Hearts and Flowers

Okay, I now understand why a large percentage of the population hates Valentine's Day.

If you've been recently hurt or you're recovering from a broken heart - well, it just plain sucks.

You are subjected to watching people around you get showered with gestures of love and romance while you are more and more aware that you are alone.

I bought Taylor a bagful of Valentine's gifts ranging from candy to a card to a stuffed animal to some girly items like lipglosses and body spray scented like cotton candy.

She felt bad because in her excitement to write out Valentine's day cards for her classmates, she had nothing to give me in return. It was okay. It stung just a little since I sort of thought she'd be my only Valentine, but I can't really expect that of her.

I have a card and candy for Brad too, not romantic, but more friendly. I know he won't have anything for me either, and that's alright.

The only way to survive this holiday is by working it. Tonight should be insanely busy at work and I'll be ticked if I make less than $150. I'm in a station on the patio where you would think that the cooler weather might keep people away but you would be surprised how many people will sit there and shiver instead of waiting an hour for a table. Unlike inside where you run a 3-table station, outside I can have up to 10 tables at a time.

The average check for 2 is about $45 - 55. The average tip is $8 - $10. I can flip a table in about an hour if they're slow pokes. Imagining I hold about 8 tables an hour...I should earn about $60 an hour and work a 4.5 hour shift.

In an attempt to distract myself - let's revisit restaurant ettiquete, shall we?

• If you have a small child and decide to eat out it's up to you to control the little darling. Don't let your child kick the waitress (as happened last night) and understand that your screaming brat annoys my other tables. At the end of the meal, when it's time to tip, they only remember that they had a miserable dining experience and my tip reflects it. Likewise, don't let the brat shred paper, crayons or throw my sugar packets around. I don't have time to clean up after your child. When Brad and I used to take Taylor out we always had something to occupy her. A small toy, a handheld video game...something!
  
• Tipping. 15% is no longer the norm. If I get less than 20% on a table I am annoyed. Unless I treated you like shit then you have to remember that I busted my ass for an hour to make sure you had everything you needed while juggling 3-4 other tables.
  
• Eat and leave. I can't make money with you sitting there for 3 hours after you have paid your check. Unless you are going to leave me 3x the tip you need to get your ass out. There's 40 people waiting in the lobby and I can't serve any of them while you're parked in my large booth making small talk. Notice how those drink refills stopped after you paid? We're done!
  
• Do not hand me plates while I am clearing your table for you. I am balancing 18 lbs of dishes and you handing me extra bread plates with 45 pieces of silverware on top is not going to end well. There's a great chance I'm going to lose the balance and it's going to end up on you.
  
• I don't cook your food. When it takes 20 minutes for you to get your well-done steak you can stop glaring at me. Perhaps you didn't notice the 400 other people in the restaurant?
  
• Pay with a credit card. We love that. When you give us cash, we have to make change for you out of our pockets which means we have to stop what we're doing and dig through our pockets and purses for the $47.89 change we owe you.
  
• Comps!!! Okay - here's a major one. When something is not perfect and you complain...the steak is undercooked, the broccoli was overdone our managers will take it OFF your bill for you because we really do want you to be happy. Just because you had a $28 steak taken off your check, leaving a $19.36 balance to pay does NOT mean it's okay to tip us 15% of $19.
  

Thankfully, most of my tables have class. Other than the obnoxious children I tend to get great tips. My average tip is about $15-$20. When a manager comps a check - even the ENTIRE check - I still get a great tip. In fact, often when a large check is entirely comp-ed, the table leaves me a bigger tip since the meal was free. I like that.

Moving on...

Jeff and I are at a Mexican standoff of sorts. I have information that I could send to his girlfriend that would prove he has lied to her thousands of times in the last few months and he has my furniture and is legally the owner of my truck. I REALLY wish I had the truck in my name and my stuff back because making his life a living hell would thrill me to pieces.

My budget remains on track and I am looking at houses on Saturday. I keep hoping that moving will cure me of all my problems.

I still have to admit that other than the body aches and exhaustion - I love my 2nd job. There is never a dull moment and I am 'on the go' the entire night. Even better I can see the immediate results in cash tips that I take home each night. It also makes me appreciate a day off 100x more even if I just lie down in my bed for an hour to watch tv after taking care of Taylor.

I am working about 80 hours a week and earning a double income. All told, I earn nearly $60,000 a year with both jobs. For the first time in my life, my bills are paid and I have extra money in my bank account that is in the FOUR digit range! Sure, it's being saved to move, but it's there. Once I move, that extra money will be scarce. I'll be budgeted to the penny, but I will have the freedom of my own space.

I hope I find a place with a GREAT bathtub so I can soak in a warm bubblebath at the end of the day. The idea of a candlelit bathroom with a fragrant warm tub full of bubbles and a glass of wine sounds like bliss right now.