For those living in America who will celebrate Valentine’s Day a few days… or save the idea for the next the next Mother’s Day!

They are called, the ‘darling of poets’, they may not have feelings, but for me, it seems that their scent shows just the opposite… I don’t know, all I know is that they feed the soul, anyone’s soul..

They by themselves are beautiful, but for a dramatic effect, put a smaller pot inside a larger one and fill the space between them with stones! That’s all and sorry for the picture, it was not as it should have been…

Aren’t flowers some of the sweetest things God made…?

Doesn’t it seem like the earth is smiling through them? Mr.Slipper Socks Man I always says I imagine’ things… But for me, that’s what it seems like.

Former waiters and waitresses confess:

>> Want to be hated by them? Ask for hot tea… We have to get the kettle, boil water, get the lemons, get the honey, get a cup, a spoon… It is too much work for little reward.

>> If you are having a conversation while having some lunch or dinner in a restaurant, notice: sooner or later a waiter or waitress slowly clears the table close by, fills the salt shaker, very slowly… Make sure he’s not always like that, listening to what is being discussed.

>> A sign that tells us that you will be a ‘problem’ customer… When you ask, “is the chef here today? I am a great friend of his.” We aren’t stupid: if you were, you would know if he’s working and would have his cell phone number.

>> When you say: “I want Alfredo pasta,” it tells us that you do not eat out often. Restaurants do have this option, and it’s a dish sure to sell and it’s cheap to make.

>> If you do not like what you’re eating, don’t play martyr and complain. If you don’t like what was served, don’t eat it, send it back and choose something else.

>> If you worry about cleanliness, take a look at the restaurant’s bathroom. If the bathroom is dirty, you can be sure that the kitchen is much worse.

>> Ask about the ingredients of your ‘smoothie’. Many restaurants use half-and-half. So, you thought you were having something healthy? The fact is, almost all are full of fat.

>> If you are vegetarian and ask me if I use vegetable broth instead of meat, I’ll say “YES”, even if it is not true and you will never know the difference…

>> Never ask for lemon in your drink. Everyone touches this lemon, we just take off the seal, without washing it and put it in your drink.

>> We want you to enjoy everything while eating, but when you are done, go away. Do you stay in the cinema after the movie ends to see the credits? Restaurants allow about 50 minutes for lunch and 90 minutes for dinner, if you want to stay a long time, should give a very big tip.

The following are true stories of people who have worked for several years in restaurants. The names are omitted, you can imagine why…

>> We are not allowed to reveal to the client who does not like something on the menu. And if you ask us how something is made, we say, “Oh, it is one of the favorite dishes that we serve”.

Be aware then that “the chances are great that we do not like this dish”.

>> If a customer asks for an iced drink, those annoying to prepare, we say, “Oh… sorry, we are out of that”, when in fact we don’t want to make it… But if you decide you only want water, instead of the drink, suddenly, we have what you wanted in the first place because we do not want to lose your drink on the bill.

>> If you ask the waiter who was serving you, and another waiter says he is getting something out of stock, you can bet that he is outside smoking a cigarette.

YOU MAY NOT WANT TO KNOW:

>> We add sugar to children’s food, because then they eat more. It’s the pure truth! We even put more sugar in the pizza crust made for them.

>> In many restaurants the plate that says “SPECIAL” is anything that needs to be sold before it spoils. Be careful with those “specials” which are fish or says ‘gumbo’. It’s probably what they are trying to get rid of quickly.

>> If you ask me how many calories are in this dish, I am forbidden to say, whether or not I know the answer. I have to say: “you will find this information online”.

>> If a waiter does not like you, he can mess with your credit card to embarrass you in front of others and when back to your desk he’ll say, “your card was not accepted. Do you have another one?”

Valentine’s Day is coming for those living in America… So, I need to pass along some things I learned here. If you, like millions of others, plan on going to a restaurant to celebrate the American Valentine’s day…

The first thing you should do is to remember the name of the waiter when you go out for lunch or dinner… If you return for the second time or third time… ask for his name. He will probably not remember you at first, but if you mention that you want to be treated by that person, you’re sure to be treated very special!

It is much easier to be recognized as a ‘regular customer’ of the establishment, if you are at the restaurant on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Once that happens, you can expect ‘some good things’ to start coming your way… For example, the head chef bringing you a ‘sample’ of his goblet of wine to be refilled without charging you, things like that.

Trust your waiter or waitress. You know how? When you arrive, say something like this: ‘Hi, this is our first time here, I want you to make it a good experience. We spend this much’… This waiter will like it very much.

Well, getting back to the occasion in question, avoid Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day as you avoid the plague! It is tremendously exhausting for everyone who works in the place. The waiters will not have much time to attend to you, much less give you quality service. Moreover, they have to bring you ‘that special menu’ where everything is more expensive.

If you have a shy child with you, please order for that child. Children can keep the menu forever, without deciding anything. Or, they speak so softly, that the poor waiters can’t hear anything in the middle of all the noise… And meanwhile, the table next to you is angrily waiting to be served or even screaming!

Now tell me: doesn’t all this make sense? Do you have any extra hints to add? Leave your impressions, a few words, or some comment.

Thanks!