Why is Plain Different Out Here (or I don't want mayonaise with that!)

So one of things I have noticed in the past little while is how something like ordering food has become a little more confusing and problematic.

Case in point #1: A few months ago, I ordered a burger at a joint and asked for it plain. The girl behind the counter looked at me like I'd ask her to give me all the money in the till, went to I assume a supervisor, who came over to help her with the order. "He wants nothing on it but ketchup and musturd," she said. "No," I explained, "I ordered it plain, that means I want nothing on it." She looked at me, looked at her employee, then told me I was mistaken, it means what she said and punched it in that way. After a two discussion, in which she kept telling me I was wrong, I finally got in her head, I wanted nothing on the burger "the meat and the bun" we say. I received it, after dirty looks by the staff and by the people who were behind me. I now know, don't say plain, say nothing on it.

Case in Point #2: I went into subway a few weeks ago, and order a chicken parm sub. After ordering my bread and asking for it to be toasted, I went to further down the line. It came time for my sandwich to be given its coverings, I stated, "nothing on it please." "Mayonaise only? Ok" was the response. I don't know where you get mayonaise from nothing, but it happened (2nd time in my life, but that's a Florida story). When I explained I didn't want anything on it, instead of just going along with it (and making her job easier because she doesn't have to put anything on the sandwich), she told me that nothing on it would include the mayonaise. Again, regardless of that, it is not what I asked for. It took another two minutes to get my sandwich. She gave me that look (one I gave many times while working in the service industry) of me being the biggest pain-the-butt customer she had all day. I learned another lesson, tell them exactly what you mean.

Case in point #3: Last week, I order a chicken sandwich, and I stated, just the chicken and the bun- plain - nothing on it. The young man behind the counter nodded his head and stated "only mayonaise and lettuce." This time my voice was a little higher - "where did you get from what I said only mayonaise and lettuce?" He told me I ordered basic, and that's basic. I didn't order basic I told him - i ordered nothing, explained exactly what I should be looking at when I receive the sandwich. He nodded, "I get it, you don't want mayonaise, you want something else on it." I lowered my head, caught my breath, and explained one more time what I wanted. "I've never heard of that," said the young man behind the counter. "I'm sure you haven't when you don't listen to the customer," I thought. This time, five minutes later, and I checked the sandwich in front of him, I was able to get my food.

So, among the many differences out here, this is something I never would have thought would cause me this many problems (this is only three examples). So short of me walking behind the counter and making the sandwich myself, I have to keep just explaing, with hand gestures to help. Or maybe look up a new word for plain, nothing, basic meaning meat and bun!

My Usual Playoff Experience, Only Now in Calgary

So, after last nights defeat at the hands of the Mighty Ducks, I got to see what another city looks like when its team gets knocked out in the first round. Many things are similar to Ottawa in this way, mainly people wondering what went wrong, how could this happen after a great year, what changes need to be made, you know the drill. Well after living in Ottawa for so many disappointing seasons, I have answers for those Flames fans, and here is One Ottawa Man's point of view:

1) What went wrong?
Simple, the Flames got caught looking ahead. There was so much being made about a Flames-Oilers 2nd round, that they misread that they had to get by the Ducks. The last two games were lacking in emotion and they didn't seem to want it as much as the Ducks, they wanted nothing else but to play the Oilers. The press here didn't help as well, writing more about a possible series than the series at hand. That was the ammo that the Ducks needed.

2)How could this have happened after such a great year?
Playoffs are different. Look what happened the last time with the Flames, nobody thought they would go to the final. Also, if you look, the Ducks were one of the best teams in the 2nd half. Not a big surprise.

3) How did Bryzgalov outplay Kiprusoff?
He didn't. Much like seasons ago when the press (re:Toronto) was praising Belfour for shutting down the Sens, it wasn't that he played that well (don't get me wrong, he played well), but when the few shots he faced were at his chest. The same here, Bryzgalov played very strong for the Ducks, but a good part of his credit could go to the Flames themselves for taking such little shots and not trying to figure him out.

4) What happens next year?
Easy, and not easy. The Flames defence and goaltending is solid, it is their scoring or lack there of. They need a number one centre - someone who can lead with Iginla. Langkow is a good player, but he is no more than a number 2 centre, a problem that the Sens had for a number of years until Spezza really arrived (Yes, Yashin was a number one centre - but in the playoffs, he couldn't score on John Grahame). They have to get this, or they will continue to suffer the same fate. You can only win so many 2-1 games.

So I walk to work this morning, feeling like I was walking by a state funeral, the way everybody's face looked. But by this afternoon, the weather got a little nicer, a little warmer, and those frowns seem to switch a little upward. It's not the end of the world, it just seems like it for a few hours. Now my thought process can try to figure out why these people should be buying theatre tickets. What else are you going to do?

With the Flames out, I can now cheer the Sens out in public without fear of being abused, and will possibly hear people agree. And as I watch my team from another city, I wonder what will happen with the rest of the playoffs, and wonder what could have happened had the Flames played like they could have and ended facing the Oilers.

Oh well, go Sens go!!