StormCloud Wrote:
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> I'm not overly-familiar with the three segments on
> a personal visitation basis, or anything (although
> I really *wish* I was!) but the mid part is a bit
> more desert-y than the north and south parts. At
> least that's the impression I've been left with.
> I guess it's just that since the state is so big,
> "central" covers quite a lot of area! Sisters is
> a lot different than The Dalles or Klamath Falls,
> at least in proximity to any other point ~
> population density and some other stuff, too. For
> instance, it's a *lot* closer to me than K. Falls,
> and somewhat closer than The Dalles.
>
> I *LOVE* Sisters! Oh, I just love it over there.
> I've been in that area several times, but have
> only driven through the north-central part, and
> the closest I've been to the south-central part is
> Crater Lake. But my Dad used to do surveying for
> the state department of water resources back in
> the late 50's, and he's driven nearly every square
> mile of the central & eastern parts of the state,
> and surveyed it!
>
> As a third-generation Oregonian, you'd think I'd
> have visited a lot more of my state. But nope! I
> started showing dogs young, and could never leave
> them long enough to visit the areas far-flung from
> me, and have too many dogs to take along with me &
> be able to stay anywhere (and not being able to
> afford an RV!) No longer show them, because of
> money & personal disability issues, but still have
> several from those days. And their ages are
> spread so someone's always a 'senior' needing
> special health considerations.
>
> I ran into my sister on one of those $27 shops,
> and she knows what I do. She leaned in &
> whispered "are you working?" and when I said yes
> she kept it quick. Hee! I haven't gotten one of
> the nice & easy $15 shops since the new scheduler,
> either. Or wait, maybe I did get one. But
> still... HUGE difference since "M" was there!
>
> I wish the pub shops would at least reimburse for
> two to dine, also! I really do enjoy eating
> there. At one location here, the one closest to
> me (only a little over 5 minutes away in good
> traffic) I always get the same server. He
> remembers me, and has become quite
> familiar/friendly. In a good, nice way, nothing
> creepy. I wonder if he's figured me out?
> Although it wouldn't be odd for someone from the
> neighborhood to go there as often as the rotation
> allows. In fact, they'd likely go *more* often!
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Sisters really is awesome. It's super quiet here. I think our police cars were built without sirens, I haven't heard a single one since I lived moved here. The only noise is on Friday nights when the high school football games are going. I didn't realize just how far sound could travel! wowzers. I never really thought of The Dalles as part of Central Oregon. We just always call it part of the gorge. I thought K Falls was part of southern Oregon, but again, I'm a transplant so I make up my own names for things. LOL.
I showed sheep when I was a kid. My sister was going to get into showing dogs but I think when her Peke knocked up her mini dach that changed things. I managed to get around most of the state on the fair circuit, but when you consider how small Mass is compared to Oregon, me getting around most of the sate is probably like from Portland to Eugene.
Yeah there is a huge difference in the account now. Although, the new scheduler seems to be doing a better job of getting the shops filled at least here. Our pub has three pubs and a movie theater. One of the pubs is a cigar bar. The other scheduler was always scrambling at the end of the month and begging people to take several of the shops. The new one seems to be filling the bulk of them. There are only two shops open right now for the pub for the remainder of the month. One of course is for the cigar bar. I did that shop three times before I knew it was a cigar bar. I'm sitting there eating and i'm smelling smoke. Then I see some guy light a cigar in front of the bartender. I'm sitting there fuming because as you know, no smoking in restaurants which I am soooooo thankful for! I texted my husband about it. He pulled up the website and informs me that I'm in a cigar bar. I had always sat outside prior to that trip. I won't be doing that shop again until the weather gets better and I can sit outside and read.
I hope you don't keep getting the same server. It would be hard to come up with new food and beer questions all the time. I have that problem with the grocery store shops I do for a different company. You have to come up with "hard" questions. You're not allowed to ask where an item is. So I have questions like....... Do you have lunch meats with no Nitrates? Are Gala apples good for eating or are they more of a baking apple? What is in the Filled Longjohn? How long can I freeze these steaks?........I'm afraid of reusing the same questions even for different people because you have to put the question and answer into the report. At least the $27.00 shops at the place with the 22 people, you have to be vague. I asked where the item was. He brought me to the item. If you get the same server, you can't get away with saying, "What type of bun does the hamburger come with?" That's my go to food question at the pub. The best part is that they all answer the question differently. I had one guy tell me it was sourdough. I had a hard time talking about the food. I actually said something like, the bun was very tasty, but if it was sourdough, it wasn't made correctly because it tasted nothing like sourdough.
I really think they should up the pay and decrease the amount of shops that they do. Did you know that you can order off of the happy hour menu? It only works if you do the late night or theater shops though since the 6PM is after happy hour. If they covered the whole meal for two people, we might do them more often, but I'm not driving 25 miles one day for a $20.00 discount on dinner.
I saw a different post that you had about wishing you could see what companies have shops in your area before you apply. I sent you a PM with a list of all companies that I've shopped with here in good old Central Oregon. I know some of them have stuff in the Valley. I'm assuming Mid Valley is like somewhere between Salem and Eugene. I know there are several stores in common from here to there.