Happy to be a girl...

So...first day of training at Marliave was a success!! It's a little more upscale than I'm used to but it's worth the learning experience. And they all said they make great money. So I train there officially starting Saturday. I'm excited to challenge myself instead of walk away and find an "easier" restaurant. Tonight I train at South End Buttery so I'm hoping it goes just as well. The managers at Marliave said they have no problem working around my schedule if I choose to get two jobs =0) The best thing I must say though about temporary unemployment is that you can do whatever you want everyday. So Jo and I have been getting up early, working out, cooking, reading, etc. And I said to myself the other day "Gosh i really like this whole not drinking, being healthy thing. I feel great! Why aren't we always like this?" Then I worked one night back in a restaurant haha and the first thing I wanted when I got out was a beer. There is a just something about the industry I swear. Not to put the blame solely on it, however I will put most of it haha. So i wrap up my first night of "stagging" which apparently isn't training. It's more like volunteering because you don't make a dime and you have to run around and prove to them that you're awesome. I jump on the T a few stops and get out at Mass Ave to walk the 15 blocks to Joanna's job. To my hilarious surprise there happen to be 3 meat head college guys headed my way with a 30 pack each of keystone light in their hands. I couldn't help but burst out laughing which prompted them of course to say "heyyy you wanna come to the party???" "I think i'm too old but thanks!", I replied. When the little devil instead of me just wanted to shout, "HELLL YEAAA I DOO!!!!" Oh well. As my mom said, in another lifetime i guess haha my days of that are over. So I make it to Jo's restaurant and creepily pass the windows hoping she sees me...which she does. So i continue on down the block to find a place to watch the rest of the Saints game and grab that beer that I so desperately need. I first come to a place called the "Other Side" bar. Lets just say it definitely wasn't "my side". They were really rude at the door. I walked in anyway, turned around and walked out. Ok next place. Came upon Cafe 47 which Jo and I had had lunch previously and it was much nicer. I was greeted at the door by a nice woman who sat me in a perfect position to watch the rest of the game. My server Erika came over promptly and brought me a beer and a glass of water. Perfect. And the fourth quarter just started. So 15-20 minutes later Jo comes in, we order a pizza and are discussing our restaurants when some guy behind the bar wants to take down the New Orleans Saints football that was nicely placed above the liquor. Clearly he was a Brett Favre fan as he had a shirt on with his name on it. And my smartass decides to say "hey hey hey" when he tried to take it down. Ok, i'm sorry, but if you cannot partake in some playful football banter then watch the games at home. Well clearly I learned MY Boston lesson real quick. He continued to take it down, flip me the bird, and told us our meal was on him that we can kindly leave. Holy shit. What? Are you serious? Of course we didn't because I don't care what some idiot says, I want to finish my pizza and beer. Then of course he apologizes saying he really will get our meal, the server apologizes, the owner clearly already left for the evening blah blah blah. I tried to go over to be like "no hard feelings man i was just playing around. I'm actually a bills fan haha" but I was greeted with insane beer breath and realized the reason for his actions was pure intoxication. So we left a nice tip for our waitress and left. At first I thought, I'm never coming back here. Then I thought, I am very happy to be a girl otherwise we would have gotten into a bar fight. Then Jo was scared she would get her ass kicked. Then we both thought, hey 4 beers a large pizza and it was only $20 cuz our waitress was so cute... i'll run my mouth all the time for that hahha!!! Longest story ever short... Boston really does have crazy fans. So I guess maybe I'll stick to Bills bars, or just cheer quietly hahahahahhah.

Happy Football Season everyone!!!

Love,

Rach

ya know what...

Ya know what I won't ever get tired of? That person in the subway, or in this case the T, that is talking out-loud to no one in particular yet everyone can hear him. He doesn't care if you are listening, nor probably cares if anyone is even on the train with him. He easily frustrates anyone and everyone around him because people may be reading, or trying to relax on there way to wherever they are going. However this person never bothers me but rather makes me smile and even laugh a little every time. They always have so much to say that I feel bad because maybe they don't have anyone to talk to. They could be a "crazy whacko" but who isn't in their own way? And if they happen to actually direct their conversation at me, i will gladly go along with it until my stop comes, no matter what else I would rather being doing. Anyways, moving on. Hi everyone... Rachel here. It's been forever since I've written on here. Jo is just so far in the spotlight I couldn't interrupt her grove =) However, today I felt since she is off at her first training shift and I am here alone all night, why not blog? Since being alone is one of my least favorite things, for a whole bunch of reasons, at least writing for a bit I won't be so lonely. First things first. Sam (meaning Sam one of the regulars at Boa)... if for any reason you actually have checked out the blog I have to tell you something! I have no other way to get ahold of you. On my last shift at Boa my friend and very loyal customer Sam came in and sat on the back patio. After a little while he gave me a very nice compliment on the shirt that I happen to be wearing and for some reason it really stuck with me. So much so that it gave me such confidence that I wore that same shirt to my interview yesterday. And to my pleasant surprise, i landed the job =) or at least start training on Friday!! So I owe Sam a thank you. Thanks for giving me the boost to go get the job without even knowing you were doing it =) Sometimes a little thing can go a longgg way! I miss Denver the most right now. It's easier to not miss NYC as much up here because they have so many similarities. And as always I miss the b-lo. But Boston seems pretty cool so far. I'm training at a place downtown tomorrow night. Similar to the places down near wall street and the area is very similar too. Then on friday I train at a place called South End Buttery. It's a cafe by day and neighborhood-feel restaurant by night. I'll only have to work at night which is cool so if I can do both jobs that would be ideal. Roll in the dough!! I have felt very eager lately to go back to school, or at least learn something. Really i just want to go "back to school" shopping haha. So if I find something cool to learn about it... i'll let ya know =) Oh... great to see familiar faces this weekend and today. My friend from home Caitlin and her new fiance Jim came Saturday and it was a blast. And Sunday it was really great to hang out with family. My uncle Dave, aunt Jess and three cousins came in. Then today we got to spend time with Cassie and Joe who are recently married!! All great things. I'll try and put some pics and videos up. It's so much easier on facebook but if you can't get to facebook then I should try harder to put them up! Hope everyone is having a good week so far. Thanks for reading =)

