a change of pace

Today I came into work thinking that I was working 4 to 8 and then last on main bar later tonight. Then someone called in sick and I got stuck at the bar all day.

Since I was now scheduled four to close I asked for a quick break to get some food. Well, the manager was whoknowswhere and kept telling me to go ahead and eat. Well, that didn't work out too well when people kept coming up to the bar. So I ate in between trying to serve people and it was such a mess.

Finally, he told me to head back to the private party. For some reason the people in the party thought it started at 6 so they had been back there for an hour. So I went back there ready to begin. Well, there was no cash in my register so I had to come back up and ask the manager for a register. He was "busy" talking to an employee and said he would get to it.

Meanwhile I have to help out at the main bar because there are people waiting and no bartender. I help for about ten minutes and then I tell the manager that I really need to get back there. Then he decides to yell at me and tell me he'll get to it when he can and that even though our clock reads 7:05 (because we run our clock ten minutes fast to make sure people are out by one) that the party really hasn't started. I was extremely angry for getting yelled at. Seriously, stop talking and do your job.

At 7:15 I ended up in the private bar where we hold parties. It was a nice change of pace because it was an older crowd. But along with that, meant a lot less drinks to make and a lot less tips.

At the peak there were about forty people partying it up at their reunion. It was a unique reunion, though, because it was for a grade school that is now shut down. It was open for about thirty years and everyone who attended the grade school was invited. So there was every age from forty to geezer. There was one point when I was serving someone that I was wondering if he would take one sip and then keel over. I can't believe a seventy year old can still handle a jack and coke.

Some of the guests wanted to order some food so I went ahead and took their order even though I wasn't supposed to be waitressing for them. There is a table who wants to order so I take it. The man tells me he wants two sandwiches. Then the second lady tells me she needs a separate ticket and wants another sandwich and then finally a third lady wants an appetizer.

So I put it back and have my security guy go give them their tickets and collect the money because I was busy making drinks. He comes back and tells me that the man said he ordered for the second lady and that she wasn't supposed to have a ticket at all. Funny, because she specifically told me she wanted a separate ticket. So now it's my fault that they decided to NOT communicate and order one sandwich twice. Seriously if you're going to order for someone it would be a good idea to tell them so that the other person doesn't order for herself. They will only pay for one of the sandwiches and now I have an extra sandwich on my hands.. plus an over ring on my register.

The best thing is that even though I go through all that trouble for them.. they don't tip a cent. Next time I am working a party I will tell them that I am not paid to be their waitress because I certainly don't work for free.

At one point, someone decided to take charge of our cd player since the music from the main bar does not go into the private bar. She decided to become a music diva. She was at the cd player about every five minutes either changing the cd, switching a song or changing the volume. It was very annoying.

At about 11 everyone started packing up and heading out and I was scheduled to go on the main bar. Well, a group of about ten people decided to play who can stay up the longest and sat in the private bar until close. Between 11 and 1 am I made them only two rounds. So that equates to a lot of sitting around and very little tips. I have never been so bored.

So instead of moving inside the main bar and making seventy bucks I got to sit in the private bar and make about 7 in those two hours. It sucked.