Visa? Figured It Out

Snuffles had good news today - I do not need to drive to the Korean Consulate in Houston to get my A-3 Visa; I can get it after I arrive in Korea. Yay!! One less thing to deal with.

I made the foolish decision to ship my air mattress on ahead and just use the box spring I still have here (which is destined for the dumpster, having served a long and faithful life). Big mistake! This box spring is horrid!! Very painful, with hard things lumping up all over it.

After the movers finished their work and left me in my empty home, I got busy. I found a guy on craigslist who had a small portable tv to sell for $15. Sold!!! He was even kind enough to drive it all the way over here (he lives at UTSA) to deliver it, so I gave him an extra $5 for doing so.

Dashed upstairs with my precious tv only to realize that I had one coaxial cable. Going from the wall to the cable box. Hmmm . . . where did I put those other cables? Oh yeah. In a box. In a crate. Now on a ship on its way to Korea.

Then my friend Kristin and her husband arrived. They decided to do a spontaneous weekend at Six Flags and Sea World; I invited them to camp out in my vacant apartment with me. We then headed out for dinner at Johnny Carino's but first, a stop at Target. I picked up a coaxial cable and then I spied a full-size air mattress on the shelf. For under $17!!! No more lousy box spring.

On to Johnny Carino's!!! It started out promising but then the Curse of the Gingersmurf appeared. Those of you who have eaten in a restaurant with me will immediately nod their heads knowingly; those who haven't will quickly understand.

Brian, our waiter, took our drink orders. No Italian creme sodas available tonight as they are out of Sprite for the creme soda machine. Kristin's husband ordered a Dr. Pepper instead. Kristin, being only 20 years old, ordered a Virgin Pina Colada. The menu offered only "Italian" margaritas (with amaretto? eww!) but Brian assured me that the bartender could make a regular margarita for me. Kristin and I also ordered iced water with lemon wedges. And Kristin requested an appetizer of "Fire Sticks".

Soon our drinks appeared and we placed our meal orders. For me, chicken scallopinni and a wedge salad. I also said that this would be two separate checks for the table. Now, about those drinks. Iced water? Check. Lemon wedge? No. "Regular" margarita looked promising but I quickly discovered it tasted strongly of . . . pineapple?!?! I sent it back right away and stuck with my un-lemon-wedged water instead. Kristin said her Virgin Pina Colada tasted different than it usually did but she gamely took a few sips here and there.

The salads arrived and were fine. How can you screw up a salad? We realized then that we never received the bread for our table - Carino's always serves warm Italian bread with roasted garlic and olive oil for dipping. We flagged down our waiter and he brought our bread out for us.

Then our entrees arrived. The spaghetti accompanying it was gummy. Gummy! And then we realized the appetizer had never arrived. With Brian out of site, we got the attention of another waitress and asked her to find out about the appetizer. She came back with an explanation that the Fire Sticks were frozen but they were cooking them now.

Enough. I asked Brian to ask the manager to stop by our table. Charles came over immediately and asked what he could do to help us. While Brian stood right there. I explained the mix-ups in our meal so far and he apologized and said that he would discount our bill by half.

After he left, I thought about how uncomfortable it was to talk to the manager with the waiter standing right there, as some of what had occurred had been his fault. Brian reappeared with our bill. Wait, what? Yep, ONE check.

I asked another staff member to please have Charles come back to our table. While we waited, I noticed the bill. One item in particular. A Pina Colada with well rum.

I first told Charles that I had been very uncomfortable having to discuss our disappointing experience so far while the waiter stood and listened. I explained that we had requested two checks and the waiter failed to split it, giving us only one. And then, I pointed out the NON virgin Pina Colada - and told him, "You just served alcohol to an underage person."

Charles called Brian over immediately. Brian's explanation? Oh it was a virgin colada. He just entered it as a regular one on the bill. Charles seemed satisfied and said he would go get the check split for us.

He returned and of course, we had more questions. The charge for a virgin Pina Colada is the same as for an alcoholic beverage? No, he said, but it's okay; I took the charge for the drink off the bill entirely. I tasted the drink and after a few times I could definitely feel the warming affect confirming that there was indeed alcohol in the beverage.

The check? Charles explained that it was still one but he had not charged me for my meal or margarita. I scrutinized the check. We were charged for two soft drinks when only one had been ordered and served. The charge for the margarita was still on the bill as was the charge for my dinner. I circled and explained and he went back to finally bring us two checks.

Mine came to to $7.23. I paid with a $20 and Brian returned with my change. $12. Even. Oh, he said - you want the "jingle"? I don't have change but I can get it from the bar, he said. And then he went the opposite direction of the bar and we could see and hear him asking other employees if they had any change. He finally gave up and gave me a dollar, saying he couldn't get change.

I rummaged in my purse and found twenty-three cents to pay the difference. No way was I going to be anything less than accurate.

Now you have a good understanding of The Curse of the Gingersmurf!! I'm rather used to it by now; there's usually something screwed up with my meal!!

Now that I have bored you with the tiniest details, I am off to contact Johnny Carino's corporate office.