Water with Lemon

New GM

The restaurant is still technically without a GM. One of our current managers was going through GM training, and we all assumed that she would be staying here. We all love her - she’s the epitome of a perfect manager (if it’s possible), and there’s no one more we all trust at work. She’s involved in our lives and genuinely interested in what’s going on and worries about our welbeing. You can trust her to keep secrets and to be there for you for any reason. In addition, she treats us like real people and not just robots employed to do our jobs. It might not sound like a big deal, but the rest of the company treats their staff like we’re little more than scum. One of the owners in particular is like this. 

I came into work today to find a new manager there. Apparently, they are training at our store to become a GM and will probably end up staying. The primary owner of the restaurant doesn’t like how close this manager is to the rest of the staff. They think it’s unhealthy and bad for the restaurant - something that I honestly cannot wrap my head around. The rest of the staff is more willing to go out of their way and do things for this manager, work longer, harder, and we do it because we want to. She’s the only manager that gets the staff to work together this way, but apparently this is a bad thing? What?

Dating Adventures

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, I’m kind of dabbling in online dating. I’m not taking things too seriously nor am I one of those people out to find the “one”. It started off as a half-assed joke, but I’ve met some interesting people so far. One of them I was actually pretty interested in. We talked for a week or so and I stupidly gave him my phone number. I figured texting would be easier, but I also didn’t realize the volume of text messages I’d receive. 

They started off innocently enough, asking how my day has been and chatting about common interests. Pretty soon it began to escalate, however, and I literally couldn’t get away from the guy. Leaving my phone alone for five minutes mean I’d have at least one text waiting for me. I’m a pretty reserved person by nature, especially if I don’t know someone well, and it takes me a while to feel comfortable sharing more intimate details. The good morning/night texts starting rolling in along with pressuring for picture messages and the like. I started to grow uncomfortable and kept trying to steer conversations back toward common interests and topics. 

At this point, I had already agreed to go out to dinner with this guy, and the date was fast approaching. The night before, he tells me just as an FYI that we are “going dutch” and that he’s been used far to many times. I ask what he means, and I get a vague response followed by him launching into how women use him as a free meal and he doesn’t want to be screwed over. By now my uncomfortable feeling has turned into full blown anxiety. I didn’t like how he seemed to be projecting his past girlfriends/dates and their behavior onto me. 

I told him I was uncomfortable and that some of the things he had said rubbed me the wrong way, and that I didn’t think I was quite ready to yet to meet up/date/what have you. I told him that this was a pretty big step for me and that I didn’t feel I knew him well enough yet. Furthermore, he not only wanted to drive an hour to where I live but also pick me up and drive me to the restaurant. I don’t want anyone I don’t really know picking me up at my house, and I also don’t want to be stranded at the restaurant if things go badly. He took great offense to this. Naturally, he tells me that I’m just another one wanting a free meal and that he should have known better than to waste his time. I figured I wouldn’t hear anything back from him and didn’t even bother responding until I get another message, maybe 10 minutes later:

I’m going to give you the opportunity to explain yourself before I fully assume that you are just out to use guys for free stuff.

Really? The fact that I’m nervous and uncomfortable (and was honest and told you that) now means this? I don’t understand how someone would willingly waste all this time pretending to be interested in someone for a dinner. Maybe I’m just not that kind of girl. Either way, thanks for showing me your other side. I think I just dodged a bullet.

Total Twat.

This is the same server that I’ve written of in the previous post. She used to be a pretty regular closer with some early shifts in the mix. Now she’s almost exclusively a mid or early night server, and she’s gone from “pretty cool” to “eh, alright” and now “that fucking bitch”.

Earlier tonight, she was a 12-5 and BFF was an 11-8 shift. The server barely rolled any silverware and went to find BFF (who is also a manager). She tells BFF that the entire bin she left was for her to roll - she’s been here longer, so she should roll it all. BFF tells her no, tells her to keep rolling, and apparently while no one was looking the server just leaves. This is the same girl whose world is over if someone doesn’t do as many buckets of ice as she thinks they should but goes and tells the other servers that she isn’t dumping ice because she doesn’t feel like it.

There is so much more I could rant about, but it ultimately wouldn’t help anything. Between the petty high school drama of being in everyone’s business and asking about me and the ex-current-future man’s relationship(but not asking me directly and instead asking everyone else) to bitching about me and my best friend spending too much time together (what?) and being a total tool to everyone else, its takes most of my will power not to say anything snotty when we work together. 

Stressful Weekend.

One of the servers is, and I apologize if I offend anyone with the word, a cunt. A raging twat who never has anything nice to say about anyone and who spends their entire life assuming the world revolves around them. Seriously, she told me and BFF a few months ago that she honestly thinks everything is about her. 

