Welcome to the REAL World

Zach looks good doesn't he? Thank goodness he never reads my blog!

He came in at 3PM and is still there (I think.) It was hard to see behind the six foot pile of dirty saute pans and stock pots that were stacked around the dish area.

I think today was an eye opening experience for him.

Dishwashers are highly underpaid in my opinion. I had a two hour break between shifts and ran a few errands. Tim dropped him off at the restaurant and he began his new job.

Thank goodness it was relatively a slow shift. The other dishwasher called out so it was the "Zach Solo" show. I came back to work at five and the first question he asked me was "What time is it?"

I'll have to hand it to him, he hung in there...only broke two dishes. When the first bowl hit the kitchen floor, Barbara appeared in the doorway and calmly said "That sounded like a $20 bowl." When the second smaller dish hit the floor Len calmly (believe it or not) said "Slow down and take your time, we have all night."

Around seven Barbara got one of the cooks to make Zach some Chicken Marsala and let him stop and eat in the back of the kitchen. He ate like he hadn't had food in a week. Once fortified he headed back to the dish area and kept on going. We close at 8:30 on Sundays and around 8:30 the dishwasher he was working for came in and helped Zach out. He's a great Latino kid that goes to school with Zach. I think one of the cooks called him and said Zach was a little behind (maybe not a little.)

When Zach saw Noe walk in, a look of HUGE relief flooded his face and he thanked Noe at least three times for coming in to help. Before Noe got there the owner asked me if Zach had to be at school at nine in the morning. I told him yes and he said "I'll just lock him in tonight and Eva can let him out when she gets here at 8:30 in the morning."

Dishwashing seems to be an easy job to every person who has never washed dishes in a restaurant. When you wash dishes in a restaurant, especially one where each and every dish is prepared and cooked to order the number of pots, pans and utensils is outrageous. Not to mention all the dishes the food is plated on and the glassware, teas urns, coffee pots and bar items.

I could tell Zach was totally overwhelmed. I could tell he was wondering how he was ever going to get caught up. I could also tell he was determined to do the job.

We closed at 8:30 and he will be lucky to get out by 11:30. If Noe hadn't come in to help...he may HAVE still been there when Eva came in at 8:30 tomorrow morning.

I know he will be exhausted but he's a youngster and can handle it. The first shift is always the hardest. He will find his groove and learn how to pick up the pace. Trial by fire is a good thing. Hope he doesn't have too much scarring from tonight's experience.

Barbara is considering making him a table buser now that he looks presentable and after tonight I bet he will want a hair cut every two weeks. Busing tables is a cake walk compared to washing dishes. She even mentioned what clothes I needed to buy for him to bus tables. I haven't told Zach yet. Let him see how hard it is to do THIS job before he moves up.

I am impressed with his dedication and it is nice to see that hounding him relentlessly for eighteen years has paid off.

I HAVE been hard on Zach...But Zach has been hard on me. I think I can finally see light at the end of a four year tunnel. And standing in that light is a fine young man with a nice hair cut and a new found respect for the working world. It ain't easy out here in the real world. It ain't easy making a buck. It ain't easy if you don't work hard unless you are born into wealth and fed with a silver spoon.

Now my man/boy knows how to WASH that silver spoon!

Til next time...A Momma so proud she could POP!

COTTON