I put the 'Wait' in "Waitress"

Are you *%$#ing kidding me!? 54 on a double on a Thursday? I normally make close to twice that. Thursday is -my- night! I am so mad right now I'm not even thinking straight.

Eleven hours, and at 6 p.m. today (I was there since 10) I had made a whole 14 dollars! Whee, slow down there partner, I need to be able to afford RENT and food and car payment, oh, and me and Boyfriend are going on a long planned out vacation for our anniversary next month.

I can't have days like this at the Greekery, I can't! I refuse to let another day be this bad, if I have to, I'll stand out and wave cars down. Gah... here's to hoping my double on a Friday will be better. I also work Saturday from 10-5, so they cut me out of the best time. GRR! Oh well, here's praying.

Think of the Waitresses!

We see it everywhere we go, the same waitress there day after day after day, the bags under her eyes getting worse, her body slumping as the bills pile higher and higher, and the children scream at home that they have no milk, and they are moments from being evicted... so the waitress picks up yet another double shift to make ends meet.

Yes boys and girls, you too can feed a starving waitress for just an extra dollar or two a day. It's not much, but to them, it means the world, and it may mean the difference between their lights being on, or them making rent, or feeding themselves.

Won't you think of the poor waitresses, and when you go out to eat, donate a few dollars to their cause, it's noble. For less than a cup of coffee (Starbucks) you could make a difference in a poor waitress's life today.

Do you really think that it's just the poor waitress that has to deal with this problem? No, hardly. It's also a problem facing waiters, garcons, busboys, dishwashers and those that you probably will never see again. It's a daunting fact in this world. So please, next time you grab your favorite burger or sit down to a fancy meal, say a prayer for the waitress and waiter, for the busboy and the pregnant hostess... and leave them a bit extra!

Sinking Ship (A real post!)

Saturday I went into work for a normal, typical double... and found that perhaps I should have called in and stayed in my nice warm bed with the Boyfriend that day. It was tempting to stay there snuggled and not venture out into the cold, but I did anyways.

Boy was I disappointed!

We at the Greekery open at 11:00 A.M. come rain, shine, hell or high water. Gentleman doesn't care if I'm done opening or not. This is never a problem. Nobody comes in until at the earliest 11:30.

Saturday nobody came in until 1:15, and then it was only a three top, and then one of our regulars getting a to-go in the bar. I then set up for dinner. The dinner rush left me with 75 for the entire day, and that doesn't include the stiff I got on a 90 dollar to-go order. Hey buddy, I had to MAKE that order!

I feel like it's a sinking ship right now. Surely it should be better than this, it's uncommonly slow for the fact we are on a very busy street near an insane intersection and everyone rants and raves about how they love the Greekery. Now, if only we could get Gentleman to part with a few of his dollars and advertise.

To make things worse, we are of similiar names with a local haunted house that has started up for the month of October. So we're now getting 5-10 calls a DAY asking us if when we're open, how much we charge to get in, if it's alright for children under a certain age... I even got yelled at because some asshole made a wrong number. Thanks buddy.

Seriously? Do people call 411 and mumble the name? I can't wait for October to be over, because of this shit, and because my anniversary and birthday are in November. I'm too damned old.

So I have tomorrow off too, and other than that we've been slower than slow. I guess more people want Pizza or Mc'Goodies than to come and eat the food I sling. At least I'm still making money, but how I don't know!

In good news, tip percentages have been out of this world. Friday during the day I had a few tables leave me over 50% tips, which I will praise and thank and applaud. Maybe it's not so bad. I just wish I had an Ipod or something to pass the two to three hours I have between tables.

No more high schoolers either, instead now we're getting more and more coming in for a bowl of soup. Lunches are always lower ticket prices, but it's paying my rent and my car payment and my car insurance and my gas and my food and other bills I have... so I'll shut up!

Working 47-52 hours a week sucks balls though. Where does all this money go?

-B.P.

Two tables?

Really? I'm making money, but TWO tables today. That was it.

I got to completely degrease the bar, from top to bottom. Remove every bottle of liquor and scrub the shelving. I know this has been done recently. Why?

I did it LAST Wednesday! That's why. Busy work.

So I come home and collapse into a pile of cookie dough bites and try not to think about my now usual triple-double. I know tomorrow will be worth my time, Friday and Saturday, I'll be out of there by 7:30 at the latest, and Sunday? I sleep in and go to lunch and shopping with a very good loving friend.

Same shit, different week.

