Looking back over twitter, flickr, facebook, and my blog, here is the 2009 in review. It was a year for weddings, travel, new partnerships, and TikiTender all over the media! It was a year for rekindled friendships, family losses, and family additions. TikiMom & TikiDad came back to Florida where they belong, but TikiAunt & TikiUncle left to go back to Missouri. TikiGrandpa left us for good, but went peacefully.
Tikitender, the brand, was featured in three different print articles, 5 different radio shows (including the recurring Island Time Radio Show), and all over the web on sited such as madgringo.com, snoloha.com, and chilledmagazine.com. Twitter friends and bloggers have been kind to me as well this year, including Beyond The Oyster Juice, Ceilo Gold, & Tiki Lounge Talk. I finished the year as the Assistant Restaurant Manager/Bar Manager at the Golden Lion in Flagler Beach.
Thanks to new friends and old and most of all TikiWife for making 2009 a great year indeed!!! I am sure I am leaving something momentous out, but I had a very blessed year indeed! I wish I could name you all by name, but that would take until next year!
It was a great year of serving drinks by the beach, singing karaoke after hours when I could, Tuesday Afternoon Social Clubs meetings, and lots of relaxation. I even added a few new gingers to my circle of friends!
I hope you will take the time to click the links throughout this post. They are important parts of my year in review! Mahalo nui loa!!!
January
Kansas City Here I Come..
Heading home for my grandpa’s funeral….will be leaving Florida Sunday morning, returning on Wednesday morning.
2009 started on a down note, with my Grandfather passing away on January 2. Read my 
post-funeral reflections here http://blog.tikitender.com/2009/01/first-chance-to-reflect.html
The plus side is I got to see some family that I hadn’t seen in forever, including Cousin Jenni’s three little rascals Will, Trent, & Tyler
I also got to eat Jack Stack, my favorite BBQ place in the world!
I started a new weekly routine in January. Bingo with the seens! Every Tuesday this year you could find me at the Wickline Center in Flagler Beach, calling bingo. I love it! Thanks so much to Gina for helping me give back.
January ended with TikiFest ’09, my name for my birthday celebration.
On the 23th, it was Kiss Tiki Day at work and buy Tiki A Shot Night after work.
Double smooches, my fave!
Hey it’s David Lane!
I heart red-headed sluts!
On the 24th, I had a double date with TikiWife and our friend Sandee at Dave & Buster’s. Got to act like a big kid for the night! Good times. Thanks baby for a memorable night!
Two is always better than one…
Yay for Tickets!
A funny local news story from January.
Palm Coast Restaurant Owner Says “This Ain’t Burger King, B@tch!”
Gators beat the Sooners. *sad face*
February was an eventful month personally and professionally.
Had a great time on February 5th watching my friend David Lane open up for Jared Ashley at the Mill in Yulee, FL. Of course one of the highlights was watching all the cowboys as I walked around in my kilt and combat boots! Once I started two-stepping they figured I was cool. 😀
Got Kilt?
An added bonus, I got to see Beth Freakin’ Walters! Again, two is better than one.
One of the biggest events of the year on a professional level was my new partnership with Mad Gringo www.madgringo.com which was born in February.
Serving Sex With An Alligator shots in a snazzy Mad Gringo shirt.
I also did my first radio bit, on Wake Up Flagler for WNZF. Sadly the show is now defunct, but it started something big in TikiLand. Tiki the radio personality.
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Drunk texts = entertainment the next morning!
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Help Out One Of My Fave Customers (and her hubby)
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Got Twitter? (Some Of My Favorite Twitter Feeds)
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Saturday Night Live: The Cougar Den
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TikiTender Live on Worlds Of Wayne
Mardi Gras at the Wickline Center
Super Bowl Sunday at work.
March
I was super excited about the new CVS opening in my neighborhood
Finally! My Baseball Post!!! aka Why I Love Baseball
Was able to unveil my new Irish National Tartan on St. Patrick’s Day! Paid for mostly by reader donations I might add.
Did I mention I got to meet Mandy Blake? That’s right she stopped in to see me!
March 10, 2009
- 21:29 Serving drinks to @mandyblake #
Ran into Cubby at the new CVS!
Witnessed a beautiful shuttle launch from work
Some favorite blog posts from March:
Full Moon Parties At The Golden Lion continued to be fun, especially with the addition of Mad Gringo gear!
April
Had a fun event at work, with the Sports Fisherman Club meeting there. They had a caricature artist working and he drew me.
April 5: Happy Jenuine Day to one of my original online friends, Jen! With the help of @christiesays, Jenuine and I finally met when Christie brought her to my bar in the fall. Both of them are gingers, too. Making drinks for two pretty redheads? YAY!!!
Had a great time at Earth Day with Tikiwife. Ran into Tom & Kayla there! Plus we got to see the St. Augustine Bellydancers. That was good times. 😀 For a few pics click http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76619&id=545602922&op=24
Met what could be my favorite customer couple ever, Nick & Katie from New Hampshire! I even blogged about it! I Love Making Their Day!
