I’d like to speak with the manager!!!

As of the Wednesday, after Memorial Day, we have been opening at 4:30.

For the past two summers, by 4:30 there are 10 cars in the lot, waiting to come in.

If we get those 20+ people in seats at 4:30 then we can add more covers to the total for the night.

Today we opened at 4:30. 

We had three tables sat almost right away.

I noticed a group of people coming in, and I knew we had no more reservations till 5:00, so I headed to the host stand.  

I get there, just as the host turns and says, here he is now.

I say, hello, how I can I help you.

And the man in front of me says, “What do you think about 14 people?”

I ask him to clarify.

He says we are a party of 14 can we get seated.

I look at the I-pad, but I already know the answer.

I apologize and say, unfortunately, no.  We can’t accommodate 14 people tonight.

But it’s right at open.  Surely there is room

Unfortunately, no.

What about if we split up. 

Unfortunately, no.

Are you sure?

Yes, unfortunately no.

And then he said:  WHY NOT?  

I say excuse me?

He says, why not.  Why can’t you seat us.  

I truly wish, I’d just said, because I said so.  

But instead, I said.

Well, first off any party over 8 triggers a pre-fixe menu and that would have needed to be arranged well before now, with me, the servers and the chef.

2^nd, the Gallery where we can put a party of 14 is closed tonight, (we were filming a TV thing today) and even if it weren’t closed, we don’t have staff out there because we didn’t have any large parties on the books.

3^rd, the patio isn’t staffed for a 14 top, because it’s going to rain in 2 hours, 

4^th, we can’t split you up because the dining room is fully booked until 7:30 tonight. 

So, NO, we can’t accommodate you.

He was ANNOYED.

It was the I can’t believe you are going to turn away business attitude.

Fun fact, that I’ve discussed several times today.

We say no to business all the time.

And I do mean all the time.

We always make the decision that is best for the restaurant, long before we make a decision for the guest. 

It might seem counterintuitive to not say yes to everyone.  

But that is not the case.

And I dare say, it’s true in most businesses.  

That not every offer to accommodate a business deal is a good one.  

So, I turned away the 14-top.

And I really wish I’d said, because I said so.  

I’d like to speak with the manager!!!

Okay.

First.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out over the past three days to check on me.  

I’m fine.  

I think.  

I got into bed last night around 2:00 and was worried that as soon as I pulled the covers over me, my knee, ankle and leg would start to hurt.  

There was nothing.  

Nada.  

Zilch.

We turned out the light and the next thing I knew Adam as asking why I set my alarm for my day off. 

I told him and it is true, because I didn’t want to sleep the day away.  

I did however, reset the alarm for 12:30 and did go back to sleep.

I finally got up around 1:00.  

I stepped on the floor only to discover my foot was asleep. 

I shook it.

There was no tingling.

I shook it again.  

No tingling. 

I hobbled into my office.

My foot was numb.  Asleep.  No tingling.  

I showered and it was still numb.

It’s now 12:30 tonight and it’s still numb.  

I can feel the ball of my foot.  I cannot feel anything to the left of my big toe on my left foot.  

Completely numb.

It’s made walking tricky today.

Couple that with intense pain in my knee, my ankle and now my calf feels like I’ve just had the charley horse of all charley horses.  

Today, June 13^th, is the first day since October that I’ve thought I might not make it through the summer with my knee.  

I ran a couple of errands today.

Then met my friends Bob and Jen and Michelle and Lisa to have dinner and see a play.  

Getting in to dinner was a struggle.

Getting up the two flights of stairs to our balcony seats was a struggle.  

Getting down to the restroom after the show was a struggle.  

I’m in my office now.

Sitting still.

My calf is fucking tight.  Like just I ran a marathon tight.

I called the doctor again today.  He is still out of town.

The assistant was about as helpful as he was yesterday.

Fun fact, they still haven’t called in my pain meds.  

They truly want me to believe the numbness in my foot has nothing to do with the bones that I can feel crunching together every time I move my left leg.  

I still have an appointment on Thursday.  I have asked Adam to go with me, as I sometimes don’t advocate for myself as loudly and forcibly as I should.  

In the meantime, I am going to work tomorrow and try to get through the day.

Keep your fingers crossed that I don’t lose feeling in my whole foot and fall down a flight of steps.