Before I can even write about today, I have to travel back in time and tell a little back story......

A few months ago Jen started working with me in the cafe. She was awesome and we hit it off immediately.

A month later, her fiance tried getting a job at the restaurant, but the manager wouldn't hire him. She had a strict policy on hiring couples, which Jen was not happy about. She was mad because my fiance works in the restaurant, so she didn't see why her couldn't. Both my fiance and I were hired waaaaaaay before this manager started, and she couldn't fire us because of our relationship. Besides, we know how to separate our personal lives from work. We go to work and hardly pay attention to each other because we know we have all the time in the world after work to be around each other. Well she just couldn't accept this.

David, her fiance, started coming around and hanging out all the time, which caused Jen to not be able to work because she just HAD to sit there and talk to him. Oh. My. God. They live together, so is it really hard to spend a measly 4 hours away from each other? Give me a break. So the manager told both Jen and David that he could not hang out any more. And that's when everything went downhill.

She was always complaining, saying "I need more hours", but there were no hours to give her. We only need one full time and one part time, and I was already the full time. So she decided to get a second job, which was at the cafe where her fiance had just gotten hired, which happens to be owned by the same person that owns my cafe.

She started calling out on both jobs with every single excuse imaginable, and obviously didn't think anyone was smart enough to see that when her fiance wasn't scheduled then she wasn't going to show up for work. We're not idiots, you know.

She really started slacking off at work. She'd stand there and do absolutely nothing while I did all the work. I wasn't having any of that, so I started telling her, in a nice way, "Jen, we need to get this done". WE. I never once said YOU. Because we don't have a manager that spends all day in the cafe, they look to me to act as supervisor. I don't get power hungry, but I don't let you slack off when there's work to be done. If we get done what needs to be done, and we have a free minute, then let's just sit back and take a break. But Jen seems to have had the attitude that they were paying her to show up for work, and nothing else.

I took it easy on her, mainly because she was new, but also because I knew she had to be tired from working two jobs, five days a week. At the time, I didn't know that over the course of a month, she only showed for one shift a week at the other cafe. I did all the hard work and gave her minor things to do, like cut lettuce.

Then about a month ago I walked into the cafe after being in the kitchen for a half hour, making sure I had everything I needed for lunch, and saw Jen had her purse in her hand and was ready to leave. I asked where she was going and she went off on me. She said I always "just leave" and don't tell her where I'm going, and I make her do all the work. What it all boils down to is I'm lazy and bossy. Now remember, I said I always said WE and not YOU, and I always did all the hard work, but somehow in her mind it was the other way around.

I had been biting my tongue for a long time, and at that point I was tired of not saying anything to her about her work habits. So I said, "You really don't want to have this conversation right now", and she said, "Actually, I've been wanting to have this conversation for a long time". So I let her have it. I laid everything on the table and told her what I thought about her, which she didn't like. She cursed me out and left, but made sure to stop off in the kitchen and talk as much trash about me as possible. But everyone in the kitchen knew different, they all could see how hard I work and how little she does.

Now here's the kicker, she called the manager, told her what had happened, and said she still wanted to give her two weeks notice because she wanted to use us as a reference. WTF? The manager pretty much laughed at her and told her that she can't walk out on a shift and still expect a good reference. That's not how life works honey. And then, she tells the manage that she'll be by tomorrow to pick up the tips from today. WTF again? She split the tips before our confrontation (without me there, which is a no no), so she got her half. She seriously thought she was entitled to the tips she should have made had she not walked out, since those were the hours she was scheduled. That's just hilarious.

Then Jen and David go to the other cafe and talk all kinds of trash about me to their co-workers there, one of which (Craig) works at the restaurant at night. Jen told them that I got her fired. Can you believe that?! But of course, they don't know me, so they don't know the whole story. But now they all hate me, Craig included. I don't really care though. I never knew any of them in the first place, aside from Craig, so it's not like I'm losing friends over it.

So now that you know the back story, I can talk about today.....

The restaurant manager worked her last day today, the chef has been out all week because his mother died, the soux chef has been out of town all week on vacation, and the lunch shift leader was out today because of a schedule request she had put in weeks ago. So when one of the cooks didn't show up today, Craig was called in to fill his position. For some odd reason Craig felt like that put him in charge, like he's someone important. Really it just means he's the only that wasn't already at his other job, stuck at home with his kids, or not answering his phone. And since he now hates my guts, he was on my back about everything. We used to get along real well, before Jen quit. But if he's going to be a jerk based off of one side of the story, then he really isn't worth the headache. And really, it's none of his business what happened. It didn't involve him, so why should I explain myself to him?

Funny thing is, not only does Craig have no idea how we do things for lunch, he also doesn't know how we do things for the cafe. Both my cafe and his may be owned by the same people, but it's two separate businesses. We have different menu items, different uniforms, a different name. So the first problem he had with me was my uniform. I didn't have an apron on and I was wearing a hat, because at his cafe they wear aprons and no hats. Well we don't have aprons. At his cafe they have baristas and they have food workers, at my cafe they're one in the same. So I'm sorry if I find that I should wear my COMPANY ISSUED hat while I'm working around food. I'm sorry that it's a health code violation to work around food without a hat or a hairnet. I should have thought about that before donning the correct uniform today.

Then he jumped on me again because I was selling his soup. At his cafe, they have house soups, no soup du jour. At mine, we sell whatever soup du jour the restaurant has for the day. He had plans for me to sell the same soup he had made over a week ago. Um, ewwwwwww. I'm the type of person where I won't sell something that I wouldn't purchase myself. If the food is questionable, then it goes in the garbage. Besides, I was given the soup by the restaurant manager. Of wait, today was her last day, so I'm not supposed to listen to a word she says. Get a life.

Then along with all that retardation, it rained all day today, which meant no one wanted to leave the building for lunch and they all came to the cafe. On a regular day, 99% of my business are my regulars, the customers I love. On a day like today that number gets cut to 50%. The regulars know me and they know how busy we get, the rainy day customers don't and they act like they're the only person that needs food. The rainy dayers are used to running across the street to McDonald's, where there are 15 employees with bad attitudes dealing with customers with even worse attitudes. Well these rainy dayers come into my cafe with the same worse attitude and act like they should be getting fine dining service.

I had one lady that wanted to sit at a table and drink tap water (rather than buy a bottle of water) and eat the crackers that are there for paying customers. She was mad that I charged her for the cup, and even more mad when I told her that she couldn't just come in here and snack, that the crackers were for people that had purchased food. Her and the guy she was with, who happened to have his head down on the table and was sleeping, left saying they'd never come back again. I wasn't rude or anything, they just didn't like that they couldn't up a table without purchasing something. I have limited space, so I can't let her just lounge, leaving my paying customers no where to sit.

Then there was cell phone guy.... he was on his cell when it was his turn to place his order. So I did what I did to anyone else that ties up my line because they can't put a conversation on hold, I made an attempt to take his order. I give them a chance because hey, maybe they don't realize they're up. But then he angrily threw his finger up as to tell me "one minute", so I move on to the next customers. Boy did that make him mad! I really could care less. He doesn't even work in the building (I know from part of his conversation that he was just leaving the doctor's office), so it's not like I'm losing a potential returning customer. I'm pretty laid back, but I have zero tolerance for rudeness.

I'm worn out and irritated over today, so I don't think I'm going to do a thing today. It's miserable out and I've been in my PJ's since 3pm, which is perfect for lounging and movie watching.

I know I was just a bit longwinded, but it was kind of necessary . If anyone made it this far I'd love to know. On my LJ, I feel like I lose people if the post is longer than a few sentences.