Logan's Roadhouse

Prior to the pandemic, the Logan's Roadhouse on Music Valley Drive in Nashville was our go-to, our favorite restaurant, and we ate there about once a month.

What happened to this place?

I know we haven't been nearly as often as we once went, but we just don't eat out as much, and we've both have health issues. However, when friends came in from Arizona and requested a nice meal for their last night in town, we immediately said that Logan's was the place to go.

I have never been more disappointed and embarrassed in my life.

We arrived about 8:00 p.m., and the restaurant didn't appear busy. There were numerous empty tables, with no wait to seat our party of 6. Upon sitting down, we all started talking and barely noticed that we had been there 20 minutes and had yet to see our server. One of our party mentioned it to the bartender, and we proceeded to wait for another 15 minutes before she appeared. She apologized, said that she had 2 tables of 25 and was arguing with the manager, as she took our drink orders. Another 15-20 minutes rolled by, and we still had no drinks, so my friend went up to the bar to get her own soda. We finally received our drinks about 10 minutes after that, brought by someone other than our server, just as another party of 6 was seated in the booth next to us. Our order was taken right about 9:00 p.m.

About 9:15 someone came from the kitchen to ask a question about our order. At 9:30 that same person came out, apologized for the wait, and told us that everything was being plated at that moment.

At 9:45 our out-of-town guests decided to leave and head back to their hotel, since they were catching the red eye the next morning. With the remainder of our party still seated in our booth, and before our food had been served, someone ran out of Logan's, screaming at our guests, demanding they return to the restaurant and pay for their meals. We demanded to see the manager, and that was about the point that our food finally came out of the kitchen.

Everything was cold. I ordered grilled shrimp with broccoli and a baked potato. There was the tiniest bit of warmth in my bare baked potato. I requested the butter and sour cream that was supposed to come with it, as well as a refill of my tea. Only one other member of our then 4-person party received anything even remotely warm. By the time I received butter, my potato was too cold to melt it.

We attempted to tell the person we thought was the manager that things weren't going well. We even pointed out that the table behind us, also a party of 6, had much better service. They ordered, received their food, paid and left. and we hadn't even been able to eat the first bite. His reply was, "Well, they had a different server. Yours had a table of 50."

That's the point at which our server came with the check for the full amount. After all of the mess, they had offered nothing as an apology. They were more worried about closing.

This was when the actual manager finally showed up, leaned against the booth, and asked, "What do you want?" I believe one of the members of our party paid for his dinner, but my other friend and I refused.

Playing the devil's advocate: I can't say whether or not our server had 2 such large parties, or one, because the restaurant was not that busy when we arrived. If there were 2 parties that size then they had them tucked away. However, if our server was that covered up then I wholeheartedly fault the manager for this situation because no server that busy should have been give a party of 6 on top of it all.

Also, having worked in the restaurant industry many years ago, I know how it can be, how quickly things can turn bad, what it's like to get slammed with a bus, etc. I'm usually extremely forgiving, but this night was beyond belief. In fact, I will probably never go to a Logan's Roadhouse again.

Date of Incident: Tuesday, June 13, 2023, 8-10 p.m.
Number in Party: 6 adults

Issues:

• Extended wait for service
• Extended wait times to place drink orders, place food orders, receive food, speak to someone
• Embarrassing incident where staff member screamed at our guests to return to the table and pay for food they never received
• Cold Food
• No Drink Refills
• Rude Manager

When will we protect our children?

Nashville suffered a horrific tragedy today.  Lives were taken, and we ask why?  What happened?  What failed?  What caused this?

While we grieve as a city, we ask questions and demand explanations, but they may not come for days, weeks, or even months.  They may never come.  

The families directly affected grieve in a way we can't understand, with hearts so broken that they may never heal.  They have holes in their lives and in their souls tonight that will never again be filled by anything more than memories.

We don't know what to do, what might help, so we offer thoughts and prayers.  Yes, it's good to show that we care, but those thoughts and prayers won't bring back those stolen lives, and they won't prevent more losses in the future.  

