It's been a change for me, living here in Orlando. I've been a 'waitress' for almost forty years.
In other words, been there, done that, seen that... more times than I've cared to.
Now I'm suddenly living in central Florida at the age of almost sixty and still a waitress.
I'd rather wait on you...
Anticipate needs before you have to ask for them and hopefully wow you because I did, during your time sitting at my table, in a freaking restaurant... rather than feeling like I'm a servant, begging for a scrap from royalty.
The better job I do the more I get paid.
It is a job which has served me and my family well. I think every person should be a server at some point in their life. It is a humbling profession.
Suddenly I've looked up from the tunnel vision our life has been the past decade and finally realize what our saving grace has been all along.
We don't always get it right but we always try.
Working full time was beginning to wear me out so I took Tim's advice and dropped to four days a week. It has made a world of difference and was perfect timing...Tim just got a pretty significant promotion.
Go Jed!
Granny needs a new pair of combat boots!
Summer officially begins this week but it has been summer here in Orlando since late February after our three week winter.
The restaurant where I work has several different dining rooms, one by the bar, a huge open dining room in the back, a nice solarium where the windows, screens and walls can be raised or closed and we also have an outdoor patio area.
For the life of me I can't understand why people ask to be seated out on the patio on a hot steamy Florida day.
I'll see the hostess guiding a group of people to a lovely booth in the comfort of our air conditioned dining room but when they pass that patio door often ask if they can sit outside instead.
Great...just great.
NOT!
The restaurant where I work has several different dining rooms, one by the bar, a huge open dining room in the back, a nice solarium where the windows, screens and walls can be raised or closed and we also have an outdoor patio area.
For the life of me I can't understand why people ask to be seated out on the patio on a hot steamy Florida day.
I'll see the hostess guiding a group of people to a lovely booth in the comfort of our air conditioned dining room but when they pass that patio door often ask if they can sit outside instead.
Great...just great.
NOT!
So the hostess of course happily complies, sets up a table for them outside in the sweltering heat and goes to find the unlucky server who has to go wait on them.
Then what really kills me is when they suddenly start complaining about the flies or heat once food begins to arrive and asks if they can move inside instead.
I feel like saying "Instead of what? Instead of eating where we tried to seat you to begin with? No, I'm sorry, that boat already sailed so you just sit out here sweating and swatting flies like you're on a picnic and enjoy the seats you chose for yourselves...you know what they say, the customer is always right!"
It's a running joke with us at work.
On a really hot day when they veer out that side door wanting to sit on the patio instead, we feel like locking the door to keep them out there...idiots.
If the hostess comes up and tells you that you're seated in the 300's that means outside...dammit.
It would be different if we were in tank tops, shorts and flip flops but we aren't. We are in long pants, socks, shoes, long sleeve shirts, a long apron and constantly toting heavy dishes to and fro.
Lucky me (not) I suffer from hot flashes as well.
I realize it's Florida and most people are tourists wanting to enjoy the warm weather and that's all fine and dandy...just not while you're trying to enjoy a nice meal on a sunny ninety degree afternoon.
The one thing I can say about waiting tables is that it has given me plenty of laughs over the decades, along with a few tears but all in all a wonderful experience getting to know the public and letting the public get to know me.
On another note, Father's Day was this past weekend. I've been (literally) working on a present for Ole Jed for about a month now.
They had a contest at work. The server who signed up the most customers for our rewards program in a four week period would win a $100 gift card to the recently opened PGA Drive Shack right up the street from our restaurant.
I can win some contests in a restaurant...been there done that, time and time again!
When they have contests, all you have to do it push or promote whatever they ask you to and you'll win.
I've worked with servers who come into work and do absolutely nothing until someone comes up to them and tells them they have a table. Then as soon as they are told they are cut, do nothing more than what it takes just to get them out the door. If they have to aimlessly hang around an hour or so while everyone else does the bulk of the work, that's okay too...as long as they don't have to do it.
Pathetic at best, and totally don't understand how much money they could potentially make and walk out with after every shift if they did the job right.
If they ask me to sell something...I sell it. It's not like they have asked me to dig a four foot hole with an espresso spoon.
Needless to say, I won the gift card for Tim. He doesn't know it yet, he's working in Virginia this week. I told him I was getting him an awesome Dad's Day gift but may not be here in time for Father's Day.
