Lockwood

So, thanks to a tip from Jen, who works for a company that evaluates service, I have a new gig as a mystery shopper for hospitality firms. The application involved a few questions probing your experience in the hospitality industry and some short essays to assess writing ability. As a former hotelie who is currently not working in the hospitality industry (and thus would not have any conflicts of interest with clients), I qualified handily.

Perusing the database of available assignments, it was quickly impressed upon me that all of these places were fairly upscale and quite pricey. Oh boy, getting paid for meals and hotel stays at places I can't/choose not to afford! Plus, I'd be able to take a guest with me. How much better could this get? I signed up for a bar evaluation at Lockwood, the restaurant at the Palmer House Hilton. Soon after, my inbox began to be barraged with paperwork on how to evaluate my experience. Hmm, there might be a catch to this "free food" deal after all...

The assignment was to go to Lockwood, order two rounds of drinks from the bar, and then order food from the bar menu. I was asked to pay close attention to the bartenders while handling cash, ask for a generic drink (such as a vodka tonic) to see if they upsell the drink, and identify a manager by the end of the night. If I didn't see a manager, I was supposed to ask for one. A list of suggested conversation topics with the manager was provided, including the prompt "Why doesn't this wine list have more South African wines?" Hah, somehow I don't think I'd be able to pull that line off. Oh, I also needed to meticulously remember times (when the food was ordered, when it arrived, when the plates were cleared, etc), appearances of the employees (without using race as an identifier), and whether employees smiled and made eye contact. And those were just the major items. Needless to say, in total, there was a four-page long checklist of items to observe. Have I mentioned how unobservant I generally am? Like the time I participated in a psych experiment designed to test eye witness accuracy, and I didn't even notice the mugging happening in the video?

For extra reassurance, I brought Jen with me for this first evaluation. After all, she probably knows better than me what to look for. We sat down at the bar, and I nervously watched our bartender like a hawk, while trying to hold up a conversation with Jen. After a while, I did start to relax (or maybe it was the alcohol hitting my bloodstream), but having to monitor and scrutinize the experience definitely puts a damper on happy hour. Luckily, a manager was clearly visible, so I didn't have to awkwardly ask for one. The highlight of the night was definitely the food; we ordered the Kobe beef sliders and the bruschetta, and both were fabulous, definitely a step above your usual bar food. The bruschetta in particular was innovative, and was presented in three small crocks that included roasted red and orange bell pepper, portabello mushroom, and heirloom yellow and orange tomato.

Immediately afterwards, I went home and began writing up my evaluation report. This took quite a bit longer than I'd anticipated, as I racked my brain to remember who cleared my glass, or how long it took for our food to arrive. There were a few mistakes made (they didn't ID us, a credit card wasn't held for our tab), but overall, I thought the experience went well. Next week, we'll see how good my write-up was because each report gets scored for completeness and style. Hopefully, the number won't be abysmal and I'll be able to keep signing up for new evaluation opportunities.

Update:
-Time Out Chicago's review of Lockwood from Jan '08 roundly pans the restaurant. Oh my, I did not have the same experience at all. Evidently things have improved since the beginning of the year?
-Critiquing the Critics, from Lockwood Executive Chef Phil Foss (the rest of his blog is quite entertaining as well)

Rehearsal Time

Cantate rehearsals have started, and if I had to choose one word to describe them, it would be "intense." We've set two concert dates in mid-November (Fri the 14th and Sun the 16th), and in less than six weeks of rehearsal, we will have learned 14 pieces. Gulp. I basically skated through chorale rehearsals at Cornell, feeling no obligation to practice on my own. Here though, I feel as though I'm learning to walk a tight rope without a safety net. Since the group is small, there's usually only one or two other people singing my voice part. I've befriended Tracy, a fellow Alto-1 who is also new to the group. Unfortunately, she is generally more lost and clueless than I am, so I am the one taking the lead. And unlike any other instrument, if you lose your note or get out of tune, it can be very difficult to correct yourself.

Moreover, the repertoire is fairly challenging. Chords are unintuitively complex, time signatures are constantly changing, and the Ives piece is written with different key signatures for the women and men. After a particularly painful run-through of the Barber Reincarnations, our director commented wryly, "Some of us need to put this one under our pillows. Some of us are doing just fine." Tracy and I gave each other baleful looks.

