Being in the bartending business for a while allows you as a bartender to learn a few of life's lessons earlier than if you'd live them yourself. One of them is prepare for your future. Some bars are neighborhood bars where you see the life lesson much clearer. Some bars have a group of regulars that show up day in and day out. Those regulars maybe younger or older it's the same kind of lesson for each group. Watching a customers "life cycle", so to speak, is any customers beginning and their end.

We have witnessed the start or beginning when the 21st Birthday party (legal drinking age in US ) and seen endings to the drinking cycle in various forms, passing on from old age is one of the forms of the customers "life cycle" ending and a couple more are marriage or children are born into the lives of the customer. I know you see what I'm talking about as people come into your life and leave your life as a general rule but looking at this from a bartender's view it seems compressed and valuable lesson can be seen if you look close.

Those of us that prepare for the future are preparing for a better life in the future. An example would be a regular on the older side with or without a job and the expendable income available to drink and tip. A prepared customer can afford to live the lifestyle of a daily bar bill and not think anything of it. The customer that is not prepared ( in life ) is seen infrequently, drinks less and may tip less or not tip at all.

So what am I really getting at? Plain and simple "save some money earlier in you life", so you can enjoy the later years of your life in the lifestyle you choose. Plan to pay yourself first with a deposit into a savings account or 401k plan and NEVER touch it. The deposit can be as little as 10% of your tips, or what ever percentage you can afford. Just do it NOW. You really will not miss the money as much as you think.

Putting the money away now will assist you with your finances in future. Always remember  the future is closer than you think.

Helping others promote their work and craft, helps you in the long run. Here's a video where I caught and impromtu jam session between two musicians.

Riverside Barry and Chuck Leaves

Every once in a while there's a sense of joy and pride that shines through in being a bartender. Two things happened over the weekend, A couple exchanged vows and a customer expressed real friendship throgh a commitment to me and causes I believe in.

The couple that was married met through me via a conversation and pool game while I worked at a bar. Then I was invited to the wedding of that same couple.

The customer I spoke with this weekend is just a believer in my causes and is going to try to help me promote my causes as a favor to me. The nice thing about it is, the customer suggested the assistants on his own.

Most of the time, if I have a minute or two to discuss various topics with someone, I'll find commom ground with the customer and before you know it a friendship is created.

That happy hour crowd that you are not a part of because you are the new guy, it hurts . . .  I mean it really hurts because the banter and inside jokes have occured while you weren't there, unable to be in on the joy & fun of what was said.

It hurts because there is no value, because the drinks are aready in front of everybody with a back-up on the way, seeing the up-side down shot glass in front of them. Thus no more drinks to ring up as I come around and get setted in. The only thing left in the wake of the emptiness is a dirty glasses, ashtrays and a bartop to be wiped down.

The ebb and flow of people slipping out like the low tide, and slowly an empty bar reveals itself to a still quite space that lays out before you. Couple of hours that pass as side work and cleaning and maybe a soletary customer turns into a stiring of regulars for the late night rush of the few loyal late night regulars.

The thought, that was the last person to walk in, as the final drinker of the night and now systemactical closing process begins cleaning, stocking and moving bar stools to the right spot. Swoosh, opens the front and a few straglers from another bar along with the their bartender walk in. Bantner,fun and catching up from the last time they were seen. As the time  approches the closing hour it's always a little to fast, goo byes are said and hand shakes and kisses, are exchanged, closing process begings again. To that late night crowd that walks in, I am their bartender,friend and confidant, Now all is good in the world until tomorrow when I see that Happy Hour crowd again, with a little bit of ache and pain because I'm the new guy.

Believe it or not, but the bar business, somthetimes intermingles with the the drugs business. It's a fact and whether or not you partake in the activty ,you are in that business too!

I know you say "I don't do drugs" but sometimes "It is what it is".

When you are working behind the bar, you'll see whatever, and just like the crazy relatonship situations you see, you'll be like whatever, becuase you've deen it all, and it makes no difference, because that's your creed. "I know nothing and I see nothing"

As a bartender you hold the fate and lives of the people you meet. Either way people are grown adults and they're going to do whatevere the want to do. Never rat out on a customer unless you want to be a bartender for long, it'll catch up to you. Your word is your bond , but your silence is priceless,  customers do remember that!

I've this regular customer that comes in on my shift, a slight Japanese gentleman, speaks broken english and really tries his hardest to understand the english language. He likes basketball, football, movies and Bar Rescue on the TV at the bar. We have coversations about many differnt subjects which I always enjoy because it just make the job a little easier and interesting.

So the customer works at a restaraunt near by where I work and rides a bike, not a motorcycle but a bike. The bike was stolen from his job the day before and I feel really bad for the guy. I ask if he reported it to the police and he said no, all I could think of was to try going to some pawn shops in the area, so could get another bike. I'm going to try a see if I can help him get something else, or maybe start a collection for another bike for him.

I don't know why it bothers e so much, maybe it's just the violation I remember when I had things stolen fom me in the past. I feel for anyone that has been robbed or burglarized. And pisses my off to see someone that does't have much, lose something of value and that's needed for him to get around.

Funking Animals!!!!

When we get a little bit older family and close freinds we know slip from our lives,We are left with people that think they know us,then there are  those that have seen us as infants,children and teens and know the real people we are. Having them in our lives was our blessing and will be our sorrow from this time forward.

I hope your suffering has ended and you soul has found peace and unity with our other loved ones that have passed on.

Seriously make time for those wonderful people you know in your life - make the time for them, once they are gone, they are gone.

Val you are missed.

Ft Lauderdal, Florida, June 3rd and 4th 2013  - Bartenders Bash Series which falls on Monday and Tuesday. This is the famous party held for the those in the bar biz, known as the "End of season party".

This event is held at the end of the season for the people working in the biz ( ITB) or in the bar biz, to celebrate and wind down after the tourist and busy season ends. Samples of  liquor and beer are available to those attendees, in the bizzers, just remeber to tip the servers and bartenders well. The event is open to those in the hospitality industry only.

The location of this party is at the  Days Inn  located at the begining of the Fort Lauderdale strip, near the Yankee Clipper hotel.

Here's a sample of the two day event on youtube, covered by yours truly, 'Ron the Bartender' , 2min video shot at the Bahia Cabana during the Bartender Expo / bash flair competition and bikini contest from 2012.

The cost was $20 for each day and a shirt was included with the addmission price.

This information is valid as of now, please double check with the locations of the events for last minute changes and update.

side note: as the information is made available for the Florida Keys Islamorada event held at the Post Card Inn,  I'll post it here. Currenty I see nothing yet for a Bartender Bash 2013 being held at the PCI

UPDATE Information seen on FACEBOOK is HERE.

The dates stated are May 13th to May 15th

It's now being called "Hospitality Beach Bash 2013"

I've been reading a lot of business books, leading to enterpenureal books and now bio books of people making changes in business in this 'new way' of doing business ONLINE.

In a shift, of thinking I'm now going to push a little more for the way I'd like things to go with respect to my business ideas and the process / progress what I'm doing. I will try to share what I am learning as best as I can without spilling the beans of the Project.

From "How to books" to  "'business' for dummies" to Ryan Blair  to the creator of  Toms shoes Blake Mycoskie to Seth Godin a net marketing guru and person that inspires people to make a mark in their world. Even the Youtuber Skyy John has inspiration for me to do in pushing my business idea.

I'm a believer  - I just have to figure out the flavor of kool-aid I want to drink. I'm ready.

Youtube is a wonderful place to find information on just about anything in this world.

Added a links side bar to add other blogg I have interest in and perhaps share the pressing views that are of interesting to me.