At work, the holiday season is in full force. There are lots of decorations, and people are coming in by the droves. On the weekends, we're booked solid--we don't even have room for the people who've made reservations, let alone walk-in customers.

There's lots of music (remember, I work at a restaruant with singing waiters), and there's lots more people. Lots and lots of people. I can't even begin to express how many people there are.

For the most part, people come in to have a good time, and they generally do. For those rude people that come in, harass the host staff, treat the waitstaff poorly, and do nothing but complain, they get when they have coming to them: they don't have a good time. And that's a shame, because when things are going right with the restaurant, they're awesome. There's not a place on Earth that matches up to what we have--it's quite unique.

For normal desk jobs, putting in a 10-hour day might be a bit of a strain, but it's doable. For waiting tables in such a labyrinth of a restaurant like the one I work in, 10-hour days are absolutely exhausting. Imagine walking (briskly!) for 10-hours straight while carrying heavy trays stacked with food and beverage--that's what I've been doing a lot of lately. It sucks. And don't even talk about getting a break. Fat fucking chance. It's the restaurant industry! People aren't going to wait for the food or drink while you rest your weary, aching legs. People don't give a shit if you've been getting home past midnight and returning to work mere hours after you've gotten back. These are fat, greedy consumers.

And these fat, greedy consumers are what pay my rent. Making $7.25/hr (which is Oregon's minimum wage) doesn't pay all the bills that I have. It doesn't pay for gas, it doesn't pay for internet. At the end of two weeks when I get my paycheck, the $125 or so I get that's left over after taxes are taken out goes into the bank. It's a nice boost, but it doesn't do much for me in the long run.

I hardly get to see my boyfriend--we both work, and we both have different schedules. I got home at 1:30 a.m. today, and we didn't have too much time to talk and catch-up on our days, because we both had to go to bed. We haven't had as much sex as we'd like to because of work, but we still manage to get some in here and there. Gotta make time for the important stuff, eh?

I'm knitting two scarves at once, and it's a pain in the ass. They're for my parents and I have to have them done really soon, lest I not have a Christmas gift for them. I still don't know what I'm buying my boyfriend, because he's a very difficult person to shop for. I don't know what I'm buying a good friend of mine. Most troubling, though, is that I don't know when I'll be able to go shopping for these people.

Work is a wicked bitch indeed, but we have an understanding. I work my ass off, and she gives me money. Last night, I got to work at 3:00 p.m. and didn't leave until almost 1:00 a.m., but I made $165 in tips and got a free dinner out of the deal. When we figure it out, I made almost $24/hr. That's not bad for someone without a college degree (yet).

Through all of this, I try and keep in the holiday spirit. I make sure and listen to holiday music, because I really do enjoy it. I try and do little things to remind me of how fortunate I am to be with someone I love, to have a roof over my head, and to be economically stable (at least for someone my age). Even though people are insane this time of year, it still is a season that I look forward to, because for the most part, people try and enjoy themselves. People try and love one another. People try and make it a special time.

Most of all, though, I think people just try and get through it!

Michael