xoxo,

Rach

the announcements continue

Lunch with Cassie and Joe was fantastic. They're moving to DC tomorrow which truely unfortunate. They're a really fun couple to hang out with and know a lot of cool things about Boston. They were kind enough to buy us lunch as a welcome to Beantown and gave us lots of tips and fun ideas about things in the area to do. Again, we're really bummed they're leaving. Next on the agenda for today is my apologies for not writing about our visit to New York. I plan to give our New York weekend its own entry either tomorrow morning or when I get home tonight. Home tonight? Joanna, where are you going? Well.... I will be at Clio from 4-10ish learning the ropes and seeing whether Clio and I "are a good fit". The interview went really well yesterday. The two managers I spoke with were shockingly young and extrememly cool and laid back. I'm training tonight with another back server and I guess if I do a good job, I'm hired. No, I don't know if I get paid tonight. No, I don't know if I get fed. No, I don't know how much I would be making if hired. When I know these answers, you will be the first (after Rachel) to hear them. I'm a little nervous about tonight. I hope I can live up to how much I talked myself up. I'm glad its not a weekend and it'll be a little slower. I'm hoping this place isn't completely out of league and I don't end up embarrassing myself. I'm sure it will be fine. I also just realized that my last five sentences start with "I". Narcissist. -lj

publick announcement

A few things this morning... 1. A Restaurant Review: We went to a beer pub last night called "Publick House". They're beer selection was nothing less than extrememly impressive. It took forever to choose our beers. I've only ever seen one other beer menu this complete and once I remember what that place in NYC is called, I'll let you know. Joshua, do you remember? We ordered mussels which were underseasoned and there were frankly just too many of them. We ordered the smaller appetizer version and I seriously think the cap on how many mussels one can fish in a season has just i been lowered because of our appetizer. It was a total waste of food and an unnessesary portion. I couldn't help but wonder why the chef was ok with giving away so many mussels at such a low price point. You should always wonder about large portions of cheap seafood. Seafood is expensive for restaurants to serve. They obviously make that money back on salt and pepper since they used virtually none on the dish. Our entrees came while we were still eating the mussels, which I was grateful for because if they had waited till we were done it would have added an hour to our meal. I ordered the short rib and Rach got Fish and Chips. There was some sort of spice I couldn't pin point on the short rib that I didn't really like and it was totally overcooked. Probably because it sat in the window while Rachel and I tried to make a dent in the probably 40+ dish of mussels. Rach liked the fish and chips. I don't think I got a good bite because my mouth was coated in whatever spice or herb that was in the short rib. After two and a half beers (we shared the third) we left. The service was very good although I wish she was more helpful with my beer selection. But she was nice and attentive. I'd go back for a beer but not for food. I was going to save this and finish later, but i'll post it now and post again later. going to breakfast with cassie and joe!! -lj

a fear continues...

I'm reading up more on Clio. The restaurants chef has a James Beard Award, has won Iron Chef America, and the restaurant has been named one of the best restaurants in America by Esquire magazine. I'm screwed. -lj

clio

Well, I got an interview. It's for a back waiter at a restaurant called "Clio" located in the Elliot hotel. I've don't think I've ever even eaten at a restaurant this nice let alone worked in one. If I work there it's going to bring my resume up about twenty levels. I'm excited about the prospect of working in that caliber of restaurant but I need a haircut. Thats a weird thing to stress about, but its not like I have money to go buy a nice outfit and get a hair cut for this interview. The owner sounded really cool on the phone and I feel I can definitely tell him anything he wants to hear. I'm gonna study up on the menu and convince him that if he hires someone who's learning he has the advantage of having someone coming in every day trying to do better than they did the day before. My biggest worry is what to wear to the interview. I have to invest in some shoes after this. My interview is on Tuesday at 2pm. Keep your fingers crossed for me and say a prayer to the culinary gods. -lj