Daily Happenings
Jenna and I went to Big Bowl then Stone Briar Mall, just like we planned (sorta). I ended up being late for the first time ever today (well, actually not--I was on the dot, but given the fact that I always show up for a shift 15 minutes before I am supposed to, I consider "on the dot" to be late, heh. Soooo anal.). I had planned to get something at Stone Briar, just to show I was there, but didn't find anything.

I did find someone, though. My old GM, James! ^_^

See, one of the servers from way back in my first year (gaw, I sound old now, wah!) had stopped by our store a week ago and talked to everyone he recognized. He asked me if I still talked to James, and I admitted I didn't. He then told me that James was still working at the Chili's Too in the SB Mall and why not check up on him, Ginny, just to catch up?

I had completely forgotten about that until I saw the Chili's Too insignia and told Jenna what you just read. Intrigued, she suggested I try and see if James was working there today, and wow! what are the odds? He was.

Heh, I forgot about how much James looooooooves to talk, so we sat for a good half hour or so talking (then again, I hadn't seen him in almost two years, so it's only fair). He and his wife are planning to go to China again this year, while his four kids'll stay with the grandparents. I told him about how I wanted to get a new job, and he decided to show us around the store, then said if I ever wanted a new perspective on an old classic, to go work there. According to him, he didn't want me to lose my tenure. At this point, the only thing I really don't want to lose is my sanity. Plus, Frisco is way out there--at least a good hour drive. Unless I moved out there (highly doubtful, pretty place, but ugly traffic), I don't see me working there any time soon.

Anyways, it was nice to catch up with him again. ^_^

And then there were 2...
Shannon told us if we were having problems with our schedule, we shouldn't complain to him but rather, the manager that makes the schedule.

Anotherwords, Debbie.

I hate causing problems. I'll go out of my way to circumvent a problem. But quite frankly, she's been going out of her way to make insane schedules. We're getting short staffed yet again and it's no wonder--she's giving servers doubles. But not just any doubles. Doubles where they have to stay late for the lunch shift and open early for the night shift. That means absolutely no break inbetween.

I wasn't feeling the crunch until she stuck me into section 2. Also known as the smoking station. I'm not saying that smoking is bad and horrible and omyg0d U goin to H3lL!!1! if you smoke (well, actually, it is a nasty habit, and I wish people wouldn't do it). I'm just saying that I can't stand the smell of smoke. I've been -sarcasm- blessed -/sarcasm- with a heightened sense of smell and I get really ill if I have to be around second hand smoke for more than an hour. Well, for the lunch shift, section 2 is open from 11am to 4pm, later still if the night 2 is late coming on (and that happens). So give or take 5 hours of being in second hand smoke. I think not.

Today, I politely approached Debbie about that. I told her that I just couldn't work in section 2. There's even a program flag in the computer that will keep the scheduler from putting people who don't want to be put in smoking in smoking. I had that set from day 1 of working at Chili's. (Apparentally, everything got reset in the past few months when Debbie took over.) I also reminded her that, when she asked everyone to give her their preferred schedules, I clearly wrote that I cannot work smoking sections. Now, really, come on, how hard is this?

Debbie's basic reaction was that she would rather have a great server in the section that worry about section preferences. I bristled at that, but calmly told her that I switched with Eric (an excellent new guy) who was perfectly capable of handling 2. She said she would try to remember for future reference (and you'll forgive me if I laugh harshly at this comment because of past events with her), but to suck it up if I landed in 2 again.

Fine. Great. So we'd much rather have Ginny chugging along great for a half hour then collapse dizzy-like in the middle of public then be aware of her issue and plan around that.

If I've said it once, I've said it 5,ooo times--I love Debbie as a person. But as a manager, she has so many oppurtunities.