# Aggravated tonight.



## Meg90 (Dec 26, 2009)

This morning, I slept in 20 extra minutes before work, and get up to find that Anouk's Trex bulb burnt out. It lasted about 9 months. Its upsetting, because with all the Christmas spending, the last thing I wanted to do was drop 50$ on another bulb. So with 20 extra minutes lost, I tear around, getting breakfast for the troop, and trying to find her a basking bulb.

In three shifts in the last two weeks I've amassed over 27 hours. Two of those were over 10 hours each---with no break. I work in a restaurant (line cook) and if we're busy, like on a Saturday, I get to sit down and inhale some food for maybe five minutes and that's it. Tomorrow will probably be another 8 hour shift if I'm lucky. I need the money, but being there constantly is driving me.

I'm also upset because I've seem to run out of room somehow. With 20 animals in my one bedroom apartment, space has gotten tight. It wasn't an issue in the summer, but being confined inside all the time isn't helping. Its maybe 20F for a high these last few days, icy, sleety, snowy and dark by 4:30 pm.


I love my animals to death. I could not even fathom what it would be like if I had to pick who stays and who goes. But sometimes I wonder what it would be like to just have plants at home.

I'm just aggravated. Irritated. Had to vent about it.


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## sammi (Dec 26, 2009)

I feel your pain, I work in a restaurant too, and I know how hard it can be, and sometimes the stress can really get to you, ESPECIALLY during the holidays. Its definitely not for everyone. I admire your hard work, because I'm in the front of the house, as the Lead Hostess, but during busy hours I'll pop back into the kitchen for a quick drink of water, and I see them just working their asses off. We normally have 5 hostesses, and we lost 2 in the past week, so now the 3 of us are all working 6 days a week [where I used to only work 4 days a week], because they can't hire a competent person [thats a whole 'nother story]. On top of that I had ingrown toenail surgery today, and can't work for 2 days..*but I have it easy compared to you!*

About your breaks..unless you're working under the table, that's illegal for them to not give you a break. You could sue the restaurant for that. If you have time, I would definitely talk with your manager, or Chef about it, and if they're insincere, looking for another job might be your best bet. Not only do they run the risk of being sued, but its super unhealthy for you. I forgot to eat once before my shift, and I only worked 6 hours and I almost passed out. They pretty much rushed me into the office to eat some bread and orange juice.

And I'm sorry about your living space  I don't know what really to say about that, as I've never been in that type of situation. But you do have my sympathy! I know how attached you are to your reptiles, but maybe you could find a friend to look after them for a while? Or is upgrading to a larger apartment an option?


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## Meg90 (Dec 26, 2009)

I work for a private company. Its the first of its kind, not a corporate chain, so they get away with it. Usually I could care less, but I got bitched at by my manager rigggght before my shift ended, because she said she was leaving and putting me on oven (its a wood fired pizza oven and orders burn fast if we don't watch them closely--open flame and all) and I didn't hear her, and went to the bathroom after she left. When I came back up (bathroom is downstairs in the basement) she chewed on me for leaving the line when she assigned me a new job.

It was shitty of her to do, but she was there an hour and a half longer than I was.

The whole place is run stupid. We all know that. If you call in without a doctors note, you get written up the first time. And, as a college student, its expensive to get a doctor's note. So I go to work anyway. I also was harassed by my ex-manager for months. She would cut down my hours vindictively, and one night when I was picked to go home early (first cut) she came to the back of the kitchen and "joked" that since I didn't like making money, could they cut me down to $5 dollars an hour too? (and that was just one incident) Everyone, front and back of house knew about her treatment of me, even other managers, and no one did anything.

We (my bf and I) are supposed to be moving in the summer when we transfer schools. But lemme tell you, its gonna be a long winter. As of now, I'm trying to plan a little vacation over spring break, but I'll have to get a pet sitter, and I have a girl from work in mind, but I don't trust her 100% not to handle my animals---namely, the young tortoises.

