Sunday, November 16, 2008

Jennas a Little Black Rain Cloud

I have a server on staff named Jenna. She is one of the most delightful people I know. Never short of a smile, never profane, always polite..Every bit the lady that parents hope their kids will become, however; being the eternal optimist does not exclude you from the type of day Jenna had at the restaurant last night. As a famous author once wrote-"things fall apart"

At first glance and from a distance-one would only see Jennas pressed uniform accompanied by her delightfully multi colored headband and think "everything is coming up Jenna". This was not the case.

After an unauthorized gerrymandering of her table section resulting in a far inferior assignment, things just started to go awry. First she knocks the printer off the table into the window and narrowly escapes shattering said glass. Clumsiness happens in the restaurant business when one is idle, and she is idle because an endless supply of patrons are being escorted to her section only to request of the hostess before they sit, "may we sit somewhere else?". Jenna has no tables.

In an effort to supply some sort of distraction, I bring her a sample of the sauce we will be using for the fish that evening. A lovely and well balanced concoction of carrot, coconut, and curry. Upon one sip Jenna is clearly dismayed as she exclaims "this is the grossest stuff I have ever tasted and now it has taken over my mouth". Jenna will be selling no fish tonight.
She excuses herself for a pilgrimage to the guest restroom for some much needed mouthwash relief. There is no more mouthwash. UUUGGHH!
I let her know that there is a small remaining portion in my office and she quickly disappears, she needs that taste out of her mouth and NOW!
She returns glassy eyed and laughing/crying. Jenna has missed her mouth with the hurried shot of Listerine and poured it down her shirt.
Quickly another distraction is needed to alleviate dwelling in the moment, and the phone ringing provides the perfect simple task for Jenna to execute.
She saunters to the phone and picks it up.."Good evening and thank you for calling First Prespeterian Church"......silence...."I mean The Steakhouse". oh Jenna.

At this point I need to dig deep to give her a reason to smile. A compliment that will make her feel good about her terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
"At least you have a magnificent Technicolor headband today" , I say.
"It gives me a headache".

Theres just no winning this one.