The Restaurant Business

I decided to try my hand at waiting tables while waiting for an inspirational, full-time desk job to call me back. The Berkshires, a stones throw from my home in New Lebanon, is a great place to prey on affluent New Yorkers vacationing in the fall foliage. Little do they know that the locals are after their tips. Come to think of it, they probably know this fact, and even rationalize their nasty attitudes by thinking that they can bully the rural poor as long as they pay for their snobbiness. Who knows. Anyways, I donned my freshest tan button down shirt, a slick pair of black slacks, a freshly shined pair of black loafers, and a combover that screamed "strictly business", and, clutching a notebook stuffed with resumes, began my search for destiny.

2 hours and 7 applications later, I left the area, feeling satisfied with my performance: Plenty of cheery remarks, a sincere smile or two, and a swagger that made women within 15 feet of me blush. The next day, however, I got a call back: "We'd like to see how you work with customers, why don't you come in tonight and show us your stuff?" (I paraphrased a bit there.) Tonight??? So wait, this job search thing actually requires you to work at some point? I had romanced about submitting applications and possibly working a couple days here and there, whenever I felt inclined. But work at night? And on weekends? Full-time? Waiting tables isn't a 9 to 5 job? I'm so used to making networking calls and writing e-mails that I never anticipated having to immediately follow up on something. I'm used to getting advice about my life, dwelling on it, and moving on. Now the resaurant business wanted me, and I felt the relaxation in my life slipping quickly through my fingers.

I called them back and said "no". But then another one called. "No, Thanks", I said. Only one restaurant gave me a good vibe: Bistro Zinc. And wouldn't you know it, the next day they called me, asking for my services. After months of drawn out e-mail communication with prospective employers and networkers, it took only 1 day to get 3 responses from restaurants. Is there any chance that I am the ONLY human in the Berkshires looking for a restaurant job? Is there something they know that I don't? There's something fishy in the air. I better get used to the smell, because I start training in 3 days. Until then, I must practice my French to give our customers the full experience. Ow Revwar!

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." - Johnathan Lennon

When we last checked in with Dano, he was finishing up Americorps, a more self-assured, brazen individual looking to make his mark on Upstate New York. But incorporating himself back into his old life won't be easy. Income is low, dead ends are easily visible, and his hard-earned, golden tan is slowly fading from his body. The world is his oyster. What will he do?