I just had an overwhelming feeling of fear come over me. The reason I am sick is because both Jacqui and Aaron had been sick right before me. I hope these girls don't start getting sick during Mardi Gras.

I'm still very sick.
New Orleans is gearing up for Mardi Gras. The parades have started and the numbers are steadily going up. I hope we do well. We start 24 hour schedule next Friday. 3 managers this year so if i go in it's just for fun. Good Luck New orleans crew. I hope everyone makes a lot of money.

I am so sick. I finally caught the flu that everyone has. I feel like shit. I went to the Austin anniversary and I drank club soda all night.
3 anniversaries in two weeks.
NY: The girls love the bar so much. They spent their day off cleaning the bar before the party. They hung up new pictures of me and Jacqui. They even made jacqui a custom calender of all of them. The night of the party they all dressed up so did the bouncers. They brought food in and just made the night special. They genuinely love that bar.
New Orleans anniversary: We'll get back to that one.
Austin : Before the party started the whole staff gave Marshall a present.They made a movie that was a spoof about the bar and Marshall. They gave me a dvd as well. Marshall was definitely choked up about it. They even made him a custom made Coyote Ugly Austin Trivial Pursuit game. He also scheduled only girls who have been there from the beginning. On their own they got t-shirts made saying OC Original Coyote, and their names. I was so impressed by how much they care about Marshall and the bar. It realy moved me. I feel so bad that I was so sick last night for the party.
Marshall:"let me know what you think of the dvd, I am at a loss for words at the
support, creativity and generosity my satff has shown me. Every employer should be
this lucky." I can't say enough about the whole Austin staff.
Back to New Orleans. I got there early. Not many of the staff there. Candice , my new assistant came for the first time. She actually went to school with Chantel. The fun part of the evening was putting her through all the Coyote shit. She drank Crown, she did a body shot, she even drank crown out of the Sheenis.
The bad part. I left pretty early , so I can't say what happened after I left. But what I saw was a complete lack of caring over the anniversary. The girls who worked didn't care. When I left half the girls hadn't shown up. The bouncers were the only ones to really take pride in the bar. As I said before. I have been under the weather and did not stay late. But I was truly saddened at what I saw and felt there. Not many bars ever last 3 years. It should give everyone a great sense of pride and accomplishment. The customers came in and that was great. The New Orleans bar has some great regulars. It was nice to see them support the bar.
That's it

NY and blizzards. I grew up in NY and the only natural disaster is a blizzard. They claimed to have hurricanes (pretty mild). They claimed to have earthquakes, I must of slept through those. The only weather event that ever effected my life, when I was a New Yorker, was the annual blizzard. I know I may be speaking in a blase manner, but the only thing that transpired when I was young during a blizzard was I got a school day off.

I've spoken about it before but snow days actually help the NY bar sometimes. Well recently, after 12 years in the same space and an asshole landlord, the blizzards are taking their tolls. Jacqui called today. "There is a leak in the basement, the pipe burst between the bathroom and the office and they say it may snow again." It used to be a little duct tape and some love would hold that bar together but unfortunately those days are gone.

The ice machine:

12 years ago, I bought, brand new, a Manitowoc 700-lb bin ice machine. First 3 years it worked great. The 4th summer it went down for a few weeks until I got someone to change the plumbing lines. Then like clockwork every summer it would be down for 2 weeks and work the rest of the year. Well, as everything in the NY bar, those 2 weeks have turned into 2 months. About 2 weeks ago Jacqui called me and I told her it was time to purchase a new machine. We were both actually sad over this, like the passing of a dear friend. Well 2 weeks later no one will haul the fucking ice machine away and install a new one. Jacqui called, "Lil no one wants to even attempt to replace this fucking ice machine."

So now the ice machine is still downstairs semi-working but it has become like the car in "Christine" the movie. If you don't remember "Christine", the movie was about a kid and his car. He loved the car but the car started killing people. I think the ice machine has become this entity that is scaring off the Manitowoc dealers. It will not be replaced!! Perhaps we'll have a special memorial night for the ice machine. Shit, I should of thought of that last week. I could of raised money for a new one.