She has had this bug up her ass for weeks now. I had a really rough weekend; I have a chocolate lab that is 12 years old and he’s finally hit “old”. He’s going downhill, losing weight rapidly, and won’t eat/looks lethargic/etc. He’s currently on an overnight visit to the vet’s, but I’ve been extremely stressed out and worried about him and have spent the last two days doing everything in my power to figure out what is wrong. I came into work a little earlier today to eat before my shift, escape the heat and humidity, and to see my BFF and talk to her about everything. The other server comes over and wants me to start almost 1 1/2 hrs earlier than my normal shift so she can leave and go home. Um, no. I need a minute to relax, and I tell her, no, I’m not starting until my schedule time. I tell her I had a rough weekend, and she goes on a hissy fit because I won’t start early and spends the rest of the afternoon bitching nonstop. 

I don’t understand her - she’s always willing to give away shifts and she tries to get out as early as she can when she’s actually in the restaurant… and yet she complains when she only has three of four days. The managers won’t give her more shifts because they know she’ll only give them away. She doesn’t do anything for anyone else, and it’s gotten to the point where no one (including me!) wants to help her. After her telling me to get over my dog and that it’s not important, I have no desire to help her with anything. 

Grill Sucks.

Just once, I’d love to have one of my orders come up from grill without having something wrong. I shouldn’t have to ask for pickles that comes with every. single. entree. I shouldn’t have to tell them “hey guys, this was supposed to be mashed instead of fries” or “it says hold honey mustard, guys, add ranch on the side”. Furthermore, I shouldn’t have to cut open my own bags of steamed veggies or dump out some of the sauces from their individual containers. That’s your job, not mine, and I’ve gotten in trouble for doing it before… so why is it continuing?!

Every single order that came up for me last night had something wrong with it. It got to the point where I asked the cooks if they were even putting mayo on the burgers. I get a snotty response back, and I tell them I’m asking because this is the third table that has asked for mayo and said there wasn’t any on their burgers. I’ve had to ask for the lettuce and tomato set up. The garnishes that comes with every single entree. The best is that they act like we’re being a big inconvenience for asking for things that should already be there. It’s not my fault for asking you to correct something you’ve done wrong.

It’s the same specific cook who does this. He’s a super nice guy but it’s getting the point where I want to pull my hair out every time I see him clock in. 

What’s the point of a three hour serving shift?!

Because I’m unable to sleep

and it’s ridiculously late here, I figured I might share with you one of the little beauties in the world of online dating. I don’t actually participate in it; I had a drunken wine night with one of my best friends, and we discovered one of the more popular dating websites. Naturally, because she thinks I can do way better than ex-current-future man of mine, we created a profile for me. Then, we sat back and watched the messages come rolling in. 

This one was our favorite of the night. not so ridiculously raunchy or lame as some of them - Kind of normal until you get to the end:

you’re really beautiful in my opinion, and I think you have a good profile. I’m pretty sure we’d get along, so we should chat sometime. i’m a great guy by the way, because i give the best foot massages ;)

Combine that with a creepy ass picture and I’m stuck wondering if things like this actually work in the dating department?! If men are categorized by foot massages, the ex-current-future man child would be at the top of his game. Better not tell him that. 

You’re doing it wrong.

Senseless closed last night and took his closing shift way too seriously. I used to close almost every night in the summer and I’m gearing up for it to start happening again. I’m assuming that because he’s still newer and most people (like me, honestly) don’t trust him and otherwise find him useless, he took checking out our BOH duties like a nazi. This is all well and good, yanno, if he actually knew who was supposed to do what.

I had flip and fill what is basically the server station. If we need ranch, honey mustard, extra salsa, sour cream, etc, we can easily grab it without having to bother the grill for extra sides. It works out really well and it’s not even that difficult of side work. You flip the containers, refill them, run the pumps and ladles through dish, and make sure everything is color-coded properly (like with allergens) and because I’m anal, alphabetical.  

I ask him to check my BOH duties, and he proceeds to tell me I need to fill X,Y, and Z from both stocking and the salad unit. I tell him that those weren’t my side work and try to redirect him back to the server station. He goes on to tell me that he’s not letting any BS “slide” today and that I also need to do the trash before I can go. Again, not my job… and considering the fact the next 3 people were just cut from the floor, those things will be done within the next 10 minutes. He’s still going on and on about how “I” won’t get away with anything. 

Knowing I did everything I was supposed to, I get my FOH signed and then hit up my manager. I run down the list of my side work, tell her what happened, and she proceeds to cash me out so I can get my charge tips. I’ve worked there for 5 years, since I was 16, and now I’m doing it while going through college. Everyone trusts me and knows that I do my shit, and it’s times like this when I’m thankful for it. 

Happens every time.

• Me: *drops off desserts*
• Woman: Well isn't aren't these ridiculously small portions!
• Me: I'm sorry, those are our standard sizes, would you --
• Woman: Why do you make them so small?!
• Me: I have no control over portion sizes Ma'am, and neither does the kitchen, but would you like another? Or see a manager...?
• Woman: Ohmygawd, no!
• THEN WHY COMPLAIN/SAY ANYTHING?!?