The Unknown in the Familiar

When I first moved to New York, my very first waitressing job and my first job in new york was at the restaurant that I worked at for 1.5 years before I decided to go to Cap21. When I decided to quit, I had all these mixed feelings because I knew I wanted to pursue acting, but I loved the people that I worked with. Plus, the social aspect of working at a restaurant doesn't parallel with any other job. I also felt like I was becoming a career waitress and feeling stuck in my art which is why I left to go to school. I left in July so I could have a break and fly to California for Ash's wedding (whose birthday is also today.) Then in August, the restaurant closed for the month of September to become a brand new restaurant with the same owners.

Friday was the opening day of this amazing place, and while a lot of the staff is coming back, they have hired new people which need to be trained. In the interim time, some of the "old timers" are coming back for guest appearances myself included. When I first said I'd do it, I thought that it would be great since I can't truly have a job while I'm at school, I can pick up a few extra shifts as need be. I didn't anticipate the effect working there would have on me. So, this week I have three shifts, and I'm very grateful for them because I need the extra funds no doubt. Today was my first two hour appearance, and I felt so awkward.

I knew that place like the back of my hand and everything was different. When it was busy, I moved around there like I was sleep walking. Don't get me wrong - I worked very hard, but it's a second nature to me. Then today the place looks the same and the table numbers are the same, but EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT. I felt like that old "remember when" conversation that people have when there is nothing else to talk about. I was trying to find something familiar in this completely new world.

Then I had these overwhelming "why did I leave" emotions flooding me because I was thinking about how comfortable I felt then compared to how extremely uncomfortable I felt today. I started feeling like everything around me was completely changing and I was just floating by never changing always being the same. Even catching up with some of my friends, I realized that so much has been going on that I am completely out of the loop on. I'm excited and a little anxious to work the next couple of shifts I have. I hope the uneasy feeling goes away.

I understand that life changes, but there is a reason the word.. "comfort"-able exists.

Someone is Always Crazier.

Working in the restaurant business has lead to meeting the strangest type of characters. For instance tonight green suite actor man walks into the restaurant and he promptly sits at the bar. Luckily, I didn't have to serve him, but I got to hear his stories first hand from my friend - the bartender. He orders a drink and pulls his wad of 1 dollar bills crumpled up in his pocket and spends at least 10 minutes counting out 9 dollars. During this transaction, he asks her where she is from. Discovering her hometown once simply was not enough. In her return he asks her again and she politely reminds him that he already asked her. We then find out that he has short term memory problems and wants to know what film we last saw him in. Averting all interaction with crazy mccrazyson, we hang out at the other end of the bar. At some point I had to go into the kitchen to run food out to my tables. I walk by and he grumbles after me "how can she not recognize me. "

crap.

I knew I had to walk by him again and there was no way around it. This time he stopped me with a barking sound that I think resembled a hello. He mumbled at me and I couldn't understand so I awkwardly chuckled and ran away. The bartender then informed me that he was filming a movie today so his mumblings must have something to so with preserving his voice. Clearly, he over used it in the shoot this afternoon

My favorite type of crazy is the cheating sex couple that always seem to come in while I'm working.

This girl came in once at the beginning of my shift and told me that she was waiting for someone. The middle aged hunched over balding man came into the restaurant soon after. I'm a little unclear if this start to their evening was a staged get away from work followed by a staged entrance into the restaurant like no one there would notice they were sitting together. In fact, it was impossible to advert your eyes from this particular couple. From the start they sat super close to each other which is fine but after the third beer in the necking began. I'm not talking about a cute hi- honey -I -love -you -I'm -going -to -show -you- how-much-I- love- you. It's more like -the -disgusting- shoving -tongue- down- her- throat- which- I'm -sure- caused- drool- to -stream-down- her- face- I- wanna- throw -up -in- my -mouth- type of necking. I am not exaggerating when I say that at one point she was standing between his sitting legs and he was starting to caress her chest with his mouth at least the part of her chest that was showing in her low cut blouse. I refused to go over there and serve them because I was scared of what I'd really see if I went over there. I thought maybe if I didn't serve them they would leave. Every once in awhile, he would call out to me from across the room. He didn't want me over there just as much as I didn't want to go over there. I noticed that they both each wore wedding rings and they obviously weren't married to each other because any normal sensible couple would have spared the rest of the people in the joint and gone home to their house and played restaurant. There are plenty of hotels in new York and fat annies isn't one of them. When he finally asked for his check he asked me how much. I replied - for the food or the show? Ok fine. I didn't say that but I really really wanted to.

How do these people look at themselves in the mirror the next day? At the very least it makes for good entertainment. Next time I'll speak of the ones who try and hit on the waitress.