08 October, 2006 (Sunday) Toronto, Canada

(Picture: Clement, Laura and myself @the Jersey Giant, across from work, one evening)

Late night rationalisations
The hour is past midnight and I've just returned home from another lot of back-to-back shifts at the Hot House. It was a long day, starting at 10 and working through to close (almost 11pm). I think I had a day off this week... Wednesday perhaps? But it went by so fast with errands that I'm not sure if I can really count it.

My inner sado-masochist
Why do I do it to myself? A big question to be asking at this hour... but looking at my hourly rate this week ($9.71) against the amount of time and effort I'm putting into the place (too much - I swear I've shrunk a belt size with these stupid hours) I'm wondering if maybe I shouldn't ease back. Attempt some of those things on my list; see Toronto, get regular sleep, get a dental check-up, work options for Europe, sift through traveling photos etc etc. Exciting I know.

The HH has almost become like a second home. (Some days I don't know why I don't just bite the bullet and move my sleeping bag in there. I could sleep in the back section of the library. I'm sure nobody would mind.) I like the people there. I enjoy the madcap pace sometimes. I feel like I understand how it works. But the last few weeks it just hasn't been paying it's way. The hours are long and the rewards questionable. I need to get some balance back into things.

Learning to wait
Meanwhile I'm almost through server training. Eight shifts (4 doubles) following senior servers around and trying to run a section. I'm learning to more effectively multi-task and prioritise on the fly. Useful life skills. Sure. My tray skills are improving (yeah, you try unloading a laden tray without flipping the lot!). I've so far managed to only spill one drink on a customer (thankfully water!) and screw-up returning change to another table (they said it was fine). My plastic grin and Crocodile Dundee accent are getting a work out. It's all about the good times.

I'm going in again tomorrow to do some shadowing and I've got my test (377 questions on the menu, bar and opening hours) on Wednesday. Can't hardly wait! Maybe I should have turned on the bravado and lied about how together I feel with my serving skills when I spoke to Michael the other week. Honesty knows no timing. Should know that by now.