Hot Springs and Restaurant Things

We visited the hot springs in Miracle Springs Resort and Spa in Desert Springs, California. Arika talks about her restaurant drama in this episode of Yeah Whatever!

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Transcript

Checking my mic. This is how I talk except when I laugh and then it's like It's like a donkey All right. Hey everyone. How's it going? Welcome back to yeah, whatever We are back in the springtime Birds are tripping outside that dead tree is finally growing. I'm back after a month-long trip from Illinois. Yeah, and you've been staying here Unfortunately. Yeah. I am enjoying a Modelo. Is it Modelo or is it Modelo? It's Modelo. There's only the Y sound if there's two L's. You peasant. Chilada chili mango thing. This podcast is not sponsored by Modelo. This podcast is brought to you by Corona. What? Really? Just kidding. We got a, oh. Miracle Springs Hotel and Spa. My coffee mug. Is it a fun trip? Yes, it was you want to talk about it? I actually really enjoyed the hot springs I've never been to a hot springs and you invited me and it was really cool. Cool. That's cool. Wasn't it? Yeah I didn't know what to expect, but it was really interesting like a weird 70s 80s or like 80s by Casino, so what's it called? Casino. It felt like a casino, but if you're if you're ever in What's it? What was it called? Desert Hot Springs. Desert Hot Springs in the desert out there. Indio Coachella. Stop off at, what's it called? Miracle Springs Hotel and Spa. It has like an 80s vibe. They did not enhance the decor at all. Which actually makes it kinda cool. But they have a little restaurant there that serves actually pretty good food. Pretty good food and it's at like. really old people prices. Old people prices, that's exactly what you want. So it's like $12 for some delicious, oh my God, delicious fried raviolis. Yeah, I didn't know what to make out of it. That was my favorite part. But yeah, and our server was wonderful, I forgot his name. Top tier, I think it was Tom. It was Tom, wow. Wow, I remembered something, oh my God. Oh my gosh. Hunger Games? I don't know. Didn't mean to. Oh wow you're getting another one. Modeo is smooth. It's not Modeo. Oh wow. Oh that is a weird taste. Okay. Okay bless you. Well I don't want to ruin our future sponsors with them but yeah that is a weird one. Our future sponsors. So yeah that was a good trip. You go in the courtyard and usually where the pool is and there is a pool. but surrounding the pool is like seven or eight jacuzzis with different temperatures and I guess different mineral, whatever, or is it just temperature? Yeah, there's mineral properties in all of the pools. Yeah. I think just the main pool is like, there's like an aquifer or something that's under the hotel. That's where they're getting their water source from. There's cool water in the aquifer, and then there's really hot water in the aquifer. It's always kind of, what? I've never seen Kitty do an army crawl out of the sofa. Oh. Okay, that was just really funny. The aquifer will pump cold water and hot water up. The temperatures of these mineral pools kind of very, but some are hotter than others. It just depends on the taste. Some are hot enough that no one wanted to get in there, which I guess is good for somebody. And then there was some that were kind of cold and some that were just right. And it was kind of a cold and windy night, but that was a cool experience. Thank you for inviting me. Yeah, it was really cool going there. I don't know, the room was very old and... Outdated but the like going to dinner that night was fun because it was like I got a glass of wine It was like seven dollars. It was like, yeah pretty fat I mean, I think our combined dinners and we didn't skimp we like got what we wanted I got two glasses of wine, appetizers, two entrees of pasta, a dessert. It was yeah, it was like $70 which I mean if you're from the Midwest that might seem a little bit on the expensive side, but You know for california prices come and you can't beat it can't be Especially not in a tourist destination. Yeah, my first time being in a hot springs. You've been in marietta How did the two compare? I will definitely say so what he's talking about right now guys is the marietta um Retreat center marietta bible retreat calvary chapel I have no idea bible springs. I don't know It's the Marietta Retreat Center in Marietta for Calvary Chapel, which was recently sold and is now going to be something else. I don't know what. But I do have to say their pools by far beat Miracle Hot Springs because they're very natural-looking. They're in a bunch