New Orleans 3 year anniversary tonight!!

Comments: That Lee who works for you is such a FOX! Wow..you are soo lucky you have HIM as a part of your team. WOW..I would give my right arm just to hear him speak for five minutes. You should have a section where we can see more pics of that STUD!

-- Lee's number one fan

I think it took a total of 5 seconds for Lee to break and tell me he sent this to me.

Today is the New Orleans bar's real 3 year anniversary. Happy Anniversary! We are celebrating it tomorrow night. I better eat a big dinner. Marshall text messaged me Happy Anniversary. He said it made him feel old. I said that was because he has aged 10 years since he started 3 years ago. Bar business is rough!

Jeff is away on yet another vacation. The good thing about this is it lessens my work load.

We are approaching Mardi Gras. 3 years of this shit. The parades are fun with Jackson. The bar is fun because it's busy. But to drive from my house to the bar, usually a 12 minute drive, takes upwards of 3 hours. This year there are 3 managers, so if I go in it's just to check on things, I won't have to stay.

Our surprise city is looking good. Hopefully we will sign when Jeff gets back from Hawaii.

The Razor phone only works with Cingular, so I can't use it. My Treo phone completely broke down so I returned it. I guess I will be getting a Blackberry.

The letters from Canada are pouring in: "I'm working as fast as I can!"

I sent Lee this week to San Antonio to help the managers with a few new marketing plans. He told me that he was having a marketing class. He created flow charts, lesson plans etc. I can't lie I love Lee's meetings. On a negative note he told me that they are dissappointed that I don't go there more often. This job isn't easy. I'm a mother first. I try and arrange all my trips on nights where Jackson's dad is watching him. If not I take Jackson with me. This week I could of gone but to be frank, I'm tired. The last two days I've walked between 10 and 15 miles. Walking helps clear my head and the weather in New Orleans has been perfect. I've spent about 6 hours a day communicating with managers, corporate people, e-mails etc. At night, I have cooked a ton of food , watched Monk (just watched it for the first time yesterday), and slept. I feel much better now.

Jeff M from Nashville called and asked me why I hadn't written the Lil Spill in a week.He said some of his friends were upset because they read it everyday. I think it's more therapeutic for me.

Off to open the New Orleans bar. Yes I'm running late!

One of my Nashville girls is in Tokyo wrestling. Her wrestling name is Lollipop. I hope she's doing well. It's funny but I was shocked she was a wrestler. She is about 5'6' and skinny as a rail. There is a Frank Sinatra song that says it best. "... when she turns sideways you think she's gone." That is Lollipop. Hurts the bar not having her. She was a lightening fast bartender and sold a lot of bodyshots. I hope she comes back!
As I 've mentioned before there are several marketing and branding companies that have been trying to woo me into partnering with them. Blah, blah, blah. Well one guy actually sent me, as a present, the new razor phone. It was funny . The present came to the bar and I opened it infront of some of the girls and customers. They were all very impressed. " Oh my god it's a razor phone." I actually had never heard of it before. When I called to thank this person for the phone he said to me " Isn't it weird how everyone reacts over this phone?" So there it is; who knows if we will ever do business again but he got me a kick ass phone so I will always appreciate that. It really came just in time. I bought the treo. It's a sprint phone/pda. Well the pda part is great but the phone sucks. So this will come in handy.
New Orleans : two Sara's two Tara's. I had words with one Sara this week. Being a Coyote is hard work and it pains me when someone does everything in a half ass manner. I told her to step it up. Be more of a team. Dance more. Help out.
All these girls want to be traveling Coyotes. You have to shine to be a traveling Coyote. Work hard. I would love to see all the girls try their hardest.
Next week I'll be in Austin for the 1 year anniversary. I'm very excited. I miss the austin bar. San Antonio people please come to Austin it will be so nice to see everyone. Getting this present has just made my day!