Right now, we're only focusing on getting the notes correct and rhythms accurate. There are a host of other stylistic issues that I need to think about, from the way I pronounce my x's (split the sound into k-s such that "lux" turns into "luk-s") to learning how to breathe (in less obvious places). Almost everyone else has more extensive choral experience compared to me, so while I'm encountering a lot of new ideas for the first time, this is standard stuff for the others. I'm thrilled that this group is giving me room to grow as a musician, but man, do I have a lot of work to do.

I could really use a keyboard.

In the moments when everything comes together, our sound is hands-down gorgeous. Today's rehearsal ended with a spiritual, a free-flowing outburst of joy and emotion. As our voices echoed through the nave, I marveled at how these 16 random people had come together to produce a work of art in unison. And just as quickly, it was gone, and we went our separate ways.

Don't Panic!

This article is one of the best accounts of the last two weeks of financial turbulence out there. It's written in layman's terms; if Dan Brown wrote a thriller about Wall Street, this would be it.

Times are very bad indeed, and with every new development, I am reminded that I am living and experiencing unprecedented events, while working from the Fed no less. We had a town hall meeting yesterday afternoon, to give an overview of the financial market turmoil and answer questions about how the Fed has been impacted. I decided to ask what would happen if the bailout bill didn't pass, what other magical tricks does the Fed have in its bag? The answer wasn't exactly comforting.

When I went home for the day, there was a quartercard attached to my bike, inviting me to join a protest against the Fed next week. Among other things, this group was protesting the bailout because it was "illegal" and "immoral." LMAO. Should I join in on Monday morning?

Homecoming 2008

It’s been a whole two months since I was last in Ithaca, so clearly that meant I needed to make a trip back for homecoming. Besides, the last one was a time and a half, and how could I pass up hanging out with my bff Raivo this weekend?? Some random thoughts and happenings:

1) To this day, I have yet to find a place with better burritos than Statler Terrace, and since they only open on weekdays during lunch, it's pretty darn inaccessible for me. So, as soon as I was back on campus, I made a mad dash for Terrace and slid into the wrap line just 5 minutes before they were closing. Even better, they had just enough pulled pork left for one last burrito! I sat down with my wrap in one hand and a New York Times in the other, relaxing in the confines of a college campus. It was pretty much a picturesque scene from SWPL. Promptly afterwards, I was asked if I was interested in attending church or bible study. Ah, some things never change.

2) Oktoberfest celebrations were happening in Trillium on Friday afternoon, sponsored by the European Club and Grad Students Association. They were passing out free knockwurst, sauerkraut and chips, blasting German music, and selling $1-2 Oktoberfest beers. Naturally, the scene was quite raucous, and I had to pinch myself a couple times when I realized people were getting smashed on campus in the middle of the day. Why didn't I crash more grad events back in the day?

3) As for the homecoming game itself, I was steeling myself for disappointment from the start. Not to be pessimistic, but Yale was the team that routed us 51-12 last year after all. Shockingly, we won the game, albeit not by much (17-14). What can I say, I guess crazier things have happened, eh?

4) I am always hesitant to try new restaurants in Ithaca because there are so many old favorites and so little time. But since I was in town in July, and satiated my Maxie’s craving then, I figured I could be adventurous for once. So, Saturday night, I found myself at the Ithaca Ale House…and I give it two thumbs up! The menu at its core is bar food, but includes enough special touches that it's semi-classy and exciting. I convinced Viki and Oliver to order the eggplant fries as an appetizer and they were delicious (didn't taste like eggplant at all), and came with a cool curry-based sauce. We also figured with 6 of us, it wouldn't hurt to order another appetizer, so Amanda suggested the guacamole & brie. I was expecting a huge bowl of dip with chips or bread around it, but instead we were served a platter of bread, with guacamole, brie and red pepper spread on top of each piece. For dinner, I ordered the Bastard burger (pepper crust, Bastard Ale mustard, onion rings)...and so did Oliver and Alec. They also had some interesting stuff on the dessert menu (fried Oreos!), but we were way too full.

5) Speaking of fullness, I never made it to Hot Truck. We debated for about 10 minutes, but Viki decided she was too full/it was raining too hard/the hill was too much to handle at 1 am, so we didn't go. This is a bit of a shame because I'm most likely going to visit Ithaca during summers in the future, when Hot Truck is closed, so I'm pretty much never getting a PMP again. :(

6) On the other hand, I did make it to Dairy Bar, because after getting breakfast at CTB (San Diego Bagel on California bagel, the kind with granola on it), we had some time to kill before the tailgate. So, Viki, Oliver and I went to get ice cream at 11 am. (<--fat kids!) I was a bit disappointed at the lack of seasonal flavors (no Clocktower Pumpkin, no Apple Pie) but the Coconutty Spring Thaw and Bavarian Raspberry Fudge were really good. Plus, I discovered that you could ask for two flavors on a "small" cone. What a revelation!

