Party Tables

I wandered into my shift last night in a pretty good mood. I was excited to have a break from the mind-numbing boredom I was experiencing in the library trying to get all five assignments accomplished (at a decent, fourth year university student standard) and was equally excited to be eating some chicken drenched in barbeque sauce before my shift and being able to work with my bestie (with whom I only share the saturday night shift with these days).

On arrival I noticed my section and this quickley disappeared when I noticed that I would be serving a party- of 25 people (including three high chairs. lame). I went and checked out my section. It looked something like this:

Only a slight exaggeration.

This would be my only table tonight. Though it was a relief to not have to juggle something like that with other tables the matter still remained- I was probably going to walk out of here without any tips, parties are generally assholes. And seeing as the government is still screwing me around after seven weeks of promised youth allowance, I was planning on surviving on my tips until my next paycheck which is wednesday. And today is saturday. So I wasn't happy.

The table were actually really nice, but I would be lying if I said that they made it easy for me. Everytime I went over at least five people were after drinks and it wasn't just "Five cokes". It was "Two kids waters please, and a regular iced water- no ice. A big Tooheys New and a Crown Lager, and an Orange Juice and two lifts and a diet coke". Typically the Keg for Tooheys New ran out so their beers took forever, and the bar staff were having a hernia so pretty much everything took forever, except for the kids drinks.

Anyway, after getting all their meals perfect using my fool proof system (which almost failed me because I forgot to inform the kitchen that the four tickets I sent through at once were actually all from the same table. And when I tried to cover this up by grabbing the tickets and attempting to write on them, I accidently grabbed the other six tickets that had just been sent through. I basically just handed the Kitchen Manager about eleven tickets at once and then ran away before I could feel the back of house explode from the influx of meals they had to cook... at once), and pre bussing their table pretty much within five minutes of everyone finishing their meal I decided that I really wanted that tip... but I wasn't sure how to force it.

So I tried attaching a little note saying "Thanks for being great customers, I hope you come in again soon- J" complete with a little smiley face. Its translation was "I am totally kissing ass so you guys will tip me", and I really hoped they didn't read between the lines. But they didn't and they tipped me and about ten of the twenty five individually thanked me for the service.

Obviously my spirits fell when I saw what they had so kindly left behind for me.

And this (with a few rib bones, ripped up coasters and a broken pepper shaker) stretched on for miles.

But all in all it was a success. I now have money to buy enough sushi and caffiene to get me through the next couple days of politics essays and history exams. I was out of there by ten, in bed by twelve and I find myself again at the library, not doing my work and craving a couple hours where all I have to care about is how well your steak is cooked.

J