Let's recap this week. We have hired on two new assistant managers. Daniel in Austin ( The Beave quit, I think because of boyfriend (weak)), and Tara ( new) in New Orleans ( Chantel is moving up to GM , Aaron couldn't handle the south anymore . He's getting married up north). I met with the new tara this week and had way too many wines. Red wine is very funny. We were having a great time chatting, well a few glasses in, I went to the bathroom and my whole mouth was purple, especially my teeth. Very attractive.
My son told me the other day that when he was not home I should start doing his homework. I said "no it's your homework. But I'll help you with it." he said " OK here's the deal when I'm not home you do some and when I get home we can both do some." Already making deals. I can already see him having his little girlfriends do his homework.
The girls looked very pretty last night on CMT Countdown. My god those videos are sad. I never watch tv. I think I cried to a few songs. Reba signing about her dead husband . The Big and Rich song " Holy water" I was a bit shocked at watching the Jack White and Loretta Lynne video.
New Day. I'm going to get off my fat ass and exercise today.
Big projects are happening. We are very close in signing somewhere warm. Hint; close to a beach.

I'm watching the CMT countdown on CMT. They shot it from The nashville coyote. Well they are facing away from the bar toward the door. it makes it seem like the bar is empty. It is driving me nuts. I know that the day they shot the countdown there was a very good crowd there. Watching this is like nails on a chalkboard

Izabella Miko (the Russian bartender in the Coyote Ugly Movie) was in the New Orleans bar last night.

Too quick a trip to NY. I defintely miss it. The anniversary party went well. A lot of old regulars came to pay respects to the bar. "I thank all of you because I know it was very hard to miss the Jets playoff game."

I met one of the girl's boyfriend at the party. The funny part is that he went to my grammar school, in fact he was 3 or 4 years older then me. I said to him " you must be really proud of yourself dating someone ... years younger. " His response: "Yeah, it's great. Guys really have it easy." Demi Moore is a very rare example of women dating a man so much younger. Go Demi.

The bouncers decided to dress up in suits for the party. They all looked very handsome. Very surreal walking into the NY Coyote and seeing a door guy in an expensive suit.

The girls looked great. All dressed up. The NY girls are such nice girls. I mean really genuinely kind and nice. They also never bicker and they all get along.
That just brought back a memory of a girl in New Orleans trying to physically jump another girl. Let's just say, that was her last shift. Something in the south makes the girls a little crazier. But I can't lie I love the stories.

A nice e-mail:

Comments: "you ought to get down on your knees and pray to God you don't get sewed for affending married folks,plus in Gods eyes your doing a very bad thing,and I hate all of what you are doing,its wrong.Thats ok We will never come here ever,and I will never tell anyone I know to come here."

I'm offending god and married folks. I personally know quite a few "married folk" who thank god I started a business in their town.

Off to NY. Jacqui and I decided it would be fun if we made the NY anniversary semi formal. A bit of a change of pace plus we never get to dress up. This is my question why does noone have dresses that are long sleeve? It is 20 degrees out and the only dresses available are speghetti strap or strapless. That's ridiculous.
Big things in the works. Big year for Coyote this year

"I work in Kansas City, Mo. and live in Bonner Springs, Ks. Last night on the way home I saw a Coyote Ugly Truck hauling a bunch of bar stools. Are you opening up a new place in the Metro Area?"

Jeff has gotten a few of these letters from different places around the country. Tim happens to be hauling bar stools from Nashville to the new Denver store. I don't know why I think it's funny but I do. Just the tone of the letter. What the letter is really saying: "Was I imagining a big ass Dodge truck ridiculously wrapped with pictures of belt buckles, girls and the Coyote Ugly logo?" No sir you were not imagining that truck, and yes I actually PAID EXTRA for it to look so ridiculous. The beauty of marketing!!

Recently I have had a few meetings with companies that specialize in chain marketing, branding, etc. It seems that the catch phrase from these companies is "We are just like family." Last week I had a meeting with this guy and he said to me, "Lil it feels like we are family." Today I heard, "We can be one happy family" (both meetings repeated these phrases incessantly).

