Gin: The Pay Off

The day started out fine and then spiralled into chaos, frustration and ennui. One person, our chronically late co-worker, was late far longer than she usually is. And since it was a freight day, a busy day at the best of times, her being late caused a swift decay in the mood of the manager, a highly stressed person to begin with. From there we segued into a "re-invent the wheel" session regarding our essential oils and how they are to be priced. It would seem a simple enough matter, but everyone had to put in their two cents and the exchange rate wasn't even. I just focused on the boxes of freight and putting things on shelves. By mid-day our stressed out manager had fled the building which took a vast amount of boiling drama out of our sphere and the day more or less evened out.

Since I work in retail I encounter a variety of people. Some I see just once, some I see frequently enough to say hello to, a very few I know enough to have small conversations with. A lot of people I recognize, but I don't know their names ... or they introduced themselves to me and I've forgotten their name. Then I end up seeing them often enough to recognize them, but puzzled as to their name. This leaves me in the position of having to either ask their name again, hope it somehow comes up in the course of the conversation or that they pay with either a credit card or cheque and I can serrupticiously pick up their name. Usually, though, none of that happens and I'm left interacting with them not knowing or remembering their name.

Anyway, so there I am after work, downstairs having my martini when a customer from upstairs comes in and greets me. I've seen her often enought o recognize her, I've spoken with more than once, but I have no idea what her name is. She, however, knows my name. We got into a conversation about this and that and, like Dick Cavett or Jack Parr, once the conversation seemed to lag, I'd asked another question meanwhile hoping I wouldn't have to address her by name.

All that gin I've been drinking has paid off. After the Unknown Person left, M. The Restaurant Owner and I began chatting and he asked me if I'd be interested in being the bartender during the summer months. A person is needed to run the bar while the servers are busy with the tables. Now at this point the two martinis were firing on all cylinders so it took me a few seconds to realize that I was being offered a part-time job. Naturally I said yes. I've never tended bar before, but it should be fun.