We (me) may or may not tell him I won the gift card instead of buying it, but I know Tim...it wouldn't matter to him either way.
I remember one time many years ago, they had a sales contest at Longhorn when I worked there. The grand prize was an Xbox and I really wanted to win it for my younger son, Zach.
We had to push all our new appetizers and push them I did.
Specifically I remember waiting on a couple, about my own age. I told them, in great detail, all about the two different shrimp appetizers we had and asked if they would like to try one of them?
The husband slowly took a swig of his beer and said "Sure, why don't you just surprise me."
I didn't miss a beat and calmly said "Okay then, I'm pregnant with your baby."
His wife's margarita, which she was currently sipping, shot out of her nose but her husband took another sip of his beer and said "Well that did surprise me!"
My husband tells me I have a PhD in BS.
I think he may be right.
Now that I only have to put on four shows (what I call shifts) a week, it is so much easier to laugh and enjoy the work.
It's almost like I'm young again.
I still look young, don't I?
Plugging along down the road of life like an ole fart, just happy to be on this side of the dirt...
COTTON
Then what really kills me is when they suddenly start complaining about the flies or heat once food begins to arrive and asks if they can move inside instead.
I feel like saying "Instead of what? Instead of eating where we tried to seat you to begin with? No, I'm sorry, that boat already sailed so you just sit out here sweating and swatting flies like you're on a picnic and enjoy the seats you chose for yourselves...you know what they say, the customer is always right!"
It's a running joke with us at work.
On a really hot day when they veer out that side door wanting to sit on the patio instead, we feel like locking the door to keep them out there...idiots.
If the hostess comes up and tells you that you're seated in the 300's that means outside...dammit.
It would be different if we were in tank tops, shorts and flip flops but we aren't. We are in long pants, socks, shoes, long sleeve shirts, a long apron and constantly toting heavy dishes to and fro.
Lucky me (not) I suffer from hot flashes as well.
I realize it's Florida and most people are tourists wanting to enjoy the warm weather and that's all fine and dandy...just not while you're trying to enjoy a nice meal on a sunny ninety degree afternoon.
The one thing I can say about waiting tables is that it has given me plenty of laughs over the decades, along with a few tears but all in all a wonderful experience getting to know the public and letting the public get to know me.
On another note, Father's Day was this past weekend. I've been (literally) working on a present for Ole Jed for about a month now.
They had a contest at work. The server who signed up the most customers for our rewards program in a four week period would win a $100 gift card to the recently opened PGA Drive Shack right up the street from our restaurant.
I can win some contests in a restaurant...been there done that, time and time again!
When they have contests, all you have to do it push or promote whatever they ask you to and you'll win.
I've worked with servers who come into work and do absolutely nothing until someone comes up to them and tells them they have a table. Then as soon as they are told they are cut, do nothing more than what it takes just to get them out the door. If they have to aimlessly hang around an hour or so while everyone else does the bulk of the work, that's okay too...as long as they don't have to do it.
Pathetic at best, and totally don't understand how much money they could potentially make and walk out with after every shift if they did the job right.
If they ask me to sell something...I sell it. It's not like they have asked me to dig a four foot hole with an espresso spoon.
Needless to say, I won the gift card for Tim. He doesn't know it yet, he's working in Virginia this week. I told him I was getting him an awesome Dad's Day gift but may not be here in time for Father's Day.
We (me) may or may not tell him I won the gift card instead of buying it, but I know Tim...it wouldn't matter to him either way.
I remember one time many years ago, they had a sales contest at Longhorn when I worked there. The grand prize was an Xbox and I really wanted to win it for my younger son, Zach.
We had to push all our new appetizers and push them I did.
Specifically I remember waiting on a couple, about my own age. I told them, in great detail, all about the two different shrimp appetizers we had and asked if they would like to try one of them?
The husband slowly took a swig of his beer and said "Sure, why don't you just surprise me."
I didn't miss a beat and calmly said "Okay then, I'm pregnant with your baby."
His wife's margarita, which she was currently sipping, shot out of her nose but her husband took another sip of his beer and said "Well that did surprise me!"
My husband tells me I have a PhD in BS.
I think he may be right.
Now that I only have to put on four shows (what I call shifts) a week, it is so much easier to laugh and enjoy the work.
It's almost like I'm young again.
I still look young, don't I?
Plugging along down the road of life like an ole fart, just happy to be on this side of the dirt...
COTTON
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