the itis

work is going really well! the staff are a great bunch and shifts are always lots of fun. customers, on the other hand, well . . . all who've worked in service know what they can be like (haha). tonight I had a businessman from manchester arrive about a half hour before closing, just wanting a quick meal. ok, I thought, I'll just seat him and he'll be quick (it had been a really slow night). then, he beconed me back to his table to ask if the souvenir shop was open. it was not, and was all locked up, but he insisted that he needed a teddy bear for his daughter as she collects them from hard rocks all over the world. bah. so I bothered the manager on duty and we got the bear, and I brought it to the man. he looked it over, and said "do I have to have this one?" well they're all the exact same but he insisted on being let into the shop to look over the bears and decide for himself. he ended up going with the one I'd chosen. then he was giving bartek, the waiter, a really hard time about ordering his burger and fries. by now, he's the only guy in the restaurant. then a man walks in and says to me "hey, just joining my friend for a drink!" and goes to sit with manchester man. THEN, the two of them start shouting over to me, calling me "red" and "canuck" and all sorts of things, to get me to bring them another round. well attention, I am a hostess. NOT A SERVER. I do not get paid (and do not get tipped) to cater to jerks like this. anyway bartek went over and told them that he was the server, to leave me alone, and that if they needed anything they could act like adults and not shout for it. I think they got more than they ordered on their burgers, if you know what I mean :)

I was also introduced tonight to 'mindy,' an apparent regular bum who loiters outside our patio and the one next door. mindy is a cross-dressing irishman of about sixty who likes to get absolutely hammered and stand outside catcalling the men who walk by. needless to say: endless entertainment! tonight mindy wore a gold minidress, a long suede overcoat, black pumps and red tights. it got to be too much when mindy started knocking on the front windows, clapping and flamenco dancing, so I had to kindly ask her (him) to leave the patio area and move along. mindy co-operated. good mindy. manager padraig (pronounced pourick) congratulated me on dismissing the "raving lunatic" hahah.

also today I went with heather to tesco's, the irish (and all-over uk) counterpart to zellers I believe. really cheap (really disheveled) stuff and a good selection of groceries and dry goods. we went for juice and some things and it was nice to see some more of the city. we also stumbled upon an italian buffet and it made me long for frankie tomatto's (buffet in markham, noted for delicious food and inevitable itis following meal). this stuff was all-you-can-eat pasta, pizza, soup, salad and breadsticks for 7 euro. must try that out. soon.