Double Defined

8:14 am: Matt kisses me, I begin to Wake.

8:15 am: The alarm Goes Off.

8:46 am: Finally Get Out of Bed, Brush Teeth, Shower.

9:10 am: Shave, talk to Matt (he walks the dog).

9:37 am: Walk to Subway.

9:41 am: Subway arrives.

9:49 am: Train arrives at 77th Street.

9:52 am: Walk through the doors at Atlantic Grill, Change into work clothes.

9:59 am: Try to Clock In, TimePro Reads: GO SEE MANAGER, SCHEDULED AT 10:30.

10:00 am: Decide to use my extra thirty minutes to do napkin-folding sidework.

10:07 am: Begin folding my 3 bags of napkins equaling 150 total (50 for am shift, 100 for pm shift).

10:36 am: Finish second bag, Join the rest of the staff setting up the restaurant, fill five mise en place, prepare Iced Tea, Detail Section.

11:00 am: Pre-Shift Meeting Starts, we taste specials, menu items, go over Service Points, reservations, large parties etc.

11:30 am: Pre-Shift Meeting Ends.

11:58 am: Get First Table, two people.

12:05 pm: Co-worker gives me the postcard for a show that she's in.

12:42 pm: The Restaurant is nearly full, my three tables all include Jewish women, most of which carry shopping bags from Barneys, Bergdorf or Hermes, all of which have Botox-frozen faces.

12:49 pm: I'm bored. Need more tables. Feel full from all the food at Pre-Shift and anxious that I sense the need to be running around looking busy when there's nothing much to do. Standing in the Back Hutch writing this down. Ooh! I just got another table. Jewish women again.

2:25 pm: The Floor is cut down to 3 servers, 2 inside and 1 out in the cafe.

2:39 pm: One of my ladies forgets to give me the signed copy of her receipt, which includes the tip amount. She has not left her table so I approach her and politely re-present the check book. This prompts her to giggle nervously, retrieve the signed receipt from her purse and apologize profusely while saying, "I'm as bad as my husband! He always does this!"

2:57 pm: My second to last table, an older couple, leaves. The lady was very friendly, smiled often, had a hard time hearing and reminded me of my grandmother Ellie.

2:59 pm: My last table pays. They give me $18 on a $74.78 total. You have to love the young people. They understand tipping.

3:00 pm: My sidework (re-stocking hutches) and napkin folding are finished, so I run my reports: This is the elaborate system of claiming your credit card and cash tips, valued guest card totals and daily percentages of liquor, specials, desserts etc. etc. etc.

3:15 pm: Go on Break. Stop into Housing Works Thrift Shop, then an antique frame store, and then Tasti-D-Lite for a small cup of half Praline Pecan Fudge Yogurt and half Black Raspberry Yogurt, not because I was terribly hungry but just because it's so particularly beautiful outside. I sit on a stoop and eat slowly.

3:49 pm: A man walks by with a T-Shirt reading, "I Just Kidnapped Myself. Give me $100 or You'll Never See Me Again" I stare. Then think, I'll take the "Never See You Again" option, thank you very much...

4:08 pm: Get off the phone with my director. The movie I've been working on since last winter will wrap this upcoming weekend.

4:29 pm: Arrive back at work to change for pm shift.

4:30 pm: Sit down at Pre-Shift meeting.

5:07 pm: Meeting is Over. I'm full from tasting Crispy Tuna Sushi Roll, Grilled Atlantic Tilapia and Herb Crusted Seatrout with Birthday Cake for our Director of Operations. Finish setting up tables for night shift.

5:30 pm: Stand around, talk, joke. As the British would say, "take the piss out of each other."

6:12 pm: My first table sits down. The Night Begins.

8:00 pm: SLAMMED!

10:57 pm: Walk out the door, pretty early for a double! Call Matt, he's staying in.

11:15 pm: Drinks with Drew from work.

12:17 am: Say "Goodnight" to Drew. Get into cab, hear "Chris!" being shouted from across Lexington Avenue. It is Abigail from work. We agree to share a cab uptown.

12:27 am: Get home. Take the picture that you'll see at the top of this post in my building's lobby. Kiss Matt. Go to sleep.