I'm in the Weeds !!

Well, here we go. I Have been a server for 28 years.... ever since I got out of college... getting my PHD in BS , and putting it right to it's best use...waiting on the public sector. My stories are varied, sometimes unbelievable, and mostly humorous and relating to every person that has ever eaten out. I remember the first job that I DIDN'T get fired from, a Pizza joint, (the owner's were from Syracuse) ... we had the distinction of having the only place in town that sold pizza by the slice. We were right by the highway entrance, about 8 miles from downtown Atlanta. An older black man came in , and said "gimme a couple of slices of pizza to go " ... my response was " What's the magic word? " And to my utter amusement, he looked at me and replied inquisitively... "TWO?" There begins my career of having the most amazing job of the study of people, their ups and downs, and the demands that they make on the working class. I worked for the Pizza shop for 15 years, then moved on to a Steakhouse.. Lhorn Steakhouse..I get SO tired of people calling it LHORNS ... it is kinda like saying you are going to Krogers.. How many Kroger stores are you going to ? " I'm In the weeds" will be recognized by ANYONE in the service industry. It is a phrase that means you are so behind, so busy, and so befuddled that you feel like you are marching through a ten foot patch of weeds that you will never be able to come out of alive. Five minutes seems like an hour, and people get SO pissed off at you about a steak not cooked correctly...how are they going to react when a doctor tells them they have Colon cancer? Is a steak really THAT big of a deal ? We had a promotion one month for two types of shrimp appetizers.. one fried, one broiled.. I tried to sell them both to my customers, and the husband finally said to just surprise him... so I replied " I am pregnant with your baby!!" He agreed that I did indeed surprise him. We have what we in the industry call "secret shoppers" the company sends people to eat in our restaurant... they rate, judge and tell the corporate office all about their visit. The first time I got shopped... I remembered it when the report came in , because the customer's cup of chili was not hot ( the steam table that keeps it hot had run dry) , so I replied to him.. "that's why we call it chilly" They obviously liked me because I did not get fired... at least not yet. I have about a million more stories to share with you, so let me know if you are interested. It is a hard world to work in, relating to the public, and my sympathies go out to every person that has to put up with the petty and sometimes ridiculous attitudes of the public. But there again, are my regulars, people that come in to wait for my table to be open, and compensate me beyond my wildest dreams.. people that enjoy my banter, my quick wit, and my dedication to superb service. Let me know about YOUR tales of success or woe. Believe me folks, I am just getting started.