Friday 23 May 2014

OCEANIC, SEASON 8, EPISODE 3, "It was the best of May's, it was the worst of May's"

See how i used the start of Charles Dickens "A Tale of two cities" for my episode name, clever don't you think? Please yourselves i thought it is very very clever of me LOL.

Well how are we this update my fine fettle friends?
Now if i had mis-typed that and said "How are we this update my fine fetlocked friends?" that would cause some confusion as i would only be typing to the horses, donkeys, mules, ponies, minotaurs, centaurs and Mr. Tumnus from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (Hello Mr. Tumnus) who read my blog so its a good job i spelt fettle right which includes everybody no matter how many legs you have.
Now people may say "How stupid, horses don't use the Internet", well yes they do. I have built a dating website for horses called "Mane Attraction" and at this very moment there are 1,999,999.5 members, the .5 is a Shetland pony called "Horace" hence its not a full member.

Well what a horrible Beginning to May as the title of this update suggests. Cold, grey, a little bit of rain. Usually within a season i will use only one outdoor heater and go through just 2 bottles of gas in 6 months. This May I've been using 2 heaters and already gone through 10 bottles, yes 10, in just 3 weeks. We've just started to get the sun and warmth that is usually the way in May. Its the worst May I've known in my 14 years here. So that's the worst of May's part. On a positive note its been the best of May's I've ever had also breaking my record night for May four nights ago. I couldn't have made it up. I was honestly expecting a average to quiet start to the season but at some point during the night since the 4th of May I've had to get a few emergency chairs out but then again i am down 3 sofas that i gave to friends as i have bought new which don't arrive till June. Wish they were here now though as i could do with them. So, not one complaint about the start to season, also I'm seeing allot of AI tourists visiting the bar which is really encouraging. They then explain that it was only £50 more to go AI as to go self catering but they will only use the AI on the odd occasion as they like to eat and drink out. Of course there will be the majority who have the "I paid for it so I'm going to abuse it" mentality but thank you to those AI customers who visit the restaurants and bars in the resort, much appreciated.

Now you've seen the bar during daylight and here it is in all its lit up glory with my new "Dead Wall". You can see in the 3rd pic the emergency chairs which were given to me by Elli, Demitri, Maria and Tom from Puzzle restaurant next door to me, thank you so much guys.






The new Dead Wall with some new artists added.


At this point I'd like to thank all my customers who have visited Oceanic so far for making this season my best start to a season, as i always say, without you Oceanic wouldn't be what it is, its you the customers that make the bar by enjoying conversation, listening to music and just chilling out. Many thanks.

Now on the subject of Puzzle restaurant, my favourite dish of theirs is the Puzzle Salad. Salmon, Chicken, fried cheese with a mixed salad and a honey and balsamic vinegar dressing mmmmmm. Just the ticket after a busy night in the bar and what a huge portion. Anyone reading this please give Puzzle Restaurant a try just the once i'm sure you'll enjoy it.


At this point in the blog i have some sad news that was upsetting to hear. One of my friendliest nicest customers Jim Challenger had a stroke while laying next to the pool over a week ago. He was taken to Zakynthos Hospital where he stayed until Wednesday when he was flown back via Medi flight to the UK. I went to visit him at the hospital and got very annoyed and frustrated with the lack of English speaking nursing staff. I went to the ward which i was told he was on and he wasn't there. I asked 3 nurses "I'm looking for Jim, James Challenger, room 008" a blank look and no reply came back "Jim, James, Man, 008" again nothing just looked at me gone off. Then one nurse took me to room 007 and showed me to an elderly Greek lady sat on a bed alone. I then had to point at myself and explain "Man, Man, Me, like me, Man, Jim" she just shrugged her shoulders and walked off. AGGGGGGGHHHHHH! This had taken 30 Min's and by that time i had to get to the bar. I so wanted to see Jim and after that i had food poisoning from a very late night fast food take away shop in Zakynthos Town so didn't want to go in to hospital in case Jim caught a virus so i didn't get to see him before he flew back. Jim i know you read this blog and it was only down to terrible lack of communication i didn't get to see you but i know you will come back fighting fit and i will drink a bottle of Alpha to your health sir and will keep a few chilled for you for when your back on your feet and here again. By the way Jim, my profits are down now so you better get your ass back here you hear me LOL. God speed and get well soon buddy.