My response: "Unless you are some strange cousin 6 times removed, we're not family so how about we just talk business." My meeting today was funny, one of the guys actually brought e-mails from employees written directly to him. One was a letter from an employee saying that he was a "mensch". In Yiddish this word implies being admirable, forthright. I just thought it was hysterical that he brought me copies of these e-mails. "OK well let's shake on it. Joe Shmoe called you a mensch. I'll definitely hire your company." For those who do not understand sarcasm, I am being sarcastic (Like every true New Yorker).

NY bar anniversary: Saturday night. Now let me explain to you. The rule of thumb for a big promotional event is that you hold them on slow nights. Make a slow night into a busy night is the idea. Well this year I am breaking the rule. I don't want to take Jackson out of school so I am holding the NY bar anniversary on a Saturday. Maria from NY asked me how many years it's been? It's the hundred year anniversary. (12 really).

Jacqui said something so profound yesterday I'm still contemplating it. "Lil, this year I may come out with my real age to the girls." If Jacqui comes out with her real age then I have to too. I'm not emotionally ready for that. I'm 30! And I'm sticking to that for the next 5 years.

 
 

I spent Friday night in Nashville. Interesting dynamic. Usually when the veteran girls leave most of the Coyotes get a bit shy and you need to push them to get back in the groove. Well the Nashville girls have gone in the other direction. They are all singers, dancers, wrestlers. So they enjoy the performimg. I've had to tell Jeff M. to impress upon the girls that they need to provide good service. One of the girls came up to me on Friday night " Lil some guy offered me $150 if he could rip off my shirt. Can I do it?" Well that would make this a strip club , so no you can't. I immediately turned to Jeff and said "please reel these girls in." The Nashville girls also found out that we have a choreographed water dance that we perform in New Orleans and in Austin Emmy does what she calls her " Flash dance routine" Well these are actual dances, routines. What they decided to do is ask customers for money to watch them get wet. When I found out about this, Jeff and I had many terse words, or I would say I had many terse words for Jeff, he listened. " Nashville girls, you guys are great. You sing, dance, work the mic, and bartend well. Don't cheapen Coyote. If you want bigger tips work on the service part!"
Saturday night I spent at the New Orleans bar. Little Sara has really made a great turn around. I ribbed one of the bouncers , Will, because all the bouncers claim I can outdrink him. ( I probably can't. I barely ever tie one on anymore. ) He gets ridiculed non stop about this and also about how ridiculously whipped he is. Talk about a bad relationship, my god this girl takes him for everything. He said to me the other night, " Lil, I get off at 1am. I challenge you to a contest ." I said to him " what's the point , your girlfriend is going to make you leave anyway ." Everyone started laughing.
The Coyote Ugly pig placed 4th out of 32 in the Yorkshire class. Jackson and I have been watching "Charlotte's Web" as a tribute to saving pigs. Going to NY this weekend.

I get an e-mail this morning from an owner/manager of a place down the street from the Nashville bar. This person tells me that my assistant manager, Heath, wrote on their office walls and they expect him to go down to the shop with a rag and a bucket of water. My response to the letter was that if this was true, they just got themselves a slave for the week.
Needless to say, I was extremely upset. I expect all my people to act like professionals. I called Jeff M. ( GM Nashville) and forwarded him the letter. Well I think Jeff was more upset then me. Jeff immediately called Heath. Heath swears he didn't go there last night. But he was there the night before. Jeff M. had Heath call the managers over there to kiss some butt and remedy the situation. Well it ends up that these people read the Lil Spill and fabricated a story about Heath ( their friend) so they could get on there . Here's to the guys at "Pirrhnas" in Nashville. You picked a good day to fuck with Heath, as I am very pms today.

The Coyote Ugly Pig showed today. I have no idea how he did. Jeff was funny he called me up and said " Lil you have a nascar and a pig" I have to get a picture of Jenn Hawk's daughter and the pig.
Busy day today. I just bought the treo 650 ; pda phone by sprint. Candice my assistant and I couldn't even figure out how to make a phone call before. Pretty funny.
Candice, so pretty, very smart. MBA from Tulane. She is all over every task I ask her to do. Today she was walking and I noticed she has a very large tattoo on her back with someones name written. Of course I had to ask? She told me it's her husband's name. Of course that is soon to be exhusband. So smart yet so dumb. It's not little either. In fact it is huge. LOL. The only name I have tattooed on me is my son's name. I'll never regret that.
Chantel and Aaron responded to my quiery about "Coyote of the year" from the New Orleans bar. It was unanimous, Carlos the barback/ porter. Well congrats Carlos!!! Aaron said noone else even came close.

