Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas Day...

I slept till noon. The best gift I could have gotten. Actually the only gift but as I am not really much of a fan of this season, don't consider it a big deal.

The treacherous weather didn't deter my large family from getting together and I was able to spend the evening with them and my darling twin daughters.

About to make my way to the grocery store for some meager eats, then back in. I'm not going anywhere other than that today.

Yawn....I know, not much of a post, just trying to be disciplined enough to write everyday.

Takes practice. Cheers.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

A mercenary lifestyle...

The restaurant business has always been rather mercurial to those in it. The lure of better money, more opportunity, even the myth of a little respect, will always be the draw.

Cooks and servers; bartenders, dishwashers...we come...we go...new ventures, new openings...it is what it is.

More like modern day gypsies and pirates...on the lookout for better hours and more cash, easily beddable waitresses, with maybe a bit of swag thrown in.

We know we can stand shoulder to shoulder and crank it out during a rush, that we can put up with the Ego's (for a while) because ultimately, whether or not we care to admit it...for some of us, it's still about the food.

We are a proud lot, sometimes too much so...so we pack our knives and throw on a different apron and hope for a little better...maybe this place, I can land and stick...then one day the "snap" occurs...and the cook listings on Craigslist become bookmarked, resumes updated and here we go again.

Some of us have solid significant others...while the rest of us...hell, nobody can put up with us for long...search for a love as fleeting as the search for better working conditions.

The stress of the holidays certainly don't help. More work, more unreasonable demands, and the obligation to be "happy" because it's Christmas becomes too much to bloody well take.

I just got called in to work...here we go...

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

"Delivery." ..."What is it?"..."Your ass, sign here."

What a freaking day.

Very busy night...no problems until the 44 people from our sister company showed up for their Christmas Party.

Not one issue from any items coming out of my station. Not one.

Then the ridiculous pasta orders started rolling in and the roof fell in.

Our Chef, whom I have never treated with anything less than total respect, and who was attending the party, and liberally sampling adult beverages, came completely unhooked...I stepped in to the saute station (not my station tonight) to attempt to help and he literally starts screaming.

"If you can't handle it, get off my fucking line!"

Really...seriously?

Bending over backward, working 60 or so hours a week, never late, never called in sick...attempting to pull these orders together and that's what I get?

I am a grown assed man. I know I have to pay my dues, but I never have been, nor ever will be any body's punk. I am the oldest cat in the place, which normally is cause for lots of laughs from the fucking children I work with. It will not happen again. Or it may be that God's trying to tell me to move on.

I hate it when he works in mysterious ways.

We will talk...

Season's beatings...

Four more days and Christmas is over....good. Too much undo pressure financially...and I'm already pressured financially...don't need it.

A lot of hours at work...a little drama...some kitchen politics....just have to keep my head down and cook.

Was wondering yesterday if starting this career at my age was really a good idea...but hell, too late now. Have to find strength and resilience and keep going.

I get Christmas Eve and Christmas off...first two days off I've had since August...can't afford it financially...but require it physically and mentally.

Met another lady on-line...still in the texting/talking stage...but now her phone is down, so waiting to see. Will I hear from her again? I hope so...she's sweet...beautiful and lovely but I know I'm not for everybody.

Not selling myself short...just being realistic...not too many women could handle the hours I work, or the finance issues because of child support. It is what it is...

Friday, December 18, 2009

Still holding...

Not that anyone is reading this...but if so, sorry for the lag.

Very focused on work right now, getting faster, and better every day.

I still make mistakes as the hours I put in keep me close to whipped most of the time, but there is a satisfaction in keeping up when my station is slammed. (mine is the busiest on the line...I always have dishes to prepare.) Knowing I'm stocked, as I did the stocking myself, so no matter what is thrown at me, I can handle it. Nine tickets in a row, three to four items per ticket?

No problem. Just keep out of my station, let me roll, try to help and I'll run over you.

My Chef said I'm the last one to ever ask for help on the line, and that if I did, it would be OK...I get it...but I will not go under.

I am proud to do what I do.

One week till Christmas...good. First two days off I've had in a row since August.

My day off, yes, only one, is Thursday, so Thanksgiving...yeah, Christmas Eve...right again. No rest for the weary.

Don't know what I would do anyway...with no "significant other" it makes it easy.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

The flow...

Going with it...no need to struggle, downstream is just fine.

The Holiday's are slowing the restaurant down a bit, but speeding up my logistic responsibilities.

Manning the saute station as well as sandwiches and apps, occasionally doubling as garde mangere,(that's salads for the uninformed) and whipping on the fry station as necessary. Whew.

Cool...loving what I do has opened up an entire chapter of life for me. It's hard, with little thanks but the personal satisfaction and learning experiences are priceless.

And on a personal note...

I was seriously considering pulling the plug on the whole Internet dating thing when...
a lovely phone call from someone totally out of the blue on the way home...hmmm...he am working mysteriously again.

Which is cool...just don't know why my prayers can't be answered in a point A to point B fashion. It would save on gas, flowers and expectations, that's for sure.

But it wouldn't be quite as interesting, now would it.