of rocks. Like stones and mud. Stones and no mud. Yeah. And you have to fight animals to get into the... No. but it's cool, because you walk along a pathway to go back to your room, and there's pools at various levels cascading down, and the hotter ones are at the top, the cooler ones are at the bottom. They say the temperature's on the side, on a tiny little alarm clock cooking screen. That's nice. Yeah, and then, yeah, and there were just, it was just women at the retreat, so there'd just be women throughout the pools, and it was rocks, and... just very natural looking. And it had a very pretty view of the lake with a bunch of palm trees that looked kind of like an oasis. And then they had one big Roman pool, which was really pretty. In the middle, there was a big Roman like statue fountain that cascaded water down. Oh, nice. And that was beautiful. Let me ask you a question though. Yes. Have you ever found a dead body in one of these pools? No. Okay. Because that's when you know it's natural. Like... out in the wild when you find like a natural hot spring, there's usually a dead body in there. Just, you know, some animal just got too close to the vent. But there's no dead bodies. Not this time. Okay. There's always a next time. So yeah, it was cool going there, but it was a lot more expensive to go there. And also, unfortunately, it's shutting down. Also, you can't just like go for the... The spring you can't just go you have to be part of the whole package retreat Yeah, that's kind of lame because usually it's like you got to pay for a whole like weekend, right? You can't write which in the big picture of things was pretty inexpensive This is like four or five years ago, but it was like 250 bucks. I think for the whole weekend food lodging pools everything Seminars, you know, which is pretty much a great deal but Yeah, it's unfortunate because it's not something you can just visit whenever you want. I imagine the Bible students can. They can probably, the college students there, they can probably just go to the pools whenever they're between classes, which is probably amazing. But yeah, so long story short, Mineral Hot Springs, the Miracle Springs Hotel was not as nice as that location, but it was very reasonably priced. It was a hundred bucks for a night, which includes, you know, access to the the pools for that day and the next day. They also had a cool thing, you can just pay for a day pass, you can spend 20 bucks to go to the pools there, I thought that was kind of nice. I don't know why I always end up promoting other people's because I'm not getting paid to do this. I don't know, you're really good at it, yeah. But it was really, it was just a cool destination. I mean, I'm sold, I already went there, so. It was just, yeah, it was a cool destination. I think the restaurant was the highlight for me. Nah. I think the pools were the highlight for me. I think the pools the night before were actually really cool because it was like so windy and weirdo. It was definitely like one of those like moments. Like eerie desert vibes. Yeah, because like 20 feet in the air, you have all these palm trees above us and they were just like going at it in the wind. But like down to us, it was kind of peaceful, kind of windy, a little bit chilly, but you're in like hot water. So the whole experience was kind of, I don't know, It's like being in a hot tub in the middle of like a storm or something. Yeah, that was pretty cool. But it wasn't like too cold out either. It was just the wind made it feel like that. Yeah, it was. Well, once you got out of the jacuzzi, it got pretty cold. Yeah, then it was cold. Yeah, then you basically went and just skipped from jacuzzi to jacuzzi, which was fun. I like that. Got to do some nice reflecting in that jacuzzi. I fell asleep in it, actually. Yeah, that's how the dead bodies happen. People just fall asleep. Just that. In fact, we almost had a podcast in the Jacuzzi. We're going to do a live podcast. No, we weren't. Oh, we weren't? What are you talking about? Oh, I thought we were. But yeah, and then Joshua Tree the day before, that was super cool. Oh, and I forgot about that, yes. That was actually probably the highlight for me. It was a very close drive to Joshua Tree. And we climbed one of those rock formations. Yeah, very peaceful out there, very cool. I bought myself a National Parks Pass. So hopefully I get to go back and make it worthwhile. You will. You're going to go to Yosemite this summer, right? Hopefully. Yosemite and Sequoia and Joshua Tree. You should probably go online and figure out when that reservation thing opens up. I mean, I already