THE BRUGGER’S FIGHT!

ALBANY, NEW YORK

I understand that as we go through life mistakes will be made on the way, but you hope when you make the mistake it doesn’t become a defining moment in time.  As we go through the teenage years’ we are still learning how to be a person and shape our personality that best fits our ideals.  This also means how to deal with adversity and deal with individuals who will, at times, test our faith, patience and attitude to how we resolve an issue.  Dealing with micro-managers and hands off supervisors have to be dealt with in two different ways, and still as adults, we struggle with this as teenagers since we believe the world is wrong and our ideals are correct.  Well, I can’t confirm this was the same idea that was used when my wife and I entered the Brugger’s Bagel Store, and the first words we hear are “YOU DUMB BITCH!”

Now, my wife and I would’ve allowed that slip of the tongue if she (the teenage looking employee) had apologized and conducted business as usual.  We would’ve left like “Wow! I don’t know what we walked in on, but someone is pissed.”  Unfortunately, our conversation leaving the bagel shop wasn’t such as that, it was more so of what the hell happened and I think this whole exchange we just witnessed needs to be reported to corporate.  We eventually reported this incident to corporate later on that morning, and my wife went on social media and reported it to Brugger’s later that night.  Going back to the incident, after hearing the young employee say that to someone in the back, we got up to the counter.  It was quickly determined that she was arguing with the on-duty supervisor, and instead of pulling her off the line and allowing her to cool her head down, she kept serving customers.  At one point she was told by another employee, who was sweeping the floor, to calm down and not to keep arguing in front of the customers, but the young employee’s response was “I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS!”  Now, I’m thinking about that statement as she is trying to make my food.

First of all I ordered the Pastrami, Egg and Cheese on an Everything bagel.  Once she got the bagel, and continued to argue with the supervisor and two of her other employees, things went off the scale.  She cut the bagel properly, but instead of getting what I asked for, she puts on turkey, pastrami and cheese.  I’m looking confused and look back up at the menu to see if I misunderstood what I read, but no, I assumed correctly of what I wanted and with her attitude of such anger and hostility, she basically screwed up my order.  I had the chance of telling her that she was doing my order wrong, but with her still yelling and cussing at the supervisor and even talking under her breath so loud that we could understand her, I dared not to get into an argument with her over my food.  I just sat there and made sure the other employee, who finally took over, didn’t put items on the bagel that don’t go together.  Thank God she didn’t do that, but the drama didn’t end when the young employee was pulled off the food line.

My wife’s order was half way incomplete as they were supposed to toast one of two bagels with butter, but neither one was toasted.  At least one to two other customers were in front of us and at least three of us got our food for free when we reached the register.  I can tell you I had a brief moment of concern when I saw the hostile employee make her way down towards the register.  I just knew at this point if she came to ring us up that we would respectfully decline her services and ask for another employee to handle the checkout.  One of the other two employees that did a great job in handling the whole situation as professionals, came down to the register and told us that we were good to leave without paying.  We might’ve been in the restaurant for approximately ten to twelve minutes, but we weren’t the only ones to consider reporting it to corporate.  The whole situation was just unprofessional and disturbing to see.  The supervisor should’ve taken her off the line long before they ended up in the back yelling and shouting at each other.

Obviously, if the employee just called you out of your name and keeps telling you she doesn’t care about customers, and keeps telling you to write her up and send her home, do you really think she is going to listen to you about being “work oriented”?  Well, we saw how that worked out and saw the whole situation get way out of hand and escalate to a point where reasonable and calm minds would not prevail.  Needless, to say when we spoke to corporate about two days later, they were embarrassed and angry about the whole incident.  My wife ended up speaking to them and according to their statement, the employee will be fired for her behavior and the supervisor will be retrained on how to handle argumentative employees.

I will tell you that my wife and I are not those type of customers to report things to managers or corporate just because; but we will report things such as this that customers and patrons alike should not be witnesses too.  This very Brugger’s Bagel shop was the one that we went to alot when we lived in the city of Albany, and I love their food and the staff was awesome.  It had obviously been a very long time since we patronized there since the entire staff was new to us.  The whole scene was just ghetto! Absolutely, ghetto.  I sure did say that to corporate too.  I didn’t care and knew that they wanted the truth about what was going on and how I felt.  Don’t worry I was respectful and used appropriate language, but that ghetto part they needed to know.  Maybe that is why they didn’t get back to me, but sure did back to my wife in a quick minute.  In speaking with them, we were promised a gift card or some sort of compensation for our troubles.  Right now nothing has happened and we have not returned to that Brugger’s shop, and probably won’t for a good while.  Damn shame!

Henry Scott

THE FILTER

We all should understand and know what a filter does, despite what it is being used for, to filter out substances.  Especially in the water filtration system where harmful mineral deposits and chemicals are to be trapped and kept from entering our home, where the consumption can be either deadly or cause serious illness.  As you go through your normal daily routines you may end up with a headache or migraine, which can come from numerous things in our lives.  For some headaches can come from something you ate, drank or not drinking enough water to keep yourself hydrated.  You wouldn’t think of water that you drink everyday out of your kitchen tap would be harmful or cause you to feel funny and give you the sense of nausea, which included headaches and diarrhea.

