When I go out to eat, it is about 95% of the time with my kids- sometimes by myself if my husband is working. So, the topics I rate servers and restaurants on tend to be family oriented.

I dont' have pet peeves per-sey, but the things that I do hope for in my perfect server and dining facility include:

• automatically brings a stack of napkins and a few extra plates with our meal
  
• asks if we want the A-1 sauce, ketchup and mustard (we don't usually need these things and they tend to clutter our space)
  
• brings crackers or equivalent right away for my youngest ones while we are trying to order.
  
• are prepared with reading material/drawings and crayons that consist of more than 3 utensils in more than 1 cup if at all possible. My children are 8, 7, 5, almost 4 and 18 mos old, so they all like a few crayons that are similar and their own.
• does NOT put knives for cutting meat and hot food in front of my children or pour my coffee near or around my children's heads. The last thing I need are bloody and burned children.
  
• brings children-savvy cups and not wine glasses for water, or if they don't have anything suitable for kids to drink out of, maybe a few Pool towels to dry off with afterwrds
  

My main concern as a mother of many out in a pubic eating facility is that my kids don't interrupt or invade other people's personal space or enjoyment. We can have fun ourselves and enjoy our food without being obnoxious and leaving people with a bad taste in their mouth.

I feel that I remind my kids to use quiet voices and using their manners and so I feel that the restaurants could also promote that sort of behavior by accommodating the not-so-patient clients in their facility. :-)

-Jyn

A horrible exchange with Sanyo Tech Support

So, I have a no-longer-produced flatscreen Sanyo TV and the remote for the thing has long died and been burried. I decided to try to use it with a DVD player yesterday after rearranging my livingroom. The TV is above my fireplace, and so far it's been an interesting peice of art rather than a working viewing device.

After going to program new channels into the thing, I realize that all my program channel options are red and I cannot access those features. So, I look up the FAQ's on their website, and after going through multiple sales directs to their do-it-all remotes, I contact tech support via email, and here is our email exchange.

ME: "I have searched through your FAQ's ( my TV model is a Sanyo
Flatscreen DS279300) and so far I haven't found the answer to my
question.

The controller for our TV no longer works, and I would like to be
able to set the channels via the TV Menu controls only- how do I
reset the channels via the TV without the remote?

Thanks! -Jyn"
TECH GUY:" You can call 1-800-877-5032 and order a remote for the tv."
ME: "I'm sure, but you still didn't answer my question. Can I fix my channels without your specified controller? I have a universal controller that already works fine with the TV and all my other equipment... I dont want to buy another controller. Thank you.
-Jyn
www.jynmeyer.com"
Tech guy: "You can try to use the buttons on the front of the tv. "
ME:"Obviousely, but the channels options, etc are all red and it skips those options when I scroll through the menu items.
-Jyn
www.jynmeyer.com"
Tech Guy: "If you are in a video mode it will not allow you to get into certain topics in the menu screen."

Me: "Sooo. would you say that my BEST form of action is to change the channel and try the menu options from there?
-Jyn
www.jynmeyer.com"

It's like- DUDE tell me what the heck I have to do... I dont need someone to point out little minute bits of information. Tell me, "Make sure you are not in video mode, and then use the menu option. If this does not workon your POS TV, then you might have to get our specialized $1000 do it all microwave/tonailclipper/vaccum cleaner/carwash remote controller..."

Even then, my TV has only 1 channel right now which is'video1', and not only do I have no other channels available to switch to so that I can change the channel and reset the menu options.

The next response from this guy will probably be that I have no other options other than to buy their specialized remote.

It's Been a while

I've been proccupied! I've thought many times about posting things and I probably should have- but just didnt get around to it.
First of all- Ive been busy on flickr. I've been concentrating more on my art photography, so it's been a blast seeing the reactions from people as they come in.