Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Rookie

I survived day one of my return to food service. It was only a 4-hour "training" shift and it felt like forever...I'm just not used to standing continuously for that long. I am weak. 

I tried my best not to be in the way. I fumbled through many cash register transactions. I slammed my finger in the bakery case so hard that I was positive I must be gushing blood all over the fancy French pastry (I wasn't). But my personal favorite was when I was sent out to light all the candles that sit on the tables (apparently 2 p.m. is the romance hour there) and I nearly burned the place down. Seriously, the stir stick my manager instructed me to use turned into a torch and when I attempted to blow it out, I scattered smoldering bits of stir stick on myself and the foliage...I actually pondered whether that would make a good enough story as to make it worth getting fired on my very first day. Alas, the fire department did not need to be called. 

I'm trying really hard to be positive about this job. To find a way to enjoy it...or, at the very least, not hate it. You can't go to a job where you barely make enough to cover groceries and let yourself completely hate it or you will drive yourself nuts. And I have enough stuff to drive me nuts already. But...

Well, when I asked my manager if there was any kind of performance review schedule (I know, I'm an idiot, but I was wondering), she looked at me like I was crazy and told me that people don't usually stick around long enough to get raises. Oh! I smiled, Okay, then!

Best-selling-novel-set-in-a-bakery, I'm coming for you...you are my only hope. 

2 comments:

Kevin said...

And, if your soon-to-be novel isn't incentive enough... think of all the "sampling" (a.k.a. stealing) you're going to do! I mean, how can you SELL a fancy pastry if you haven't TASTED it at least a dozen times.

Danny and Maggie said...

YES the novel is definitely the big-picture reason why you're working there. Hang in, the stories will be priceless...take it from a former Italian restaurant hostess/schmo who worked there way past her prime.