Tip over the TIP jar!

Is anyone else incensensed by the overuse of the tip jar? I mean seriously, when I go to Yogurtland, and I pick up a cup, I choose my flavor, I pull the handle, I dish up my toppings and I put my yogurt on the scale, what exactly am I tipping for? I noticed a tip jar at the donut store this morning. It took approximately 25 seconds for the very kind gal to issue me my 2 (it's Friday, I'm allowed) donuts and my orange juice. And then I tip her? For what exactly? Doing her job?

Has the tipping at restaurants seeped out so far into our society that every time we want to grab a snack we have to tip for people doing their job? Now, I used to be a waitress and I do think they deserve to be tipped, and tipped well in most cases. However, I would not be opposed to giving them a higher wage, and paying more for food so we wouldn't have to tip.

I dined at this quaint restaurant in Italy once, where the waiter's entire night was to take care of my table . . . only. He had no other tables, no other responsibilities but to watch for my every need. And in Italy you don't tip. So he got paid to do his job, and I paid for the food . . . and that was it! Think about it, that's how every other transaction goes in the consumer world. Do I have a tip jar out for customers to tip me after I dispense their glasses? No. I spend an hour with customers sometimes, and I don't expect extra compensation for my hard work and my ability to do my job well. Because I get paid to do it.

Now for all you coffee shop, juice bar, snack shack workers, I apologize, your job can be full of specialty orders and demanding customers, but that's what we call work. We all put up with it and we all try to do our jobs well.

So I plead for the pressure to stop. I no longer want to drop my change in a "college fund", "tipping is not a city in China", "will sing for tips" tip jar. I want to drop it in my own red tin at home to save up for a new pair of sewing scissors, or for a chair for my living room, or anything else I deem my change worthy to buy me.

Happy Easter!

Easter service on Sunday morning was so awesome! Got me really excited to live the rest of the year remembering that I am covered in God's grace. To celebrate this amazing fact, I had to express myself creatively. So, I made an Easter dress!

I used some of the Balinese fabric my hubby bought me, and a nice brown linen for the bottom. This was my first time making a fitted top and with a lining. I think it came out nicely. I had a few minor fitting issues, but those were remedied with some quick darts. After adding a tan belt and shoes I was set. However, it was raining all morning, so the pictures were the only time the top of the dress was seen. Boo! I'm looking forward to giving it a real debut as soon as the sun comes out!






Oh, we're housesitting for Hans' aunt and uncle this week, hence the lovely scenery.

A Haiku about my hopeful Long Beach Saturday

Lebanese delight

two wheels, basket and bell

snore, 3 o'clock nap

David Brian Hammer

It's been one of those weeks where life is a bummer. On Tuesday morning, my uncle, David Hammer, got in a horrible car accident. With third degree burns on over 90% of his body, he was kept in a medically induced coma. His wife decided to take him off life support yesterday and he died early this morning. David was 48. He was my dad's youngest brother.

My life group just read the book Blood of the Lamb about a Dutch Reformed man from Chicago who has a life full of tragedies. The point of the book (I think) is about how in tragedy, we are all linked. We all face events in our lives that somehow bind us together. Tragedy is part of the human condition. There is no consolation in tragedy, only compassion.

Wilkommen!

Last week Hans took me an a date to this German restaurant in Huntington Beach. It was really German. Like the waitstaff had accents and there were men outside speaking German. I was only missing my leiderhosen! We each had the schnitzel, although mine was pork and Hans' was veal, along with potatoes and pickled cabbage. It was all so delicious! However, my absolute favorite part was the little abby replica next to our table, with a much-too-tall paper cut out of Julie Andrews from the Sound of Music!