This is a winner...

From: shug5335

Lil,

I travel frequently for work, and if there's a local Coyote, I always try to stop in. I've been to several Coyotes, and usually can tell at least one funny story from each. But, something that happened on my last visit to Charlotte takes the cake...

I took a client to the Charlotte bar on Sunday for a few beers after the game, when this really drunk redneck type leans over the bar and yells at one of the girls for another round. However, when he did , the guy's false tooth falls out and lands smack in the middle of the bar. Please note that the false tooth was one of his front teeth which made it even better... The bartender, (Sydney , I believe her name was), reaches over the bar, and grabs the tooth and refuses to return it until he sings "You Don't have to call me Darlin" by David Alan Coe to the entire bar, with the tooth missing. And of course, buy two shots for his friends. He did both...

You would have had to seen it, but I almost soiled myself.

Only at Coyote!

Regards,

This is when all the hard work pays off. Jeff and I have business meetings in Mexico. I'm on my computer right now working. The perk: I am working from my balcony that is overlooking the Caribbean Ocean. Jeff is always yelling at me to take some real time off (which I did over Christmas). Well I think someone was listening because my cellphone completely died. You can't even turn it on. So I am getting no calls and all my important numbers are inside the phone so I can't retrieve those.

I was by the beach this morning and a strange fear came over me (tsunami). Except for me and Jacqui, the whole team is in Denver. Good luck!

Great New Years Eve for the bars. Personally I got stuck in traffic and turned back home. In New Orleans they hold the fireworks directly across from the bar. It's excellent for business but you can't find any parking. I turned home and I actually watched Dick Clark's Rocking eve. Now the only reason I mention my pathetic evening, is because I was truly interested in Regis Philbin's hosting ability. To be fair, it has probably been 15 years since I actually stayed home on New Years Eve. Being in the bar business, it is one of the best night's of the year. Hence I'm usually at one of the bars. But to ring in the New Year this year, I chose to free myself from the burdens of traffic and parking. So I just stayed home. Back to Regis. I can't lie, I felt his hosting was sub par to Dick Clark's. Now , again, I preface this with I haven't watched this show in at least 15 years ( maybe more) ( No just alot more). He stayed inside. Doesn't Dick Clark always weather the elements and go outside? Well I wish Dick a speedy recovery. The show truly needs him.
As a born and raised New Yorker, I myself have never spent a New Years Eve at times square. The idea of standing in sub zero weather amonst a million people holds very little interest to me. Some of my favorite New year's Eves have been at the NY bar with all my friends just hanging out having fun.
I called Jacqui right before the ball dropped to wish her a Happy New Year. She called this morning, " Lil you know I hate New Years Eve. I was asleep by 1030 pm." For all the years Jacqui has worked for me, it's the one night she always asked to take off. She would prefer working Christmas night over New Years eve. It's funny because she's had to work quite a few but only out of sheer neccesity. " Jac, I have no one else. You gotta come in." The only other night she hates more then that is her own birthday. I will never forget one year. Jacqui's sister called me up and wanted to plan a surprise birthday party for her. I told her that it was a bad idea . But she did not listen. Well Jacqui showed up at the bar expecting to work and there stood 200 of her dearest friends " Happy Birthday"!!! Jacqui went straight back to her sister and yelled at her infront of all the guests. You could here a pin drop for about a minute after that. But Jacqui took it in stride and in about 1/2 hour she started drinking shots of Johnny Walker Black and having fun. That may be the last birthday party anyone ever throws her. I'm glad it was a good one.
Shit I need a life. Big trip tomorrow. If it pans out I'll write about it next week.