7) I'm still not over the fact that Pataflafla drinks now; there's definitely some cognitive dissonance going on in my mind. And speaking of drinking, since the '08ers have graduated, the drumline has definitey gotten drunker/less dorky. I was hanging out with Shannon, my new favorite freshman bells player, who apparently got so drunk last weekend that they invoked medical amnesty on him. Meanwhile, Matt & Co were talking about skipping the band party to play Dungeons & Dragons instead. Um, yeah.

8) There's another chimesmaster-bandie! I met her at the band party, and we talked about all the chimesmaster-bandies of years past (ARE '03, GVJ '99, a couple guys from the '50s). Unfortunately, she's missing the chimesmaster road trip to NYC for the band trip to Montreal. I am seriously considering skipping homecoming next fall to attend Chimes Advisory Council instead. They're always scheduled two weeks apart, so I can't really afford to do both. I did make it to the clocktower to get some concerts in (one with RCF and the other with WAK). Secretly, I am relieved that the concerts I crashed were played by chimesmasters that I know, but I guess in another year or two, they'll all be fresh faces to me. Sigh.

9) Ithaca Apple Festival was also a good time despite the pouring rain. You could find all manner of apples and apple products, from apple butter to apple fry bread, and there were plenty of non-apple items as well. After hearing Megan rave about her Cuban sandwich on Friday, I was tempted to get one too, but then decided I should hold out for one in Pilsen. I did get apple cider doughnuts and a piece of smoked apple pie with sharp NY cheddar, pretty much the craziest thing I could find. Tomas et al were appalled at the idea of cheese on apple pie, but seriously, is the idea of fruit and cheese that crazy? Or the combination of sweet and salty?? I couldn't convince them that apple and cheddar is not that weird. There was also a booth with jams, jellies and fruit butters, similar to the one at the Ithaca Farmer's Market, but with 16 or so flavors. Viki and I both bought a container of cranberry-horseradish jam, which was intriguing because it had the taste and smell of horseradish, but NOT the spicy sting, which apparently goes away during cooking. So, it seems that all the horseradish products I've previously eaten have been cold-processed.

10) We made a trip to Wegman's because Viki wanted to buy bread, and of course, who doesn't want to shop in the best grocery store EVER? Over the last year, I've gradually used up all my Wegman's brand products, and now only have a bit of Wegman's vanilla extract and baking powder left. So, I decided I needed to buy a non-liquid, non-perishable Wegman's item, and settled on a container of pepper. I can't tell you how exciting it is to look in my cupboard and see Wegman's, to remind me of the good ol' days.

11) Returning to Chicago, I wasn't nearly as depressed as I was compared to last year. In some sense, I've gotten used to the idea that there are people I will not see more than once or twice a year, and perhaps the relationship will fade a bit, but when we are together, those bonds are rekindled instantaneously, like sea monkeys in water. Moreover, I've put down roots here, and being in Ithaca would be a step backwards. And who knows, maybe someday we'll find ourselves in the same place again (cough, MCLU 2009?).

And so concludes my last trip to Ithaca for probably a very long time. So long, and thanks for all the fish. :)

About Last Night

Let me begin with a declaration: I had no intentions of getting drunk last night. Really. It was pouring rain and I had my bike with me, so I knew I needed to be decently sober by the end of the night to make it home. And then the best of intentions invariably go awry.

Britton wanted to go dancing, so the plan was to pregame at Erik's apartment, play some Wii, and then head out to Beaumont around 11 or midnight. The choice of location was notable, because it had been almost exactly a year since the last time we tried to go to Beaumont. That night ended with me and Britton pitching Haley head-first into a cab, an act that forever cemented our friendship and provided us with ample fodder for future teasing.

This time around, the goal was to actually make it inside Beaumont. That part was successfully accomplished. Alas, I cannot remember anything else that happened.

