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xiphiasFirst shift I'd had at the Commonwealth Lounge by myself, people came in ordering odd drinks, glamorous people wanted Cosmopolitans, stuff like that. I'd been told that the Comm Lounge is a really boring bar where nothing like that ever happens.
First shift I'd had at the Grill Bar by myself, I got tons of people coming in all at once and totally slamming me -- that never happens there.
So, I had my first Saturday night shift. Saturday nights are totally dead after ten o'clock, so you can start washing things down by ten, and start packing everything up by eleven, and you're totally done with your cleanup by midnight when the bar officially closes, and you can just leave then.
About 10:45 or so, I'd been washing all the glassware hanging in the rack (it gets washed and hung up to air-dry when things are busy, because you don't have time to do it right, so they get water spots -- so, when you have time, it's a good idea to re-wash them and dry them properly. I mean, they're clean -- but they've got water spots.) And some people came in, seemed a little surprised that I was still there, and asked me what time the Grill Bar closed. I told them, "midnight," and they said, "Okay, we'll be back."
At eleven at night, I had almost every seat at the bar filled -- eight chairs, seven people -- and another three people were at a table. That doesn't happen at the Grill Bar.
Anyway, people at the Grill Bar order beer, or wine (merlot and chardonnay, mainly), and the occasional martini and manhattan. That's really it. We've got a full bar, but we almost never use it.
I mean, sure, we have cogniac glasses, and several cogniacs, but we've only got four glasses, and we never use them.
I went through that rack three times tonight. I sold like ten cogniacs.
One of the guys I sold a cogniac to, by the way, was the Dean of Faculty at Brandeis from 1961 to 1978.
I had a great time. But I realized something: when I tend bar, weird, or at least unusual, things happen. Not bad things, just unusual things.
If someone says to me, "This never happens on this shift," odds are pretty good it'll happen to me on that shift.
(Because of this, Lis has been walking into the room and saying things like, "On your shift, beautiful geeky polyamorous women never show up to flirt with the bartender," and, "You know, Mike Callahan and Lady Sally just never show up on your shift to say, 'Hey, you're a great bartender -- want a job with us? We could really use another bartender who can play guitar and gives good massages.'" )
But, well, the way I see it is -- I'm a weirdness magnet, specifically when I tend bar. I think this is a GREAT qualification for someone who wants to open Callahan's Crosstime Saloon sometime. . .
First shift I'd had at the Grill Bar by myself, I got tons of people coming in all at once and totally slamming me -- that never happens there.
So, I had my first Saturday night shift. Saturday nights are totally dead after ten o'clock, so you can start washing things down by ten, and start packing everything up by eleven, and you're totally done with your cleanup by midnight when the bar officially closes, and you can just leave then.
About 10:45 or so, I'd been washing all the glassware hanging in the rack (it gets washed and hung up to air-dry when things are busy, because you don't have time to do it right, so they get water spots -- so, when you have time, it's a good idea to re-wash them and dry them properly. I mean, they're clean -- but they've got water spots.) And some people came in, seemed a little surprised that I was still there, and asked me what time the Grill Bar closed. I told them, "midnight," and they said, "Okay, we'll be back."
At eleven at night, I had almost every seat at the bar filled -- eight chairs, seven people -- and another three people were at a table. That doesn't happen at the Grill Bar.
Anyway, people at the Grill Bar order beer, or wine (merlot and chardonnay, mainly), and the occasional martini and manhattan. That's really it. We've got a full bar, but we almost never use it.
I mean, sure, we have cogniac glasses, and several cogniacs, but we've only got four glasses, and we never use them.
I went through that rack three times tonight. I sold like ten cogniacs.
One of the guys I sold a cogniac to, by the way, was the Dean of Faculty at Brandeis from 1961 to 1978.
I had a great time. But I realized something: when I tend bar, weird, or at least unusual, things happen. Not bad things, just unusual things.
If someone says to me, "This never happens on this shift," odds are pretty good it'll happen to me on that shift.
(Because of this, Lis has been walking into the room and saying things like, "On your shift, beautiful geeky polyamorous women never show up to flirt with the bartender," and, "You know, Mike Callahan and Lady Sally just never show up on your shift to say, 'Hey, you're a great bartender -- want a job with us? We could really use another bartender who can play guitar and gives good massages.'" )
But, well, the way I see it is -- I'm a weirdness magnet, specifically when I tend bar. I think this is a GREAT qualification for someone who wants to open Callahan's Crosstime Saloon sometime. . .
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-09 12:17 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-09 12:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-09 07:34 am (UTC)You only think that because it is. :)
A.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-09 11:07 am (UTC)*hopeful perk*
And if they did, I'm sure you could never possibly open a line of credit for a friend... ;D
(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-09 04:53 pm (UTC)Great to hear you sounding so upbeat about your job.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-09 05:47 pm (UTC)My alter ego slutty bar waitress Kitty Morland also works there, doing....disreputable things. ^_^
The bartender is named Tony (no last name) and he gives stereotypical yet heartfelt advice, and ends up hooking up with the local suicial poet, Faye London.
...Eh, nevermind....this has nothing to do with your very interesting post.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-10 04:12 am (UTC)*snork*
*jehanna makes note to visit your shift with certain friends in tow.
:)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-10 04:39 am (UTC)Indeed. I finally read - bought - the book of short stories. (It was on sale at the NY Public library book sale for $0.33, how could I resist?)
Also, you've proven that you can handle unexpectedly large surges of people -- that should be helpful if there's ever a question of whether you can handle a particular shift.