St. Valentine's Massacre

"I love Valentine's Day!"... Four words you'll never hear come out of a server's mouth.

Number one: the A/C is still partly out at work in one section of the restaurant.

Number two: guess which section I was in?

Last year on Valentine's Day I was still working at the world's busiest airport, and for once wasn't a crazy house... just a typical shift.

This year I'm back street side and back to the insanity of Valentine's Day.

I work at a new and very modern restaurant in an up and coming area of Orlando and was packed like a sardine can tonight.

I clocked in, had an espresso and hit the ground running...literally.

It didn't help that ...

Number one: Still feel like a newbie and can get overwhelmed when extremely busy.

Number two: Had a huge section of tables.

Number three: Had a new hostess trying to figure out table numbers and inadvertantly double, sometimes triple seating me.

I was drenched in sweat by five thirty and had only been clocked in for half an hour.

I'll have to admit that I've never worked a Valentine's Day with better customers. I got extremely lucky and every single table was nice, and then some.

My buddy, Jonathan aka Dr. Benton (from the old show ER) had a section of tables right next to me and helped me out time and time again. Nicest guy you'll ever meet and one of the best servers I know.

I've landed in a new restaurant, in a new town, at an old age and seems all too true that is hard for old dogs to learn new tricks.

I worry myself sick about every mistake and fret over every table.

I need someone to slap me like Cher did Nicolas Cage and tell me "Get over it!"

With help from Dr. Benton I got back on track and back to the task at hand.

It seemed like six o'clock to eight o'clock lasted ten hours.

I made more money tonight than have since starting my new gig, and was weeded out of my mind!

Servers call being too busy 'being in the weeds' and was where I spent most of the night.

But I made it.

Bonus points: am off on Wednesday and couldn't pay me to pick up a shift.

It's been hard starting over at a new job and much harder than moving to a new place, new state and away from everything and everyone I've always known.

I can take adapting to a new life, even if it takes me a hot minute and then some.

But when it comes to my job, not so much. It's the only thing I obsess about.

So I'm (just) a waitress for a living?

Yes you are correct... but am a bad ass at what I do for a living, and is a living which has served me well. (small pun)

Survived my almost forty years of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and closer to than from,doing it from a walker with split tennis balls on the front legs.

I need to start looking at Hoverounds. The basket looks like it could hold a lot.

Til next time...Cotton