I realize this is a popular occurrence in some circles in college, but I have never had the pleasure of waking up on a bathroom floor. Until this morning. I rolled over, and my arm banged against a cold, porcelain surface, otherwise known as a toilet. Much to my dismay, I arose with the realization that I had passed out on Erik's bathroom floor. Luckily, there is a nice, cushiony rug in there, so it was fairly comfortable. It was 7:45 am, and I felt pretty chipper, with nary a trace of a hangover.

Next, I started checking my phone. No received or sent calls, so it looked like I hadn't made any egregious drunk dials. So far, so good. Then, I checked my text message inbox and the warning flags began popping up. From Chris: "I'm sorry you thought I was being weird..." Erm, what on earth happened last night? From Rob, the message was "Or not. Not the least bit offended or passive aggressive. (clearly kidding)" This was obviously in response to something...oy veh, if only I knew what. Checking my outbox, it appeared that I had texted Rob with directions: "We are at Beaumont right now at Halsted and Armitage. Come by for 100 percent finance AE presence?" Can I at least pat myself on the back for sending a perfectly spelled and grammatically correct text message while blacked out? By the way, the trip home was miserable because it was pouring rain and I didn't have an umbrella or a jacket of any sort. Yes, I was That Girl.

After my first black out, I swore I'd never drink to that point of intoxication again, but I guess I need to be more careful. From what I can recall, I only had 3 drinks last night (2 glasses of wine and a cranberry & vodka), so I'm not sure what went wrong. We weren't playing any drinking games either (to the best of my knowledge), so I don't think I was drinking particularly quickly.

There is a bit of a bruise forming on my arm. Erik mentioned something about me falling off the dance floor, so maybe that's the cause. What can I say? Sometimes, really great dance moves require taking some risks.

EDIT: Chris has informed me that he was the one who sent out the text message with directions. Damn, and I was so proud of myself too.

Signs that you are no longer a recent college grad

• Your friends have all abandoned AIM for Gchat.
• Going to bed at 10 pm no longer seems crazy early.
• Quarter cards : People handing out flyers on sidewalks :: A capella groups : rappers on trains
• When a card gets passed around for signing, it's not for a birthday, but for the birth of a baby.
• You pay for housing when you go back to college for visits.
• When you fall asleep in the library, a security guard taps you on the shoulder and asks if you're okay.
• Instead of comparing GPAs, you compete with your friends over who has a better credit score.

On Proposals

In between the creme brulee stout and (no root) beer floats last night, the ideal marriage proposal popped up for discussion. This is not a very real possibility for me at this point, but Viki should perhaps be dropping more vigorous hints if she wants to pull off her vision. Without further ado, here's a sampling of what modern women are hoping for (we're not insane, I swear).

Ricky
Situation: Under the Northern Lights
Pros: Beautiful location, cheap excluding travel costs, quiet location outdoors ensures that he will not make a fool of himself in front of crowds
Cons: Limited time frame and location options, requires the fickle cooperation of Mother Nature

Viki
Situation: She is attending a Broadway show or a concert, and at intermission, they have a special announcement and Matt jumps on stage. Cue romantic words and then bursting into song. To the cheers and applause of the audience, Viki accepts.
Pros: The level of coordination and planning would truly signal commitment, and there's nothing like being the star of your own show on Broadway.
Cons: The level of coordination and planning makes this almost impossible to pull off. Also, it'd be asking a lot for Matt to belt out a song...maybe we could settle for having someone else come out and sing, or better yet, having someone else sing while Matt lipsyncs, Chinese Olympics-style.

Me
Situation: He gets down on one knee and says, "There is a set R equipped with 2 binary operations called addition and multiplication such that (R, +) is abelian group with identity element 0, and..."
Pros: This brings proposals to an unfathomable level of dorkiness.
Cons: None.

Addendum (Rhea wants in on this too):

Rhea
Situation: On a trip to Cornell, mystery Cornell engineer takes her to Olin library, to the 4th floor-- romance studies. He gets down on one knee and says "in spite of all my time spent in Duffield, I too have always wanted to spend hours and hours in the library--Olin, Mann, or Uris. I proclaim my love for your here for that reason. Not to mention...I think you wouldn't accept if I did it anywhere else. Oh and I'll be sure to teach you E & M 101 tonight". He pops open a bottle of champagne, quietly of course. Rhea calls Crystal to announce that she's eloping and that they need to arrange something with Sage Hall so that she and mystery eng. can have their chimes concert complete with Nessun Dorma, the Alma Mater duet, and Taras to help.