Day 37 - What's My Age Again?

Sorry for the late posting, but sometimes sitting down and relaxing instead of blogging as soon as I get home from a game is amazing...

Thursday night's game was something else...I have never been asked the same question as many times as I had on Thursday night...

"Are you old enough to even be selling beer?"

I know my small framed body and baby face looks will be a blessing when I'm 50...but with a little over a month away from my 27th birthday, it feels like a curse! I know I've mentioned it before, and I'll say it again, I think my young looks sometimes doesn't get me the tips I should be getting...the fans buying beer from me don't realize that I'm not in college anymore, I don't need the tips for beer drinking money, I'm needing that cash to pay bills and get through life.

Being a beer man was not my first choice of a job...but going through the whole unemployment thing has forced me to take a job that is pretty amazing, but not at all a very highly looked upon job. I mean, I sell beer...I have to perform a very high physical labor intensive job to bring in some income. I still take pride in this job...and I'll be for damn sure happy to shove it in everyone's face when I'm at ALL of the ALL-STAR ACTIVITIES...let me rephrase that...I'LL BE GETTING PAID TO BE AT THE CELEBRITY SOFTBALL GAME, HOMERUN DERBY & THE ALL-STAR GAME! Of all of the years that this could have happened to me, the year the all-star game is in STL! Let me rephrase it again, I have been so blessed to have this job at this time in my life!

I've gone down a path and ranted...let me back up a tad...Thursday night...

I couldn't believe the looks I got from people when I asked for their ID's. The majority of the people would give me that look. The look of disbelief that I was even old enough to know what a beer was.

I had a guy in a group of 4 ask for 4 beers. I asked for 4 ID's and he gave me a funny look. I know the guy looked over 21, but I had no clue about the other 3 people next to him. While they were passing down their ID's to me, a lady on the end of the row made the comment that I didn't look that old...so, yes, I snapped back with that question, "how old do you think I look?" By this time I got the ID's from the group of 4 and verified they were all of age. The lady in front of me snapped back with, "13...16...maybe 18". I laughed. While she continued to think about it, the guy buying the beers from me asked how much and I yelled back to him "31"...that's when the lady gasped and asked if I was really 31? I told her no and corrected her that it was their total for their beer. Then her son sitting next her looked up and said, "26" I don't get it. Adults never really guess close to my actual age, but children and sometimes small wooden creatures always guess my correct age...

I can't remember a time when my age has come into so many conversations. Should I be surprised? No. But it's very frustrating. I've given thought to the fact that some people may not even realize I'm a beer man because I look so young. Fans usually don't hear what a beer man yells...I know this cause I can yell out that I have beer, peanuts and cracker jacks and I'll get someone look me dead in the eyes and ask if I have peanuts...as if I wasn't just yelling it into their ears...

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Three months ago from yesterday, a rookie beer man got the nod and started something that would stretch across the entire U.S. along with 8 other countries...I'm talking about me starting my job at Busch and stlbeerman.com

It's been an amazing ride and in a week I'll be at the summer's biggest game! If someone thinks about it, I'd appreciate it if you'd DVR/Tivo the All-Star Activities...I'd love to actually sit down and get to watch it!

On Thursday night, I'll post a new blog looking back at some of my favorite things to do while being a beer man so far half way through the 2009 season...

Totals thus far:
65 Bags of Cracker Jacks
80 Bottles of Water
151 Bags of Peanuts
2051 Bottles of Beer

Day 36 - Say Anything, Underage, My New Hat and Witnessing History

I have often wondered how true is the phrase, "Actions speak louder than words"? Tonight, I found out that it is completely true.

I was driving into the parking garage I usually park in. (on corner of 7th and Pine, only $4...save some money and walk a few blocks, no, no, you're welcome) I pull into the lane to pay to park and no one was there. I wait and I wait and finally, she comes out. Oh yes, the evil one herself. I'm speaking about the one who accepts tips. (click here to read my previous encounter with this lady) She doesn't even say a single word to me. She just looks at me as if I had just flipped her off or something. I hand her my $4 and she just gives me a blank look. She hands me the ticket and as I place it on my dash, I say thank you and she just continues to look at me. It's not like she didn't hear me...she was being flat out rude and has been rude since that day she informed me that she accepts tips. She pushes the button to raise the arm so I can enter the garage and doesn't stop giving me the stink-eye. I drive into the parking garage, realizing that she didn't need to say anything, she was rude and hateful while never having to speak a single word. I hope she collects money from me again, because I'll be sure to ask her if she wants a tip from me, then I'll tell her to be friendly...in a very loving way of course.

Tonight while making it through my usually sections, it was during 'last call' when I had two guys who motion for beers. It was the little hand call in the air, signaling that they needed 2 beers. I get to where they were and know that I will be carding these guys. The guy who signaled for me asked for a Bud Light and a Select. Even though I see 4 beer bottles below their feet, I ask for their ID's. He roles his eyes and looks over at his buddy and says something to him. The first guy hands me his ID and he was 22. I asked him what he needed and he said 2 beers. I told him that I needed to know what he wanted and after I see the other ID, I'll be more than happy to give him the second one. He asks for a Bud Light and then gives me a $20. I tell him after I see that other ID, it'll be $15.50. His buddy who had been hiding his face from me behind his friend was very hesitant to give up his ID. I finally get it and notice the DOB was 7/18/1990. I took a double-take because I knew he wasn't old enough, but I thought to myself, "this guy is ballsy if he's giving me his ID to show me he isn't 21"...you'd think the moment I ask for an ID he'd say nevermind...but he really tested me to see if I was even checking the DOB...I say to the first guy, who already had his beer, "sorry, he isn't old enough." He looked back at me and was confused, looked back at his underage friend and pointed down to the empty beer bottles and they said something to each other again. I gave him the ID back and the change for the 1 beer.

