I Lost It For A Moment Last Sunday

I had this table of two ( which makes sense cause it was Valentines anyway ) that comes in after waiting a bit at the bar. He comes to the table with a glass of wine.

Without ordering anything else to drink other than water they both order an entree. I think they had an appetizer at the bar while they were waiting. Anyway we exchange pleasantries and I take their order and punch it in.

It is served and I do the quality check. They are dressed up so to speak for the occasion. Actually give the impression of haughtiness if you know what I mean.

He finishes with just a few snap peas left on his plate and she has hardly touched hers at all. She says to me I want this , pointing to her leftovers , and his snap peas packed. I say sure I will bring out a take out container for you. She snips back showing her snobbishness telling me no I want you to pack it. She said it in a condescending manner which I found a bit offensive to my liking.

I said okay I will pack it and I took both plates back and dumped it all in the take out box all mixed up that you couldn't separate the mash potatoes , chicken or peas from one another.

Returning the take out with the bill I said politely and with a great big smile have a great evening and thank you for coming.

You know it was just her all dressed up fancy earring sort of attitude when she said no you do it that twisted me the wrong way.

Their 10% tip didn't help things out either. But I knew that was coming.

Pack it yourself next time and while you are at it pack yourself up and put a stamp on it!

A Twist Of Fate - 1993

In 1992 after my first contract on the ships I came back to Canada to take the Cordon Bleu Pastry Course in Ottawa. The course was starting in September and I had managed to procure some affordable accomodation at the YMCA during the three months the course would last. I was working between the Chateau Laurier and the Ottawa Congress Centre to keep some money rolling in. So it was a busy time yet fun learning how to make pastries , cakes , breads etc.

I had it all figured out so to speak. I was going to take the Basic Course in Ottawa and January take the advanced course in London England. I even had the YMCA booked near the school in London and put down a deposit. I figured I could find a job easily in London and using the great public transportation system they had would have my choice as well where to work.

Finishing up the Basic course and passing quite nicely it was time to head to London. I was real excited. But there was something that came up that would totally put my plans on a different course.

My Mother worked at this lodge during the summer and someone who was high in position there was moving to England to this place called Ware in the county of Hertfordshire about an hour plus north of London. She had gotten a job with this golf course and her friend mentioned that why don't I apply where she works and she could get me in and I would be able to work in the kitchen and get some experience while taking the course and of course get paid for it as well. Also I would be able to help out in the dining room. I thought that might not be a bad idea.

So I spent the rest of the Christmas and New Year in London taking in the sights and going to a New Year's Day concert.

Arrangements were made and I was heading up to Ware a few days before school started. I was asked at the time to save some money and leave the YMCA early to head on up there. An interview had been set up and so I thought this was a done deal. I was staying at their place which I understood was okay with them until my staff accommodations were ready at this job.

The day of the interview my Mom's friend introduces me to the GM and we sit down. She leaves and it is just us two. I am anticipating something like start on Monday but oh no!!

He says we will not be doing any hiring till May. I am sitting there flabbergasted. WTF!!!
I fly out of the meeting hunting for this stupid bitch who said to me this was a no brainer. She says I am sorry. Christ is that it. I move from my confines at the Y as per your instruction only to come up here and there is no job. I phoned my Mother and asked her what kind of friend she thought she worked with at the lodge. I was livid as my money was not of the money tree variety.

Now I was more stuck up there than anything. The Y opportunity was gone and I spent time working on call with agencies doing menial banquet waiter work for a pittance. I finally had to take this job in a parts plant where I spent my time bending iron parts into shape. But the income I was making was not enough to cover the cost of going to school , lodging and eating.

As well , after a couple of weeks this nice person gave me the heave ho out of their place so I had to get a half board place where I paid for two meals a day. Breakfast and dinner. Ever take advances on your credit card at 2 1/2 to 1. Yes one pound was equal to $2.50. Made for some real good interest charges.

At the end I managed to pass the course but I was so broke I had to head back into waitering. I got a job as a head waiter at the Island Hotel on the Isles of Scilly. For those of you who have no idea where Tresco is located have a look. www.tresco.co.uk

It was a good place to save money and pay off the credit card cause there was nothing to do but drink and eat. It was an island and the only way you could get there was by helicopter or a seasick 3 hour ride on a supply ship. People's faces were usually colored green on arrival with open gaping mouths over the sides of the ship.

My saving grace out of it all was the ship I used to work on use to visit the island. On a visit I saw my former co-workers and they were surprised to see me working at such a remote place. They asked me why don't I head back to the ships. I think it was the next day I phoned Fort Lauderdale and they put me on a ship for November out of Antigua.

I worked on Tresco for about 5 months before that credit card was paid off and I had saved a bit of money to holiday before flying back to Canada.

