It Pays to be Honest

But this time it did the exact opposite, literally. At least I'll be able to sleep with a peaceful mind tonight.

Today I worked a double shift at Chili's. That's from 10:30 am to about 9:00 pm with only a 30 minute break in between shifts. I guess towards the end of that I was starting to get a little scatter-brained because at one point I "blacked-out." Here's what happened.

Let me start by saying that when someone pays for their meal there are a few ways it can be completed. If credit card is used, I run the card, return the receipt, and then close the check after the tip is written and receipt signed. If cash is used, I change out the money using my own "bank" of money that I bring each shift, return the change, and simply close out the check, which means the bill has been accounted for and I have the money. They then tip using cash, if anything. I usually wait to close the bill until I have collected their tip (even though I can close it right away) just because that is when I would close the bill if credit card is used, and that helps to keep everything the same and in line in my mind.

So tonight a customer paid in cash, I changed it out, and then waited to close their bill until I collected the tip. Well they stayed around for a little bit just chatting, and by the time they left and I went to close their bill I had apparently completely forgotten what happened because I went to close their check and I couldn't. It said they still owed me money for their bill. I racked my brain trying to remember how they paid for their meal and I kept remembering them paying by credit card. (At this point two things should have tipped me off that they paid in cash, a) I had cash for a tip, and b) there was no credit card number in the payment area. But I felt positive they used a card and remember, this was a long day for me. My brain was seemingly elsewhere.) After a minor mental freak-out, I went to my manager and told her that I was missing a payment for these people, but I didn't know how that happened (they didn't seem like the kind to dine-and-dash). I asked her if that meant I would have to pay for their meal out of my tips, and she said that she would just "comp" the customers meal (that is Chili's policy, I guess). I told her not to do it right away because I wanted go through my book and pockets again to make sure I hadn't missed the payment somewhere (as in a large amount of cash I wouldn't normally have).

Of course then things started to get busy, and you can't start a new check at the same table if the check from the previous guest hasn't been closed out, so she "comped" the meal and the night went on. At the end of the night after checking out with the manager I went to count my tips and clock-out. As I was counting my tips though I realized I had much more than was reasonable to have made in one Sunday night -- forty dollars more. It was at this point that I realized the mysterious missing payment must have been paid for in cash and I simply forgot to close the check. Now I had two options: leave with a hefty amount of tips or tell my manager what I imagined happened. Naturally, I told her. (This is where honesty literally didn't pay.) After the embarrassment of explaining myself, she told me to keep it! I was shocked, but even then I didn't feel right about keeping the money. I mean $40 isn't much to a huge chain restaurant, but I still would have felt guilty having the restaurant "comp" the meal only to let me keep the payment for it because I had had a senior moment (no offense). In the end, I asked her if she could just keep it and put it in the safe so at least the company had the money for the food they "comped," and that's what she did. Then she said, "Just be more careful next time."

Really?! Not even a thank you? I mean I didn't expect her to get down on her knees and praise me. After all, I had made a mistake and I should be more careful, but I still thought she would at least say thanks or something for my honesty and for taking responsibility for my mistake. (I don't think most of the other servers would have told her, and not because they're bad people but because many of them talk about how broke they are and forty extra bucks would be helpful. Then again, they probably wouldn't have made the mistake in the first place.) So even in a non-literal sense it didn't pay to be honest tonight. I think any one of the other managers would have recognized my honesty and acknowledged it, but not this one. Oh well, I guess I can't win them all.



Footnote: As I retold this story here, it seems completely obvious all along that the customer paid by cash, but somehow that just didn't cross my mind at the time. Maybe I was afraid of the possibility that they actually hadn't paid, and if I closed their check by cash that would mean I would lose a lot if not all my tips paying for their meal. That fear must have blinded me from the obvious truth. Anyway, I feel okay about it all because in the end Chili's got the money that was rightfully theirs.

It's Over...

...All the waiting and hoping and applying and praying for a job that is.

That's right friends, I have a real job!! You're looking (in a cyber sort of way) at the new dietitian for the Tri-County Health Department WIC office in Denver (at just one of the many locations). I am so excited you couldn't possibly understand.

And I guess good things come in threes because today my dad got in town for a ski trip, so I get to see him; and bonus, I finally got a response from the lady in charge of the Operation Frontline program who would love to have me come volunteer with them, which I would still love to do even though I now also have a job. Operation Frontline is the Denver program of Share Our Strengths, which is a program that works with children and low-income families to make sure they have food and are educated about food and nutrition. One of the volunteer tasks is teaching nutrition classes to children. This is right up my alley, and I am still very interested in and excited about volunteering with them. SO, I plan to do that as well. Things are falling in to place wonderfully, and I can't thank the Lord enough.

