And the Winner Is...

WAIT! We have a tie!

After careful

consideration (which means I just want to cover my ass) I have decided to take on both places. By day, I will be wearing a funky Asian-inspired waiter coat that looks like it was designed for a re-make of Rin Tin Tin. Seriously right out of an opium den. Oh well. Money is money and this place rocks. For Izzy's, it's a penguin suit without the bow tie. White shirt, black vest, black slacks, and a men's necktie. So, the only chance of looking half-way cute is by doing up the hair and wearing make-up. Once I get more comfortable with the menu and the computer, I'll start chucking the contacts in and batting my eye-lashes around.

I started last night at Izzy's, and I'm still in shock thinking about the way I was treated. Some of these people have been there for 20 years, many of them at least 10 and most 2-5. It's quite nepotistic, the waiter gets his daughter a job as a hostess, she moves up to server and eventually bartender. So, it came as quite a shock to the entire crew that I walked-in off the street and immediately snagged a gig at one of the busiest and most popular joints in the city. It's kind of like an institution. Anyway, as opposed to Ottimista, these people welcomed me with open arms. Everyone was interested in me, where I come from, what I did before, etc. Even the cute little 20-something year-old girlies were totally sweet, complimenting me on getting the job and promising to help me find shifts, places to go, and offering help with whatever I need in the days to come. I'm the new kid on the block, and as opposed to being looked at like a total retard and treated like an imbecile, I walked on a red-carpet that had been laid out by the entire staff. The one caveat, is that the Sam, the owner, needed some investment help, so he harnessed a dude my age named Joe, to bring in some cash. Joe, in turn, brought in a "hammer" named Mark, who is an old-school GM...kind of corporate-y, like the Bobby McGee's managers. Probably my age or mid-40's, wears a suit, and throws up SOP memorandi faster than people order Izzy's au-gratin potatoes. It's no big deal for me, I haven't been around all these years to witness the inmates running the asylum. Apparently, in just the last 2-3 weeks, the hammer has come down and crap is hitting the fan. I'm cool with it, I just want to work. I'm cool with the rules, the SOP's, the changes in things...and of course, it's all proprietary so I can't mention details...as I found out in SOP #4. Fair enough, I just want a job...a good job. A place where I can do my thing, make a little money, make some friends and continue my journey.

As for Betelnut, I start next Wednesday morning at 9:30. I haven't really mentioned that I am working at Izzy's yet, but since they are open for lunch, I'm hoping to do a Piatti type-thing and so lunches there and dinners at Izzy's. I have to start lunches at Betel anyway, so if I can get in and train, and they see how focused and serious I am, maybe I can just ask for lunches and they will be happy and I can do both and be loyal to MYSELF for a change.

Finally...Ottimista. Honestly, I really don't have too many hard feelings. I think they really don't know how to treat people, I think it reminds me of high....no wait, actually JUNIOR high school. I did my best, sold my arse off, was good to the guests and tried to fit-in. Alas, it just didn't work out. There are really cool people over there and of course, I'll miss working with Howie...it's fun to flirt with him while I work. But, he might be coming to Izzy's soon. Who knows.

He's another story.

That's it for now. I work again tonight, training with a guy who has been there for 20 years. It kind of reminds me of the Bar B Barn days...that was such a good gig and everyone was so nice to me there as well. It's like the beginning of something wonderful, I can just tell. I have to believe that 2008 is going to kick ass. In the mean-time, my last day at Otti is tomorrow, and I work with Lorraine, so I hope that it will be fun. This all depends on her mood, of course, but it could be another $150 in my pocket, or it could be a disaster. Doesn't really matter, it's only 5 more hours, a few bucks and a paycheck. And, that's really how I have to look at it anyway if I am going to re-build my media empire to bigger and better heights.