My Universe - Out of Balance

Bizarre happenings throughout my personal universe these past two days.

Wednesday started out well enough, but quickly turned into sadness, chaos, disharmony and disorganization. It began when I read in the Times that Teddy Kennedy had died. Sad, to be sure, but this Kennedy wasn't assassinated and accomplished many important things his brothers weren't allowed the time to get done.

Then I made a bank deposit only to have the funds credited to the wrong account. A personal nightmare due to time constraints of the two jobs. When I arrived at job #2 Kennedy's demise was overshadowed by the sudden emergency ER visit by my boss's Mom.

One server arrived with a sore throat and headache and asked if he could go home and rest (he was pulling a double and didn't think he could handle such a long day) leaving us one server short for hump-day lunch. We would manage.

Later, another server decided that he was leaving at 2 pm just as we were getting busy, which left me with only three servers - two good and one not so good - as the restaurant began to fill.

At this point the boss arrived clearly pretty stressed still not knowing what the tests would reveal about his Mom's condition and promptly blew his top at the dipstick who decided to quit early.

While all this is going on in the background, a server scheduled for the evening shift called to ask if he could have the evening off. I suggested that he would do well to show up for his shift, but he chose not to listen and phoned the, now very angry boss, I am sure he now wishes he hadn't made that call. Another employee's car broke down, but fortunately it occurred nearby so she was in to work early.

One person behaving badly can throw everything and everyone out of sync. I am a novice at this, but I saw it and was disappointed in the person who sent the snowball down the hill.

Somehow we made it through the shift without any more drama. I definitely hung around for my after-shift cocktail. I needed it. Still, I'm resigned to the fact that this may have been my first such experience with drama queen behavior in this business, it won't be my last. Yes, everyone is tired after this long and busy (thank G*d) season, and it's almost over. People count on one another to hold up their end of the responsibilities to get the restaurant open and running smoothly.

First thing this morning when I arrived at job #1 I learned that a co-worker closed the store yesterday morning because, (guess what?) her mother had to be taken to the ER and ultimately whisked off to the IC unit. The store remained closed until the afternoon relief guy showed up to reopen and finish the day. The place was in varying states of disarray and I never really sorted it all out. An irate customer called and was pissed that I had no idea about her special order and began to verbally abuse me. I told her again and again what I knew (which was nothing) and after telling me that I was not fit to work with the public, I told her that I had to go and wait on customers in the store who thought otherwise, and hung up.

I was happy as a clam when my relief arrived and I could get the hell out of there. I am enjoying a festive martini as I type this and may have another before my stomach is unclenched enough to even consider supper.

And so it goes...
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