Bartending School!

A famous quote you may recognize that has been stuck in my head since I started batending school, well that and the "Last Barmen" poem, is "Why didn't you tell me a Cuba Libre was a rum and coke!?" Tom Cruise yells this at a waitress while being swamped with orders... you've seen the movie... and if you haven't then you are a communist.

Anyway, that has pretty much been my experience in bartending school... you want me to make a "Cape Cod," ok... WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY IT WAS VODKA AND CRANBERRY!!!! (with a lime garnish) It is a lot of fun but tons of memorization. AND acronyms! AND rules! Especially when making martinis!

Wanna know how to make a Cosmopolitan? Well just remember that it is a "Very Tasting Cocktail." Vodka, Triple Sec and Cranberry! See what I did there!? See!?! Well my head is on drink recipe overload and I need a new liver to be able to practice all the drinks I've been making but like I said it is fun and apparently very lucrative.

I may do this on the side. A bartender who is one of my instructors said that depending on where you work you can pull in $500 a night. The main secret is to be a flirt... hmm I think I may be able to do that... or I'll just tell them every dumb joke I know and they'll pay me to shut up.

So conclusion...

1. You need a good memory to be a bartender.

2. You need a to be a flirt.

3. You need a strong liver.

4. I may have found a way to pay off my student loans super quick.

BARTENDING HOW TO: (Well this time a couple of drink recipes that my instructors taught me)

A CU-OSMO
3/4 oz. Amaretto
3/4 oz. Southern Comfort or Tuaca
Dash of Contreau
Squeeze of lime
Cranberry juice
~Shake it up in a shaker and serve in a chilled stemmed glass~

A Better COSMO
1/2 oz. Citrus SKY Vodka
1/2 oz. Grand Marinier
1/8 oz. Lime juice
Splash of Cranberry juice
~Shake it up in a shaker and serve in a chilled stemmed glass~

Dreamsickle (in a highball glass filled with ice)
1 oz. Amaretto
1 oz. Orange Juice
Fill with Half N Half

Easy Bloody Mary
1 oz. Vodka
2 dashes of salt
2 dashes of pepper
2 dashes of celery salt
4 drops Worcestershire
1 - 2 drops Tabasco
Fill with Tomato juice (to make it a 'Ceasar' use Clamato)

Cape Cod
FREAKING VODKA AND CRANBERRY JUICE!!! (with a lime garnish)

MINI POST: Artist Mad or Thoughts spawned by cultural and chocolate overload.

I KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME! Well not that it's wrong, I just found the perfect explanation for my ... quirkiness. AND it only took *mumble* years, and a hectic week and drink memorization craziness and weekend of plays and a chocolate cake overload to realize it. 

My week was spent behind the bar at bartending school when I really wanted (no NEEDED) some time in front of it. So a weekend of new plays was a perfect escape. The first play I saw was about a relationship between two artists, one a dancer and one a painter who is trying to capture him on canvas. This really was a good play and it was also the one that gave me my "ah-ha'" moment. The dancer, Nureyev, said something to the painter like "How is Wyeth like Nureyev?... we are both artist mad," which made me think. Why do I do the things I do and gravitate towards the people I do well... "artist mad."

Let's have a Forrest Gump moment... Do you remember the first picture you ever drew?  Probably not, I know I don't. There was always creativity in my house growing up so it's hard to pinpoint where my madness came from, probably my mom. But oddly enough, I do remember the first drawing that got someone else's attention that was not a family member. It was a drawing of a lion. I drew it when I was in the first grade on a really boring day. I had broken my leg and so couldn't go out to recess therefore I stayed in and noticed a cartoon of a lion on the wall and drew it. I just remember thinking "I'm gonna draw that for my teacher" and so I did. After getting it perfect several tries later, I finally gave it to her. I remember that she acted like it was the best thing ever... the best drawing since Da Vinci picked up a pencil. I don't know what this has to do with being artist mad... maybe because it was the first time I really wanted to get something perfect or the fact that my drawing made her smile. Whatever it was... it was and is addicting. 

So I am "artist mad," and I am not referring to just painting or drawing or sculpting or writing... but the creative gremlin that makes you do all these things. It makes you want to express yourself, to let people see you through your works and to hopefully leave something lasting behind.








So conclusion...
1. Artist madness is a great disease.

2. I'm lucky to know and work with many other artist madmen and women.

3. Our madness is what probably binds us... I feel like the actresses and actors and writers and creative people I've been privileged to work with are more than co-workers... they are family and to use a corny tag line... kindred spirits. 

4. Artist Madness also probably explains the reason behind my blog too.

#SMDay... money for nothing and your clicks for free!

FIRST BACKGROUND... What is #SMDay?

Social Media Day is an event started by Mashable to celebrate all things Social Media. It’s a chance for  social media enthusiasts and social media “professionals” to network and get together to swap notes  by hosting or attending Social Media Day meetups around the country.

Last week I attended an #SMDay event at the Ritz Carlton... free event, free seminars, free valet, free swag bags, so why not! It was fun. I got free stuff and met a lot of interesting people. Who knew there were so many social media sillies in the Phoenix area.... and they get paid for it too! Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. Who would have thought there would be such a large social niche and that I would've stumbled into it.

I found myself becoming a social cyber butterfly (I guess you'd call me a caterpillar back then) at my last job. I worked for a writer who wrote for all kinds of publications including FSB and CNNMoney. It was fun and a big time learning experience. Twitter was a new animal and FB was just for college kids, ah the good old days. Anyway, that is where I first got my feet wet and now am a cyber social butterfly at a non-profit, though they insist on calling me a E-Communications Associate... whatever.

Though it doesn't seem like it, there is a formula to it all. If you know it and use it, even part-time, you can gain a following online that will surprise you. The main secret behind Social Media is interaction. This is a big "DUH" to most people but a lot of companies still don't get it and then they hire someone like me.☺ What people crave is a connection, whether to loved ones or their favorite band, it is all about connection and interaction. If you can figure out how to give people this well then ... "yours is the Earth and everything that is in it, and - which is more - you'll be a man, my son." And you'll have a really high Klout score.

(BTW, that verse is from the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling that I had to memorize in high school, I'm proud that I still remember it! Well I remember some of it.)

So conclusion...

1. Media is noise.

2. Social Media is a chance to join the noise and make your own mini-headlines and news.

3. It's all about interaction.

SOCIAL MEDIA HOW TO:

How do you use social media for business? (well at least what I learned... in 5 steps)

1. There are some rules about posting that are unspoken but known among businesses... post often but not too often on company pages. No one likes you to fill their feed.

2. How many posts a day: Twitter - 5 times a day... no more than 7. Facebook - 3 times a day... no more than 5 times a day.

3. Be BRIEF!

4. INTERACT!

5. BIG TIP ALERT: Think of your company... break down what you do into 4 categories. For example: What is WhyNots about? - 1. Enjoying life, 2. New experiences, 3. Learning new things, 4. Not taking things too seriously.... nice. Well there are 4 weeks in a month and now you have 4 topics to explore each month on Social Media, so each week will have a main theme to help you organize your posts better (this is a great start for people new to Social Media craziness). Fun huh?

There are other tips but that's why I get the big bucks.... I can't tell you all my secrets! ☺

WHERE WAS I?
#SMDay @ The Ritz Carlton
... can't wait til next year for networking fun and the great burgers at the Ritz were an awesome bonus!