nothing new

(this is going to be a long and elaborate post and i am not offended if you start skim reading.)

yesterday i had the 2-?? shift. that usually means that they hold off the cleaning until lunch is almost over, then they haul you in to (fill in random annoying job here). yesterday it was lugging the empty beer bottles to the garage and sorting them into brown, clear, green or creemore bottles. then the coronas have to be in a separate box because their necks are taller - same goes for the green steamwhistle bottles. creemores are fat and sit eight in a box...you get the picture.

one time ryan was sorting them and he found at least three cockroaches in each bottle, a little drunk (oh, who am i kidding - a lot drunk) on the leftover swigs at the bottom. he didn't realize until he got to the clear ones. luckily for me, that really only happens in the winter.

anyway, the whole time i am cursing my life because i think i am in until 9 or 10. this is father's day so the shifts are pretty bizarre. i got to work with laura until 4, then it was two hours until ryan was in to help for crazy father's day dinner. at least that's what i thought.

i finished with the bottles and there were only five tables, so i started setting up for dinner. there is resetting the tables, stock (usually pretty light at lunch), the specials board (one for the patio, one over the bar and one upstairs), cutlery (polish...polish...polish), wine glasses, ice, lemons, limes, switch the menus and pick up any straggling tables while the waiters do their cash out.

then matt says, "ryan knows he's not on tonight, right?". well considering that the last thing i said to ryan was see you at six, no i think he has no idea. bummed that i was that ryan would not be joining us that night, i was still happy that i could call and give him the news. he was probably at home doing a happy dance.

anyway, then matt says something crazy like, i'm going to send laura home because i have to keep you for the minimum three hours (in case nobody knows, if you get sent home from work because it's slow, you get paid for at least three hours just for coming in). did he just say that? am i...going to be off tonight?

(here i want to stop for a second because i don't want to give the impression that i'm not grateful for my job. i know they are giving me a lot of hours and i would be complaining if they weren't, but there are some days, like yesterday when you would rather be at home watching x-files dvds. you take the time off when you can get it.)

i just assumed that 2 would be a ridiculously late time to start me just for lunch, so i was probably in it until dinner slowed down. how on earth did ryan and i both manage to get the night off after both being scheduled? i would just like to thank whomever was responsible (or irresponsible) for short-staffing us on father's day dinner.