New years highs and lows

I spent my first New Years -in what seems like a lifetime- on the customer side of the bar. And I spent the first night out -in what seems like a lifetime- at a bar other than the one I worked at. The result was obviously slower service and less people to mingle with.

The martini bar offset slow service with a good attitude, which was refreshing. It's nice to be smiled at and hearing thank you after leaving a tip. I always did those things as a bartender (well not so much the smiling but I was like twenty times busier than this bar was.. but definitely the thank you. No matter how busy I was I always thanked someone for a tip.)

Having less people to mingle with was actually a good thing. At the college bar pretty much every person knows you from you serving them, especially after you've worked there for a few years. You don't have time to enjoy the conversations with the people you've ventured to the bar with. In fact, usually they move on with the rest of your group while your stuck back chatting with a customer. I'm not sure why the customers feel the need to stop you and talk to you. It's like .. I spend enough time dealing with you when I'm at work.. please let me enjoy my night off by talking to the people that I choose to talk to. So, it was nice being able to chat with the group I came with.

After midnight we ventured over to college bar (my previous employer) and I realized why I hate bars. I'm so used to being protected by the the rotting green tile that I forgot what it was like on the other side of a crowded bar. People think that they can touch you as you pass them. People think that they can creepily come up and talk to you like they are your new bff. Without the rotting green square of protection I felt naked and vulnerable. And I didn't like it one bit.