Mmmm...That Was Good

I just had the most delightful dinner, if I do say so myself.

With no plans this evening and the night off from work, I decided I was going to cook myself a real dinner, rather than the recently typical bowl of cereal or 1/2 sandwich. So this morning I was going through my cookbooks looking for the perfect recipe and this is what I settled on: Chicken with Pear and Sage. I paired it with a baked sweet potato seasoned with rosemary and steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Oh my gosh - delicious! It was a light meal, but full of flavor and very filling. And the recipe is simple and fast too, which is the best part. All you have to do is heat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook your chicken. Then you put the chicken on a dinner plate, top it with a slice of Gruyere cheese, cover it and keep it warm while you finish the recipe. To finish, place a sliced pear in the same pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until it's tender. Then add 1/8 cup of apple juice (or apple cider) and about 1 tablespoon of shredded fresh sage, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, scrape up the brown scraps left from the chicken and pour over the chicken topped with cheese.

Mmmm, mmmm good!

Happy One Year

To my funny,
snowboarding,
encouraging,
thoughtful,
talented,
adventurous,
trip taking,
good-looking,
kind,
generous,
snuggling,
kitchen-dancing,
The Office watching,
soccer loving,
apartment moving,
charming,
fantastic,
sweetie!!

I wouldn't change a thing.

An Observation

So, although I really enjoy serving, there is one thing about it that bugs the heck out of me. I'm curious to know what first popped into your head as the thing that most likely annoys me, but because I'd like to just get this off my chest, I'm going to tell you right now....

It's the majority of the other servers. It's seems like all they do is bitch and complain about the guests, the side work, the other employees - everything! I think they'd all be a little happier if instead of grumbling about things, they would just fix whatever seems to be bothering them, whether that involves talking to another employee, refilling the ice or chips, or giving the guest something to be happy about if that guest isn't happy. A little attitude adjustment can go a long way in making a day better, but if I threw that bit of advice out as the "newbie," I'm sure they'd just get mad and complain about that as well.

Another Trip Around the Sun

(circa 1987 - my 1st birthday)

Today at exactly 4:17am (central time) I turned another year older - 24. This past year was a good one, although full of changes and uncertainty. Here's a taste of my 23rd year, in pictures and words.

I began dating this handsome fellow.

I celebrated weddings with ASP staffers.

I visited the Coors Brewery and the New Belgium Brewery for the first time.

I went on a road trip to Moab, Utah.

I graduated my dietetic internship, then became a Registered Dietitian a few months later. I also attended my first Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo with my mom.

I spent my summer working for ASP for what was likely the last time.

I celebrated more weddings with friends.

I watched the Cardinals clinch the NLCS at Coors Stadium in Denver.

I attended my first opening day of the snowboarding/skiing season at A-basin.

I survived/played in/enjoyed my first October snow storm in Colorado.

I went ice fishing for the first time.

Other notable moments:
I drove from Colorado to Illinois to Tennessee to North Carolina and back, putting many miles on my trusty old Malibu.
I shot a rifle at a target for the first time, and nailed the cup I might add.
I tried out for the Broncos Cheerleaders, on a whim, which was quite the experience. I was unsuccessful you may have been able to guess.
I began serving at Chili's Grill and Bar while continuing the long process of finding a real job.
I moved into a new apartment with a new roommate, in Littleton, Colorado.
I enjoyed many happy and wonderful moments that filled in the rest of my 23rd year.

I don't feel another year older, but I'm sure one day they will all catch up to me.

Valentine's Day Goodies

A message in a bottle for my parents...

And beautiful roses from my man...

Movin' Out...err In

So after months of imposing on others, I've finally moved into my own apartment, complete with a roommate, wood-burning fire place, balcony, and fitness/pool/spa area. My roommate is from South Carolina and is very friendly. I'm excited about the possibility of new things that may come with this move! Check out the new place...

After walking down an entry hall, slightly to the left you come to this little dining area off the kitchen and the kitchen:

To the right of the entry hallway is the living room with wood-burning fireplace and a sliding glass door that leads to the balcony. Unfortunately we only have a view of other apartments and the parking lot.

Then there's my room. I got the master bedroom, so a sink and bathroom are in my room as well.

So that's the new place! I didn't include my roommate's room or bathroom, but those are off the entry hallway before you get to the living area and kitchen/dining area. I'm mostly settled in, but there are still some projects I'd like to do when it gets a bit warmer, such as sand/strip my dresser and repaint or stain it. It also needs new handles, but that won't take much work. All that's left to do now is find the laundry room... And find quarters.