reserved my spot for Mount Whitney, so. OK. Good. Is that in a national park? Technically not. It's in a national forest, but it's really close to Sequoia. but it'll probably be too late in the season. Well, you should reserve something for one of the parks so you can use your pass, right? I should, yes. I should, because it's so hard to get into the Menasual Parks nowadays. It's like you need to plan at least two, maybe three months in advance when, I don't know, like 10 years ago, I remember me and my dad, just like after school, like we literally just went in the car and started driving, and in six hours, we were able to find like a campground spot open. in Yosemite like that's how it was just 10 years ago. Yeah now it's impossible Yeah, I think it's actually more like six months in advance just so you're aware six months Yeah, because like I remember uh, but I've I think that i've heard that people like When they open up the reservations for the season online people kind of get on there at once and try and book As like right away. Yeah, it's like literally like six months. Well, thanks. So you just like you just ruined my summer No, I'm just trying to make sure that you get it done now. Now I'm so sad. Maybe you'll have a chance. Yeah, thanks a lot. I don't know. But anyways, I miss you, Semidee. I would like to go back. Oh, yeah. I'll never see it again. Thanks. So how are you doing? Doing OK. Hanging in there. How are you doing? Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to. OK, maybe we should move on. You know what? I've been avoiding this for the longest time. And I think I'm pretty good at not Talking about how we've been off the air for a while. Oh And you just blew it. I just blew it Well, I did not apologize I did not say I am sorry so sorry that we've been off the air Well never said that once it's one of those things that in the future people are gonna listen to our podcasts and they're not gonna know How often you actually people binge watch our podcast or just whatever, you know, they just catch up whatever, and they're not gonna know, you know, if you don't announce it on every single podcast. But that's okay. They're binge watching, you know, they're gonna like, 10 podcasts down the row, they're gonna notice how our voices are visibly like older, and they're gonna look at the dates, and be like, oh my gosh, these are 10 years apart. Erica finally sounds like this, because I've been smoking for years. I also drop my R's when I smoke. Yeah everybody, welcome back to, yeah, whatever. This is Eric and David. Josh, I finally got that transitional surgery that I've been talking about so much. Oh, boy, I'm so free now. All right. I don't know why it does sound like Mickey Mouse, but that's what happens, I guess. Yeah, you sound like Mixi Mouse. Mixi? Mickey Mouse. Mixi Mouse. And I sound like a Brooklyn. Is that Universal's? OK. You sound like a Brooklyn. A Brooklyn woman. A Brooklyn woman? I sound like I'm from the Bronx. Okay, there you go. I lose my, I lose my oars. You're like the nanny. Yeah. What was her name, Fran? Ew. Oh, sorry for anyone who's named Fran. Oh wow, what's wrong with Fran? Jeez. I'm sorry. You know, there's people out there that go, Erica, ugh, and just throw up a little bit in their mouths. Just like you know, I'm one of those people. I'm so floating. But yeah, no, we, anyone watching that's named Fran, please keep hearing our podcast. I don't know why I said watching. Or hearing. It should really be listening to. You know, for the longest time, actually this is serious, for the longest time I was thinking about our Patreons. I actually know it's just a Patreon. That we can, actually we did record once, right? We recorded a live on video, a podcast. I should really get on that. Yeah, I should really upload that. I think you recorded it. I feel bad, because it's all on you. You do all of the technical stuff for this. It really is on me. But you know what? I get most of the revenue when it just kind of streams in one of these days. That's good. Yeah, Modeo's gonna pay off. That's fair. I think that's very fair. You do all of the editing and work behind it. Oh yeah, mango chili. Oh, so good. Is it a Mitchell model? Yeah. Yeah, I it's a no it's a chelata Chalata. Yeah Actually, I'm gonna ask people if they want to do that at my work and we make Micheladas with modello and I have mango Cordial so I can put like you guys don't have Micheladas at your Mexican restaurant We do have it. Oh, but I'm saying I can I can ask people if they want to add mango to it. Oh I mean That's what they did. So wait a second. Did you talk about something that happened