Monday, June 20, 2011

Order: Tears, Retail Therapy, with a side of working

Day Four: Today started out fine, until I was almost out of Starbucks and I ran into my ex-boyfriend's mom. The conversation was fine, until she said, "We miss you." As soon as I got in my car to go to work, tears accompanied my breakfast sandwich that I didn't even want to eat because I lost my appetite, but I knew I had to or I would pass out mid-shift. When I got to work there was back and forth texting between my ex and I, and it got bad. Things were said, and I couldn't put on my work smile. Nevertheless, the people who I was serving on the patio couldn't tell I was secretly holding back more tears, and I still made good tips.

The patio is different from inside the restaurant. For one, you don't have specific tables. Whoever is first in the rotation gets whatever table is sat, and so on and so forth. Luckily I had easy tables throughout the patio and no huge parties. One table in particular was two ladies and it was one's birthday. Her friend ordered the ahi tuna salad (which is basically sushi). Apparently she didn't know it was sushi and when she got it there was a whole ordeal, but nothing happened to me, she just ate it anyway. After work I ate my kid's mac and cheese I was still not hungry for, and then stifled back more tears as I received more texts I didn't want to deal with. After I drove my friend Robert home from work, I immediately went to Forever 21 for some retail therapy, where I usually go between shifts. I bought a few things, and then did  laps around the mall to burn off the carbs from the mac and cheese. After I left I went to Starbucks for my usual order and went back to work.

Dinner. Was. Insane. For a Monday I wasn't expecting the insanity that was tonight. I started out with a party of three at Table 24 who were pretty easy to deal with. Then the six top came at Table 9...the biggest party I had had yet. It was ok, I made it, except they, and the new party that arrived at Table 24 (a mom, dad, and two screaming children) put me behind on side work, which was bread and oil stock, making it pretty bad because I had to frantically cut piping hot loaves of focaccia bread between running food to my tables. Things got exceedingly difficult; I couldn't find any of the buttons on the touchscreen to order food and drinks, and other people ran my food to my tables, which I hate missing out on. Bread and oil. Bread and oil. Cheese. Garlic. Screaming child. Cue Table 10. For whatever reason I had difficulty speaking to Table 10, but it worked out in the end. They stayed, and I don't know what time hey left, because my side work was done and I cashed out, so someone else offered to bus it for me once they left.

Total tips made from all day: $109

That's more than any day this weekend. Whatttttttt

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