Wednesday, August 19, 2009

if you haven't lived it...

I find that most people who go out to eat have never worked in a restaurant, but have very high expectations for how those employees should work. I got involved in a couple of discussions on tipping policies with friends over the past few days. Most people feel that a tip is something to be earned. I am OK with that idea for the most part. We should be providing you with the chance to get food and drinks brought to you in a timely manner and be what you wanted. However, we are not slaves or servants. Ask us, do not tell us, and you will find you get faster & happier service. After all we are people too.
As for what percent you tip...well all I can say is the "norm" these days is 15% at least. Our fabulous government taxes us on 10% of our sales, thus if you decide we were not up to your standards and leave less than that 10% we are actually losing money on your table.
I will say I find most people to be fair in their tipping. I have only a couple of times in my 20+ years within the industry not gotten a tip at all (being stiffed as we call it) and rarely get 10% there are times though.
There are those who say get a "real" job. I honestly can not tell you how much that bothers me. Being a server is a real job. It has both good and bad sides to it. Great flexibility, people and money. The people and money can be negatives at times too.
I left serving for a while, did back of the house and management duties only to find I worked harder for less money. I got more respect from people in saying I was a floor manager, but got more stress, hours and no more money. I will take the negative of being a server as for me the positive completely out ways it.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

feast or famine

really it is one or the other.
I have been treading along of late with my 2 part time jobs (20 or so hours per week between them) that still didn't pay me enough to be able to go off of my supplemental unemployment of the past 7 months. Now, I got a serving job that is 3 shifts (yippee!) and thus gave notice at my bookkeeping gig. So, now at the moment I have 3 jobs, though it will be down to 2 in about 2 weeks. Having said this I also got a call back from another restaurant I applied to last week looking for a server. If the hours were for the ones I have open I might be interested. It would be like working one full time job, just divided by 3 jobs...haha. The cool thing is that as of 2 weekends from now I will have Sundays as my one full day off from all jobs! Just in time for football...woot woot! yeah, I am that girl.
So, I will keep you updated but for now I am back in the world of waiting tables and smiling for tips : )

Monday, August 10, 2009

twice in one day?

Social networking is good and bad. Sites like Facebook & twitter can keep you updated on the dramas and celebrations of those you know. It can also make you feel like you are back in high school all over again. I logged on this weekend to FB only to find that I couldn't access a couple of friends profiles. One did not show up at all, the other just didn't show up to me. I guess I got dropped! Now, I wonder, did this person decide to not have me as their friend due to events going on that they didn't want me to know about? Or did they just clean their page and thought, we never talk...bye bye. Who knows. The other profile is back today, so maybe FB was being crazy or perhaps the person did some adjusting of their page. Not quite sure. All I do know is that this site is currently the only contact I have with some people and that is a bit sad to me. While I applaud the being able to get in contact with people from hs, old coworkers and family that lives all over the world I wish that some of those I am closer to would make more effort to pick up the phone rather than sending me a flower, drink or tacky 80's gift on FB. Maybe I want too much from people. I also prefer to talk on the phone rather than text. I think texting should be for small things like I'll be there in 20 or do you need something from the store? Not hearing about the death of someone you know. (oh yeah got news this way in the past year)
Maybe I am not embracing the digital age as well as others, but I think we are losing a bit of the personal touch with all of this technology. I miss hour long phone talks with my friends and emails that contained more than jokes. Don't even get me started on the seemingly lost concept of letter writing.

been a while

I have had many a thought to write about on here, but a severe lack of time or desire to actually write them. It has been a long couple of weeks of fighting a lovely summer cold, helping friends to celebrate the anniversaries of their birth and working in order to be able to keep the roof over my head for another month.
The weather turned in the last couple of days also from glorious warm weather to grey gloomy fog which drags my mood further south. I like most people on this earth intensely dislike being sick. I love that I can sit at home in my sweats today and wallow in my not feeling 100%
I woke up this am with my eyes quite red and puffy due to the smoke in the air & allergies, not the best look for anyone. I feel better than I have for the last couple of days, but in my typical pattern I am sounding & looking even worse!
On the positive side of things I got a unexpected windfall from my neighbor for keeping an eye out on their house and cat this past month. Then on top of that I found $20 while walking to the post office. I just might treat myself to sushi today or tomorrow to celebrate, as I was good and paid 2 bills first so I feel like a little splurge is allowed.
For now I am off to watch season 2 of Pushing Daisies and relax.

Monday, August 3, 2009

late night thoughts

OK, so it's not so late, but still...

I hate when people tell you one thing, but yet their actions speak a different tale.
To most the old adage actions really do speak louder than words really does apply.
If you say I matter to you, make some modest amount of effort at least.
Try telling me things, anything, as long as it is not a lie.
Just as I should do with you.
Be there when I need you, not just when it is fun for you to be there for me.
Let me be there for you, not just when it is comfortable for you to need me.
This is what relationships are all about.
It is not about right and wrong.
Nor is is about who can spend the most money.
Or the amount of time you can carve out of your life.
It is about letting people into your life, sharing the good, the bad and all the crap that can fall between.
It is about knowing when it is time to step back, but also when that step is moving a little bit to far away.
It is about truth, ugly as it might be.
It is about caring enough to tell people your secrets and stories that made you into the amazing person you are today.

Where is this coming from you might ask.
Not where you might think!
This is not a remark on the dramas of some of my friendships of late, though there is truths within what I just wrote which can apply there.
In a conversation I had with a dear friend today I realized there was obviously things from my past I had not shared with her. Now I consider this woman to be quite a dear friend, who has shared many a adventure, moments of sadness as well as joy. However she didn't know about a certain rocky dark period within my past.
I am not trying to be cryptic in mentioning it this way, but rather it is intensely personal and I don't wish to share in such a public manner at this time.

What it showed me though is as close as we can be, there are things we might not want to share.
We have so many facets of ourselves, that sometimes we forget that someone hasn't seen a certain side to us. The beauty of a good friendship is that eventually that other person does get to see the complete beauty that is you.
I am well aware of my flaws and am learning to embrace them. The events that I experience make me the person I am today and will become in the future. I should strive to be as amazing as I am told I am by my lovely friends. I should want the best for myself as much as I do for those I care about.