On April 27, I reached 10,000 reads on my blog. Exponential growth because today I am at 20,650 reads. Cheers!
April 28th, Live from Jackie Robinson Ballpark!
The Customer Might Always Be Right, But She Might Also Be A Douchebag
May
In May I did my first drink recipes segment on Island Time Radio, a trop rock show based in Berea OH that alos streams worldwide on the ‘net. Must have been a success because Dennis King keeps inviting me back. Aloha to all the Island Time Listeners.
May also marked my first “tweet up” at the Daily Grind in Daytona Beach. Good times and made some good new friends!
Daily Grind
Geeking It Up Around The Laptop
Carbon Kim!
I also ran into an old friend, September!
Modelos with Scott
A great view from High Tide’s
Weather got warmer. I discovered the joys of a late night dip in the ocean after work. Refreshing! I started keeping a towel and a swimsuit in my car, in case I was feeling modest.
Guests LOVE asking me to make them “Sex With An Alligator” shots, probably because they enjoy watching me make it. For a fun blog post about the making of the drink click here http://blog.tikitender.com/2009/05/building-sex-with-alligator-pictorial.html. One of my fave summer customers, Moni, inspired this blog.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Alligator Obsessed?
A customer has informed me that her friend, who came to visit a little while back, cannot get anyone to make her a Sex With An Alligator quite like me. I am told she likes the shot so much that she purchased an alligator necklace and carries around a printout of the recipe, complete with picture, from my site. I was flattered but skeptical. Well, my proof arrived via email today. I love it, but told her she needs to have http://www.tikitender.com on the recipe card. 😀
Click to enlarge
In May, my self portrait skills became monumental with what will surely become the hottest picture every taken by a blackberry!
June
In June, TikiWife went to Vegas with about 12 other girls. Who had more fun? Sara in Vegas or me in Flagler Beach. According the the old adage about Vegas, we will never know. 😉 I still haven’t looked at her pictures LOL
Vegas Here She Comes!
With fellow Cubs fans John & Sheila
Of course July was a super busy month at work with summer at it’s peak and Flagler Beach’s famous Independence Day celebration. I started the month with an empty house again, as TikiWife was home in Indiana for a couple weeks. She would return with Brother Andy and my fellow outlaw, Jesica. We had a great time while they were here!
Look two big Woodys!
Me in a photo with two hot chicks. Big surprise!
I always have to recreate the classic Ann-Margret pose from years ago with Cousin Jeff!
This shot of the Blues Brothers at Universal would prove inpspirational.
The outlaws
Bullseye At The Lion
Bullseye Helped Me Call Bingo
A difficult choice but I think this was my fave.
Yay for vacation!
July 25 was the Reggae Vibez party, sponsored by three8six.com and hosted by the Golden Lion. A great turnout, a great time, and TikiWife was able to meet some of my Twitter friends! I turned my Irish National Tartan into the Irie Tartan for the event. Thanks to Kari, Martin, & Louise for some great photos!
A radio interview with Laura Z of Beach 92.7!
A creative way for storing my tools
Be sure to visit three8six.com to find out what’s happening in Flagler & Volusia counties!
If you find yourself in Savannah, visit One-Eyed Lizzy’s!!! If you find yourself in Sevanah, send me pics. LOL
The highlight of August was naturally Matt & Emily’s wedding. Matt & Emily met while working at the Golden Lion and were married on the beach!
Fun Drunk Chicks
Friday, August 07, 2009
Aloha Huskers! TikiTender makes news in Omaha, Nebraska
Josie’s Take: 21 things to keep in mind now that you’re an adult
http://www.omaha.com/article/20090806/ENTERTAINMENT/708069896
I was recruited recently to contribute to this column for the Omaha World-Herald. Click above to read the entire article. She placed me in Key West, but I’ve been to Nebraska. It would be easy to make the mistake. Heck my cousin’s kids used to think I lived at the Magic Kingdom! I have highlighted my submissions.
On the drive home, I thought about my 21st birthday and the many life lessons I’ve learned since, whether I wanted to or not.
Now that Vero’s an adult, I’d like her to know 21 things about being one. I enlisted the help of a life coach and a bartender, who came up with 21 things to know about being 21.
Here’s what they had to say:
