Did that just happen?

01/18/2012
Shift = Lunch
Weather = Sunny 62 degrees but of course chilly

Want a phrase to sum up my day today? Lets go with " Did that just happen?" because let me tell you "it" did, a couple of times actually...

This morning I wasnt feeling so hot so Chad saw Blakely off to school and I got a few more minuets of sleep in time. I got up, got ready, took my appetite suppressant, a zinc supplement, and ran out the door. I was still pretty sleepy so I made a cup of coffee and started filling remolaude cups as my morning duty. Lonnie began to talk about how she wasnt feeling so hot and probably shouldnt have taken her antibiotic on an empty stomach and I agreed with her and went back to what I was doing. Not even two minutes later I felt my throat clinch up in a gag. Then it did it again. Ohmigosh I was gonna hurl. I look at Shelly our head wait and she immediately knew what the look on my face meant but to be sure she asked me " Hey, are you gonna puke??" I shook my head yes and barely made it to the ladies room where my coffee, zinc supplement, appetite suppressant, and about a pound of drainage were violently purged from my stomach. Aggressive face splashing and hand washing later I returned out to the floor and finished up my duties and weakly began my day feeling drained and exhausted from my little impromptu puke fest.

People began to file in it was same ol same ol... hi how are you? here are the specials, no Im not from here. Im here because my spouse was transferred yah dah yah dah yah dah. I smiled and made minimal small talk today because I wasnt feeling great and just wanted to get people in an out. During these routine questions I had two ladies tell me they supported the store my husband works at because of his store not supporting this or that and that new reality TV show. Really?? Seriously people you dont know me. You have no idea what my views are! What if I was pro all the things my husbands company is supposedly anti??  Im always shocked at what people just blurt out to strangers and today was certainly the day of opinions. Here is a tip, if you arent 200 billion % sure people share your views on things KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! You come off looking like a self righteous, ignorant, and like a giant ass most of the time. YES you are entitled to feel a certain way about things but good lord, check your mouth at the door and only go and get it if appropriate.  To make matters worse this type of thing would happen AGAIN today at work, but this time not to me. To Lonnie. I witnessed it and it made me furious and hurt my heart so much that for once I was almost left speechless. Almost.

Today was slow and after we had rolled silver ware, put away dishes, and straighted up the soups and side dish line at work we are left to take care of our patrons and if we want to read or check our phones out of sight from customers this is permitted. I was in the middle of checking my phone and Lonnie was reading a book. G one of our kitchen managers walks by, makes himself a drink from the soda fountain and as he passes Lonnie asks her what she is reading. Lonnie barely looks up from her book and says the title, and says its about a Father who doesnt believe in God and his son who does. Nothing else, no opinion of her own, just simple fact stating..  G seriously says the following.. " Jeez, the father should have just had the son aborted for being a dumbass" and walks away....
Wow. My mouth fell open and Lonnies face went white. I look at her as she is looking at me wide eyed and appauled and I ask her in a calm and semi even voice " Did he seriously just say that to you?" She shook her head and went back to reading but was not ok. I touched her shoulder and told her I was sorry that just happened to her and that it was sucky and that G was completely unprofessional for saying that, not to mention disrespectful. I had just had a drive by mouthing from people who were both sides of the fence. Pro and against certain religious views and both of them were utterly uncalled for and ridicious. Lonnie is an extremely religious person who is never abrasive or pressuring and its people like her that seem to take the worst kind of persecution.  I knew I needed to give her a moment so I stepped out and let her regain her composure and headed to the back wait to make myself a coke and to clear my already woozy but now pissed off head.

I go back there and two of our head wait staff members are standing there talking and I proceed to do what I do best. Shoot my mouth off. I simply looked at them and said " Why in the hell are the kitchen staff allowed to shoot their mouths off saying whatever they want to whom ever they want without any action ever being taken against them?? They are a dime a dozen workers for crying out loud, why do we let them put us at risk for law suits or worse??"  They both looked at me and asked what was said. Oh crap. I didnt want to further embarras Lonnie so I didnt use names and said I witnessed it and it solely offended ME. Apparently there was to be a meeting at 3pm today and it would be brought up but as they said, this person had been talked to several times about what had come out of his mouth. Well? How many times is this going to have to go on before something is actually done? Im not sure if anything will be done because apparently its easier just to do or say nothing.  Yeah, just wait until it happens to someone who is willing to handle it with a fist or with legal brawn.. either way I just hope Im there to see it.

It was like this at my old job too you see... It seems there is a trend with assholes named G in the work place because I swear there is at least one guy with that name that needs a good old fashioned "educating" if you catch my drift. Why is it upper management would rather stick their head in the sand and let middle management just say or do whatever they hell they want? Ill never understand it. Ill just say this, G is lucky he said that to a mild mannerd lady like Lonnie and not me, otherwise I would have looked at him and asked why his own father hadnt considered the same option that was just suggested because at least the rest of us would have been spared his insensitive stupidity on a daily basis. He wont be preparing fish at the great Lobster Cage in the sky... thats for certain. And as for hell... well according to what I have been taught I dont think there is much need for mahi grilling down there.

It doesnt matter what I believe, support, or dont support.. the point is you dont act like a know it all and shoot your mouth off because you never know how other people feel or what they may have been through. Certainly not at work and to perfect strangers. Its called tact and intellegence. I encourage all members of management and we as human beings to make the effort to excersize some. I believe everyone is entitled to say how they feel about a topic or a view but you have the ability to do so without being an offensive prick. Try it. I promise its possible.

I finished off my day and came home feeling like hell, my mind reeling from todays conversations. You never know what the day brings or what will happen when you put on your floral shirt for work, but somehow I always manage to come home in awe of the day I just completed. To all you who quietly take this kind of thing in stride because its easier to not stir the pot I feel you.. and someday you will get enough too.. think of me when you snap off and shock people, because those of us who have done it are always nodding with pride in your direction. Let your "Fed Up" flag fly worker bees! Fly it HIGH.

Ill be relaxing for the rest of the evening enjoying my headache and scratchy throat. I should have not watched Friends so late last night and gotten my butt out of bed this morning but oh well.. I love what I love and another day of exciting work will always be there. Truly Blessed am I.