cushions for the chairs and barstools yesterday afternoon. Needless to say I was busier than a one armed wallpaper hanger all day so I was putting it off until today.
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I got a call at 7pm while I was still at the restaurant and the woman said they didn't have enough of the fabric. Man how low class can you be? Here when you do business with Dominicans for a large part of what you need they are completely untrustworthy and in addition they honestly can't understand why doing business like a complete ass is not appreciated. They lie and lie. Imagine if you gave someone a few days notice if there wasn't enough fabric to do a job that was ordered 2.5 weeks earlier?
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I went there today and explained that I am opening the restaurant tomorrow and what am I to do for chairs? They just give you a stupid look with a complete absense of any feeling in their face.
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Why are my people such asses?
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Today when we were doing the food prep and trying to get the Chocolate Cake done the oven blew up and took a bunch of Dori's hair with it. He needed a haircut anywho so the guy is coming tomorrow to fix the thing and in time to still cook the cake for dinner.
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Ok, so I am bitching a lot but YOU try to do business here with my fellow countrymen!
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Oh, the guy that built the storefront in the rear of the restaurant came in to finally get paid. I asked where my price was for the second storefront so I can air condition the place and he tells me tomorrow. I say to this JERK you told me that 2 weeks ago. He babbles some crap in Spanish I don't even have any understanding of so I tell him Manana in what year? He gives me this hurt look like I am doing the wrong thing.
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Don't do business with Double Hache for windows and doors. Unreliable and just a plain pain in the ASS. More of my fellow countrymen who couldn't find their own asses with two hands and a freakin road map! People ask me why I drink. I need to drink to deal with my people thats why!
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Ok I am REALLY finished bitching now! Ah don't let me get started on the menus... Nah aint gonna do it.
This is how the place looks from the back to the front. Not too shabby huh? Notice the lack of seat cushions!
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Hey I had the guy in that is trimming out the bar in Metal and he did half a job. He is also doing the light fixtures but they aint here either. Who the hell needs light?
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I guess this is what soft openings is all about I guess. You don't tell too many people till you get it all together. I have no problem with that.
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The next picture is of the place from the side entrance to the Bar.
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Ok, so did you hear enough bitching yet or should I continue?
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Nah, I am tired of writing and bitching.
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Hasta Pronto!

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Great News and tidbits

This is one of the Logos we were working with last year when brain storming on QuiXotes. The original plan is down the drain and I am going to sell the property and close on it this month. I made money on the real estate so alls well that ends well and I have moved on to the New QuiXote's Restaurant which is located inside the Europa Hotel on Pedro Clisante in Sosua, Dominican Republic.
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There is actually a window between the Hotel Lobby and the restaurant and I made a plastic graphic of the guy on the horse below and put it in the window or at least it is something similar to the one below. Yesterday I had the pleasure of welcoming a new member to the Escott Family. My goats of which I had 3 Billy, Goat and son of these two Butthead. Well Butthead now has a brother born yesterday and unlike Butthead who looks exactly like his momma Goat the brother looks exactly like his daddy Billy.
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Now we need to have a baby naming and I am looking for suggestions for brother of Butthead so please make your comments and suggestions.
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Today is Election Day in the Dominican Republic. Yesterday they closed down bars in town at 7pm and they cant reopen till 7pm today. FUnny that they didn't close all of them down, only ones on one side of town. Perhaps payoffs were smaller?
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Being in this country from Good Friday to election day is something I don't enjoy. You have these maniacs with the loudspeakers on everything from 4 wheelers to Mack Trucks blasting NOISE at you constantly. Then you have political rallys where they drive in one direction with over 100 cars and trucks taking over 4 lanes on a two lane road forcing all oncoming traffic off the road. I have never seen anything as disrespectful as this before and I refused to pull over. Matter of fact I wouldn't even slow down and you had to see their faces when I was coming at them fast and NOT YIELDING to their stupidity!
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I think I will try and avoid being here during that period of time next year and highly recommend that everyone else does.
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This morning when I was coming into the restaurant some disrespectful IDIOT in a large SUV stops to chat with some other dope in the middle of the road. He doesn't care about anyone around him only his dumb ass self. When he finally moved on the guy he was talking to tried to walk in front of my car to the street. I think I gave him a few grey hairs when I wouldn't let the SOB cross in front of me.
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I am the kind of driver that stops to let people cross the street. You have to see the look on a Dominicans face when this happens. I am not sure that they don't think I am setting them up and going to run them over as soon as they get in front of me they are in such disbelief that anyone would extend common courtesy to them. I guess courtesy is just not in the culture of most of the Dominicans I see driving. I don't know why.
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Ok, I have just ranted. Maybe it is the stress of opening up a restaurant? Go figger!
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Back to work as I only have 3 more days to go!
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Hasta Pronto!