Shannon Bryan puts me in the weeds

I worked for five years as a server. Those were great years. A ton of fun, hard work, incredible experiences in the kitchen learning about the restaurant industry - and on the floor, taking care of customers; learning about customer service. Also during those years I spent a lot of time in a place familiar to most servers -- in the weeds. For those not in the know, that means buried, slammed, simply too many customers asking for too many things at the same time. It's been twenty years since I was a waiter, but I found myself back in the weeds last night. After twenty years I had a dream that I worked for Chef Harding Smith at the Front Room. I was deep in the weeds.

I am not one to analyze dreams. I don't buy it. I do think dreams are triggered by certain things. In this case I know exactly what caused me to be tossed to the wolves at the Front Room, it was Shannon Bryan. I had just read Shannon's blog and as always found it hilarious, informative and really well done. I guess it also brought back memories of how hard it can be working as a server.

It was twenty years ago but it felt like yesterday.

I guess you could say it was more of a nightmare. Harding was at the grill and Chef Joe Boudreau was expediting. They were on fire -- and I couldn't get out of my own way. I should have known every inch of the restaurant, but it was as if I had never worked there. I remember thinking the customers must think I am totally incompetent. And that Harding and Joe are going to kill me if I destroy another order. The other servers were oblivious to my presence.

So thank you Shannon Bryan for the nightmare. Thank you Harding and Joe for tolerating my lackluster performance. And be thankful that I am a customer and no longer a server. It is really hard work.

Of course Harding and Joe, if you find yourselves short a server, you can call me. I won't let you down. I was pretty good on the floor. I use what I learned then everyday in my work at gBritt. And I am still in the weeds a little more often than I'd like to be.