in your life recently? Oh, I didn't talk about it yet. You didn't? Yeah. Yeah, they transferred me. So I became a manager. I think everyone knew that. Yes, you talked about that. OK. So yeah, they transferred me from the place I was at to a new location. Now, was it because you suck at your job or they tried to get rid of you? Who knows? I don't know. But you know what? Everyone I've talked to about it, higher up, sit laughs when I ask if I'm just, you know, if I did something wrong or if I'm, if they're trying to get me out and they're just like, Erica, no, stop it. Like it's nothing like that. I think it's just a matter of, you know, I was friends with so many people down at the other place I used to work. So it's hard to transition from a peer to a manager, I guess, like they know that that's difficult. So I think they moved me up to the other. because it's a fresh start. It has been hard because it feels like it's just very different. It's much more nightclub-y. It's a different vibe. It's very like you still get the ocean view right from certain parts of the restaurant especially if you're outside on the patio but it's not like the other one where you're in it. It's like the other one is just a very open floor plan. All the windows and doors are open and you have a panoramic view of the ocean no matter where you're at. You're just right it's in your face the ocean. And I think that was more of a source of serenity for me than I realized, because Lord knows I am not a nine to five girl, or even a full-time work week kind of girl. Or even just a worker in general. Or even just a worker. And I really shouldn't be alive, but no, I'm just kidding. It was hard for me as it was to transition from part-time work to full-time, because it's not just like I sit at a desk. It's like I'm on my feet for eight hours. of day five days a week there is not really much sitting. So it was hard to transition to that but I didn't realize that part of I think what was making that bearable was the location and the people and stuff like that. So getting moved was another kind of upheaval that was hard on me and I think my mind a little bit recently. So I definitely didn't know how hard that was going to be but I did it and I'm starting to like it there, I'm starting to get used to it. It really helps when there's always people every time I come in that are like, oh hi Erica How are you today? you know like very respectful like they want to be nice to me and They're trying to figure me out and so I it's been nice It's made it a little more bearable going up there because there's always a smiling face to say hello and ask me how I'm doing And these people don't really know me. So I've found it really sweet when people do that. How long you been working there? Just like two, I think this is like my third week. Oh, okay. Yeah, I mean, I'm sure you'll make friends or enemies or whatever up there. In your new location. Yeah, I already snapped at one guy one day. There was a- That you worked? It was at my new spot. Oh, wow. Yeah, one of the managers actually. My other- That's how you make friends. Fellow managers. Yeah, I was on the line, oh no, she's gonna burrow into my clean clothes. Do it, kitty, do it. So yeah, I was on the line, which is the expo line where the food comes out of the kitchen, and there's these tickets that print out of the printer right there that let you know, okay, what to look for. Like, okay, this order has one plate of a burrito and two steak tacos. So you might have a quesadilla and a salad on the line and one steak tacos, and then you know, okay, this is a steak tacos for that ticket and I'm waiting on a burrito. And so that's kind of how you organize it. So anyways, it was getting flooded with tickets. The thing was just printing tickets and I pull it out and it's just a string of tickets that's like as long as my entire body. And the tickets are only like, you know, three, four inches long. Just like comparative size might be your... Hey, watch it. Watch it now. Just kidding. Hey. I wouldn't anyways. So basically the tickets, I put them all together, right? The entire length of those tickets, right? And so I so I start putting them on the like, you know, sticking them in the window in a line. And then the other manager comes up and is just like. Oh, that's not how you do it. We see the thing is here, you got to take those off because we go from the other side. It actually starts from the other side down this way. And I'm just like, OK, we'll call him Jim. OK, Jim. OK, Jim, you're not helping me right now. I literally was like, OK. And I take him off and I'm looking at him and now