OK, I feel better now. I had someone threaten to never come back today. Someone else told me the same thing last week. Last week, I made a mistake. She did not specifically say she wanted the senior meal, and she looked to be right at the age where I thought I might get in trouble if I offered it. So, I brought her a regular meal, and charged her for the same. She said if I didn't give her the senior price, she'd never come back. I could have pointed out that she got almost twice as much food, ate all of it, and only paid a dollar extra. But it was almost the end of the day, so I said screw it, and refigured her bill. She saved one dollar.

Today, one of the taxi drivers came in. Nick has told us to be nice to the taxi drivers. They are supposed to get 10% off their meal, just for being the taxi drivers. I don't fully understand this, but ok. So, Joe the taxi driver comes in. He wanted a senior portion. He's about 20 years too young, but I thought, ok, he's a taxi driver. Be nice to the taxi drivers. I charged him for a senior meal. Duli the cook actually made him a full portion, because hey, the taxi drivers are good people, but that is neither here nor there. Joe got all pissy when he noticed the bill didn't have his taxi discount. I explained that I really wasn't supposed to have given him the senior price, and he did actually get a full portion anyway. He said, "Well, fine. Just tell Nick I won't be coming back, then. He said I could have anything on the menu for 10% off." So, I refigured his bill. He saved 41 cents.

Aaargh! That's all I'm gonna say. I actually was all through being upset about this 10 minutes after it happened. But now that I'm thinking about it again, I'm even more pissed off. Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!

Man, this job would be great, if it weren't for the regulars. Chuck, who never, ever tips, and sits in his booth for three hours, making wisecracks. He gets a senior meal, because he's...special. Patty, who orders her meal, eats it, then orders something to go. I've tried asking her when she orders for herself if she wants to do the take out part of it right away too. Duli won't start it till she says so, and I'll only have one ticket to deal with. But she'd rather wait. John, who has been known to fall asleep in a booth for an entire morning. Howard, who for his free senior dessert gets one scoop of butter pecan, one scoop of chocolate, hot fudge, whipped cream and nuts. Everyone else gets one scoop of ice cream. Ron, who drinks coffee faster than any man alive and gets pissy whenever his cup is empty. Tino, who orders just plain bizarre things of his own creation, that are a pain in the ass to figure out what to charge. (I'll have a hamburger, but make it using the 10 oz. chopped steak.) He also comes in with his whole family 20 minutes before closing.

Of course, most of the regulars are cool. Terry will sit around drinking coffee just as long as Chuck or Ron, but he's a sweetheart, so it doesn't bug me. He has never shouted "Hey, coffee!" at me. Betty and Sue stay all afternoon, but they always leave a dollar each for a tip, even when they only come in for coffee and dessert. Mary spends all afternoon drinking one glass of iced tea, but she's just so damn cute. She keeps trying to hook me up with her 40-year-old son. John and the other blind guy kick ass. (Wish I knew his name. It's so easy to say "John is waiting for you in the end booth," and so hard to figure out how to tell John when his buddy gets there first. The guys who get waffles are hilarious. "Two eggs...over hard...sausage...and one waffle" "What on earth are you doing? You know what you're getting. I know what you're getting. Ana knows what you're getting. Why are you talking so slowly?" "It's easier for her to write it down if I talk like this." "You're crazy!" "Ana?" "It is easier that way. I appreciate it." "I'll have twoeggsscramblehashbrownsandawaffle.")

I guess it's not being a pain in the ass that I mind. It's just when you seem like you know you're being difficult, and thrive on it. "Ooh! Lusy and Nick are my close friends! Look how they always say hi to me when I come in! I own this restaurant!" No, actually, you don't. Lusy is nice to everyone. It's her job. Just because she sits and talks with you doesn't give you the right to treat me like your personal slave.

***

I was all set to talk about the people I actually do work for, but I've gotta go pick up D. now. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

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