Can I just get away with saying that nothing has happened?
No?
OK, first things first:
I have been wanting to go to Coachella for the last 5 years. My dearest friend Lori, along with her husband, have been inviting me out year after year and something always seems to get in the way (something equals work, more often than not) and I never go. This year, I decided that "Fuck it!" was the only excuse I needed. I bought my plane ticket to LA a few weeks ago and I used AMEX points to buy my 3 day Coachella pass. Lori's friend Brian, whom I met last summer at All Points West, will pick me up in LA and drive me out to Indio.
And then, well, there's the house, with the pool, in the desert. Of course, that doesn't suck. While the fact that I am the only one arriving solo pretty much relegates me to the couch, I assume it also obligates me to a very small chunk of the total lodging bill.
So, I really couldn't afford not to go to Coachella this year. It was an easy choice, despite being the 3 days before Jay's birthday, but that is a story for another post...
It was also easy to justify the trip after we made it through the 3rd semi-annual Restaurant Week in Nashville. I was riding a high as the owner of 2 restaurants with new sales records. I am sure you can imagine, that doesn't suck...
But, you know what does suck? The fallout.
I have made many a joke over the last 20 years about the one problem with working in restaurants. That problem, I always said, was the customer. You know the one. Person comes in, person asks for things, person expects everything to be right, person is condescending on occasion, person wears stupid Christmas sweater, blah blah blah. Annoying, right? But, now? Well, I realized, as any future owner would, that this customer, this guest, is also the reason for the rest of the things that were great about working in restaurants. They pay the bills, they tip the servers, they tell you how to do your job better. As a clever and sincere feedback collector, I basically get a performance evaluation everyday.
And then? Well, then came the internet...
The internet allows even the dumbest of people the opportunity to offer up their opinion on anything. The phase "knowing a little about a lot of things" comes to mind. They don't have to visit twice for a bad review. They don't have to offer up their opinion while being asked. They need not be bothered with any type of civil, proper, or professional discourse. No, no, no. Why bother allowing you to know what they think? Why bother to allow you the opportunity to correct the issue? Hell no! It is a whole lot more fun to go home and trash somebody's business on the internet!
Because, you know? I probably could have corrected that issue in 2 minutes with another steak (and I'm sorry about the gristle, but I didn't think to cut into your food repeatedly before delivering it to you). Had you allowed me that opportunity, I guess your post would have to rest on your actual writing. And well? We wouldn't want that, would we?
Don't even get me started on Yelp, Urbanspoon, etc. I remember the days when all you had to worry about was a food review. Now, it is a daily struggle. And, by the way, if your name in Anonymous, then you might as well jump out in front of a bus, because you are obviously too pathetic to live in the world with the rest of us. Feel free, in the meantime, to let me know where you work...
Don't get me wrong. If we fuck up, I will be the first to admit it. If something is bad, call me out on it. If I fail to correct an issue, write all about it. Just please remember that we are just a bunch of people that are trying to make other people happy. This isn't the motherfucking culinary jihad. If there is one going on out there, count me out!
So yeah, fuck it! I'm going to Coachella!
Now, I know why you are still reading this rant. You want to hear all about my running and how well I am doing.
Well, I picked running back up last September. I built my mileage up very slowly this time around. I started with time based out and backs. Run easy for 15 minutes, turn back. When that seemed inadequate, I started setting distance goals. I allowed for weekly increases of 10% or less.
I was so careful.
I stretched. I iced, I rested, I stretched some more. (if anyone even whispers the words cross training, I will punch you in the face!)
I registered for the ING Half Marathon in Atlanta in March and then bam! Injury! Awesome! Yea, me!
Fuck it! I'm going to Coachella!
I have been dealing with posterior shin splints in my left leg for 3 weeks. Self diagnosed, but all too familiar. Rest usually works, but how can I rest my calf during Restaurant Week?
Anyway, I am happy to be back on the road, so to speak. 3-4 miles, every other day, seems to be my current limit while the calf gets its act together.
So, it seems that blogging is indeed just like exercise. I will just sink back in slowly, avoiding injury, while I get my act together. I really doubt that you would have had any interest in sharing the misery over the last 12 months anyway...
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