they're getting all the orders getting messed up. And I just literally put him down on the counter. I was like, OK, you know what? You do it. And he's just like, nope, sorry. I didn't mean to overstep. Just do it how you feel is best right now. And the restaurant's in like full swing, right? So I'm just like, okay, grab the tickets, start putting them up again. There's all this food in the window. It's getting to the point where the food, the cooks are stacking plates on top of plates in the window. Really? So what's the problem? The expo, the person who was expoing, the actual person who that's their job title, locked away. I consider myself a very intelligent person. But there's some things in life I have no idea what you're talking about. What's an expo? So the expo is the person who stands in the window where the food comes out Order up! and puts the tickets with like gets the plates, takes them down, puts them on the counter with the ticket that they go to with the table number. OK, so that's the that's the girl that says order up! And like the spinny thing on the diner and she grabs it and she puts it on the under the plate. Probably. OK, that's the expo. I don't know. I've never worked in one of those settings. But I imagine, but those are usually like the waitresses that go get their food, I think. I don't know. But anyways, yeah, at the restaurant, that's the expo. And then the runner, the food runner, is the person who takes the plates and goes take them to the tables. OK. Sometimes there's only one, though. So sometimes the guy who's expoing is also the food runner. So he'll put the plates together, and then he'll go run it. And that was one of those moments. So the runner was gone, runner slash expo. He was just gone. All these tickets were coming out. I walk up and I see a window full of food. And as a manager, that's one of my duties is to get that out to people. Like you gotta get wherever the restaurant is lacking. If the bar is backed up, if the food line's backed up, if the buss are, if there's a bunch of dirty tables in the restaurant. Get out of here, kitty. Kitty's trying to go in Josh's room. Sorry. Anyways, that's my job to step in wherever I'm needed. So I go in and I'm doing that. Oh, so you do work. Yes, very much so. Except when it's slow. When it's slow, I learn Spanish for my little book. Oh, nice. Modeo. Cheers. Salud. Okay, so this the expo wasn't there. Yeah, so he wasn't there. So anyways, I just all this plate a few And then I just took over the window. So I just start you dropped all the plates and that's when they transferred you No, oh, no, you're working at the new place. Yes, and they're thinking of transferring you back Anyways, then that's how you do it and the manager started working together I snapped it and probably not the best way to handle it But he also realized he wasn't being helpful by coming in and micromanaging me when I wasn't even the expo I was just stepping in because The line needed help, you know? And so I'm just stepping in to try and help out and then he steps in and tries to help me. How dare he? Tell me how to help out and I'm just like, okay, Jim. Jim, idiot. Get out of here. No, I'm just kidding, I didn't tell him to get out. But I just, he let me do my thing and then we started both kind of running a place. You should have been like, hey Jim, do you know who I am? Do you know what, you see that restaurant over there? That was my palace. I was too good for that place, now I'm here. Working with you idiots. Nah. You sure? But I will say, no, it has been kind of weird, though, because the place itself is like, it's very nightclubby. Like, there's just constantly music blasting. And people ask me, they're like, well, isn't it like that at the other spot? And I'm like, OK, yeah, they're always playing like 80s music at the other spot. But it's not as loud because there's that open floor plan. Is there like a pit bull, like a DJ there? Like Mr. Worldwide going on. On certain nights there's a DJ, which is good because it's, you know, it's a vibe for the restaurant. Wait a second. You took me to this place on my birthday once, I think. Did I? Yeah, we sat on the patio. Oh, OK. Yeah. Sweet. Yeah, I've gone there for a few birthdays myself. I'm I'm, you know, thank you for remembering and thinking. I was thinking it was like a great memory and it's like, really? Hmm. Oh, your birthday. I don't remember. Yeah, I am not going to remember that. It's bad. I sometimes I wonder if I have early onset but that's the proof that I remember I know the location you're talking about Yeah, so it's just crazy because like especially at night