Watch How I Do

First time with my own tables last night. Watch how I do. Learning the art of balancing a tray on my hand loaded with full glasses. It's a little tricky, but it gets trickier when I have to distribute them at the table. As I remove each glass, I'm constantly rebalancing the tray on my palm. I've learned that if I keep one edge of the tray resting on my wrist, I'm able to steady it better. Learning to balance three plates in two arms. My fingertips are getting used to the hot plates, but we still use napkins if they're just unbearable. I place one plate on the inside of my left forearm, take a plate in that left hand and take another in my right hand.

I carefully take the guests' orders so that I can understand it when I leave the table. What is more important than haste is accuracy. At first I was scribbling an indecipherable shorthand that was impossible to interpret by the time I reached the computer to place the order. In fact it almost got me in big trouble last night. I wanted to seem quick and experienced, but after I had to return to a table once to ask the perturbed patron what he'd ordered, I told myself I'd take my time. 

After that I flip my little black book closed (you know the ones you get your check in at the end of the meal) and head to the computer to punch in the order. Thankfully we're able to check the order entirely before we send it off to the kitchen and bar. But if I have five or six tables going at once like I had last night, I have to go to all the tables one after the other, get the drink order and then put them all in at once. You have to be careful not to get confused.

In the midst of refilling drinks, clearing plates, bagging up leftovers to take home, grabbing small plates for children, printing someone's ticket, running another person's credit card, splitting a check for some patrons, I have to remember that other tables haven't received their food yet and it may be sitting there, waiting for me to pick it up and deliver it to a table. Fortunately, servers often run food for each other. There were times that I totally forgot to grab food for people until I saw them eating it at their table. Someone picked it up for me. We all do this for each other when we are able.

It's exciting because there's always something to do. I hate being bored at a job. I like being a busy bee, buzzing from table to table, hovering over the guests, notebook in hand, smiling and taking their orders, flying around with the two-pocketed black apron tied at my hips, carrying sometimes four of those books at once. However it's also very stressful for me right now.

I tried not to let it get me down last night. I made a couple of mistakes last night but in general it went fairly well. Really. Still, my hands were absolutely trembling at one point and all I could think in those minutes was I can't do this. I can't handle this. I can't can't do this. The night ended without incident; my little crisis had been hours ago. But I was completely wired the whole way home on the subway. I couldn't calm down for a long time. 

But this happens to everyone at some time or other I think. I've never worked in a restaurant before and it surely could've gone so much worse. What if I'd spilled food or drink on someone? Over charged a patron? Placed the wrong order? Nothing catastrophic happened. Just little mishaps enough to send me into brief panic mode. I tell myself This is all part of my New York experience. It's all part of the adventure. And then I feel a little better. I take everything seriously and am very hard on myself. It's important to take work seriously; I made some mistakes, I'll make some more, but I'll get better. I'm determined.

Today I went to my first restaurant to eat since I took this job. 

Yes, I tipped very generously.