Work, Work, Work

First things first - I got a bartending job!!! 2 of them, to be exact. The first is at the Montecito Country Club. The second is at a popular spot called Madison's Grill & Tavern right in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. As you can imagine, I was very excited.
I first started training the week before last at MCC. It is very upscale but overall pretty slow, with the exception of the special events banquets from time to time. I really liked the members and my coworkers. One, a 50 year-old named Roberto, spends hours sharing pearls of wisdom from his life and admittedly has a soft spot for tequila. The other, a girl named London in her mid-twenties, is an unbelievable singer comparable to Janis Joplin but smoother. Nick and I went to hear her sing on the 4th and we were absolutely blown away.
My training at Madison's started last Monday. They pride themselves on being a "cross-trained" staff, meaning that I had to learn how to be a food runner and a waitress. Madison's isn't upscale by any means, but it is nearly always PACKED with people. All drinks are made in schooners with twice the alcohol, there are peanut shells all over the floor, people dancing, eating, and watching sports - never a dull moment. Everyone tells me I stand to make a TON of money there, especially on weekends, when the place goes off as a nightclub. Unfortunately, this past week was not quite that glamorous. Having never waitressed before, it was quite a challenge to be thrown in the mix and to have to learn on the fly how to somehow keep my head above water. I waitressed Mon - Thurs (yes - 4th of July included), for at least 8 hours each day. It was grueling and incredibly exhausting - on top of the fact that as a trainee I wasn't making any tips - but with each passing day I became more accustomed to the work and the hours. The past two days I have spent 6 hours each evening running food out to the tables, which was a nice break from serving, and gave me a chance to get to know my coworkers better.
One man told me that he calls Madison's "Coyote Ugly" because it is known for only hiring pretty girls. The staff is about 80% girls. The people are cool and really nice, but because of the fast-paced environment, everyone seems to be scrambling to hold up their share of work instead of socializing with one another.
Today is my second day off in about 12 days - I am recuperating and preparing myself for another crazy run beginning tomorrow. I have been incredibly antsy to get behind the bar and am looking forward to starting my bar training at Madison's this week. It will probably be at least another week until I get scheduled for any legitimate bar shifts, but I understand that I have to prove myself. In the meantime, I am working about one shift a week at MCC, which is pretty much all I can handle on top of the workload at Madison's.

Work aside, Nick and I have been having some great times. We just celebrated our 2-year anniversary last week with a picnic at the beach and a seafood dinner on the Santa Barbara wharf. I had to work until 4:30 on the 4th, but after I got off, Nick and I went to a great house party given by the two main chefs at one of Santa Barbara's most famous restaurants, Bouchon. There was abalone and venison on the grill, gourmet dips and salads, the works. Afterwards, we rolled ourselves down to the beach to see the fireworks, following the sun to find the water and coming out to find that we were amidst hundreds of Mexican families ready for the show. The fireworks were amazing - I was really impressed that a town as small as Santa Barbara could put on such a show.

That's all for now...