And I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I had a few posts all written up, but my computer froze just as I was about to hit save. I swear!

Karma is kicking my ass.

This week has been better. I worked 51 hours this last week... yes, fifty one hours in five days, that's roughly ten hours a day. Sad that I don't get over time, but at least I got good tips today.

Friday Flooding

Our Friday was just as any other. I did a double shift, so I was more than pleased when 5 came around so the other girls would give me something to do. We chitter, play cards, whatever. Tonight it was Boss and Nat. We were rather slow at first, as Friday night normally is. Then around 6 we got a nice rush. Well, Nat and Boss got a rush. I was in the back section, nobody wants that section.

I had one table, a four and a half (baby), and I got their drinks and food. I was getting a refill and mentioned how suddenly my feet were wet. "Who dropped an ice cube?"

Then I looked down and realized... we had sprung a leak Captain! The Pepsi machine had almost literally exploded and water was pouring out onto the tile floor and flooding over to the carpet! I called for Gentleman, who was soon on the phone with everyone he can think of. He calls Abel (who was on his way to the Greekery to eat.)

During this time my table is getting their food and needing drink refills. All with standing water in the kitchen and three people by the drink station (that was turned off!) I was cut and told to go home after I gave my table their check, so I didn't have to clean up that table either.

Oh, they fixed the machine. It works well now! No more leaking all over feet or filling bus tubs up with water.

B.P.

My tables need to go back to kindergarten!

So this last week has been rather quiet, save for a few nice tables. (Really? 1%? Aren't you CHARMING! Oh, asked for my number? Yeah... right.)

But I swear that all of my tables need to go back to kindergarten, where they are obviously slipping on teaching such things as basic manners.

1. When someone says hello, how are you, you respond in a pleasant "Hello, I'm fine, and you?" Not "WATER! NO LEMON!" in a voice that they can hear in Tahiti.
2. If I ask you a question, at least listen to it, I am trying to tell you what comes on our salads so you don't shriek when it comes out "Ewww! I DIDN'T WAAAANT CUCUMBER!" (I don't like them either. There's 2 there. Pick them off and shut up.)
   
3. Please remember your please and thank yous. I know it's a small thing, but to me, it means a lot.
4. Wait your turn. If I am with another table it normally means that I'm trying to do something above, such as ask them for any special requests on their salads, gyros, etc. This is -NOT- the time to start yelling and waving, or even worse... snapping at me. I will be around to you if you need something, a polite "oh Miss, excuse me but... (see rule #3)
   
5. Ladies first. I am a strong believe that chivalry is dead and gone the way of the dodo. I see it everyday. I -always- address the lady first. I always give the lady her drink first. I always serve the lady first. It's the way that I have been trained. It's in my blood. So when I look at the lady at the table and say "Ma'am, ladies first... what can I get you to eat..." I really hate it when a guy at the table (or her date) interrupts me with a mispronounced "GYROS PLATTER!" I just look at the lady and sigh. -5.5 I also hate it when a man takes the ladies food. I am handing it to her, not to you. Don't grab and don't take what isn't yours.
6. Push in your chairs. This is my everlasting and constant pet-peeve! I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. So far the only ones that actually pushed in their chairs were the children, and the Kindergarten Teacher.
   
7. Please do not interrupt someone when they are speaking. Wait your turn.
8. Don't grab things, don't take what isn't yours. This applies to the fact that at least once a day I will have someone grab something off my tray and cause me to almost overbalance. It's not the kids either. This is the reason I hate to use trays at all!
9. Share. I mean this as... tip? You know, that line in the space of the credit card? That is how I stay warm, how I feed myself, how I could be clothing children and feeding them (you don't know.) You should leave me something. Hey, if I fucked up, be a man and tell me about it. Just don't silently stew and leave a small amount...
   

That is some reasons that my customers should head back to grade 0 and start over again.

Oh, but guy that came in loudly talking about sex... that wasn't called for. Your girlfriend was embarrassed, and then you called Gentleman the cook. He's the owner. Don't insult. Also... tip on a take out too asshat.

That also goes for Bomb. The guy that wants me to buy his book. I can't when you leave a slash through that tip line. Spare me an extra dollar for your Gyros to go... come on, I know you have money. You wrote a book and take an hour massage every Friday. I wish I could afford that. Hell, I wish I could afford gas in my car!

That is all for now. A Friday Flooding (not what you think) and a Saturday post coming up tomorrow.

B.P.