One Down, Two to Go

I finished my first month of work yesterday
It feels good to have accomplished that Yesterday I was on my own all day looking after 26 guestsThat means making breakfast and serving itClearing up after Washing all dishes and the dining roomSetting for the next mealAnd making sure all jobs are doneWhen I saw I was on my own yesterday I asked my manager if it was a mistake in the rotaShe assured me that it wasn't And that I was more than capableI can't lieI felt pretty darn anxious about itMy manager asked me what part of it I was worried about So I told her Porridge YesPorridgeWhy porridge I hear you askWell as well as making teas and coffees and toast for eight tables I also had to make porridge This meant turning on the gas Making sure it's okTurning on the burnerMaking the porridge And minding it as it cooks Then taking orders and trying to keep it warmYou see my problem?AnywayMy worries were unfounded I copedI made porridge Nobody died Everyone was fed and watered Result!As everyone filed out of the dining roomI began to clear the tables And bring all the dishes down to the kitchen to wash Which is a big job But I don't mind it at allIt's great to be busy I don't like having nothing to doSo all the washing done I clean up the kitchen Then head upstairs to clean and reset for the next courseAll this work is often interrupted with guests asking all sorts of questions and requestsWhether they want to know about this or that Or they've locked themselves out of their roomIt could be anything So then When everything is washed and bleached to within an inch of its life I can make a cup of tea Head down to the break room And take a few minutes to recharge and get ready for the next waveI called them waves as that's exactly what it is like Everything is quiet and calm in the kitchenAnd we are all standing around looking at each otherThen all the guests arrive and it's action stations After my break It's time to get ready for lunch It feels like I have just cleansed everything Then it starts all over againBut that's life I guess Lunch is the main event Four courses no less SoupMain meal DessertAnd tea or coffeeSo our kitchen is down stairs To get the meals upstairs we have a dumb waiter No that is not a stupid person It is a mini lift for foodWhich let me tell you saves a lot of tooing frooingEveryone seated And soup is upBring on my own yesterday I worked in a clock wise direction around the roomJust to keep track Soup served I go around with a bread basket?Bread for you?White or brown?In my best professional voiceI leave them to it while they eatHandily We have a camera in the dining roomSo we can watch from the kitchen what's going on When I see them start to move I give the chef the signal to start playing the mains As he goes that I go up and start clearing bowls and getting as many as I can back down to the kitchen to put through the dish washer Mains are up And I serve themThere are 3-4 different chefs in the kitchen 1-2 on at a timeAnd I soon realised that they all do things a little differently But what can you do Just get on with itAnd roll with itMains served I go around with the gravy jugI have to tell you People are very particular about their gravyBut then so am IWhile serving mains I remember that one guy takes no potatoes And two of my golden oldies take one potato each I swear you think waitressing is easy Let me tell you categorically that it is tough You're going from the heat of the kitchen To the tranquility of the dining roomYou do every thing with a smile and kind word Nothing is too much trouble And it's all done in jig timeThen AgainI give them time to eat I get all the soup bowls washed Get the tea and coffee ready And send up the dessert Clear up all the dinner plates Serve dessertAnd go around with the tea pot The highlight of my day yesterday was when a boy called Stephen with Down syndrome told me my shoes were nice!After that I leave them to it To chat  and Have their teaEvery time I leave the dining roomI take a handful of plates to get going on the washingWhich let me tell you can be never ending The amount of cutlery I polished yesterday was massive But it's enjoyable work It's not difficult But it's hard workAnd when you have nice co workers it makes all the difference My manager seems to have a great knack of picking the right people for the centreSoI get all the washing done And again set the dining room for the next course Yesterday it was exactly 4pm when I finished And now I am off until Sunday Which is just heaven!This morning I woke up And revelled in the fact that I didn't have to get up at 7amUtter bliss!
I called over to see Coco this morning He was in great formIt looks like he might be going to a new home So I am hoping he finds a home in the area so I can still visit himThere are a couple of options So we will see if any work outCoco and Lea are best buddies It is just adorable to watch them Coco follows Lea around the field He tries to groom her And even bite herVery cute Today Coco let me pick out his feet Which was brilliant!He's becoming very tame and domesticated So proud of the little guyBoth my dogs are 12 nowAnd their age is beginning to show Lea has a spinal condition called spondylosisWhich effects her walk and balance She also seems to be going deaf As you know Honey lost an eye a few years agoAnd now it seems her remaining eye is becoming infected So it's back to the vet we go I am hoping and praying that it's something that can be treated I guess we'll know more soon 
Anyway I am well All is wellWell mostly But mostly is good enough Thanks for reading See you on the next post...