Wednesday, Jul. 07, 2004
John Stevens and 4 Resurrections. Maybe 5., posted at 2:23 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com So what have I been doing lately, other than posting essay-length, borderline insane comments in other people's blogs?Well, getting drunk, for one. D-R-U-N-K. Last night, after work, I went with the baurista (it was my first time seeing him in weeks) out to the best bar in Fell's Point, John Stevens Ltd, and I seem to remember 4, maybe 5, Resurrections, and I believe a Dark and Stormy made it into my bloodstream as well (made, however, with ginger ale instead of ginger beer, since they didn't have the latter). It was a bizarre evening, as we contemplated how the restaurant we both work at could now be down to four employees. We came up with these conclusions:
1. Money can sometimes be good, but usually it isn't, especially in the summer. Working a 4:30 to 11 shift and making $20-$30 doesn't pay the rent.
2. The manager is a bit of a dipshit. He's nice enough to me, but he bullies around those he knows he can. He also spins stories in his favor whenever possible. For example, a good friend of mine quit last week. I heard a "Fuck off" was thrown in there as she walked away. The story he is telling is that "we had to let her go." Why, dipshit, would you say you fired someone who had worked there for a year when only four people work at the damn restaurant? Especially when you didn't let her go; she quit.
So the money sucks and the management sucks. I still basically enjoy the camraderie there, though, and it's a good second job for a teacher. I do like the owner, even if she's too busy and hands off and I still haven't opened the wine calculator she got us for Christmas. But it does really suck that my requests for days off are not being honored - there's almost no chance the girl will call me back about switching shifts for tomorrow's Happy Hour, unfortunately, but if anyone is still out at 11pm then I'd love to join you all (or if anyone feels like dessert afterwards and wants to stop by the restaurant as I wait on the two people that might be there at that moment) - and my little sister is visiting from Saturday through Wednesday and it looks like I'll have to work at least 3, possibly 4, of those days. Working at a little family-owned place has its advantages (laid back atmosphere, Christmas parties, grandma makes the desserts, there's a charm about the place), but it also has its disadvantages. Namely, it's too tough to say, "It's not my problem that people are quitting, so I shouldn't be punished for it" because you know if you do say that, it's not the management that is going to be hurting, it's the next employee down the list that will have to take your place and work four 14-hour days in a row or something.
Having those 5, maybe 6, drinks in the time between 11:30 and 2am left me pretty hammered, and it was a weird night as it was - a night that included my first offer ever of cocaine (I refused, no worries) and iced tea mixed with orange vodka once we got to Zack's place. There, we pontificated about life, he telling me way more than I ever imagined I'd know about him. But it was cool - he's a genuinely good guy and he's much more conscientious than I originally thought. For example, when I had my eye surgeries and it looked like I wouldn't be able to travel for the holidays because of eyepatches and bloody eyes and such, he invited me over to spend it with his family. When I walked in the door to the restaurant last night, after I hadn't seen him in a month, and after I had only made a passing mention of my mom's disease to him because he was the first person I had seen after I found out, his first words to me were, "How's your mom?". He's a good guy. He got engaged since the last time I saw him - got drunk at her brother's wedding and proposed in front of her family - and he deserves it.
I spent the night over there, despite considering driving home at 5am after we were done talking (no drinks in three hours, I thought I could do it, but it's probably for the best that I didn't, as I was really exhausted). Today, I have my first day off in a long time - a day off when I wasn't traveling or at home. I've spent it cleaning the house, which feels good, although I'm not close to being finished. I need to hit the gym and maybe Ikea before it's all finished. I'm going to wait and see if Ugueth Urbina can hold the Tigers' 10-8 lead against the Yankees. They were once up 10-3. Ugh. Stop the bleeding, Ugueth. I love MLB Video.