Ag with kids

Yeah, Medina Puddle is a better name now... When the lake is up, my Dad has access right from his house, though...

I'm usually Gold or Platinum, so no Brahmin goodies for me, but Vaishya ain't THAT bad... Plus I've got the MC Exec card to get into the AA Lounges so I've got that going for me.

I'm going to be up for a business trip in a few weeks and staying on the SE side of town next to Brooks City-Base. What's some good stuff in that area? I'm going to go see my Dad out at Medina lake before the work starts so I've got some stuff planned with him out at the lake but will probably just eat around my hotel during my conference. I will miss going to Jacala with my Dad though. That was always a go to trip when I'd come up to visit. He literally grew up a few blocks from there so he's been going since the 50s.

My organization will be out there helping to support a team that will be doing data measurements with balloons prior to and during the eclipse. We'll be providing airspace support for them. This will be out at Padre Balli on NPI. Don't think we'll have any UAS up and flying but you never know. I'm not involved in that operation (I'm in charge of engineering, not ops), but I'll probably head out to view it from the park since it's 2 min from my house.

For the spending, you get 1 MQD for every $10 on the AMEX Delta Reserve and 1 MQD for every $20 with the other AMEX Delta cards. So, trying to do it entirely by spending is damn hard - That's $120K of spending to get to just Silver potentially.

More info from my Dad on the new bar. Looks like it's going to be a sports bar...which would have been really helpful to Austinvines this weekend. It's going to be at the corner of E Cotter and N Station (232 E. Cotter). What was it that used to be there @justhookit? I've included a pic of the sign for the bar...

Stingrays should have it.

Found this amusing...

Your reading comprehension sucks. I don't think that at all. Their employers could pay them $500/hr and it would bother me. Probably wouldn't go there because it would be too expensive, though. I've said this numerous times on here but apparently I have to repeat it to you again... If the pay is specifically set up to depend on tips (like TX where they're paid $2.31/hr), then I have ZERO problem tipping and I tip well. When it's NOT specifically set up to depend on tips I feel no special urge to tip "just because". It's not my job to supplement their pay. That's their employers job. I don't tip the checker at the grocery store who has to scan 100 items and sometimes bag them who is making the same $15/hr as the server...because the pay is not specifically set up to depend on tips. Or, as you said above "Who are you to say what they should be paid?" Well, if I'm the one that's supposed to PAY it, then I DO get a say...it kind of works that way even with normal tipping situations, doesn't it? The customer gets to decide how much the server gets paid by either leaving a shitty tip, a decent tip, or a great tip.

Padre Pizza is pretty decent. It's in our regular rotation here. And I think ALL of the restaurants on NPI will be casual enough to come in with swimsuits. We never have to dress up. That's for the big city...

Went to Snoopy's Pearl on Friday. It's right between Doc's and Snoopy's under the causeway bridge. It was pretty good. Right on the water and an "outdoor" restaurant so no A/C if that kills the deal for you (and if it does then why the fuck are you and the beach). They just had the lunch menu when I went but I think the dinner menu has more stuff on it.

Yeah...ovens work. That's how I've always done it. The roasters DO add a different layer of flavor from the fire, though. Plus, it would be cool to do it more the "authentic" way.

I think it has to be something that doesn't "look like" a tip. The state is anal about that shit. Gotta be "good stewards of the taxpayers money" and all that shit. I just turn in my receipts and then the admins take care of it.

We should tip them because "that's how we've always done it?" But, not in Europe where they're making the same base pay because "that's how we've always done it." And if we're getting into COL, isn't it the same for the gas station attendant as the server?

And the William Munny thing was just because I'd watched the movie this morning and it popped in my head when I was reading that post...so I posted it.

As I said in my earlier post... I DO tip where the wage is designed around tipping AND I tip well. Servers here only "technically" get the fed MW of $7.25 - they depend on tips to make at least that or, obviously they hope, much more. But, where the server actually makes not just fed MW but over double, they're not trying to make up that difference with tips although they'd, again, obviously like much more. Why just tip the server there and not the gas station attendant making MW of $15/hr too? Or in Europe? I looked and they make about 10-15 euros/hr and DO NOT expect tips.

Why doesn't anyone tip at fast food restaurants then? They do those things. Maybe at a lower level, but they still do those things. And with the bill much lower than a nice sit down restaurant, the tip will be pretty small if you did tip them - but they'd LOVE that extra money. Probably much more than the server at Applebees. And I don't care HOW much they make.

I work for TAMU-CC. We have been told unequivocally that when traveling on state funds they do NOT cover tips (don't get me started on how inefficient the state is to do actuals and not just straight per diem). Now, individual departments may spend their own budgets to cover them but ours doesn't due to lack of local funds that can cover them. Maybe where you worked they had the funds (and if it was defense money, they could probably charge it to the contract - I know in my defense days they covered tips before everyone got smart and went to straight per diem). $15/hr is. LOTS of people work for that in completely non-tipping jobs.

I go out to visit my oldest daughter in Big Bear every few years. So, I can limit it. I DO have a work trip in Nov to San Jose though. I'm on per diem, but because I work for the state, they won't reimburse tips (that's really a thing). That combined with them making $15/hr makes a convincing case not to tip.

During the Early Coronazoic Period, when everything was getting locked down, the Italian restaurant on the island was having to shutter its doors. We were there the last night having dinner and watching a buddy play music. They had an auction of bags of toilet paper (remember how it was impossible to find) as part of a fundraiser to help the staff that was being laid off. We knew most of them and wanted to help. So I won one of the bags...8 rolls IIRC for $335. But, it helped out our friends. So, cool. Still not tipping if people are paid $15/hr.

For the more dedicated Hatch chile heads around here... It's a small table top roaster for $315. You could probably find one cheaper though...but, just doing my contribution to the world.

This lawyer says differently... I guess it's a grey area... That's what lawyers are for - arguing both sides of the law simultaneously.

This is incorrect in Texas.

Anecdotal data here... Living in a small town (Weatherford) I knew lots of servers/bartenders there...most of them said that was the policy at their establishment. That's all I have.