I couldn't believe it...I mean, if you are going to really try to buy a beer and aren't 21...wouldn't you have a fake ID at least? He clearly wasn't carded before or his buddy bought the beers for him. I was flabbergasted! THIS GUY IS 18 AND TRYING TO BUY BEER WITH HIS ID, CLEARLY SHOWING THAT HE IS UNDER 21! WHAT WAS HE THINKING? YES, it was "last call" and I could have made one more sale, but losing my job is not worth breaking the law...or the $.85 I would have made on commission from that beer. No ID, not of age, no beer from me!


Tonight as I was turning in my apron and clocking out, I was told to go get our new hats for the All-Star Festivities. NEW HAT? I think that even if I have a crappy time of sales through the All-Star Festivities,this hat was well worth it all! Just being there is going to be worth all of this blood, sweat and tears that have gone into this season! Ok, ok, no tears, little blood, but tons of sweat!

I think this is an amazing hat and I'm actually wearing it right now as I blog! It's the little things in life that bring smiles to my face.

So if you haven't heard by now, tonight history was made. Albert Pujols. Do I need to say anything else? 30 is a special number! His second homerun tonight, yes, another multihomer game, which was his 30th this season, made history. No one has EVER gone 9 straight seasons (since their rookie year) to have 30 or more homeruns. It was his 30th career multihomer game. Tonight was also his 3rd mulithomer game in 8 days. Simply amazing! Just another exciting reason to be at the homerun derby...and get paid to be there!

Check back here towards the end of this week for Thursday's game blog and for a special blog that will be looking back at the first half of the 2009 MLB season as a beer man at Busch Stadium.

Totals thus far:
60 Bags of Cracker Jacks
80 Bottles of Water
146 Bags of Peanuts
1987 Bottles of Beer

Day 35 - Monday, it's Sunday's ugly half-brother.

After enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon off...time to get back to the grind.

Usually a beer man won't make many sales on Sunday's. Not because of the whole 'religious' aspect of it (being a Sunday means people don't drink? ha!), but because people have to go to work the next day. And no, Christians don't drink...especially on Sunday's...right? I'll let you believe what you want, but I have no shame in tipping back a tall cold one on a Sunday afternoon...but nonetheless, sales are really awful on Sundays...thus the reason why I took the day off!

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Tonight just felt like a great night for baseball! Much cooler weather and a slight breeze made it near perfect conditions.

Tonight's sales weren't too bad...for me. While talking in the commissary at the end of the night, some of the guys were talking about how bad they had done that night and how Monday night is rough to sell beer. Even with a sold-out crowd in attendance, people just weren't buying much beer. One of the beer man said it best, "Monday, it's Sunday's ugly half-brother."

I personally thought Monday wasn't that bad. I mean, I think I enjoyed it a lot more with the cooler weather. Don't get me wrong, I still sweat like a pregnant nun in church, but it wasn't a nasty sweat.

Stories from tonight:

I was walking down the steps into a section and yelling out my beer call when a guy in the top row was yelling back my beer call to the entire section. I looked back to see some guy with a oversized cowboy hat...only way I could describe it was that he was mocking me. I got back up to the top of the section and he asked me if he got his free beer and commission for helping me make all of those sales in that section. I told him that we were always hiring and if he wanted another beer. His buddies next to him did. They had been smartn' off to me the whole time I was talkn' to them, so I flexed the muscle of the beer man and asked for their ID. The guy with the hat told his buddies he taught me how to yell, but he didn't teach me to check ID's. Come to find out, they were in the military, all having military ID's. That's all that really happened...so I guess that story had a lame ending...

While selling beer in one section, I noticed a bunch of teenage boys sitting up out of their seats and looking down a few rows in front of them. I glanced down to see what could have been drawing these delinquents' attention away from the game. It was a group of girls, probably in their late teens-maybe 20 or 21. I was tempted to go let them know that the guys a few rows behind them needed their attention and then I would simply leave the area...but I had other priorities...like sell beer.

I encountered something odd in the stairwell on my way down to Sports Services' lobby located in the basement. A full team of firemen were in full gear walking down the steps right behind me in the stairwell. I was really thrown off when I noticed about a half dozen cops right behind them. They were carrying long odd shaped metal pieces over their shoulders. Not a single piece of metal was the same. Some of it was wrapped in clothe. I noticed the firetruck with it's lights on outside the stadium as I left. I still dunno what happened.

Not that crazy of a night...but then again it was a Monday...and if Monday is Sunday's ugly half-brother, I'd hate to see Sunday's sister! But then again, Monday wasn't nearly as ugly as the way the Cardinals played tonight. They got spanked by the Giants...10-0.

Totals thus far:
57 Bags of Cracker Jacks
80 Bottles of Water
141 Bags of Peanuts
1940 Bottles of Beer