kerewin's whine cellar

Chu, Chu, Chu, Chu, Changes

When you work in a restaurant, during busy, stressful times, the front of the house tends to get a bit snippy. A little bit is understood and later, when all is relaxed and quiet, no one gives it a second thought. However, there are times when it goes overboard and an apology is required. Since I am a pretty controlling person, I am usually the one giving the apologies later.

I try to go out of my way to apologize, if need be, or praise and thank my staff for doing a good job in bad times. As the manager/host/wine buyer I end up being the lynch pin for the restaurant. I watch the tables, and step in where needed. This has led to a certain dependence of the servers. Perhaps they abuse this right a little. Now that I am in my last week at the restaurant, I can see how much I spoiled them. (Side note: Is that possible? Shouldn't you always be willing to help when it is needed? Just because someone isn't running around like a chicken with their head cut off doesn't mean that making an espresso here or there wouldn't be helpful....right???)

One of my servers in the last couple weeks has been particularly snippety. When I try to gauge if she is somehow pissed at me, or overloaded in her life, nothing comes up. Later, during the off hours she is perfectly sweet.

So this server, J, worked last night. It was a fairly slow night, so I called off the busser. Now, it never really got busy. But there was a point where 3 of J's tables were about to leave and she got tense. I helped out where possible as well as the other server who was on. She didn't seem to feel much gratitude for this action and it kinda pissed me off. This is the conversation I wanted to have with her, but just had in my head, instead.

"So, I have noticed you have been very tense with me lately and I want to clear that up. Am I setting too many of your tables? Bringing out bread too much? Helping you serve wine? Running your food? Just say the word, because whatever it is that I am doing too much of, I want to stop."

M.P.Qs. #12, 11, 9

1. What's your favorite country to visit?
• England, pretty much. It is my own, private Idaho. I go somewhere else and somehow end up there.
• 2. Where and when was your favorite vacation?


• When we went to Salzburg for our honeymoon in Fall 2001. The city is just beautiful and we had the most wonderful time there. I highly recommend doing the Sound of Music Tour.
• 3. What is your dream vacation?


• Well, right now I am dreaming of Spain, which we are going to in October. However, I have always wanted to go to Australia, but haven't ever gotten around to that part of the world. Someday.
• 4. How do you feel about cruises?


• They aren't really for me. That's the ego-centric American way of travelling to other countries.

• 5. Do you take joy in packing light?


• I take joy in packing right. Considering I was in Argentina for 11 weeks and took a mid-size backpack and a mid-size suitcase, I feel like I did pretty well there. Regardless of what Lilbit says, I think there is a certain joy to checking a bag (for long travel when there are lots of connections). On the other hand, if it is a weekend in cali........dude, walking off the plane with all your stuff is a beautiful thing.

Number 11

1. What is your favorite color?
• 2. What is your favorite thing about your home?


• 3. Things: collect, or throw out?


• 4. What was the first car you ever owned?


• 5. Do you balance your checkbook on a regular basis?

Number

1. What was the first computer system you remember using?
• I don't remember the model number or anything but it was a pretty basic apple, that had a command screen. I could make the cursor draw a house and trees, I could also do one of those annoying loops, the GOTO thing.
• 2. What chore did you have to do as a kid, that you loathed?


• Aside from the dishes, I hated watering the plants, and for some odd reason it was always my duty. I pretty much let them die before I got around to watering them.
• 3. Do you have any OCD traits?


• When I am reading I get this urge to clip my fingernails, and my mind won't let it rest until I do.
• 4. Since this is the reason that we are friends, how did you find Freeverse?


• I had some online friends who played a lot of cribbage on their PCs and they kept urging me to learn. So one day I was looking through the disc that comes with the MacAddict magazine and there was a cribbage version for the Mac. It even had a tutor and rules, I was addicted.

• 5. Online dating, pro or con?


• I haven't really delved into it, so it is rather hard for me to say. I think everyone should be allowed to do it if they want, but I don't think it is really for me.