Focused at Fifty

A little advice from Morticia Addams going into the New Year... We need to remember this when we see someone who does not fit into our standards of normal. I am not by any means advocating chaos, but instead, advocating acceptance to those who choose to live their lives outside of the box without the fear of repercussion.

An example of a 150 ft yacht! (Not my pic)  Back in the 90's, I used to cater in Center City Philly for an upper end private catering company run by my sister's friend Jane. I was very fortunate to work with a group of fun people at some of the swankiest penthouses and luxurious homes in Society Hill, Rittenhouse Square, the Art Museum neighborhood, and the Mainline in Philly. Most of the clients were extremely gracious. You had a group of plucky 20 something waiters or bartenders working our hardest for Jane because she also became a very good friend. We wanted to see her succeed. My sister got me the "in" working for Jane and I worked for her for a good 8 years off and on. Many of these catering gigs stand out. They either involved crazy parties with drunk wealthy people, Philadelphia celebrities, or over the top parties that only that type of money can buy. One stood out in particular. I was to bartend on a large yacht moored in the Delaware River ...

Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) was an Italian Jewish painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. He is known for portraits and nudes in modern style characterized by elongation of faces and figures, that were not receives well during his lifetime, but later found acceptance. Modigliani spent his youth in Italy, where he studied the art of antiquity and the Renaissance until he moved to Paris in 1906. There he came into contact with prominent artists such as Pablo Picasso and Constatin Brancusi. (source:  Wikipedia: Modigliani )  I just love the quote below and have always admired his works. The quote may seem like an off the cuff excuse, but it goes so so much deeper. Check out his works online. They are hauntingly beautiful.  Why do artists create what they create? Take the time and ask the artist! Their reasons may astound and confound you but you will definitely be amazed. Their reasons are not what you think. Remember what you see in a work of art m...

Marc, Holly, Suzanne & Maria at Suzanne's Wedding Aug 2016 It seems that tragedy becomes a right of passage during one's adulthood. It happens and one struggles to make sense of it and adapt to it. Around and around my mind goes wondering how or why did this happen? I can't wrap my head around it. Just endless thinking about the scenario wondering how it could've been prevented. It is so hard to comprehend why it happened. Just a tragic and senseless murder. My coworker and friend Holly tragically lost her life last week at the hands of her own husband. He killed her in cold blood. I write that not to shock you but to relay how cold and horrible that it truly was. The details will not be recounted here. They are just too horrible for me to say. Just know that a wonderfully genuinely friendly and lovingly silly mother lost her life. And now her two children in their 20s are without their mother. And her own elderly parents are broken and have to bu...

Not me. This guy is working! ("Hollywood Capers" 1935) HAPPY HOLIDAYS my friends! Here are just a couple friendly reminders on how to act and treat your bar staff when you are enjoying yourself out and about for the holidays. I am extremely lucky in that I rarely have issues where I bartend. I recognize that good behavior while at a bar is definitely a two way street. I will treat you with respect and I expect the same in return! Some of what is said is a lil' snarky but it's meant in good fun. This blog is also for all of my bartending friends whether they work at a local bar, a restaurant chain, catering, a swanky restaurant, a ski lodge or a hotel chain. It can be a tough job. There are some written and some unwritten rules of the bar which will make your holiday, and mine, go a lot smoother. Please don't curse. There may be kids present if the bar you are at may have a restaurant. I'll keep my mouth clean too. This seems incredibly...