Tip this, Hoodsport!

This weekend, I traveled out to the Olympic Peninsula for a weekend getaway with some of my best friends.  Johan, who is among the most loyal and intentional people I know, initiated this trip as a “last hurrah” before Lisa and I move to Canada and before our friend Mike and his wife move to Boise, Idaho.  We stayed in a super-dee-lux cabin in Hoodsport (thank you, Gagnon family) and enjoyed delicious k-bobs, slingball in the sun, long conversations, a rip-roaring game of hearts, 9 holes of golf, more sunshine, lunch on waterfront patio, and a bit more sunshine.  Sadly, the camera died after only a few shots…but still, I’m proud to introduce some of the best folks I know:

The cabin.  A-MA-ZING.

Johan smiling?  Or smirking?  You decide.

Steve.  Refined.  Mature.  A real class act.

Mike.  Awkward close-up.  Thanks, Mike.

Shrimp k-bobs?  Yes please.

Wow, Johan…save some k-bobs for the rest of us.  Fatty.

Anyway, it was a good weekend.  The best news?  I totally won at hearts, and I even shot the moon…which never happens.  The bad news?  Well…it turns out I might not play at any of those big golf tournaments where they give you a fancy green blazer if you win.  I guess that’s kind of a relief, because…well, a green blazer?  Really?

Our lunch at the Hoodsport Marina Pub and Eatery did cause an in-depth conversation about the rules for tipping after a meal.  While some may call it stingy, I subscribe to the idea that tips are optional, based on service.  If a wait-person does their job satisfactorily, I am more than happy to leave a 15% tip.  If anything stands-out as “above average,” I frequently leave 20%.  Unfortunately, neither scenario took place at the Hoodsport Marina Pub and Eatery.

Yes…it’s Hoodsport.  Yes…I understand that the word “Eatery” does not typically translate as “fine dining.”  Yes…our waitress probably had not-too-distant memories of her 11th birthday party and referred to her boss as “mom.”  But still, people.  If you were to employ your child as a wait-person at your dining establishment, would you not take the time to help him or her understand the finer nuances of the job?  You all know that I would rather sew my lips to the carpet than criticize someone.  But, between you and me, this girl had a few things to learn.

For example, it makes you look kind of not-so-great when, after your guests request water for a second time in 15 minutes, you answer “yeah…I’m still working on that.”

I could unpack all the tiny little things that happened during our lunch that left me feeling less-than-impressed with the cheap-ass burger on a cheap-ass bun with cheap-ass soggy fries that cost me $11.  But I don’t want to take all that time just to prove that I can be kind of an a-hole when I go out to eat.  Instead, I’ll give you the quick and dirty version: I left a $1 tip.

Learned your lesson, Hoodpsort?

Good.