So what do we do?

Many will continue to pray.  Others will demand that we do things such as arm teachers or place armed guards in our schools.  However, are more guns really the answer?  We already have more than 393 million guns in the United States.  That breaks down to more than 1.2 guns per person.  Our military only has 4.5M, and our law enforcement agencies have a little more than 1M.  

We are, in all honesty, outgunned.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Violence begets violence; hate begets hate; and toughness begets a greater toughness. It is all a descending spiral, and the end is destruction — for everybody. Along the way of life, someone must have enough sense and morality to cut off the chain of hate."

And for those turning to prayer, there is Matthew 26:52.  "Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."

Until we acknowledge that gun violence is now the number one killer of  our children and teenagers, and pledge to take active measures to change that, there's not much we can do.  We, as a nation, are "living by the gun,"  and our children are dying by it.

And now, because I have had the audacity to even think of gun reform, many will jump up and scream about the constitutional rights set forth by our founding fathers.  So, let me share with you the words of Thomas Jefferson, one of those founding fathers.

Jefferson wrote: “Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the ark of the covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human, and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment. I knew that age well; I belonged to it, and labored with it. It deserved well of its country.

“I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions. I think moderate imperfections had better be borne with; because, when once known, we accommodate ourselves to them, and find practical means of correcting their ill effects.

“Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”

I am thankful for the rights our founding fathers fought so hard for us to have, as well as for those who continue to fight so that we may remain free, but times have changed.  We no longer require a "well-regulated militia" of citizens bearing arms to keep us safe. That is what we have tasked our military and law enforcement officials to do.  Jefferson foresaw the possible need to change our Constitution as we changed as a nation.  Why can't we see that?

I do not advocate we abolish gun ownership or anything even remotely that severe.  However, until we honestly reform our gun laws and advocate for responsible gun ownership, as well as better mental health care, we will continue to descend the spiral toward destruction.

What we are currently teaching our children is that worrying about dying in school, where they should feel safe, is normal.  It's not.  Solving problems with shootouts in the streets shouldn't be considered normal behavior either, but how often do we see it now?

By doing nothing, we are normalizing fear, hatred, ignorance, bigotry, racism, and violence for our children.  Then we cry and gnash our teeth when they respond with those very things.  We offer thoughts and prayers, but we do nothing real.  They say "children are our future," but look at the future we're giving them.

Please, do something to save our children.

***

Note: One of the things we can do to help our children is to talk to them when bad things happen.  This Sesame Street video may help you do that.  

The Perfect Pet / House Sitter

A few years a go this Crazy Lady stayed with a friend's dog while she went out of town with her family.  I had no idea that would lead to what I do now -- pet and house sitting.  I guess I just didn't think about people paying others to stay in their home while they were away, but I can certainly see a need for it now.  

Of course it's easier on the pet to stay at home than it is to be in a kennel at the vet's office or someplace like that, although there are some really great boarding kennels out there now.  (It's also a good way for me to earn a few extra dollars because I can honestly tell you that no one gets rich on disability!)

It's also just good for the homeowner because someone in the home not only deters break ins, but it sure helps in other situations.  Just a couple of things that have occurred while I've been on a job have been a broken water pipe and the house getting struck by lightning, after the storm had passed.  (That was one crazy day!)  It's so much better to have someone there to respond as the crisis is happening, rather than coming home and having to respond to the mess you would find after the disaster has struck, and I can tell you that both of the incidents I mentioned could have resulted in disasters for the homeowners.  

And in a roundabout way, that brings me to the point of this blog post...

Because I'm a pet / house sitter I'm often asked, how does one find the perfect sitter?  Well, here are a few tips to help your search.

First, think about your pet.  For instance, if you're seeking a sitter for a dog, is your dog young, high energy, requires daily runs, etc.?  If that's the case, then you probably want to concentrate your search on someone who can spend a lot of time with your baby, take her on daily runs, and really use that energy so that she's not destructive while you're on vacation.

