Smoky Experiences

Today's Saturday night post is, predictably, about working at Smoky Mountain. As always, I have to say that I love working there. Everyone is awesome(except for Cameron, but that's a different story, haha), and not only do I like them, but they like me too! According to Theresa, she and Bryan and Curtis were counting down the hours until I would get there, haha.
Homecoming was today, so naturally we were pretty slammed. I passed Peter in the hallway outside Smoky, and he told me that it was insane during the lunch rush. I couldn't help thinking, "Oh joy. Its going to be even worse come dinner time." But I much prefer to be busy than have nothing to do, so I knew that I would be glad once it was all over.
I blew triumphantly into the kitchen five minutes before my shift was supposed to start ... and promptly ran right into Curtis.
Curtis: "Peanut!"
Me: "Uh, hey!"
Bryan, coming up behind me: "Well look who decided to show up!"
Curtis: "Lay off, man, she's five minutes early."
Bryan: "Says who?"
Curtis: "Says me. And the clock too."
Bryan: "Oh yeah?"
Me, laughing at them: "Whoa, whoa! Why are we arguing about this??"
After clocking in, I joined Theresa at the pantry line, and she showed me what needed to be done. Apparently there was an apple crisp in the oven, and Riley was going to need a piece of chocolate cake soon. I was thrilled that my first orders of the day were desserts.
Manning my station for the next hour proved to be fairly calm, no huge orders and no Riverwalks! I was pleased. I mastered the Riverwalk last week, so I know that I can handle it now, but I still dislike seeing that word on the tickets. "Riverwalk." It sends shivers down the spine... sort of. So I was suspicious as to why it was so calm. It was almost 5:30 and we still had four booths empty.
Behind me Devan called out my name and said my chicken was ready. Snapping on a pair of disposable gloves, I snatched the chicken and placed it around the Chicken Caesar I'd been making for Jori.
This is how things went for a while. And then, pu-ching! Josiah walked in! He made a face at me, as usual, and I grinned and went back to my Caesar salads. A moment later two more families I knew walked in and waved at me. I waved back and watched for what tables they were placed at. I make a point of watching what tables my friends sit at, and then I watch the tickets for that table number. That way I know what they're getting, and I make sure to do a really good job on their orders. I always try to do my best, but I feel more pressure to do well when I know the people I'm cooking for.
Josiah's order came through first, so I hurried to put it together. Little of this, and a little of that (I can't divulge ingredients, you know. I signed a contract on it), and then having completed it, I popped it into the giant pizza oven. ... And promptly burned my hand on the door. Yes, again. Cameron thought it appropriate to scold me for it, so I got a nice two minute lecture on paying attention to what I do so that the restaurant doesn't have to pay for injuries. By the time the lecture was over (haha), Josiah's apple crisp was done, and I had Blaze take it out for me, and then made my escape back to the Pantry line. Ice cream and carmel now, and then give it to Kathryn.
By this time, the two families had ordered their salads, and their tickets were waiting for me. Because there were so many of them (six, I think), my ticket machine got backed up, and I got stuck at my line for a while. The families appeared to enjoy their salads, though, and Josiah looked like he enjoyed his apple crisp. I was pleased over all, although I wasn't happy about my burnt hand. The minute I caught up on my salads, though, Bryan showed up with some ice for my hand, so I held onto that until it melted. I think that helped. It doesn't hurt any more now.
6:30 came around, and Josiah and my two families had gone. Cody came up to me and announced that Idaho had won the homecoming game. That meant that not only would people be coming over now that the game was out, but people would be in really good moods about having won the game. Thus, it was about to get really loud.
I was right. Even a few of the football players themselves came! I made them really big salads, and gave them like four scoops of ice cream. They were very appreciative, and laughed the whole time they were there, and as they walked out, they yelled their thanks into the kitchen, and we all called out our congratulations to them on having won the game.
The next thing worth mentioning is probably when I melted the carryout out box with the blowtorch. That was awesome. Haha! I had it set pretty high on accident, so I wasn't expecting the flame to be so strong. Its incredible just how fast styrofoam melts, actually. Quite fascinating. Thankfully, only Bryan saw it happen and when he made fun of me for it, I was already laughing, so he only made me laugh harder. Needless to say, I started over with a new creme brule.
