Wednesday, September 19, 2007

ARRRRRR!!!!!

"Ahoy there, Matey! Can you do the Pirate Dance?
First you take your right cutlass and you cut off someones pants!
Next you take your left harpoon and you spear a little fish!
Then you take your pirate booty and you swish, swish, swish!"

My take on the otter dance(Dad and Kirsti know what I'm talking about). Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!! I think that I should talk like a pirate to all tables at work tonight. Do you think they would be impressed? Yeah, probably not.

But come join me, me harty, in celebrating this day by making yourn speech that of a buccaneers!

It is actually really hard to talk like a pirate when your vocabulary is so limited...sigh. I'm not even sure if "yourn' means "your". Oh well. I'm going to take a nap at the institute so I wont be dead at work tonight.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Stevens Survey

1. What song describes you right now? “Atlantic”-Keane

2. If you were a type/brand of alcohol, what would you be and why? Bud Light, because their commercials are brilliant.

3. When did you go to bed last night? 11:00pm

4. Preferred brand of bottled water? Any…I’m not a water snob.

5. Favorite photo with you in it? A picture of me, Ben, Erin, and Matt after our last Hickman concert.

6. TV channel you watch the most? SciFi, or USA

7. Favorite style of shoe? Casual tennis shoes

8. Most common color in your wardrobe? Blue and Black

9. Favorite flavor of gum? Tridents Apple Rasberry splash

10. What is your usual breakfast? Whats leftover in the fridge that’s good, or oatmeal

11. Favorite breakfast cereal? Life

12. Domino's, Pizza Hut, or Papa Johns? All of the above for different things

13. Best part of your day? Reading before bed time.

14. What do you do when you're bored? Read, watch random tv. Sometimes a movie, but that’s less frequent now that I don’t get free rentals.

15. McDonald's, Wendy's, or Sonic? McDonalds if I have no money, Wendys for their awesome food, Sonic for their drink options, corn dogs and onion rings

16. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? Harry Rings…

17. Hans Zimmer or James Horner? Zimmer all the way, baby

18. Who's worse- Brittany, Paris, or Lindsay? Why? Can’t…answer…have…to….*vomit*

19. How do you stay awake when driving late at night or when you're really tired? Sun flower seeds, or M&M’s something light for my mouth to do.

20.When was the last nap you had? Must have been last Wednesday before work

21. Favorite gameshow? Used to be the Price is Right. Now…I just don’t know anymore…*sob*

22. Favorite place you've lived? The blue duplexe only because it’s where I spent most of my childhood

23. Josh Grobin or Michael Buble? Bubble…I mean Buble

24. Sci-fi or fantasy? Movies or Books or TV Shows? Actually in everything they are pretty much equal in my sight.

25. If you were to be cooked, which spice would you use on yourself? Nutmeg, because it has the irresistible allure…not that I want to be irresistible…*cough*

26. Would you rather eat your own placenta (or wife's) or lick your firstborn child clean when he/she comes out? Okay, what the heck kind of question is that? There is no way that I am going to answer…but…must…answer…it’s a survey…AGH! Lick firstborn clean! There I said it!

27. Preferred pain reliever? MmmmIbuprofen

28. Favorite kind of juice? Crapple

29. Push-pins or thumbtacks? What’s the difference?

30. Favorite poet? I was conditioned in A.P. English to hate all poets…Please don’t make me break down another poem again!

First Experiences

I am at the point where I am tired of relating this story, but I feel like there are a few blog readers out there that would like to fume at this as much as everyone else.

So heres the deal. On one of my first nights At Bob Evans, I handled a couple that seemed nice enough. Both the man and the woman wanted Coffee and water and the man asked for a slice of Pumpkin pie(man I really want to carve some pumpkins.). Okay, so I was still new at the whole serving on my won thing. Apparently I didn't serve them as well as I could have. I think I forgot the womans water or something and then the pie was cold. Whatever. I apologized and figured that I would never see them again.

Friday night: The same couple comes in and are once again sat in my section. I greet them cheerfully. I ask what I can get them to drink.

Woman: I hope you can get it better than you did last time. You seemed to have problems with my coffee and water.

something to that effect. There was no gentle teasing in her voice showing that last time was forgiven. There was an unhappy malice to her words. My smile faltered for a brief moment, then shot back up. More forced than before.

Me:I'm sorry if there were problems last time. I'll try to get it right this time. Is that going to be all for you?

Man: I'll have the same and piece of Pumpkin pie. Heated, please.

I smile again and tell them I'll get that right out. At this point in the night, I have at least three other tables that I am trying to take care of. I had food and drinks to get out to them because they were first and I was already trying to juggle three tasks in one, so I put the coffee and water on hold for about 60 seconds. I helped my other people and as I made it back to the front to get the couple their coffee and water the shift manager Kathy comes up to me.

