what on earth

[Steveums]

where's everyone gone recently?
the michaels 1, 2 and 3?
ree-ree?

i hope it's just holidays. forkers is quiet at the moment...

[Tracy]

We're adjusting to the "no school" routine. That means kids on the computer their every waking hour and mom has to fit in where she can OR use her "outside voice" inside. Even then, I have the new graduate pacing the floor around me - waiting for me to finish.

(Anyone know where a recent high school graduate with no work experience has a hope of getting hired - in FW? I gotta get him out of the house!)

[aquaphase]

there is always food service

or temp agencies. I did a crapload of temp work right out of highschool.

[ree-ree]

I'm here. I was gone for about a week for the holiday.

Summer's arrived (YAY!) and I think people have more to do (at least here in the north where in the winter it can feel like lockdown and you folks are my lifeline to the outside world )

[Rebecca]

(Anyone know where a recent high school graduate with no work experience has a hope of getting hired - in FW? I gotta get him out of the house!)

It is my personal belief that everyone's first job should be terrible and demoralizing. I recommend food service. At least it's all uphill after that, right?

[katie]

food service is evil.

spoken by the girl who is currently working in two friggin restaurants with a dim hope of landing a pretty sweet choreography job. blugh.

[ree-ree]

(Anyone know where a recent high school graduate with no work experience has a hope of getting hired - in FW? I gotta get him out of the house!)

It is my personal belief that everyone's first job should be terrible and demoralizing. I recommend food service. At least it's all uphill after that, right?

hahaha! I totally agree!

[mere1975]

It is my personal belief that everyone's first job should be terrible and demoralizing. I recommend food service. At least it's all uphill after that, right?

My first job (besides years and years of babysitting) was at a movie theatre. I LOVED it.

But the one time I was an usher -- cleaning up the theatre between movies -- I wanted to break shit. I was SO INSANELY MAD at the mess people left behind.

I gladly traded with everyone else who loved being an usher (work for 15 minutes, talk/wait/smoke/eat for 45) so I could be at the concession stand. I think that counts as food service -- I "made" nacho cheese, cooked hot dogs on that rolling thing and popped a lifetime supply of popcorn.

- Mere "popping popcorn is still one of my favorite smells" 1975

[Rebecca]

It is my personal belief that everyone's first job should be terrible and demoralizing. I recommend food service. At least it's all uphill after that, right?

My first job (besides years and years of babysitting) was at a movie theatre. I LOVED it.

But the one time I was an usher -- cleaning up the theatre between movies -- I wanted to break shit. I was SO INSANELY MAD at the mess people left behind.

I gladly traded with everyone else who loved being an usher (work for 15 minutes, talk/wait/smoke/eat for 45) so I could be at the concession stand. I think that counts as food service -- I "made" nacho cheese, cooked hot dogs on that rolling thing and popped a lifetime supply of popcorn.

- Mere "popping popcorn is still one of my favorite smells" 1975

That's funny.. One of Logan's first jobs was at a movie theater (one that we still attend regularly, as a matter of fact) and he has nothing but horror stories about it.. working a 10 hour shift with no breaks on Christmas Day, etc. And he doesn't like popcorn anymore.

MY first job was at Pizza Hut, and boy did that suck. I still can't eat that greasy junk. My second job was at Sonic, and that was sort of fun sometimes.

[katie]

my first job was as a janitor at my mother's pre-school. that was just about as fun as it sounds (and p.s. i hate kids).

second job was at osco drug as a photo developer. that was pseudo-fun til i got fired.

then i moved onto papa gino's. where i stayed for five years. the why on that one is BEYOND me.

now i work at olive garden as a to-go specialist (always remember to tip your to-go specialist, cause 90% of people don't) and chili's as a server. waiting to go into interview for a musical choreographer position, which is what i REALLY want to be doing right now.

[mere1975]

now i work at olive garden as a to-go specialist (always remember to tip your to-go specialist, cause 90% of people don't)

OK, I'm going to be a total bitch here, maybe -- but why tip the to-go specialist?

If they are extra friendly or have done something special, I always do.

Otherwise, they didn't bring my food, refill a drink, clean up the table or answer questions/make recommendations about menu items. . . so to me, it's the equivalent of tipping a fast food or grocery cashier (except the food is more expensive.)

Educate me, please?

- Mere "I know this is a hot button for Dalya and her friend Stephanie, too, who REALLY got pissed off when the customer only tipped spare change or a dollar" 1975

[Rebecca]

What exactly does a to-go specialist do?

[ChrisLovesYou]

second job was at osco drug as a photo developer. that was pseudo-fun til i got fired.

By "pseudo-fun", do you mean "I got to look at homemade porn"?

My first job was washing cars at the dealership my dad worked at. I relished sitting inside the air-conditioned customer's lounge watching sattelite TV when all the cars were finished.

[katie]

now i work at olive garden as a to-go specialist (always remember to tip your to-go specialist, cause 90% of people don't)

OK, I'm going to be a total bitch here, maybe -- but why tip the to-go specialist?

If they are extra friendly or have done something special, I always do.

Otherwise, they didn't bring my food, refill a drink, clean up the table or answer questions/make recommendations about menu items. . . so to me, it's the equivalent of tipping a fast food or grocery cashier (except the food is more expensive.)

Educate me, please?

- Mere "I know this is a hot button for Dalya and her friend Stephanie, too, who REALLY got pissed off when the customer only tipped spare change or a dollar" 1975

you obviously have had shitty to-go specialists.

they should be offering you appetizers, explaining your meal, making sure the to-go area is neat, clean, and orderly. where i work, we bring the food to the guest and handle the cash/credit/gift card procedure as well. we handle the order from beginning to end, except we don't physically make the food. we take the order over the phone, and belieeeeeeve me, there are plenty of people who just want to shoot the shit and ask you about every item on the menu. the good thing is that the job at my restaurant is generally so slow that i actually have time to chat. if the person comes in to place the to-go order (or their order is not ready when they come in), that is the time to chat about wine, beer or mixed drink menu.

and if someone is tipping only spare change or a dollar, that is buuuuuuullshit. i don't know about TX, but up here in MA, waiter/esses get $2.63 an hour, so you are actually living off your tips. i tip 20% if the service is normal, 15% if it's a little subpar, and will only go to 10% if the waiter has been a dick or completely inattentive and, like, peed in my food. i've worked in food service long enough to know that shit happens and sometimes you don't have time to be up your table's ass with refills or whatever. anything above 20% is for super-dee-duper waiter/esses.

and i am SUPER FRIENDLY (when i'm with a customer, anyway). you would have no choice but to tip me!

and p.s., if you didn't gather from this post, a "to-go specialist" is just a fancy way to say the waiter/ess assigned to to-go orders.

[katie]

second job was at osco drug as a photo developer. that was pseudo-fun til i got fired.

By "pseudo-fun", do you mean "I got to look at homemade porn"?

yes. my favorite was the middle-aged man who handed me (re: the 16 year old girl) a roll of film and said, "it was my wife's idea" whilst blushing.