frustration – It's Been Real!

Because I Don’t

Remember when I said that I was going to have that talk with that stupid girl who pissed me off when I went into work on Tuesday night? Well… that talk didn’t happen (yet). The reason being was by the time I got there, my doctor had started a procedure and I didn’t want to miss anything. I put my gloves, safety glasses, and mask on, and went right back to his operatory. She was sitting at her side of the desk when I arrived, but I didn’t have the time to acknowledge her existence.

I came up to the front desk a little later to check to see if the next patient had arrived. That was when I said hi to my former trainee, but ignored her. I didn’t really have the time to talk her/was too happy to ruin my evening by talking to her. After she left, I asked my trainee if she commented on my ignoring her. She said that the stupid woman had asked if I was mad at her. Really? You haven’t been told yet?

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that none of the girls have told her how she screwed up my plans and how pissed I was by that. I am very surprised the tongues have not been wagging at the lunch table or in the chart room. I guess everyone figured I wanted to be the one to burst her happy/naive bubble. I wonder if she’ll try to corner me tonight when I come in? Possibly. She’ll ask if there is a problem between us, and I’ll have to explain in simple terms that… yes… there is in fact a problem. I’ll interrogate her, ask her if anybody did whisper anything while I was gone, and if not, I’ll just shine the lamp in her face and do it myself. If she gets upset by my honesty, then she can cry me a river and build a bridge over it. Because the water isn’t under mine yet.

And on that note, it’s been real!

It’s Back to Work! On Labor Day?

Okay, first of all, this was not for Labor Day, this was for this past weekend when I went back to my restaurant after having been off for two weeks. The first night was the night from hell, as I suspected it would be. One of the servers was late, so she lost most of the tables in her section to everyone else. We were down a person behind the bar, and then every living creature under the sun wanted to sit in every other spot but the one where I needed to put them. I was basically running around like a mad person. My head hurt, and my back ached terribly by the end of the night, and I only rewarded myself with one drink at the bar when it was all said and done.

On Saturday night, things were a little easier. I was still mumbling things under my breath with people were being difficult. I tend to say things like:

You will sit here and you will like it.
Just walk by me; I dare you.
You ignore me; it’s a two way street, honey.
(They say, “I’m sorry.”) Me: No, you’re not.

It’s actually little phrases like that that wind up keeping me calm when I want to scream at them and tell them what big idiots they are. My therapist actually recommends it, in place of physical violence ;). In fact, I recommend it everyone. If there is somebody or everybody who is pissing you off, just say something really nasty about them under your breath, and you’ll be fine a second later. Good therapy!

Anywhoo, I hope that everyone here has a wonderful Labor Day that is labor free.

And on that note, it’s been real!

She Probably Knows

Alright, so I stopped in at my office partially to say ‘hello’ and partially to get a copy of a certification so I could avoid doing a stupid three hour test at school later this year or next year. My manager and one of the doctors, the billing lady, and two hygienists greeted me as I entered the downstairs office. I gave them a little update on schooling (I had only been in for three days), and asked for the copy of the certification. We talked and told some jokes, before my replacement receptionist came down. She and I hugged and talked (she wants to hang with me because I’m so cool), then she had to go back upstairs to work.

While I was there, I was a little worried the other receptionist (the one who screwed me over) would come down and try to greet me. Thankfully, she didn’t. I texted the one hygienist who had been in the office, and asked her if she had known I was there. She responded by saying the b*tch hadn’t known I was there the entire time. She apparently also asked if I had come upstairs at all.

Um… no, I didn’t come up because I didn’t want to see you! I know that we will have to talk eventually if we are to work together when I come back; and one of the hygienists said we had to talk. However, I want the talk to be on my terms. Those terms are as follows:

No buffer. No manager or doctor, or anybody else to stand between me and the woman, who has been such a pain in my *ss.
She does not get a word in edgewise until I’ve said my peace. And I’ve got a peace to say.

And my actual terms of the talk are:

She and I are not friends. She does not try to be buddy-buddy with me. If she does, I will guillotine her.
Our relationship is strictly business. She hands me things, I hand them back. She tells me when patients are here, and does not ask me for help. WITH ANYTHING!
She does not ask about me on a personal level. She tries to find out anything about me, what I’m doing, or how school’s going, she will hear from me (on a nuclear level).
She does not ask me to cover shifts for her. I don’t care if her daughter ‘has’ a dance recital, or her son ‘has’ a baseball game; she’ll have to ask my replacement, or miss it.

Sounds harsh, I know; but as I have said before, I’m not a forgiving person. I had to put all my plans on hold because she had lied and gone on a practically three month vacation. On a scale of 1 – 10, how high do you think my tolerance is for her right now? Negative numbers. Already, she is going to have to (if she’s still at the office), work the entirety of the Christmas break by herself! I’m not coming in, her replacement is going back to her home state, and my manager and the billing lady want some time off as well. So, as the old proverb says, “Sink or swim!”

