This Week in the Life of Liz. volume 1 issue 4
by Liz Anderson on Sunday, 5 August 2007 at 21:30 ·
I was on vacation for a week since last I wrote. It was over all a good experience. I went to a family reunion. (Yes another one.) Then I headed to Fargo for a day just to go there. I ended up going to the Castleton winery with Jess. It was fun. I got some rhubarb wine (rhubarb pie in a glass is what it really is) as well as sampling several other varieties. Some will appreciate this more than others but the rhubarb wine I bought was in an Arthur ND bottle. From there I headed to Alexandria for a few days. I got to see Katie, Chris, Angie, my boys (Lucas and Caleb and Chris but he is already listed), my sister and my great aunt and uncle.
The plan was to go to the three wineries in the Alex area and pick up some MN wine. I made it to one of the wineries. Worst experience I have had in a long time if not ever. I was there for about and hour and a half. When I first got there the tasting room was a bit busy so I just browsed around for a bit. Then a group of people left and the workers started asking the others if they needed anything, any help if they wanted to sample anything -- everyone in there except me. So I finally just went and stood by the counter and said excuse me. The reply I received was something along the lines of did you need something. I asked where the tours started and the man pointed to a vague area and said if I hurried I could catch the group that had left 5 minutes ago. So I headed out in the direction he had pointed however there were about four trails to choose from and no one visible on any of them. So I went and wandered around a bit. Finding no one I headed back inside. I browsed around a bit more and still no sign of customer service. So again I went to the counter. I stood there again for quite some time browsing the wine selection that they had for sampling and watching the worker offer every other person around the counter samples. When the lady finally noticed me she didn’t offer me to sample any she just asked if the items in front of me were mine and if I was ready to check out. I said no and she continued to help other people. I left. It was an hour and a half since I had arrived and not once did I sense one inkling of customer service from any other the five employees I had seen. As a result I would highly advise that you do not visit the Carlos Creek Winery. I have been advising this to every person that has asked about my vacation -- perhaps a poor choice on their part to not provide customer service.
I then tried to go to the winery just south of Alexandria. I think it may be closed. All of the signs I used to drive by had disappeared and there was no sign of life even on their website. At that point I gave up and went to the liquor store in Alex where I bought some wine from Laport. I still wanted MN wine and it was either Laport or Carlos Creek and I was not going to support their business. Besides I figured it didn’t matter if I bought wine I hadn’t tried from Laport or wine I hadn’t tried from Carlos Creek.. So I picked the lesser of two evils.
Friday I brought my sister to drop off her car to get the fan fixed – imagine 100 degree temps with no air.. icky. Then back to pick it up on her lunch break. After that I was off to Park Rapids to visit my friend James. It was a good night. We headed to Dorset for supper at Companeros. If you browse through my pictures and happen upon on of me on a plaster donkey by a Mexican flag it was taken at Companeros. Later that evening we headed up to the American Legion for Karaoke. I sang the way I do best.. from my chair in the back of the room mocking the people singing into the mic. Jess also joined us at the Legion as she was at her parents just a few miles away for the weekend. Also a good time.
Saturday I was back to Gully for more family time and Alissa’s wedding reception. It was fun seeing classmates I hadn’t seen in some time. I also ran into Alissa’s uncle who happened to go to college in Morris. I met him randomly at a graduation BBQ in my back yard where through brief discussion we realized that he was the uncle to my classmate.. To this day he says I make him feel old. I won’t mention any names but for those of you who know Susie’s last name, you can look through my facebook friends and figure it out… Sorry.. Later that evening I went to my Grandpa’s to visit and saw my cousin’s someday to be fiancĂ©. I keep checking for a ring but nothing yet. Someday..
Sunday was a typical day with church and family. Then the realization that I had to go back to Fargo and prepare for a week back at the J.O.B. -- sad but true.
The past week really wasn’t too interesting.. I worked and then I worked and then I had a day off… I did go to visit my aunt who had heart surgery which was good.. Then I went to work.. I actually got to work an earlier shift on Thursday as I went to a Redhawks game for work.. Jess also went with me to the game as my guest.. It was our “forget the boys, girls night out”. I had a foot long chili dog.. mmm chili dogs.. and ice cream. Friday/Saturday work, work and overtime work. On the up side, we are having a contest at work to beat our personal best for calls per week in the months of July and August.. I beat my record the first week – just in case since I was going on vacation.. Then this week I clobbered my new personal best record by 75 calls.. Too bad it only counts once.
Saturday night I had supper with Jess and Bets then off to a movie with Jess. Mr. Brooks. It was interesting enough.. sort of twisted.. but good overall. Today, Sunday, the three of us headed to DL to go tubing. I went on the record from the get go that it was a bad idea as it was 62 degrees and cloudy with a chance of rain. I held to this as we pulled to the tubing place and there was one I repeat one car there.. The place that a month and one day ago had triple-parked cars had one car today.. We went back to town and had pizza at Zorbaz, my friend Niki joined us for lunch or the aftermath thereof as her mom had just cooked her a large breakfast and she was still recovering from WEFest. We did head back out to the river “just to check and there were seven cars so we decided it must be ok to go.. So we packed up some tubes and down the river we went. The river has dropped quite a bit in the past month. In fact last time I couldn’t touch in many places and this time we had to get up and pull our tubes over shallow areas with rocks. I think the end of the tubing season is upon us..
Now I am back at my apartment. I logged on to see requests for this update and thought what time like the present. So there you have it. Consider yourself updated. I hope to get the next installment posted much more promptly for those of you who look forward to my life. Have a good one and take it easy.
-Liz.