However, if your dog is older and enjoys napping the day away with occasional trips through the doggy door into the back yard, then a lower-energy sitter, such as a grandmother is probably the perfect choice.  

What if you have a puppy?  You might want to concentrate your search on someone who has experience training young dogs.  Match your sitter choice to your pet.

Now that you have an idea of who you're looking for, where do you look for them?  There are several places to check.  You can ask family, friends, and neighbors if they know someone.  You can also do a search at places such as Rover.com, Care.com, National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, Professional United Pet Sitters, etc.  Most sites allow you to search by location and more.  You can usually search by price as well.  

Look for a sitter who's experienced, has references, will meet with you and your pet beforehand, and provides updates with pictures during the stay.  When you meet the prospective sitter, make sure they mesh with both you and your pet.  If anyone is uncomfortable, don't be afraid to say, "No, thank you."

Make sure you check references that are provided, and be sure they come from clients, not from friends and family.  Friends and family are great, but you want to know how the sitter is on the job, not how they behave during a night out or at a family event.  

You also want to make sure you find a sitter that's capable of handling any emergencies that may arise, both pet related and otherwise.  That means checking to make sure they know pet first aid and CPR, while also knowing what to do should a pipe burst or some other home crisis occur.  

If the sitter doesn't ask you about, share with them about your vet, insurance, etc.  Also detail your pet's schedule for feeding and activities, so everyone knows what's involved and expected.  The more information that is shared up front is the less chance for surprises in the end.  

Again, see how your pet interacts with the person.  If something doesn't feel right, don't hesitate to keep looking.  Animals are very good judges of character, and this person will be staying in your home while taking care of a beloved, furry family member.  You need to trust them.  

One thing to always remember is to book your sitter as soon as you know the dates you'll need them.  Good sitters can book up months in advance, so you don't want to wait until the last minute to schedule the visit.

I hope this helps.  If you have questions, please ask them. I'll be more than happy to answer them, expand this post, and help in any way.

Have a great one!

I Have a Confession...

Hello, my name is Donna, and I am an addict.  I try to resist the urge, the siren's call, but I just can't stop myself.  I'm not strong enough.  I need a fix.  I must have a fix.  I know it's wrong, but I just have to do it.  

Just when I think I'm out, they pull me right back in -- cheesy disaster movies. 

Saturdays are particularly difficult.  So many channels seem to play them.  Just today I've seen tornadoes destroy the Midwest, asteroids threaten the Earth, and Vesuvius take out Pompeii -- again.  I tried not to watch them.  After all, I've seen Twister so many times that I can practically quote it line for line, but I had to watch.  I really had to.  It's all about... The Suck Zone.

They suck me right in every time.  

I especially like the movies based on natural disasters.  Aliens are cool, but I prefer tornadoes, volcanoes, tidal waves -- you get it.  I've put my poor boys through them to the point that they just hear "Twister," and they groan.  I don't think they have the appreciation for a fine disaster flick quite like I do, but maybe it's best that they didn't inherit my... problem.

Just so you grasp the severity of my problem, here's a list of a few of my favorites.

• Twister
• Armageddon
• Deep Impact
• Independence Day
• The Poseidon Adventure
• The Towering Inferno
• All Airport movies
• The Day After Tomorrow
• Dante's Peak
• Sharknado
• Battle Los Angeles
• Earthquake
• Shaun of the Dead
• Tornado!
• Volcano
• Category 6: Day of Destruction
• Poseidon
• 10.5
• 10.5 Apocalypse
• Tornado Valley
• 28 Days Later
• 28 Weeks Later
• Night of the Twisters
• Airplane
• Metal Tornado
• Storm Cell
• Into the Storm
• Tornado Warning
• The Core
• NYC: Tornado Terror
• 2012
• Atomic Twister
• War of the Worlds
• Ice Twisters
• F6 Twister (Christmas Twister)
• Any and all Godzilla movies

As you can see, I have a very, very serious problem.  If you know of a support group, please let me know.  My sons and roommate would truly appreciate it.  I'm not sure how many more times they can sit through one of these movies.