I have been terrible about updating and I know it. As the responsibilities at my new job ramp up, I find that I have little time during the day to ponder anything for posts. Once I arrive home I want to make dinner, eat, spend time with my husband, play with my dog, and go to bed. I’m not telling you this because I feel guilty about doing these things instead of posting on my blog; I’m telling you this because I don’t feel guilty. I don’t owe you an explanation, I don’t owe you more posts, I don’t owe you anything.
But I do like you. I appreciate your readership. I am thankful to have had comments from many of you over the past 2 1/2 years. And because I like you, I want to keep posting. I do have more material from the last few months of my serving days, but to be honest I feel detached from those situations now. I can post them but I can’t infuse the same feeling I once did. Part of me is sad to leave those days behind but, for the first time in a long time, I can see a future. I can see me performing well at this job and actually reaping rewards. I can see me finishing a Master’s degree. I can see myself doing something that I love. I can see myself in a situation where I can drop $50 tips when I go out to eat, paying it forward little by little to the people who are what I used to be.
Look forward to new posts, but not about serving. I can’t post about serving anymore. Not the way I used to. It was easy to come home fuming after a shift and sit down to tell you all about it. I suspect that if I could at least go out to eat once in a while I would still be able to give you good posts… but we don’t eat out at all anymore. Though I have a new, better-paying job, my student loans have gone into repayment and $1000 of our monthly income walks straight into the waiting hands of Sallie Mae. Once I begin classes for my Master’s degree time will once again be short and money still tight. But I want to keep posting.
Because this blog was first and foremost a blog about the world of serving, I don’t feel that it would be appropriate to continue posting about my new job here. You can find new posts at fmtlife.wordpress.com. This blog…
I know not what will become of it. My ideas, my projects…
Maybe I will pursue them in the future. But right now, I see a bright path ahead and I need to focus on current issues. It has been a great pleasure sharing my experiences and thoughts with you, and I sincerely appreciate my readers. Thank you for keeping me sane in my last years of serving. Without this blog, without you… I just might have whacked an old lady with a fajita skillet, or stabbed a snotty kid with a lobster fork.
I’m so happy you have found your path. Even if money is tight and will be for a while, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel…. and it’s not a train.
I hope not.
Yay, I’m happy everything is working out. It’s been fun reading all about red lobster madness but I agree it is smart to not dwell on the past. See you on your other blog!
Thanks! Looking forward to it.
I am happy for you! I can totally relate to having a job, where you don’t smell like fries, on oyur feet all day, using more brawn instead of brains sometimes..I am THRILLED for you! Used to having weekends off yet?
YES! I am thrilled to have weekends off. I had actually changed my availability at Red Lobster because they kept scheduling my doubles all weekend, which meant I never saw my husband. I told them they could not schedule me Friday or Saturday, and only Sunday night. Still, now I get to enjoy ALL of Sunday. The best parts are having benefits, knowing that my supervisor will back me up, and liking the people I work with.
I currently work at red lobster and found this page about six months ago. Coming here and reading post and knowing other servers having the same frustrations help me feel a little less crazy. This post how every has been the most inspiring, I have recently graduated college and work toward finding a job within my field ( have a interview this week fingers crossed). This post gave me hope that I soon will be able to be where you are and able to get my Master and as you said see my future. I am so happy for you and hope great things come to you. I strongly believe in karma and I feel all the strength that you have give to me through reading you post will come back to you in some great form.
I wish you the best. The job market is tough. I began applying in February 2012, before I graduated in May. I finally got a job in December 2012. I don’t mean to be a downer, but it’s rough. It’s going to be frustrating. I am sure I was depressed at some point. I know I was moody and I give props to my husband for understanding and loving me through it all. I felt like a failure.
But it gets better. Apply everywhere. Apply to jobs for which you’re over- and under-qualified for. Apply to jobs you aren’t sure would even glance at your resume. And make your resume good. Make sure you know at least three people you can use as references. Get in contact with old (and current) bosses and let them know you’re applying to jobs and would appreciate a good word if a potential employer calls. You will get interviews. You won’t get called back after many of them. Word of advice: always call, email, or send a letter to your interviewer thanking them for their time. Most people don’t do it, and it makes you look good. I think it’s shitty when interviewers who communicated with me via email before the email can’t be assed to send me a simple, “Sorry, you weren’t selected,” note, but hey. Whatever. Fuckers. Ahem.