Oh! And then we had a little trouble with the drink machine! That was exciting too. Mitch was getting a glass of Mountain Dew, and when he pulled the cup away from the lever, it didn't stop pouring out Mountain Dew! It started filling up the little drip tray reeeeally fast, and pretty soon Casey and Mitch and Caleb and Jori and Robert were all running around trying to figure out how to turn it off. I was in the process of getting chicken from Curtis when it happened, and it was all he and I could do to keep a straight face as we watched them all running aimlessly around. Devan eventually was the smart one and figured out how to turn it off. He shut it off in the dry storage first (since that's where all the soft drink tanks are, and we just run long hoses from the tanks to the machines), and then he found the missing spring on the machine itself.
Around 8:00 I almost fell off the step stool while reaching for the styrofoam boxes. That would have been exciting, but thankfully I didn't fall all the way. Patrick was standing below me waiting for his order, and when Casey came flying by and bumped my ladder, and I started falling, he sort of caught me and put me back on the ladder. I was thankful that he was there, and that he was so tall too, otherwise I would have fallen on him, rather than at a sideways-ish angle into him. From then on, he wouldn't let me get up on the ladder; he always went up for me.
Alright, now here's the best part; Robert told me I could get off work early rather than having to stay and help clean up. I was thrilled! The first thing I did was race off to have Ashley order me a pizza. I hurried my way through the phasing process, stocking my counters, and wiping down and sweeping my station as best as I could.
It was right around then that my mom and dad walked in! I was so excited. I waved to them and hurried off to find out who's section they were in. It turned out to be Bryan's, and after pointing out to him which table they were at and telling him to be extra nice to them, he went off to get their orders. I finished up my chores, and was officially phased. But I couldn't leave yet, because I wanted to do my parents' orders myself. Bryan came back, and said he liked my dad's beard. He wants a beard like that. I grinned and checked their orders. Apple crisps! yay! I made them up as fast as I could, and then sent them through the oven (this time being careful to not burn myself on the door).
It was then that the pizza mix up began. Apparently when I ordered my pizza, Ashley thought I ordered an 18" pizza, when really I'd asked for an 8" pizza. There is a HUGE difference, not just in the size, but in the price too. Everyone was really confused. It was too late to take it back, though, because it had already been made up and was half way through the oven. Blaze wanted to take the blame, since he was the one who made it for me, but Ashley was determined that it was her fault. I told them it was probably mine for having not spoken clearly and not double checked on it (like I usually do!). And Robert wouldn't let any of us take the blame. He told me to pay the price of an 8" and get the 18" anyhow. Blaze was laughing. Ashley was apologetic. And I was speechless. I paid about an 8th of the price for an 18"!! Mitch was indignant and wanted to know if he could get that kind of deal too. I felt bad for him, so I gave him some of mine(since I had over four times the amount of pizza that I had planned on, I could afford to give some pieces away), and that made him very happy. I also gave Curtis and Theresa with two pieces each, and then I clocked out.
I got to eat a piece of it with my parents as they finished their dessert, and Bryan was a wonderful friend and gave my parents a HUGE discount. I seriously didn't know it was possible to give that big a discount. But he did, and I was touched. So before I left, I put aside some of my pizza for him in a carryout box, and put it with his coat. I still have something like five pieces left. That pizza is huge!
And then, I blasted out of the doors, into the crisp autumn night air. "FREEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOM!!" I've never really yelled across an empty parking lot before, so it was a new experience to be sure. The drive home was fairly uneventful, aside from the fact that the stars were so bright that I wanted to pull over and lay in a field somewhere and look up at them. But I also really wanted to get home, so I overruled the temptation and got home in good time.
I love working at Smoky Mountain. I asked Robert if I could pick up a few more shifts (as a busser!), so hopefully I'll be able to take on a bit more starting next week. Working two days a week isn't much. And I think it would be fun to be a busser, too. It will be my third position! Host, cook, and now a busser. I'm happy about it.

"So keep 'em coming,
These lines on the road.
And keep me responsible,
Be it a light or heavy load.
And keep me guessing
With these blessings in disguise.
And I'll walk with Grace my feet,
And Faith my eyes."
~ Faith My Eyes, Caedmon's Call