Looking back I can laugh at it now and say I saw the island of Tresco and St. Marys but it was kind of bad how that all turned out. Just on a recommendation on a job that never was there 3,000 miles away. I had budgeted everything out to get me through but I should have stayed at the YMCA in London that I originally planned.

I know everything happens for a reason and it was an ironic twist of fate that landed me back on the ships again. All because of a promised job that never existed in the first place.

Everything happens for a reason. We just never know it at the time.

It Was Relentless

Okay I haven't commented or posted over the weekend due to the hundreds of people we served over the weekend. Valentines combined with the fact it fell on the weekend meant Friday Saturday and Sunday were going to be busy. Today is a provincial holiday so it will be busy again but I am not there and in a way I am thankful for that.

Friday - I was the closer so I began work at 5:30 and had a 4 table 16 seat section. I got seated quick and began mowing through the tables. We had 90 minute wait going on and we did just over 650 covers ( people ) for the night. At the end of the night I finished with 37 covers and got out just shortly after midnight. I walked out with $159. The big pain in the butt was my last table when I went over with the dessert menu said they will not have any. I walked away thinking and hoping it was all over and returned with the cheque when they said we will have two teas though. Great so I had to watch them drink their tea and start kissing. The opening ceremony was on so that was a nice distraction but finally I started moving things around them and clearing what I could on their table and presented the bill when they were smooching. Thank you and have a great night I said. Finally got the message and left. When I got home and jumped out of the van my back took a jolt. I wore my back support but I guess sitting for half an hour caused the back to relax or something so I gingerly entered the house.

Saturday - After getting to sleep about 1:30 woke up at 6:45 when one of the kids got up. The wife was starting work at 8:30 so the alarm was set at 7AM anyway. Got up and never had a nap afterwards. Starting work early because on this weekend we decided to open for lunch. Got in for 3:30 but asked to start an hour later cause it was dead. Got my section ready and actually got my first table at 4. I had a neat 4 table section. A four which was going to be mainly a deuce tonight and 3 other deuces. It is a fast section. We have a set menu as well as the a la carte.
I wasn't closing but when I left we were on our way to 800 people. A 2 hour wait. My numbers were 19 tables , 40 covers and I walked out with $216 after tip out. Pure volume. Got to bed close to 2 after getting a couple of beers down my gullet to wind me down.

Sunday - As per usual on Sundays my wife wakes me up at 5:30 am to drive her to work so I can have the van to drive my youngest one to soccer at 8am. So had about 4 hours sleep that night. After soccer got a spurt of energy and filled up the van with gas and did the groceries and got back about 10. Had some breakfast and tried to sleep but instead just got ready for work. Picked up the wife at 12:30 then came back and had a bite to eat. Left to be at work at 2:45 and this time was busier. This time had a 3 table section. All 4 tops. It was like working at a car show. People everywhere just waiting for a table and when it got later people were still coming in.

The staff was getting tired. I was beat just from lack of rest. The management ordered in pizza for everyone. A waitress brought in apples cut up so you can dip in a caramel crunchy smore type thing for us to eat. Yummy! The GM I saw when I was leaving was concocting some vodka punch for the staff. I saw the kitchen manager getting someone who was working 10 hours a shooter. Everyone was hung right out. At 10:20 my section cleared out and the GM says I have to fill up your section again. I go okay but then she says wait you are next to be cut so take off you are done. Bliss!! My section was smaller with the less table so it was a walk in the park really compared to the night before. I did 25 covers and walked out with $122. Tonight was full of cheap guests but from Monday on the 5 day week was all in all pretty good income wise. Tonight was the worst of 5 days.

Bet we did around 850 to 900 covers last night.

Now I am off for 3 days. Gotta love that! My wife is still working mornings till Tuesday. So that is how two spouses who are waiters spend Valentines. Working!

Now I am heading for my third cup of coffee...

It is Thursday's Quiz

Another week has flown by and the only thing I can say about my night at work tonight is I didn't make much money but some older woman said I looked like Leonard Cohen. That was a first for me and my wife wholeheartedly disagrees with that. I wonder what Leonard looked like when he was 50?

Okay here is the quiz.

1. What is the strong aniseed -flavoured drink from the south of France that is similar to the famous Pernod in the north?

2. What is the french word for blackberry?

3. Now for meats such as a game it is best to hang it for a period to improve it's quality. What is the French word for this process. If hang is the word in English what is the word in French.

4. When we talk of climates with regards to wine there is big , small and smaller. Amongst the three what is the smallest? A mesoclimate , macroclimate , or a microclimate?

5. A piéce is an oak barrel holding 228 litres. What traditional wine growing area of the world would you find this barrel?

Now this quiz is over for this week but I am sure some were easier than others. Good luck!