Don’t underestimate other people you meet. I got my first lead from a customer I served at Red Lobster. It didn’t work out, but it inspired me to continue applying for other jobs at the university. Why? The lady I talked to worked at the university. The internship she helped me get wasn’t with the university, and it made me realize what I didn’t want to do. It was useful, just not in the way I thought it would be. And look at me now – employed! Explore opportunities that aren’t exactly what you want, because they may work out. Even if they don’t, it makes your idea of what you do want even clearer.
Look at me, giving advice to you like I’m a mom. But I guess that’s how I feel now. Young and inexperienced, yet more experienced than most people I interact with daily. Even though I’ve never met you, I want you to succeed. I worked through school and I had a hell of a time actually getting a job after graduating. I guess I just empathize with your past and want your future to be happy. I thought for a long time that my future wouldn’t be as happy as I expected it to be. I was wrong; it’s turning out just fine.
I appreciate your notion of karma. If karma is real (and I hope it is) then I know some shitheels from my serving days that will get just what they deserve. I don’t know that I deserve much, but I hope for small joys. I’m glad that you find my blog inspirational. Sending words out into the vast webs of the internet often seems like I’m merely talking to myself. My readers make it worthwhile, and they make me think. Reflect. Learn. Thanks for commenting. I’m still around. Hope to see you again. And best wishes to you.
There’s always room for business intelligence developers out here. Coupla years in the trenches, $100k per year no problem. Yes I know not your cuppa but for anyone else reading give it a thought or two.
I knew this day would come eventually…. …sigh….
But your post about tutoring have been equally insightful and entertaining, so I look forward to enjoying more over at your other site. Perhaps you have a young protege who you’ve secretly recruited to take over for you? Sort of like the Saw movies? Hmmmmmm…. ….it’s a fantasy I like to entertain. The tips for twits will keep magically appearing long after this… ….but people will be perplexed. They’ll say “it must be FMT, it’s her MO…” “but FMT isn’t free enough to write tips for twits… …we must have A COPYCAT!”
Sorry to disappoint, but T4T won’t keep posting after this. I wish I had someone to take over for me, but only three people I’ve ever worked with even know about the blog. I am, however, saving the stories for a time when I can release an e-book or something similar. So, don’t worry, you should hear the stories eventually. Thanks for reading!
I’d be down to read stories about stupid students. They probably all start to sound the same after a while (“what do you mean the registration deadline has passed?”) but they’re still each unique in their ability to be annoying. T4T student edition, perhaps?
You could switch to reader submitted T4T. I know there are a ton of us out there that would submit stories. Just pick your favorite one every week and post. I’d be willing to help. I’m managing now and will not be leaving the service industry in the forseeable future.
Hmmm. That’s an idea! I’ll start working on a plan of action.
“Plan of action”??? W.T.H. FMT???? Have they (sob) gotten your soul already??? Nooooooooooooooooooooooo.
I could have said, “I’ll think about it and implement it sometime in the near future,” but I didn’t.
The end of an era! You’re right; you owe us nothing but we owe you our thanks for all the entertainment you provided us with great entertainment.
You guys don’t owe me anything, either. I’m just happy we enjoyed each other over the past couple of years!
I guess we’re heading on in the same direction just on different paths, you got your job away from the service industry and hopefully it’ll lead to a masters and better things. I’m still working the service industry on top of an internship as a safety consultant, in order to pay for the masters I’m currently doing. Hopefully when its all over my internship will become a real 9-5 Monday to Friday job.
Best wishes for your internship and future jobs, and on pursuing your Master’s!
I wish you all the best for the future and look forward to stories about your new job!
Thanks much!
*Great stories* I think I may be dyslexic without even knowing it!
You described exactly how I feel about my blog. Cooking is different from serving, and I can’t come up with the emotion to write about things that happened while I was serving. Glad to hear all is well and I’ll catch you on your other blog.
I still love reading about the drama!
Yes,that is a good idea. I wish you all the best for next.
good luck with what you do now and i hope things continue to progress well for you. thank you for such an entertaining blog and i’m sure i’ll come back to read it again and again in the future.