like my first Saturday night. I worked there I actually started having anxiety which never happens to me. Why cuz it was too clubby. It was like yeah it was just like I'm walking around and There's all these different smells like there's just fajitas Smoking everywhere, there's lights. There's all these people around. There's music blasting. It's just constant stimulation of all your senses. Wow. So yeah, I had to step in the back and just be like, whew. OK, take a breath. Starting to breathe heavy and stuff. And people are probably more rowdy. And is there a dance floor there? I'm trying to remember. No. There's no dance floor? No. Well, there should be. No, they used to have. They used to actually be a pretty poppin' place back in the day from what I've heard. But the bar crowd on Main Street is wild and they kind of just, they took a little step back from all that. They closed a little earlier now because it's just people just fight. So what was I saying? You're saying that the place has clowns and people tie balloons now? No, I've never said that. Oh. So no, it's just it's very, it can be very clubby and it's fun. It's a fun spot. for sure. It's just, you know, if it's, it can just be a lot. It can be a lot of sensory overload and I'm just getting used to it. But I told myself, you know what, I'm going to do my very best and I'm, I'm going to just try as hard as I can to make it work. And okay. No, I think that's great. And getting used to it. Obviously you've gotten used to it because you've been there for three weeks and you haven't been fired yet. Well, that's, that's great. Good job. You put a gold star on the fridge. when I get back. But yeah, that's great. That's wonderful for you. You know what I think you need? What? You need another dip in the Miracle Springs water. Yeah, I was actually thinking about it. I feel like this weekend, I think I need to get away. You know one of my bucket list items? Is Mammoth Lakes, that little natural, you know, you see people on Instagram, the picture is like nothing. There's majestic mountains in the background. There's like a plains in the foreground and there's like a natural like rock. pool and everyone's like there alone but in real life there's probably like 20 people there but they'll let you have that like one picture by yourself. Oh that's cool. Yes that's on my bucket list I want to go there. Yeah that's as far isn't it like six hours eight hours? Six hours yeah and you go you go around the mountain on the other side it's on the way to Mount Whitney. Just get away from it all. Yeah. I feel like I'm on this journey of like finding myself right now. Oh yeah? Yeah just learning like Well, you're right there. And peace with myself. Yes. Everywhere I go, there I am. Anyways, more deep stuff for the next podcast. Oh. But today, I think we've got to wrap it up, right? Yeah, you got to go to the place that you know. I'm going to go work. You're going to go work. Yep. And I'm probably going to do my thing. Thank you for waiting forever to f- Finally record this podcast today while I did my nails. I know, six months. Like a detail. Jeez Louise. Like a detail? Like a diva. Like a detail? Like a detailed diva. Yeah. Well, here's what I want you to do today, OK? I want you to kill it, because you know what? I know you, and you kill it every single time. Oh, thank you. I don't, you know, it's not just Modeo talking. It's me. Because I've taken two sips, and guess what? I don't think I like a Michelada. But isn't that your second? No, this is my first. It's your first drink? Yeah. My first one was, it was like a watermelon seltzer. No, that's what I meant. It's your second drink. Oh, well, why wait? Hold on. I just said, I don't think I like Micheladas. And then you said, hold on. Isn't that your second? Oh, I was on my first thought still. See, I do that sometimes. I think that's a lot of the fights with Derek I have. You skipped your own thoughts. No, I was focusing on my own first thought and you were... in the middle of asking me something. So when I answered, I was, yeah. Okay. I think I actually screwed a lot of communication up doing that, because I'm focused on my first point when I shouldn't be. I should be a dad. Have a good day everyone, and we will see you in the next podcast. Yeah, six months from now. No. You count on it, we're gonna sound older. Kitty's gonna be dead. Stop it! Don't ever say that! You didn't mean it, Kitty. She will not be dead. She'll be thriving and healthy. Alright guys, soak yourselves in some water over the weekend. And we'll see you back when you get some mineral water. We'll see you when you get back. Bye!