And on that note, it’s been real!

Restaurant Rules of Conduct

Now, this is friendly advice for those who are uninitiated in the ways of service in the restaurant business. For those of you who read this and have worked in a restaurant, you know what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t, you’re about to be educated. There are many things that can annoy hostesses and servers alike. I will point these out so that the next time you go to a restaurant, you can NOT do that.

Restaurant Rules of Conduct:

Sit where the hostess puts you. Easy one, right? NO! Duly note that whenever you walk into a restaurant, the hostess has a seating plan, so that every server can get approximately the same amount of tables and make some money. A hostess is not blind. If you are an older couple, she will try to put you at a lower table so you have easier access. It just might not be in that exact spot you want to sit in. Shut up and sit down.
Don’t apologize. That is not what you think it is. When I say ‘don’t apologize’, I don’t mean ‘don’t apologize for who you are’. I mean ‘don’t apologize for being difficult’. Cause if you really didn’t want to be difficult, you wouldn’t be difficult in the first place. So, when you countermand the hostess and ask to move to five different tables, don’t say, “I’m sorry for being difficult.” You know why? Because the hostess is muttering to herself, “No, you’re not.” Because… you really aren’t.
The music is fine. Whenever you walk into a restaurant, look around and gauge what type of crowd mostly inhabits this theme of restaurant. That being the case, don’t adjust the volume. To be fair, most restaurants aren’t designed to cater to the older people; they are there to cater to the younger crowd. So, with that thought in mind, don’t ask your server to turn the music down. The music is at the volume it should be. If you want to eat in a place where you control the volume, stay home. You’ll be doing the rest of the world a favor.
Table hopping. F*ck NO! There was one night when I was food running, and I kept bringing the food to the wrong table. I thought it was me at first, until the servers all told me that it wasn’t, and that people would sit down, order their food there, then decided they wanted that table over there. Please! Don’t do that. Not only is it rude to the server, it is inconvenient for the foodrunner. Plus, it throws the hostess out of whack, especially if she was about to seat that table, and you slide over like a jerk.
Respect reservations. When it comes to reservations, my restaurant only takes parties of six or larger, because anything smaller is stupid. I’m glad we do that, because then on weekend holidays or stuff like that, our entire restaurant doesn’t get booked by reservations, and we can take a couple of walk ins. But, as a hostess, I have had some people say, “I want to sit there.” Me: “Oh, that’s reserved.” Cue the crickets… “But I want to sit there.” Does my previous statement not compute for you? I once almost got into a confrontation with a high schooler, who thought she was something special. “But, we’re here now.” Me: “I can’t put you there because it’s reserved.” “But, I’m here now.” Somebody bring me a table so that I can smash my forehead off it repeatedly, please?
Cleanliness is close to godliness. It never ceases to amaze me how messy full grown adults can be. I’ll clean up a table and find so much stuff smeared on it and napkins and food on the floor, I try to remember if I sat kids there. Then I remember that it was a bunch of adults, who all probably had a little too much to drink, and decided to throw manners out the window. Now, maybe I’m saying that because I’m very conscious of what people think when I eat in public, but I don’t think other people think that way. If you spill something or drop sauce on the table, wipe it up and ask (politely) for another napkin. The person cleaning the table when you leave (me), will be very grateful if you eat like a human being instead of an animal.
Waiting for a table? Wait patiently. If there is one thing that irks a hostess, it is impatient patrons. You have to understand that a waiting list can be a vague thing because the hostess does not know down to the exact second, when people are going to get up and vacate a table. They are estimating when they give you a wait time, and that also depends on when the tables were seated. I’ve had people come in and when I tell them there’s a wait, they say, “Well, I called here ten minutes ago, and they said there wasn’t a wait.” You have to try to comprehend that a lot of tables can be sat in ten minutes, and all at the same time. This means that by the time you haul your ass over, they are all gone, and I am putting you on a wait. And wait patiently for goodness sake! Don’t walk up every five minutes and ask where you are. You know why? Because I’m standing there smiling, but it’s because I’m imagining what your face would look like after I’ve punched you in the throat a couple of times.

So there you have it! Those are the restaurant rules of conduct for you to follow the next time you go out for an evening of food, music, conversation, and alcohol!

And on that note, it’s been real!

(Not) The Last Day

Okay, so I know I mentioned last week that there had been something going on in my day job that seriously messed with me. Well, now seems an appropriate time to spout because today is. Now, today is only August 2nd, which, unless it’s your birthday (happy birthday, BTW), it’s not special. But, it would have been special to me. It would have been special because it would have been my last day at work. I was having an elective procedure this upcoming Friday, so I needed the time off to heal up before I go back to school for Dental Assistant, EFDA. I originally had three weeks after the surgery, and now, I only have one week.

