Compartments

This picture was taken at my grandmothers 83rd birthday last June. I am in my grandmothers wedding dress and my father is wearing my grandfathers military jacket.

Yesterday I, Elizabeth Ashley Williams, opened a facebook. I know you are all thinking why is this a big deal. I compartmentalize my life. There are many compartments, the Oklahoma compartment, the New Mexico compartment, they O'Charlies compartment, and many many more. i am not sure exactly why it is important for me to separate all of them but I do. I don't really like everyone knowing everything about me or being able to find me for that matter! I have nothing to hide it is not about that. I also feel that if you want to talk to me call me! Its more personal that way. I have put off starting a facebook for a long time. My fears have been eased so far. But we shall see!

Captain Phil

Tonight was the episode of the Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel where Captain Phil died.
I have watched the show for years it is interesting to see the lives of people like that. He was a good captain and the show will not be the same without him

High in the sky

This picture was taken last summer. Good friends of mine own a para-sail and dolphin cruise company. Last summer I went ad flighting for them several times. On one of those occasions I asked the captain of the boat to please please not dunk me in the water he was true to his word but a friend of his on a jet ski decided it would be funny to soak me in his wake. Needless to say I was drenched. I was flying with this 13 year old boy who was very very nervous about being so high up in the air. He got quite the shock too! Boys will be boys I guess!

Snap snap!

I am currently working in a restaurant as a server, (I'm saving up money for school) for those of you who have ever waited tables you know just how difficult people can be. Sunday I had a table of two women. I had just stopped by the table to ask if they were ok and if they needed anything. As I was talking to another table one of the women starts snapping in the air to get my attention. I tried to ignore her as I took the order of the table I was speaking to. She said "hey you, HEY YOU!!!!!!!!! HEY YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I said " One moment please." She replied with "Ok but make it snappy!" I returned to the snappy woman's table and she said " Is this the drink menu for the bar drinks?" With a tiny bit of sarcasm I said " Yes ma'am it says that on the front of the book." She replied with " Uh huh well we want our salads and make it snappy." I honestly do not understand how people can be so rude. Yes I wait tables but no where in that job description does it say " Your personal slave." Yes I work for tips, and those tips are dependent on how satisfied the guest is with my services but that does not make me their slave. That was a tiny rant i feel better now!

On the topic of tips, if you go to a restaurant where you have someone bring you drinks, take your order, bring your food, etc it is your obligation to tip them. They are responsible for you, their tables, and the side work and rolling silver regardless of if you tip them or not. Not only that but they have to do what is called a tip out on their total sales not total tips, total sales. We have to tip out the buss boy, the food runner, the hostess, and the bartender. If no one tipped you you are just giving money away. And with the $2.13 an hour i doubt you would have much to spare.

bp

As many of you know there is a catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The effect on the environment and the economy are immeasurable. I see that effect first hand almost every day. The Gulf Coast towns major industry is tourism. All through out the winter these Gulf Coast towns wait for summer. Summer is the light at the end of the tunnel. If you can make it through the winter you are safe. Many people make enough money in the summer to support them through the winter. Summer time at the gulf is crazy. Traffic is insane you don't plan on going anywhere fast its bumper to bumper for miles. The beach is just as packed. This year is sadly a different story. Our beaches are polluted yes, but the clean up keeps them 90% clean. They are still beautiful, the sands are still white, and waters are still blue-green. No, they were not how they were before the oil spill. But they are mostly clean. Our economy however is not mostly ok. The people are just not here it is as simple as that. Many people here blame bp for all of this. Yes in a way it is their fault. But I believe it is mostly the governments fault for not requiring oil companies to have plans in case things like this happen. For not having more rules and regulations on the oil industry. But instead they are blinded by greed and more consumed by the money they are making than by safety. The clean up seems to be more of a publicity stunt than an actual clean up. But something is better than nothing I suppose.

It's Been Awhile Thats For Sure!

Hello everyone, actually probably no one since I have not posted in over a year. There have been a lot of changes in my life in the last year. I moved to south Alabama last June to live near the beach. Living near the beach has always been a life long dream of mine. I love it here. As most of you know a lot of things change when you move out of your parents house and on your own. It was a big and scary step for me but I'm glad I did it. I am in the process of saving up enough money to go to school. I'm not sure what for at the moment but I won't need to know all that until I have the basics down.
I'm not sure what else to say but if you have any questions feel free to ask.

May I Put You On Hold? NO!!

I found this article here

It's the dream of every angry customer — sending a bill to the company that wasted your time. Well, it's finally happened.

Howard Schaffer was having such an awful time with his phone company that he alerted the local media — who ran a column about the debacle. That happens all the time, but what makes this case interesting is that Howard was keeping a record of the time he spent dealing with the phone company (One Communications of Rochester, NY) as well as the expenses that he was racking up while the phone company apologized over and over, but didn't fix the problem.

“I’ve received nine apologies,” Schaffer, whose phone bill is usually around $500 a month, told the Times-Union. As time dragged on, he was forced to have employees use cellphones and to borrow a phone from his landlord. The phone company promised at least $2,000 in credits, but no phone service.

After the column ran and his problem was resolved — Howard tallied up the expenses and sent One Communications a bill. For $5,481.16. And the company agreed to pay it.

You can learn a few things from Mr. Shaffer, who is a PR professional by trade. Follow his example by taking detailed notes of all the time and money you spend dealing with an issue. You might not be able to get a check for your expenses, (unless, perhaps, your story gets published in the newspaper like Mr. Shaffer's did) but it certainly can't hurt.

Hold My Calls. All of them. [Times-Union]
$5,481 check is in the mail after phone snarl [Times-Union] (Tha[Times-Union] (Thanks, Laura!)

I found this rather interesting. $500 a month is a large sum for a phone bill. The article was unclear if he owned some sort of business. Employees were mentioned but no real descriptive details. The other linked articles gave more information.

I have spent countless hours oh hold for many different issues with many different companies. If any one has a problem that needs to be solved over the phone guess who the ask. Me. Not just my parents but grandparents also. I find it comical.