Orientation was scheduled for 11:30 on Saturday so I set my alarm for 9 a.m. I am the kind of person that like loves to sleep and it is impossible to get me out of bed even if I'm not asleep. I just like to lay there because it's comfortable.
So, I didn't actually get out of bed until like 9:40. Then I got up and showered real quick (quick for me of course) and got ready. I tried curling my hair but once again, it looked more like crimping than curling. I definitely didn't get any compliments on my hair and I wasn't about to take pics to show off my awesome ability to make my hair NOT look good. I put on my makeup like always and threw on my "business casual" clothes that I wear to my other job. I've already exhausted my cute clothes during the two interviews. Yeah, that's how bad I need to go clothes shopping! I own lots of t shirts and long sleeve shirts because I tend to be cold and not many cute things.
Anyway, I digress. I left my house at around 11:15 so I wouldn't get there super early. Of course, it was practically impossible to pry myself away from my boyfriend who was being especially affectionate that morning. I love those days and hate when I have to leave to do things when he's in those moods! But I made myself leave reluctantly although I did consider canceling all plans for the day...I knew I couldn't.
When I arrived, I walked straight up to the bar again to avoid any awkward standing around the door. I let the bartender know that I was there for orientation and she told me to go ahead and have a seat while she found the manager. So, I sat at the same table that I sat at each of the two times that I came in before. I began filling out my direct deposit form because I had forgotten to before.
A few minutes later, the manager that I met the first time that I came in to apply came over and got me water and directed me back to the table where I sat for my first interview. I had been told before that I was meeting with the general manager for orientation but I was happy to be meeting with this manager again. She's really nice and I like her a lot.
While I was waiting for her to finish up the things that she was doing, I just sat and looked around. The girls were all wiping down the stools in the restaurant. One of the girls that was wiping down the stools nearest me came over and started talking to me. She was super nice. She said she had just started working there too and that she goes to the same school that I go to. She is about to start teaching a dance class at school and she said that I should come. Ironically, I had attempted to attend this dance class a couple of weeks ago but it was full so I couldn't.
When the manager came over, she just took my forms and identification and then went over the usual stuff that you go over when you start a new job. There was nothing scary about orientation at all until it came to trying on the uniform. I just had to sign several things and initial several things and she gave me the Hooters Girl Handbook, a handbook for the company that takes care of any issues within the company, a safety handbook that she said I will be tested over, and a handbook that has to do with tipping and how to claim your tips. You're supposed to claim them all but there is no way for the government to know unless you claim less than 8% apparently in which case you will get audited by the IRS. But, if you don't claim all of your tips, there is a chance that you will screw yourself over because then you may not be able to buy a new car or get an apartment because you won't be able to prove that you make enough money to afford it if you don't claim your tips. I think I'll be following the rules and claiming everything!
While we were going through all of the paperwork, one of the girls came over and asked how orientation was going and chatted for a few minutes about how she hated her orientation because it took forever and that I was lucky for getting the manager I got because mine was super short and easy.
She said they made her and the other girls read aloud to each other during her orientation. I can see why it sucked. A little while later, she came over and had me sign my first shirt for a kid who was having his/her first time at Hooters. I have officially signed my first shirt! And that girl was super nice! Ironically, I didn't get her name or the name of the other girl that talked to me during orientation. No one asked mine either. I guess I'll find out eventually. But my first impression is that everyone there is super nice. I think I'll like it there for sure.
After I signed all of the forms, it was time to try on the uniform. I had to buy the pantyhose and the socks from the vending machine in the kitchen which was nothing fancy at all. In fact, it was ghetto. It was just like any old (and I mean old when I say old. this thing is probably from the 80's) vending machine. The glass was even all foggy looking so I couldn't read anything inside. The manager put my money in and hit the buttons to get me the hose and the socks. She then went in the office and grabbed three pairs of shorts and told me the middle size should fit me the best and then she gave me one shirt and said she was sure that was my size. She sent me to the bathroom to try them on and said she would check on me in a few minutes.