She's kinda fearful of the geckos, tegu and snakes (they are foreign to her) but what's cuter than a palm sized tort, right? And she babysits her sister's kids alot, and I don't want them over while I am gone.

So I don't know if that will happen. Maybe I should start interviewing people now.

I worked front of house too---hostessing. Its an OK gig. Paid like crap though.


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## Candy (Dec 26, 2009)

I too used to work in a restaurant. I was surprised to hear line cook wow, you must be pretty good. I'm right along with Sammi they have to give breaks. I know that you know this already so won't go on with it. I'm sorry that you're feeling down and out right now I'm sure your weather doesn't help any and just getting over Christmas everything seems to come to a halt and reality sets back in. I hope everything gets better for you. I would hope that you have someone close to you to help you once in a while. If I were closer I would definitely come and help you.


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## Stephanie Logan (Dec 26, 2009)

Poor Meg! Sounds hectic and frustrating. You're peddling as fast as you can, and they want you to add a 50-lb. backpack.

Hopefully you can get a couple good nights of sleep in a row, and hopefully the weather will warm up a bit and the sun will shine. It's a lot easier to be cheerful and keep things in perspective when you're not tired and you feel eager to go out of the house each day.

Taco and I are sending peaceful thoughts your way!


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## Meg90 (Dec 26, 2009)

Thanks everyone. I appreciate all the kind thoughts. My GM is on vacation seeing family in New Orleans for a week, but I will bring up the break thing when he gets back. Til then, the brewmaster and partial owner of RedEye (the restaurant) Kevin, is in charge, and he is a major a-hole. He tells some of the girls (servers) that if they changed their appearance (straightened their hair, more makeup) that they will get bigger tips. I was mopping once when I hosted, and he told me I'd make someone a really nice wife. So yeah, I would be more likely to get fired if I brought it up to Kevin, I'll wait for Dave to get back.

It is just really frustrating especially when I am at work until sundown, right from about an hour after getting up. 

The holidays were hectic. I spent two days cooking with my mom for everyone, and it was really pretty stressful. I had my last two exams Monday and Tuesday as well, so that didn't really help. I work this Monday morning at 9:30 too. I have just enough time to feed the torts as their sleepy butts wake up, and then I'm off to work til at least 2:30. I'm trying to get hours, so I'm going to wheedle at the others to be cut first so I can stay til 4:30--and by then its dark, the torts are in their burrows (as is Cleo, my tegu) and I am just beat from working. 

But I have Tuesday off, and New Years Day. So maybe a break will finally help. I need to clean out boxes from xmas presents, and a bunch of other assorted crap in the apt and buy another plant or something. Get some more Green in my place. Its funny how much good a clean floor can do.


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## sammi (Dec 26, 2009)

Are you the only employee that gets harassed like this? There HAS to be something you can do. This isn't fair. Are they with the BBB? [Not sure how that works for small companies]

Is there any way you could talk to your bf and consider moving slightly earlier? 

And the girl you have in mind from work, I don't even know her and from the sound of that, I'd be wary of her watching my reptiles. Especially if shes scared of half of them. If I lived close to you, I would totally do it for you! No one else here at TFO lives near you??

The hostessing isn't too bad..considering I'm Lead Hostess, so I basically run the front desk, [everyone calls me a "micro-manager"] and I make $2-$3 more than the rest of the entire staff [besides managers and chefs of course]. But hostesses are the only ones in the restaurant who don't get tips. Stupid.


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## Meg90 (Dec 26, 2009)

We live a few blocks from the campus we both attend now...won't be going anywhere till the spring semester is over.

RedEye is a micro brewery. Kevin is the brewmaster--does all the beers, and partial shareholder. He gets away with murder and then some. We keep hoping that the shareholders will wise up and oust him. Apparently (rumor) he's done some under the table deals with people who advertise for us. Like borrowed money, and now its time to pay up, so he's been trying to cut all sorts of corners in the kitchen--cutting down what we use olive oil on, trying to portion pizza sauce and the moz that goes on every basic pizza. He's an idiot. He worked in a starbucks serving drinks before he got this gig. 

