Wednesday, October 21, 2009

ramble on

been married for thirteen years as of monday. We haven't done much special yet, though I did buy the girl a new car on sunday. Its a pimpin' turbo diesel Astra with all the candy so she's well pleased. I will continue to drive the leprosy car, so called because of it's mottled paint and tendency for bits to fall off. Three and a half years of Karova patrons vomiting on it have not done the duco any favours. Buying the car was deeply unpleasant. The car sales person was abrasive, weird and had funny old man hands. You would almost prefer to deal with a real estate agent or a slave trader or some such.

The busy time is almost upon us. The bookings are filling in at work and the worst of the winter doldrums seem to be receding. People seem to have a spring in their step and a buck in their pocket. The next couple of months should be fun.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

days like these

things don't get any less complicated. Nervous breakdowns in the kitchen, waitstaff with pneumonia and a dickhead taking a header through the cellar door have all conspired to make my life a little more interesting than one would like. Top it off by being busier than a one legged man in an arse kicking contest and that one day I'm going have off this month is looking pretty awesome. It is fun though. A world class display of power shot consumption by the staff at their party a week ago was both funny and terrifying. Pleasingly they revealed themselves to be pleasant and hilarious when they indulge themselves and the lack of ensuing drama was a sharp contrast to the Karova days. That's not to say they weren't a bit sore for a few days afterwards but the lack of police involvement, fisticuffs and inappropriate touching was nice. Footy finals have been good too with some good craic in the bar. Word seems to be spreading on the quality of the meals and the soundness of the pints.... .... fingers crossed it stays like this.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

the winter of our discontent

its been a long and bitter one so far. The swine flu and its many bastard relatives seem to be ripping through town and it seems every second person you talk to has been laid low for a week or two at a time. A few people I know have ended up in hospital with severe pneumonia.Lize has copped a dose of it and I had a little blast of something a week or so ago. Unpleasant stuff, especially when time off isn't really an option in our jobs.

Whilst I'm on the cheery stuff, a fellow licensee suicided last week. Never an easy reality to digest, it provokes some extreme reactions in people. I find the anger understandable yet somehow unfair. When you are in the frame of mind when popping your cork seems a valid option, consideration for the people you leave behind can't be that easy to come by. Poor geezer ended up necking himself in the cellar, which to be honest is starting to spook me out when I head down into my own to change a keg. There is something weird and grave like about the holes under the ground in which we store our beer. Hope you've found a happier place Glenn.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

nice ones

sometimes pub's have truly nice nights. Not as many as you'd like , but we do have them. The nights where the customers are fun, polite and good company. When there is neither too many nor too few punters. Where the off duty staff sit around bullshitting with off duty staff from other venues and the on duty staff can sneak a quiet beer and a fag occasionally. Nights when the pints and shots are lined up along the bar glinting gently in dim light and its warm and friendly. I love these nights.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

browntown

experienced my first brownout at the pub today. The electricity seemed to go on half strength. Lights dimmed, the till and the ciggie machine kept resetting and it played havoc with the beer system. Took me a couple of panicked phonecalls, some amateur electrical detective work and the discovery of a hitherto uncharted fuse box before I was a able to sit down and ram half a dozen fags into my quivering self secure in the knowledge the beer would be cold.

Still I must have been a bit low on sugar after my trauma cos Lize reckoned I was snappy and tense when she came in to see me after work. Crashed out at 8.30.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

insomnia creeps

sleep's dried up again. So its podcasts and facebook, toast and tea. The rain hitting the corrugated iron should be soothing but it has me alert and a bit bothered. Trying to balance the books, the new winter menu and a bunch of other stuff keeps running around my head. I'm at the start of a fourteen day straight run and a bit more sleep would be great...

Friday, May 15, 2009

one punch

a young fella from Ballafornia passed away this evening. Got a whack in the head last Saturday night, hit the ground hard and sadly never woke up. Fighting comes naturally to young lads I suppose, and boooze and whatnot doesn't help. It's still a horrible fucking waste of a life and all things being equal didn't need to happen. I fought often myself as a young bloke, and honestly can't justify it. There were times where I was the one and the ground and others where I was the bloke standing there with blood on my knuckles shaking with rage. I don't know why we act like this, why the inner animal is so close to the surface sometimes. I feel horribly for the poor dead boy and his family. And there's a small bit of me that feels for the silly prick that killed him. Ten years ago, either one could have been me.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

the boss is back

the girl is home. Thank Christ. Three weeks of staring in to the abyss are over. I'm a maudlin kinda cat at the best of times and there were a few dark moments in the boss's absence. But the sun's back out and shit is back to normal.

The pub is painted and the landlord has fucked off back to Calabria so it's a bit easier to relax in the workplace. Funds are still tight, but the boat seems to be pointed in the right direction. Perseverance is a virtue I haven't always posessed (this shambles of a blog stands testament to that) but when changes are tangible and peoples enjoyment is obvious its easier to keep on keepin' on. All my lines are up and running (Carlton Draught, Cascade Light, Pure Blonde, Guinness and Bulmer's), weekly specials are running (lamb shanks this week) and new non deadly bar stools are on their way.

For a change I'm slightly hammered, it's practice night and I'm still buzzing from Rainy night in Soho and a Message to you Rudy. You wouldn't be dead for quids.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

solo

a bunch of stuff has happened since I last posted. Some good, some bad, some indifferent.

Firstly the girl is away. Three weeks in Thailand and China with her Mum. I'm not as good at being alone as I thought.

The band played it's first show at Swampy the bass player's birthday party. We were pretty good in parts. However we shouldn't have played that impromptu set after midnight. I can't remember what songs got played or even if they could be considered songs.

The pub is slowly starting to gain momentum. Some of the tradesmen stuff iis bewildering and frustrating me with the slowness of the process.

My baby sister had a baby herself. His name is Dominic and he is a cute fat child.

I've been drinking too much sometimes and going in to blackout a bit. Time to slowdown I reckon. As I said before I don't do lonely that well.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

harvest picnic

snuck out of Ballafornia for the day yesterday and travelled on a bus with the girl and a few mates to the harvest picnic at hanging rock. Its a kind of foodie gig with a hundred or so stalls offering tastings and product and you lay out your picnic blanket and sample the wares in the shade of the big rock and some nice old gum trees. As was to be expected the place was ckockers with sniffing, swilling and nibbling Northcote types waxing loudly about floral notes, tannins and organic techniques of cultivation. It wasn't hard to ignore them after a bottle of two of shiraz though. Had cocktails from Der Raum (cheers Matty!), Daiquiris, cheese from Camperdown, more Daquiris, yabby paté (cue the Donald McKay jokes for Australian readers), Bass River and Witch Mountain red wine, fresh pistachios which were weird, buffalo sausage and three bundy and cokes on the way home. Music from Combo la Revelacion was excellent, Darryl Braithwaite was embarrassing and the flamenco guys set up near our spot were great. Sunburn and a mild hangover aside, a brilliant day!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

7 weeks

there's a lot to say, but on reflection not as much as you would think. I've found a certain rhythm, an acceptable level where work and survival aren't mutually exclusive, Small pleasures, like a red bull and a fag while I read the papers before we open, or a porterhouse and chips and a glass of red after a busy service. New bits of joy like nips of cointreau with the missus after a hard days slog whilst overseeing the late staff like a slightly pissed but hopefully benevolent walrus.

I'l try to write more soon. To those who've wished me well or popped in for a pint and a feed, slainté.