Precise and Perfectly Placed

Thursday, January 30, 2020; 0407

Yup. You read that time correctly. I would have thought that I would have slept differently last night. Between the 10 hour day on my feet and the previous night of little sleep, I would have thought for sure I’d be sleeping all night long. But, when I got home, Hoagie was all wound up and then ‘Jim’ stopped down for a quick visit. So, I stayed up instead of going right to bed, which is what I thought I was going to do. As for his morning...I can not explain that at all. 

Yesterday was...well...a day. It wasn’t bad. I could even call it a good day, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. My morning moved along just as I needed it to. I was able to get myself all situated and ready for the day, put the laundry away, and get myself a little prepared for today and even a bit for tomorrow. 

Then, it was off to work I went. 

It wasn’t bad. Even for a longer day. This is why I wanted a job like this. Even when it’s a long day, or things might be slow, it goes by fairly fast and I can find ways to keep myself busy. 

Everyone I worked with yesterday seemed pretty alright. For the most part, anyway. One can gauge fairly quickly how certain relationships will go. For instance, there is the kid working in the restaurant. Now, I say kid, because I’m old and he’s like a early 20-something. He seems to be a store favorite. And, I wasn’t told anything one way or the other, but I believe he may be part of the management ‘team’ - such as a crew trainer or crew lead. He loved to be in and out of the office. 

Anyway, this dude has been giving me the stink eye since my first shift on Saturday, and all I did that day was sit in the office and watch movies. Maybe this is why I decided to watch hm a little more closely than I did the others. He knows his job. And, when he’s doing his job, he is quick. But, he doesn’t always do his job. Like I said, he likes to drift in and out of the office. He stands and leans quite a bit. And, he isn’t so good about cleaning up after himself. This is going to be a problem when I start running shifts. 

Or, there was the Assistant Manager. I am sure that off the clock she is a wonderfully sweet woman. But, we did not get off to a great start. It wasn’t a problem. Just a moment or two when she didn’t exactly address things in a professional, or positive, manner. We’ll find our groove...but we ain’t ever gonna be tight. 

Everyone else was pretty much exactly what I would expect to find. There were a couple of older ladies, who do this because they can and they gotta do something. You find this on every day shift everywhere. They’ll do their job - but only to a point. Each one comes with her own set of limitations and things she, “just won’t do.” Still, they are always friendly, willing to help out how and when they can, and are usually great with the customers. 

Actually, the two women that were there yesterday are women that I worked with 25 years ago. They didn’t remember me, and they only seemed familiar to me. I wasn’t in that restaurant very long - maybe a few months. But, we worked together and with all the same people. 

Then there is everyone else. For them it is a job because it’s a job. That’s all there is to it. It is the same ragtag handful of people that I have worked with over and over again in restaurants - only different names and different faces. They’re there because they need to be somewhere and this works. Some of them will try harder than others, really putting forth effort. But, most will always need direction and guidance. [And, then the manager needs to accept that things may or may not get done.] Overall, though, they are a good bunch of people, just trying to make a living. 

Then you always have one. 

There is always one that is just, even slightly, a cut above the rest. In this case, it would be the young woman who trained me yesterday. She is young. Again, maybe early 20s. But, she seems to have experience. I’m not talking about food service experience, though she does have that as well. I mean life experience. There is a ‘knowing’ on her. She’s chill and relaxed, but productive and committed. She is the type of employee that, under the right management, could become quite a manager herself. 

As for the work itself, it was what it was. As much as things stay the same, they change, I suppose. At the end of the day, it is the same business that I left 25 years ago. We are doing the same thing, with the same product, following the same basic routines. There are some new products now. Some of the systems have been tweaked. Some of the equipment has been switched out for more efficient units. But, all in all, it is the same thing. In fact, it was interesting to me just how quickly it started to come back to me. There were times it was hard for me to believe that it has been a quarter of a century. 

They put me up front and on register yesterday. It’s the perfect place to start everyone really. Over lunch I took some orders. The front line wasn’t that busy. So, I took orders when needed and in between I put the orders together, or what they call expedited. This is what came naturally. It’s how I spent the better part of two years. Once I got used to some of the newer systems I was hustling. I was able to predict trends - such as when to drop more product in the fryers. It may not sound like much but its actually an important thing. That’s how you keep from running out of shizzle. 

Beyond that it is what I would have expected it to be. I am going to need to keep myself in check. I must remind myself that I am not really looking for a career. I am here to get my feet back on the ground and my life balanced out. This will help me stay committed to working, but at the same time keep me detached from some of what I experience. 

People have different standards than I do. This isn’t really a bragging point as much as an observation. I have the standards that I do because of this company. My time with them before is what made me understand and appreciate the work needing to be done. I wouldn’t come to realize this for many years. When I left in 1996 I avoided food service for a very long time. So, I didn’t realize the impact that job had really had on me. It forged so much of me as a worker and as a manager. 

This was mostly due to the restaurant manager who I worked under. She was a hard ass and she didn’t take crap from anyone. You did it by the book, or you got out. And, I mean, everything by the book. It wasn’t just the customer service or the food preparation. That was a given. You had to do that the way it was said to do it. But, every system and routine was followed to the tee. Cleaning routines, maintenance routines, training systems. Everything was done precisely as it was supposed to be done. 