Well, the filter you see posted in this article came from our kitchen faucet as we were in the middle of installing the Brita filter.  As my wife and I both looked at this filter, it became apparent to us that all our nausea feeling and back of the head aches was perhaps due to these substances found under our faucet.  For the most part it did its job of blocking the crap from entering our drinking cups, but the water coming out of the tap had to pass through all that still before we gulped it down.  If I can remember correctly the Brita Filter, posted in the picture below, was installed in the summer of 2016 and has made a complete difference.  We no longer get these weird headaches, which felt like I was consuming too much iron, and no more nausea feeling in the stomach.  Another thing we discovered, which made us feel good about our investment, was the rust that has been forming around the sinks and toilet bowl.  You enter our home and would think we don’t clean, which in fact it is difficult to keep up with the rust and grime being formed on our daily usages, not to mention it staining the automatic toothbrushes.

So I would definitely recommend that you purchase one of these for your home, especially with all the water contamination issues we’ve seen in Flint, Michigan, Pownal, Vermont and Hoosick, New York.  I’m sure other towns have been affected with chemical spills that I am not aware of, but some kind of protection with your drinking water is better than not having anything at all.  Of course, with the amount of chemicals that is in our drinking water, and how the water has stained our sinks and tub, we’ve had to replace the filter at least once every one to two months, depending on how often we turn on the faucet.  Our water here in the Maplewood-Watervliet area is hard, and we often joke about it from time to time, but so happy for the investment.  We even placed a water softener on our shower head and we can see stains starting to form within the water softener mechanism, which has only been on there for maybe just over a month.

It has definitely made the showers more enjoyable as it feels like it is bathing in cotton or satin sheets, but the water pressure has decreased a bit.  However, we can change that if we want to, but at this point we don’t want to.  A filter can make all the change in the world, but don’t just choose any filter and make sure you choose what will work for you to give you better quality water to drink and bath in.

Henry Scott

 

THE SNOW-MAGGEDON OF 2017

It would appear we have survived another major Nor’easter, and that life can now resume as it once was operating.  Well, besides some school districts, local and state governments being closed or opening up late, we can all rest a sure that life will not end with several inches of snow on the ground.  However, it can get very hairy when you are ready to pass through an intersection or turn corners when you have a snow hill higher than your car or truck, making it extremely difficult to see.  As with normal driving you make sure you take your time and don’t rush out without checking or you will be regretful.

When you have snow, or with any inclement weather that puts traveling on roads treacherous or at risk, again you need to take your time.  Especially when you are turning corners and going down hills, if you accelerate to fast more than likely you will fishtail and possibly do a 360 in the middle of the road.  Now, this is not new information on how to drive in snow, rain and/or icy road conditions, but apparently some individuals have not gained these safety tips.  What makes me nervous when I am taking my time and trying not go too fast and too slow, when you have impatient drivers who want to tailgate you or do mach 2 when the roads are obviously extremely slick.

I completely understand that some people will drive to what speed is comfortable and safe for them, but you also have to balance that with being safe and not a nuisance.  As we should know climbing hills we have to increase our speed a little in order to make it up and lower the chance of getting stuck, spinning tires.  Of course, some people still have on summer tires, which will get you nowhere and just build frustrations while others just need new tires, or better yet the roads are that bad that almost no kind of traction will help you.  Anyway you look at it the most important safety tip is to slow down and allow more time for travel and more spaces between you and the other car.  Any experience driver knows and understands how scary it is when you are sliding out of control and the only thing you can do is go for the ride.

This was probably one of the biggest snow storms I can remember being in since 1996 when I lived in Maryland, and school was closed for a solid week.  I’m sure I’ve been through other storms that was as big, if not bigger, but a snow storm like this remind me of the ’96 storm.  Every since that storm, it seems like the state of Maryland is still recovering from it and has made sure they stay on top of every impending storm that could threaten the D.C. Metro area.  Living in the mid-Atlantic region snow is not usually our main weather problem, it is freezing rain and sleet.  You would think that if you have lived there all your life, or even for a significant amount of time, you would know how to operate and drive in those conditions.  Some people just don’t learn and think that because they drive a 4×4 or an AWD that they can drive faster than what is safely necessary.

You live in the northeast part of the country, you have to know that winter weather up here can get nasty at anytime and that the winter season can last longer than other parts of the country.  It gets cold here.  It gets icy and roads can be very treacherous.  One of the things you have to deal with living here in the region.  I do know one thing that the summers here are much cooler and less humid than those of the mid-Atlantic and southeast regions of the United States.  Although I enjoyed myself in Georgia, and did basic training in Alabama, the summers there are notorious for my migraines and life there is too slow for me.  Besides, living anywhere that has a very high humidity percentage will not only be detrimental for my migraines to blow up, but my wife’s lupus would just work overtime.  One of the reasons we moved up here to the northeast region, but the move to a cooler climate has definitely limited her lupus flare ups; not to mention she is from this area anyway.

With the biggest snowstorm of the season in and out, we can start to prepare of spring, but remember cold weather sticks around longer here.  I don’t mind the cold weather and the snow, just hate the heat and the humidity that was horrid down there.  As another winter season comes to a close, people will now start planning, if not already, for the upcoming spring and summer season which could be brutal as this winter was but time will tell on that theory.

Henry Scott