Kathy: Have you gotten table 33 their drinks yet?
(table 33 is the couple)
Me:I was just about to.
Kathy(a little distressed): these people are huge Bob Evans Regulars(said like it was a title). They like to get their drinks as soon as they come in before anything else.
Me: oh! I had no idea. I'll get right on it.

I make their drinks, get the man his pie and rush to their table. It couldn't have been 3 minutes since they sat down, and no more than two since I got their drink order. I give them their drinks and pie and with a more confident and natural smile than earlier ask if everything looks okay. The woman looks at me and gives me a sour false smile...

Woman: Oh, we'll see.

My smile falters again and I just nod my head

Me: Okay. Let me know if that pie is warm enough.

The man smiles at me. I go back to the front after checking on my other tables. Kathy looks at my expression of annoyance as I punch in their ticket.

Kathy: Let me take care of them for now.

Me: Gladly!

The incident left me in a little less of a good mood for the next several minutes. Then I got over it and was back to being happy.

Saturday. I was on a roll. Bill had just finished complimenting me on my excellent job at rising to the challenge of the 10's and 20' section. Telling me that he had heard nothing but good things about me all night. About 10 minutes after that in comes a man and a woman. I am punching in a ticket when I hear my name being said by the register. I hear the hostess say "sure, no problem". I look up and see the couple. I watch as Allison sits them in the section farthest from mine. When Allison came up to me I asked if they had asked not to be seated in my section. She nods her head and asks why. I just shrug. Bill, the ASM heard this exchange and looks at me, troubled.

Bill: I'll talk to you about this in a second.

He goes off to greet the couple. At this point, I'm exceedingly glad that they aren't in my section and I almost laugh my head off when Shelly(the girl who's section they got sat in) comes up to me and asks if I can take their table because she is really busy.

Me: Trust me. They don't want me to take them, I don't want to take them. They asked not to be in my section.

Bill comes up.

Bill: What did you do to Jade? Man, she's hammered. I really don't like that woman.

Me: I don't know. She just hates me for some reason. But hey, if she doesn't like me, I'm fine with never having to serve her again.

So I know that her name is Jade, she is drunk and that the ASM doesn't like her. Man am I glad that she hates me. Later Bill tells me that she told him she thinks I'm lazy. Apparently because they like to get their drinks 30 seconds after they come in and are offended if you try to ask them if they want to order before their drinks have been served. DRINKS FIRST DRINKS FIRST DRINKS FIRST!!! If you don't get their coffee and water out to them before they even sit down, you are automatically on their Bob Evans hit list. Whatever. They think I'm lazy because I helped someone before I get their drinks to them. Bill thinks they're full of crap. And besides, Bob Evans Policy # 1 is get hot food out of the window and to it eater. Policy two is greeting a new table. So is I have a table that needs food and another new table that has just been seated, I am going to fill my tray with table ones food and then make a short stop by table two to let them know I ill help them shortly and give them silverware. Mrs. I'll just have coffee and water will have to wait her priority turn.

So a few things. This was my first experience with a really obnoxious customer. I think I handled it well and I really just feel sorry for the woman and very very sorry for her husband.

I am not a mind reader. I am still somewhat new. I had no idea that they were regulars and had to get their drinks on their table before they even decide that they want to come to Bob Evans. And I like Stevens phrase. This woman is "Not Gods gift to Bob Evans" and has no right to treat people like they are worth nothing. Oh! And i never got a tip from her. Not out of any of the three times I served her. Not that I would get a lot out of two coffees and a slice of pie. But whatever. I will never have to deal with her again. And even though I will have bad customers in the future, I'm pretty sure none of them will be bad enough ever ask to not be in my section.

Anyway. Thats life. There you go. My first bad customer. WOOT!

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Downdate?

So update.

I am getting better and more confident when it comes to serving. But I still am not making amazing money and that only makes me a little worried. It mostly has to do with the fact that the managers don't want to scare me off and are giving me the slightly easier sections. I had my first 5-top. Not huge, but the most I have had to serve at a time. I think I did rather well, in my opinion. I am getting a long with my co-workers. Though the evening manager, the guy who hired me, has a tendancy to use "colorful metafores" (NAME THAT FILM!) giggle.

Classes are moving on. I can follow the material and that makes me feel good and confident about the semester. Puls I am not insanely bored with the lectures. Another good thing. That was my failing in Ornithology. Though I imagine that my Insect Diversity class is going to get a lot harder. I've already caught a mantis, a walking stick, a non descrpit beetle and a monarch butterfly...oh, and a moth. Not I just have to pin them up. Kirsti thinks that I am a terrible person. I bet if the bug was on her she wouldn't mind.

Oh well, life is getting into a groove and thats the way (uh-huh, uh-huh) I like it (uh-huh, uh-huh).

But there are uncomfortable things too. Why can't anyone feel this way about me? Yay for being vague! I became a master of this my High School Senior Year...ha...

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