1. Lose your ego. You won’t miss it.
2. I have never liked gin. I hate tonic. Put them together and they taste fantastic. Try new things.
3. Say “I love you” and say “I’m sorry.” These really are the magic words.
4. Ask questions and question the answers.
5. Never lose your self-respect. It’s the one thing you can take with you.
6. Get a job. Learn the value of hard work.
7. Learn to forgive. Hurtful things are going to happen to you. Learn to let it go.
8. Presentation is everything. Tuck in your shirt.
9. If you learn a really good cure for hiccups, people will think you are magic.
10. Just because you can afford them, don’t break the bank on quarter pints.
11. When trying to defuse a heated situation, follow this mantra: “Speak slow. Speak low.”
12. Best way to sound smarter and more polite: Say “yes” instead of “yeah.”
13. Follow your heart and listen for your voice of wisdom.
14. Expect obstacles on your road; they’re part of the game of life.
15. Tips come in many forms. Money is nice, but so is food, small gifts or nice comments to my boss.
16. If you are a bad tipper and a jerk, you will be remembered. Not in a positive way.
17. Invest in good shoes. Your body will thank you.
18. You’re never too big to take out the trash.
19. Be prepared. I start each shift with two bottle openers, two pens, two lighters. You get the point.
20. Asking a bartender if he has ever had a drink on the job is like asking a chef if he has ever eaten.
21. When all else fails, show them your teeth.
(Sources: JoAnn Bouda, a life coach in Omaha, and Mark Woods, a Key West, Fla., bartender who works with the Mad Gringo Hawaiian shirt guys based in Dundee.)
Contact the writer:
444-1075, j.loza@owh.com
September
Every September, Marisa stops by for a Birthday Flaming Dr Pepper! This year there was a fan incident, blowing the flames off the drink onto the bar and her friends hand. No ine was hurt, but we failed to get a photo. So here is the September Birthday Girl in 2008.
Sara’s oldest baby brother got married in September. What a great time we had in Indiana & Ohio!! I twittered so much during the weekend, I received a mention in the photographer’s blog! LOL Read it here: http://amysphotography.typepad.com/amys_photography/2009/09/ben-and-dianna-tied-the-knot.html
They know how to party in small town Middle America. I know from many years of experience! It was a good week. True to Tiki form, I even had a very pretty redhead by me a beer and a koozie from a bar where we were eating.
Helping to decorate the reception hall. 12 bridesmaids and Tiki. As it should be!!! One of them, a pretty redhead, even bought me beer later at lunch.
Stopping for much needed supplies in Geneva IN
Party Bus!
Behind The Bar at Padua Pub
A rare site, me with a baby in my hands.
Got Tiki? The Daytona News Journal Does This Morning!
TikiTender featured as “Local Character” in today’s Daytona News Journal.
Local character hones his bartending skills
FLAGLER BEACH — Thirteen years ago, Mark Woods came to visit and never left.
On a mental break from life as a counselor at a Missouri juvenile detention center, Woods landed at his parents’ pad to figure things out. And that’s when the beach called.
“That was kind of a crossroads,” said Woods, 37, now a bartender at the Golden Lion Cafe on State Road A1A.
Woods — also called “Tikitender” from his tiki hut-serving days at a local resort — is known for wearing kilts (“They’re very comfy; I recommend every man tries one.”) and for his red goatee and easygoing grin.
Thanks to Kari Cobham for making me sound so interesting! Please click below to read the article and leave some feedback for the author. Wouldn’t it be fun if it became the most popular article of the day!?
I wouldn’t call it pride, but I am very happy to love what I do!
Thanks to Tony & Carolyn for the great venue and to all my customers & co-workers who make my job a pleasure.
On October 20, TikiWife and I went out to celebrate our first date in 1998 at the Golden Lion!
In October, I received some new Mad Gringo shirts AND bought my first ukulele!!!
Yay For Halloween! Any excuse to get out of my shorts. David and I dressed as the Blues Brothers. As luck would have it, it was about 85 degrees on Halloween. We were hot hot hot!!! I even shaved my goatee for the occasion!
A highlight for sure was Zac Brown Band in concert!!! Read my review of the show here:
Zac Brown Band 11/13/09
I even got a comment from one of the performers!!!
Zac Brown Band!
Tiki Guardian says bring on Christmas!!
Marley says “It’s Christmas Time bitches!”
I did take time out to go see The Click at Frank’s Front Row with Sevanah.
December
December 2 was TikiWife Day!!! We had a great dinner at Stonewood. So yummy!!!!
December 5 was the Golden Lion’s Second Annual Repeal Day party! Some really poor weather dampened the celebration, but I had a great night!
TikiTender To Join Management Team At Golden Lion
Harryoke‘s 3000th Show!!
I joined some other fan on December 15th to commemorate his 3000th show as a karaoke host. Harry and I first met when I was a bartender at Henry’s at the Harborside Inn in 2004. So we will guess that that was about show 2000 or so. This is where I will say hello to all my karaoke friends! Good Times! More In 2010!!!
Happy 3000th Harry! As an added bonus, one of my fave bartenders!
A couple of random photos from Harryoke nights!
The rest of the year was a blur with a great Christmas and of course New year’s Eve. A highlight of every Christmas season is the Golden Lion employee Christmas party and Christmas Day at Poor Walt’s. Woohooo!!!
New Year’s Eve. Never really the favorite night in a bartender’s world, but always interesting. I got early smooches from Sara & Kate. Then the next thing I knew it was closing time and I made it to Walt’s JUST IN TIME to ring in 2010 with a cold beer.
It was only fitting that I would say hello to 2010 next to DJ Vern, one of favorite people, while wearing a Mad Gringo shirt!
ALOHA 2009!!!!
ALOHA 2010!!!
Have You Had Your Tiki Today? 