Why?

Because the other woman is away, and my leave got cancelled. However, I already had my plans set before her, I just didn’t have clearance from my HR department to go on leave. She got the okay to go, and went. Something about a sick mother, and I had to stay behind and cover for her. However, the idiot then posts pictures of her and her family at a resort in Bali for a week. Then other fun pictures pop up, and I cry foul. However, my HR department aren’t going to do anything until she gets back.

So, today would have been my last day. Now, it’s just another work day. How depressing is that?

And on that note, it’s been real!

Shocking Sunday/Manic Monday

What’s up?! Monday came and went! I know I was supposed to have something at noon today, but yesterday was a bad day, and definitely NOT how I wanted my Sunday to go. First, I got a whole bunch of texts from my mom about what to pull out of our freezer for dinner. “This meat, that meat, and the other meat.” Our freezer is literally stocked with so much meat, one would think that we were feeding the Wildling army. Anywhoo!

After the texts from my mom, I drank two cups of coffee too late in the morning (I slept in), and was vibrating all afternoon. That, coupled with my brother was making me wait when he said he needed me and I had an errand to run, made my heart rate/blood pressure go through the roof. Once I was finally done assisting him with manually backing our dad’s stick Mazda3 under the deck, I had to drive to the liquor store. Hey! I earned it!

Almost home, my ‘check tire pressure’ light went on and the terrifying beeping began. My heart started racing and I had to take the care to pump up the tires. Tires are pumped, but the light is still on. AHHHH!!!

After that, I got home and had to start making dinner, but certain ingredients were going bad, and it made me worry about how dinner would be received by those eating it. Trust me when I say that pouring myself a glass of wine was one of the best decisions I made yesterday.

Today, I was just depressed thinking about work, and how my personal leave had been cancelled because the other girl is out of the office. It was just one of those days. The only redeeming quality about it, was the fact that time actually did seem to fly. Now, I am home, drinking some sangria, about to continue Kong: Skull Island with my baby sister. Yeah…

I guess things could be worse right now.

And on that note, it’s been real!

The Mail Must Go Through!

So, yesterday I get home from work after going out for a few refreshing drinks and a chat with the receptionist that I am training, and I found a letter for me from a possible source of information for my current historical project. I had written to him a couple of weeks ago, and actually thought that he would not respond (being a busy man and all). The letter was from him personally, and even though he did not grant me (directly) the information I sought, he did give me two leads to follow.

Since I decided to take on this novel, I have already met many brick walls that have been thrown up in my path. Not deliberately, but inadvertently. For the sake of truth and historical accuracy, I still find myself seeking the same answers. I’m starting to hope against hope that I get the answers I am looking for. It is doubtless that they will (all) show up in my novel, but I would like to put something at the end with all their names. Just the names of 147 men, who died defending their faith and the city they were charged with protecting. Sounds easy, right?

NOT!

And on that note, it’s been real!

Wake up its…! Tuesday?

Okay, let’s be honest here… Tuesday shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Monday is the problem. Right? In my world, both can be a challenge. Monday, I’m the first one in the office (dental, in case you were wondering) and I make sure everything is done to my liking (see previous post for picture details). I have everything ordered and hope to a higher power that everything goes according to plan. Seven times out of ten, that doesn’t happen! I leave on Monday late afternoon, thanking God that I didn’t gut a patient, or strangle a coworker (depends on the coworker).

Tuesday, I work till close, so I don’t have to come in till later. Refreshing, one would think. I could sleep in if I wanted to, but I’ve things to do and places to be. I’m up before 8:00, out the door around 9:00, eating breakfast by 9:10, then running errands till 11:00. My shift got bumped up from 12:00 so I could train a new girl, and she is a gem, BTW.

Before her, I was working with another woman. Now… she leaves much to be desired. She’s slow on the uptake, doesn’t do anything like I tell her to do it, and leaves everything else for me to handle. She’s really what I’m talking about when I say I want to strangle a coworker. Right now, she’s yucking it up in Indonesia on FMLA (loosely put). I will not miss working with her when she gets back, as my position will be changing. But, back to Tuesdays. Tuesdays, I come in, and everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Mountains of paperwork need to be done, charts put away, and messages taken off the machine. All in a days work for Wonder Woman! UGH! The new girl is still new, but better at taking orders. Things are quickly under control, and I can breathe for all of five minutes. And, she doesn’t make excuses for why stuff wasn’t done. The first woman, on the other hand…

“Oh! The phone was ringing off the hook!”

“Oh! So many patients asking so many questions!”

Why not just say, “Oh! I’m so worthless, I can’t do anything by myself!” That’s an answer I would believe. Well, I hope that everyone else’s Tuesdays go a lot better. Do you have a coworker you want to throw through the window? How do you handle a person that dense?

And on that note, it’s been real!