Had a scary situation at the restaurant today. A man began to choke on his bread and was in a panic. Had another guest immediately spring into action and assist the man with the Heimlich Maneuver and dislodged the bread. The staff handled the entire situation great and came to get me immediately. I came around the corner just as the one man was saving the other! After all of the excitement, I was able to speak with both tables, and found out the rescuer was actually a retired NYC Fire Fighter who was more than happy to assist when he is needed. I bought lunch for him and his wife. The man who had been choking also thanked the man over and over. I also gave a Pay It Forward to the rescuer who was very thankful for all we had done for him and his wife. He said he was just reacting to a situation he knew all too well and had been trained to handle.
Beat Two Cancers at Once
Had a woman and her nurse come in for lunch today with amazing news. They shared with their server, Zach, that they had just come from the hospital where she was told she had beaten both her lung cancer and brain tumors. They were celebrating with Cosmos and Martinis. I sat and talked with them for a little while and listened to her amazing triumph story. She explained that she stayed optimistic through the whole process which is why she believes she beat the cancers. She said her optimism and being positive is what kept her going and ultimately beat the cancer that was supposed to kill her. She had overcome stage four lung cancer. I bought their lunches and they were tickled that our company allows us to do things like this. They were very grateful. Gave them a Pay It Forward and a hug.
Visiting With Grandma
Had a table with two ladies at it tonight. Turned out to be a Grandmother and her Grand Daughter. Grandma is up visiting for the first time ever from Puerto Rico. The Grand Daughter decided to take her out to lunch and they picked T-Bones. It was the first visit for both of them. I was able to sit and visit for a little while and talk about life after the storm and how it’s going in terms of rebuilding. As the two of them started arguing about who was paying for lunch, I snuck in and told them we had already picked up the check. They were both very excited and very thankful. Gave them a Pay It Forward as well to give to someone else.
First Timer
We had a first timer come in, in a stroller. Mom and dad brought Sophie in for her first visit to one of our restaurants. She was very cute and only 2 weeks old. Her parents come in often and were pleased to say that it was their first time bringing her to a restaurant and wanted to make sure it was a T-Bones. As my random act of kindness, I gave them a Gift Card for themselves and a Pay It Forward to give someone else. They were very appreciative and can’t wait to come back.
Enlisted Early and Still Going
Had a gentleman come in with his Navy hat/cover on with an abundance of pins. I thanked him for his service and complimented him on his amazing hat/cover. He explained that he served in WWII in the US Navy on an aircraft carrier. I sat and visited with he and his wife a little while. He was very proud to have been able to serve. He told me that he actually enlisted when he was only 16 with his mother’s permission. He further explained that his mother would also receive $50.00 a month for his service which is a huge reason he enlisted. I talked with him about what it was like being at sea and the planes that were coming and going. He told me he had recently turned 92 and the two greatest things in his time on this earth were serving his country and meeting his wife. He was super excited to share his knowledge and full of compliments about our restaurants. As my Random Act of Kindness, we bought their lunches and he was super thankful. I then handed him a Pay It Forward Gift Card, which he was even more surprised about. He was excited to be able to go give someone else a gift. What a pleasant couple.
We’ll All Be There Someday!
Had a mother and father, a bit older, with their daughter in for lunch today. They met here on their return trip from Cape Cod for lunch. They were super nice and very fun to talk to about the Cape and New Hampshire and life in general. JJ was their server and she told me that the father kept apologizing to the two ladies, wife and daughter, for having to help him with every part of his meal. He was frustrated with how age had taken a hold of him and he knew the ladies didn’t mind helping him but was still upset he couldn’t do everything himself. The two ladies just reassured him it was nothing big and they were here for him. It was amazing to see and brought a tear to JJ’s eye. I gave them a gift card for a future visit, the next time they meet here, and a Pay It Forward. They were very thankful and couldn’t stop smiling.
Solo on Her Birthday
Had a woman come in by herself today for her birthday. I went over to talk to her and visit for a little while when I found out it was a tradition of herself and her son to go to T-Bones for her birthday every year. This year is the first time he was not with her as he is serving in our armed forces as a Marine. I sat with her for a while and listened to her speak of him and how proud she is for him to be serving our country. I held her hand as she cried mixed tears of joy and sadness. I then gave her a Gift Card and told her the next time he is on leave or home for good to bring him in and let us take care of the bill. I also gave her a Pay It Forward so she could make others smile as well. I gave her a hug and told her to please tell her son hello from T-Bones and that we will see him soon.
Still Some Kindness
I had an elderly couple come into the lounge to grab a bite to eat. Looking around and seeing only hightop tables left, they began to try to climb into the seats. A family sitting at a close by booth saw what was going on and immediately jumped into action. The mother asked if they would like to switch and that they would be willing to give up their booth and move their food and drinks to the hightop in order to let the couple have their spot. The couple was in shock that a complete stranger would do such a thing. Right at that moment, one of the other booths got up, so I intervened, and explained to the older couple that i would have a booth cleared for them in a matter of seconds and get them into it. They were thankful and got them in right away. I then returned to the table who had so graciously offered their booth with a Gift Certificate and explained that there are not enough kind people left in the world, that I was thankful for the gesture they had made to the couple. I gave them the Gift Certificate and a Pay it Forward certificate as well, and told them to continue to be kind to people and give a gift on us to someone else. They were so happy and thankful.
Lost But Not Forgotten
The T-Bones family recently lost a restaurant regular. A gentleman by the name of Wilbur Perkins has been a regular and frequent guest at our Bar here at T-Bones of Bedford for many years. He always sat in the same seat, unless someone else beat him to it which was seldom, the same drink, and the same personality every visit. Our bar staff knew him better than anyone and saw him truly as a member of the family. He had a caregiver who was always with him to help him from day to day. Her name is Heather and she is an amazing person as well. Today Heather was in after his service, probably where Wilbur would have wanted to go too, and had dinner with her significant other Sean. I took care of their tab and told her that the T-Bones family was truly sorry for her loss. She was very thankful. Wilbur may not be back to visit us, however we will always see his face at seat one everyday.
Long Time No See
Had a gentleman come into Bedford for lunch today whom I haven’t seen since my transfer from Laconia. His name is Larry. He is a WWII Veteran who served as a member of the United States Navy Seabees. I always had a great time talking to him and finding out what the Seabees did first hand from a man who was there. My interest is due to the fact that my grandfather served as a Seabee as well. Larry always gives me a hard time as I do not know my grandfather’s service information or what company he served with. Once again today he gave me a hard time again. It was so nice catching up with him. I bought his lunch as well as his daughter’s and gave them a Pay It Forward certificate to give to someone else. He was very grateful and gave me a hug on his way out. It’s always awesome to see regulars I haven’t seen in a while.