Be Happy With What You Have

Well now I am off for three in a row. Just as well as in the next three days there is a lot to do and with members of the family coming down with the stomach flu that adds in a bit extra.

Last night was a slow one. Had only 5 tables and left with $74 but next week back up to 5 shifts so that is good plus if I get 10 people by Monday the bartending course will be a go too. It has to be 10 at least since some government funding that became available for certain courses included mine. Which raised my hourly wage from $28 to a whopping $46! Now that I will take no problem.

I am looking forward to this year already shaping up. A trip to Iceland this summer for a couple of weeks in July and maybe another week to go somewhere in August. This past year we purchased all new appliances so no breakdowns are forseen to happen this year and the van is under warranty.

In the Fall when the younger one goes to school full time I may seek out a lunch position at a sister restaurant where I work now so we can make more cash. My wife can cut back to two mornings a week and volunteer at the school. I am thinking 4 lunches and 4 evenings a week.

I want to pay down the mortage quicker on the house too so by the time I am 65 it will be paid off.

Another waiter and I were talking last night about happiness. I was watching this PBS documentary on happiness the other day which I alluded to during our discussion.

We agreed that the reason why a lot of people are not happy out there is they are never happy with what they have , only unhappy with what they do not have. Hey there is always someone worse off. So no matter what kind of situation you are in right now start by being happy with what you have.

It is always a good start...

I Am Looking For 10 People - Bartending Course

The bartending course that I teach at Georgian College begins on January 18th. For those of you who live close by or know someone who does they can contact me directly or the college at 519-940-0331.

It is a good time and everyone has fun learning how to make drinks and taste them as well. We work with real alcohol and not the colored water. It is a 10 week course that includes the Ontario Smart Serve program.

So if you are looking at ways to add some fun and extra income to your life there is not much time. It takes place on Monday night from 7-10 in the evening.

See you there.

The Bartending Course

Last week I completed one bartending class and next week finish up another. For those out there wondering how I go about teaching the course here is an outline of each week and what is all involved. The other day I was picking up our new van when I ran into a former student who was still thinking of doing some bartending and waitering part time to make some extra money. I asked her how she enjoyed the course and her reply was how can anyone not enjoy my bartending class.

Let's face it , what can be more fun than making drinks! Then tasting them after you make them!

The school gives me over 10 weeks $300 to go out and buy the liquor , ice , cream , juices , garnishes for the drinks , does the photocopying of the recipes and provides me with any other equipment that I need like show a DVD to the class. Because I work in the business I can provide some insight as to the job market and some service tips as well. Also since I have worked practically everywhere and in different venues I can help them choose what would be the best path for them.

Each class I make some drinks to show them how it's done and everyone has a straw to taste each one. They do not have to of course and one drink is sufficient enough to be passed around the entire class. No one is getting intoxicated. In fact , I would say during a 3 hour class maybe someone might consume the equivalent of 2 oz of alcohol. Nowadays it is rare that a bartending class will use actual liquor. Instead many use coloured water which is fine but it is nice to be able to taste the real thing and see how the flavours of the drink blend in all together. This is what makes the course I teach fun.

On top of this , I add some role playing when students pretend they are the bartender and others come up and ask for a drink and they have to remember what goes into it. This tells me as well who is studying and who isn't. The exercise helps the student think fast on their feet. I may even blare a radio in the background to distract the student and give it a feel of it being a real bar.

During the 10 weeks we may go on a couple of field trips to different local bars to talk to bartenders and owners about the business. This may also help the students themselves get an in to a job with the owner right there knowing that this is a pool of potential future employees. In fact , one owner offers students to work on the floor for a couple of hours in his sports bar to get some experience. How great is that!

Throughout the course I give some quizzes as to what they have learned and at the end give them a real easy multiple choice quiz. For me it is not so much about the test but them getting the experience of making drinks. The real test comes when they are behind a real bar the first time and seeing and serving someone.

Well here is the outline of the course I teach at Georgian College that so far anyway has worked very well.

Week 1 Introduction to Bar Set-Up , Glassware , Teminology
Week 2 Smartserve Video and Test ( Mandatory for all servers of alcohol here in Ontario )
Week 3 Standard Cocktails ( Cocktails that never change over time ex. Martinis )
Week 4 Cream Drinks
Week 5 Frozen Drinks
Week 6 Flavoured Martinis
Week 7 Wine , Beer , Sherries , Port , Eau-de-vie , and other fortified wines
Week 8 Shooters and Specialty Coffees
Week 9 Make your own drinks ( this is when I bring everything in and they make whatever)
Week 10 Final exam

After the course if anyone needs help looking for work , a reference , or just needs some questions answered they have my email and phone number.

Well that is about it on the bartending course. It is fun for everyone and some have gone on to get some good jobs which makes me grateful that I can be of some help in another person's life.