Here's the restaurant's webpage. I can cook anything and everything on the menu, and I do every shift. http://www.redeyebrewing.com/

Sam is a sweet girl, and she doesn't mean any harm. Her parent's never let her have pets as a kid, and still don't because she lives at home and goes to school. But she might be too lax with my rules, so I am back to square one. Maybe one of Reid's friends, Chris, could do it. We've known him for years, and he does like my animals. I think if I portioned out everyone's food, and wrote up some directions, he would do well. Funny I didn't think of him sooner.

By the way, this is Reid. I always talk about him, but I don't think I've ever posted a photo. This is him and Korrin, my goddaughter, on her 4th birthday.


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## Isa (Dec 27, 2009)

Meg, I am sooo sorry that you are not doing too good these days. Here too, it is super depressing, the sun is down sooo early!
It must be really hard to go work to the restaurant with the manager and everything. With your little break that is comming, I am sure you will feel better after it. I took a look at the menu on the website, the food looks good  you must be a very good cook .
That is a great pic of Reid and Korrin 
Me too I had to change my T-rex ( I think it was last month) It burned after 9 months too .


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## Madkins007 (Dec 27, 2009)

Ahhh... the thing about breaks is that the laws only apply to a few industries, and I don't think restaurants are on the list. This is one of those things that everyone THINKS is a law, but it is not. If you call your local wage and hour office of the government, they can tell you what the laws really are. This site might also help- http://employeeissues.com/breaks_meals.htm

Bulb- stop at your local hardware store and get a heat bulb. It won't do the UVB part, but it is good light and heat and only about $8. It makes a nice emergency back up.

Feeling overwhelmed- I sympathize fully. While this is probably not what you want to hear, your list of animals is long and varied. I know you know that you would save a lot of time, money, and stress if you 'thinned the herd', but I wonder if you really know how much better you would feel- and how much better you would feel that you are offering the rest of the herd that much more attention? I won't belabor this point, but it is easy to let things we love take over more of our lives than we can really afford.


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## sammi (Dec 27, 2009)

Your menu looks awesome. But management sounds scary. Isn't there anyone else, CEO of the company or SOMETHING you can go to and talk to about all this? 

By the way, cute picture =]


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## Shelly (Dec 27, 2009)

You should document EVERYTHING that your bosses do to you that might constitute harassment, particularly sexual harassment. Write it down every time it happens. Date, time, location, witnesses. 
Then right before you are ready to quit, find a lawyer that will work on a contingency and SUE THAT MF!!!


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## sammi (Dec 27, 2009)

Shelly said:


> You should document EVERYTHING that your bosses do to you that might constitute harassment, particularly sexual harassment. Write it down every time it happens. Date, time, location, witnesses.
> Then right before you are ready to quit, find a lawyer that will work on a contingency and SUE THAT MF!!!


I agree. Documentation is a great idea.


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## Kayti (Dec 27, 2009)

sammi said:


> Shelly said:
> 
> 
> > You should document EVERYTHING that your bosses do to you that might constitute harassment, particularly sexual harassment. Write it down every time it happens. Date, time, location, witnesses.
> ...



I agree with the above! I'm sorry about your stress Meg, that sucks 
And I wish I lived near you, I'd pet sit for free any day!


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## Meg90 (Jan 2, 2010)

Today, Anouk received a package. A brand new Trex UVB bulb.


I am so _touched and appreciative_ I could just cry. :shy:

*
Thank You.*


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## ChiKat (Jan 4, 2010)

I hope you're less stressed now! 
I used to work in a restaurant when I was 16 until I was 18. I was only a hostess and that was stressful enough for me!  Then I worked in a daycare for a few years...there were a few days I wanted to leave the screaming infants and run back to the restaurant 

Where in Wisconsin do you live? I live in Northern IL but unfortunately that's probably still too far to pet sit for you...even if you trusted me 

Oh and that picture of your boyfriend and goddaughter is adorable


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