Our dear friend Jim.






Now then, Don't get me started on my new Sky dish. I think i told you i was having problems with my dish and the hours i had  spent up and down ladders with my signal finder adjusting the dish. I only get a few free channels as i would never pay for sky itself, not worth it. But it is good to have the odd free music and radio channel just to have on in the house while I'm sat on patio. Well, after i had no joy with my signal finder i got a professional in to check it out. He arrived, looked at the dish which is half way up the side of the house and got out his signal meter. It was at this point i noticed he had come in a Fiat Panda without a ladder. Now I'm no brain surgeon but even i know that satellite dishes are more often than not high up on the side of the house, so, in saying that, how the hell was he going to get to dish without ladders? Grappling hooks over the roof? Spiderman like super grip? Trained monkeys to form a pyramid for him to climb up? Come on, really, no ladder for a satellite installer. That's like having cocktail bar but not knowing how to make a cocktail. Good job i had a ladder. He did all the tests and said i needed a new dish, that's fine at least i knew. I bought a new dish. He came back 5 days later again in the Panda without ladders and the dish crammed in the back seat. He installed it and still no joy but after leaving the sky box turned on for 4 days it eventually found the signal. All that hassle and money just for 10 free channels, oh the joy of sky LOL.

Now all my regular readers know I'm not a great fan of golf, in fact apart from cricket its the most dull boring sport to ever be classed as a sport but just to show i won't knock it till i try it i decided to give it a go and i was amazed how easily i took to it, it was so easy i entered the fedexcup and after 6 events I'm beating Tiger Woods. So if an idiot like me can be beating the pants off Mr. Woods it shows how easy a sport it is, and yes in my opinion still is the dullest sport on the planet LOL

Tiger who? Eat my dust Woodsey. Oh, didn't i mention it, this is on the xbox lol




As mentioned earlier on this page i was very very ill. Now i don't get ill ever, maybe just the odd sniffle but nothing major. I don't take any type of tablet at all as my immune system is very good but on Sunday i was shaking and feeling cold when i went out for lunch with Helen and our friends Janice and Phil as Helen had come out for the weekend. Opened the bar that night and just got worse and worse. I was freezing and shaking constantly, body ached all over, skin was sore to touch and felt the worst i ever had, this lasted for 3 days and only started to feel a little better yesterday and much better today. I went to the doctors Wednesday before work and he said from the symptoms i had it seemed almost definitely chronic food poisoning. I have only just eaten today for the first time in 5 days and have lost nearly 10lb in 4 days but I'm so glad its over now and i kept the bar open. That's the only problem when working alone, if your seriously ill you got no cover. so i sucked it up and battled through it. how could i close when I've been so busy, can't let my faithful customers down. The only way Oceanic would close is if I'd collapsed, not a pretty sight i can assure you me laid out dribbling with my tongue hanging out LOL.

Memory re-wind. At Easter we all went to Buon Amici on its opening night 17th April and i had one of the best pasta sauces I've ever tasted. If you visit there try the Buon Amici Sauce. mmmmmmmmmm so good, just a shame that i work every night and don't like to eat to close to opening time otherwise i would try a few of the others but yes muchos tastey.

Haven't really done much else apart from be ill and work but now the bar is starting to settle in to a routine i can start to get out and about and give you some more of my high brow updates and comments about the island and what I've done.

A message to all the customers who are now home and waiting to see their pics on my website, they will be on there i promise, once i remember how to put them on there, well it has been 6 months LOL. I will put them on there tomorrow and start the 2014 gallery.

Sorry update this time is short but due to illness i was confined to the 4 walls of my house, RELEASE THE ZAKYNTHOS 1 LOL

Until next week folks,

Serve All, Love All, Peace All, Kevlar Out!

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