It was actually this job that taught me how possible that actually is. I had worked food service all of my working life up until that point. I dealt with the same systems over and over again. The menu changed, the name was different, but everything was the same. And, each of those jobs had an Operations Manual - The Book. 

We read The Book. We reference The Book. But, so very often, we don’t actually follow The Book. 

“It’s not possible to do that.”

“I don’t have time to do that.”

“It’s just better if we do it this way.”

There is always some explanation, some rationale, that dictates a different way. But, it was at this job that I learned not only can it be done but why it should be done. It is absolutely possible to follow the book and get it right - in the time allowed, doing it the way its supposed to be done. And, I do mean everything - the preparation, the service, the cleaning, everything. I did it for two years. I was part of the franchise’s corporate trining team. It was my job to do it and make sure it was getting done. 

My personal philosophy on the matter is that it is their company, not mine. The company is in business longer than I am alive. They have had time to test the waters and see what works. If this is how they say to do it, then it has been tested and it works. Also, though, they have a brand. That brand should be consistent at every location. The only way to do that is to follow The Book. 

Through conversations yesterday, I learned that my former restaurant manager, the one who made me the manager that I am, is working just down the road from the restaurant. I thought this was interesting. To not only find myself working for the same company 25 years later, but to actually engage my manager as well. I just find it so intriguing. 

Synchronicity. 

Here’s the other big thing that happened yesterday. 

As you may recall, I was coming into this job with absolutely no money. My concern, and my mission, was making enough money to get through until my first paycheck. Technically my second because that will be my first two week pay. I was trying some readings or reiki or whatever else I could find. I didn’t find work, but I did find a gift and that gave me what I needed to get over the first hump. 

I got myself settled and situated and caught up enough to get myself through until tomorrow. Saturday and Sunday would become my next hump. As of Tuesday night, I really had no clue what was going to come next, nor how I was going to see myself through. But, I did what I have learned to do through this process and I kept Faith and remained positive. 

As it turns out, the franchise I work for has arrangements with some pay system or another. I believe it is called Instant. So, you get this little orange envelope. Inside are paper instructions and a ‘Visa’ card. Once everything is activated [which should happen today if I understand correctly] the company will pay me half of each day’s wages the following day. So, basically, tomorrow I will receive half of what I earn today. Then, every two weeks, I receive the balance f such, minus support deductions and taxes. 

This is definitely good for Right This Moment. Having money in my accounts, when I need it, has been my concern for the next few weeks. Once I get to that second paycheck, things will be a little more fluid. But, everything I need to take care of comes due between paycheck 1 and paycheck 2. This allows me to keep funds around. 

Assuming all gets activated and off and running today - I will receive a little bit of money each day until Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday I will receive none because I am off on Monday and Tuesday. But, by Thursday it will be rolling again and I will receive funds every day until the following Monday. Plus, next Friday is payday number 1. 

It will be tricky. I will have to manage myself and mind my Ps & Qs. But, I think I can use this system to my advantage for a little while. Maybe get through several pay cycles like this. At least two or three. This will not only help me make sure that I have funds when I need them, but will also aid me in continuing to keep my Day by Day mindset and practices. 

For instance, I will receive money tomorrow. I also have off tomorrow. So I will take care of business tomorrow. I’l double check my groceries and such to make sure that I have what I need to get through until my next day off on Monday. [And, this is only because the two days in between are 10 hour days.] I will stop for gas tomorrow night. I won’t need much, but I will fill the tank so it is done. I won’t drive much on Saturday and Sunday and that way I know I am all set for whatever MOnday turns out to be. Basically, I won’t spend much money this weekend. I already known I’ll get by on the food I have. I may need to just pick up a few odds and ends. 

This is good, because I also need to look ahead just slightly. My phone bill is due next week. Originally, I thought it would be withdrawn on Friday of next week. For whatever reason, every so often, they move the due date up a day. I was originally paying this on the 14th of the month. In December it was the 9th or the 8th that it was due. So, I planned on the 7th. I figured this was perfect because that would also be payday. However, I calculated incorrectly, apparently, because the bill comes due on the 6th. Go figure. However, now I will be able to have that money no matter what. And, even better, supposing I spend my last dollars paying that bill on Thursday, it just so happens that I will also get a little bit of pay from Wednesday. 

It All Comes Out in the Wash.

The other thing about utilizing this pay system is that it will help support my previously stated mission. First, it will help keep me committed to working. Work today, pay tomorrow? Yup. That can motivate me to do just about anything. Second, it will help keep me detached. It will help affirm my mindset that, for me, this is no different than anything else I do. I am merely doing a gig, donning a particular hat, in order to make some income. It’s going to function so similarly to some of those gigs now - work today, pay tomorrow. You have witnessed me manage as much several times along the way, Fellow Travelers. So, this is no different. 

Overall, I feel pretty good. I mean, my back is slightly tender this morning, but I feel good. Whatever is happening right now is perfect. I just need to do my best to work it properly. The Job is a piece of it. The gigs are still a piece of it. The ministry is a piece. The crafting a piece. This Blog is definitely a piece of it all. This is the current puzzle of My Life. It is my current belief that, when assembled correctly, this will all build The Rabbit Hole. 

Until tomorrow Fellow Travelers...Peace and Blessings.