Since it is February, albeit a mild February but still February all the same, I was wearing like two shirts and a sweater so it was taking me forever to change! I am slow at a lot of things like changing my clothes, getting ready, etc. etc. anyway because I am clumsy and I get my arms stuck in everything all the time! You wouldn't believe. Anyway, I tried on the smallest size and the middle size and they both fit me pretty much the same. I chose the one that she said would fit me the best and just stuck with those. Then I spent several minutes trying to figure out how in the world you "scrunch" socks. I have no idea how they do it. I looked hilarious when I looked in the mirror. That is the only word I can find to describe it.
When the manager came in, I told her through the stall door that I have no idea how to scrunch my socks. She said that's okay. I came out and she had me spin around and she said it looks good and asked which shorts I had on and I told her it was the ones that she said would fit me. So, she gave me a second uniform. I was depressed to find out that I would not be getting a black uniform. It appears that my Hooters in fact does NOT participate in the Formal Fridays which sucks. I was totally looking forward to the black uniform which would be more slimming. Nope, I don't get one. I only get the orange and white uniform which I look totally fat in. I was not happy. I look pale and fat actually because I am the whitest girl you will ever meet! I wish I could go to the tanning bed because I love tanning but my aunt has skin cancer so now I'm afraid to tan at all. I've actually been a little bit of a tanning nazi since she learned she had skin cancer less than two years ago.
Anyway, back to the story. So I got my two uniforms and headed out the door all depressed like. Okay, so maybe I was just depressed in my head but whatever. You get it. I left and headed straight to the bridal shop to meet the bridesmaids across town.
When I arrived, I found them immediately in the midst of all of the other bridal parties there trying on dresses. They were each in a different colored dress all of the same style. It was hideous! I didn't have the heart to tell the bride that I didn't like it at all though. And when she asked which size I needed, I didn't know. So I said a 6 (that's the universal size right?). Well, I tried on all of my dresses in a size 6 after that even though I knew at once that that was definitely the wrong size. It was too big but I didn't want to say anything because one of the other girls had had to go up two sizes. I didn't want to say I needed a size smaller! I was embarrassed. Don't ask why, I just was.
So, after trying on all of these size 6 dresses which kept falling down and revealing my miraculous bra, we found the one that looked good on us all and that we all liked. It is a super cute dress and it really did look good on everyone. I'm glad we chose that one. It looks good in size 4, 8 (two different shapes of 8 at that), and 16.
When we went up to pay, it was $168 and she said it costed extra for any alterations. I started like freaking out in my head because I knew that I was about to spend massive money on a dress that I would only get to wear once and it was the wrong size. I just imagined myself standing up there at the alter in this dress with my boobs showing after my dress fell down.
Finally, I spoke up. I went to the bride and I was whispered that I really think I need a 4. So she took me in the back and there was no size 4 in that dress in the store to try on. So we grabbed the size 2. It almost zipped all the way up until you got to the boob part. So we found a size 4 in another dress and put it on me and it zipped all the way up with no problems at all. So we went to the front and I got my size 4. Yey! I did not purchase a too-big-dress.
When we all got in the MOH's car afterward, one of the other bridesmaids told me that the girl at the register made a snide remark like "I wish I was a size 4. It must be nice!" when I walked away to try on the dress. She said that the girl said it like 5 times. That is kind of why I did not want to speak up. I feel bad being smaller than them but it's just that I have this super small frame. I am only 5 ft tall. What do you expect??
Anyway, we all went to lunch after that and everything went well. I was all worried about being around the MOH for nothing. She was her normal self and I was my normal self...well a really tired normal self but still. We ate at this restaurant and our server was awful! He took like 20 mins (if that is an exaggeration, it isn't by much) to bring us our drinks. He brought our salads with our drinks but didn't bring the croissants to go with the salads for another fifteen minutes. The other girls were done with their salads by the time he brought them. He never brought me or the bride any refills. Rocky (one of the bridesmaids) had to ask multiple times for more tea and he brought a refill for the MOH when she still had 3/4 of her soda left and the bride had absolutely nothing in her glass and he never brought her a refill. Thankfully, one of my friends is a server there and he was serving the table behind us. He came and took our dirty dishes for us so that we would have some room on our table. This dude was not a good server. I'm kind of glad that we had a bad server though. I know how not to serve now!
Anyway, everything was cool and we left after like 2 hours. The MOH dropped me back off at my car and she even took a piece of gum from me when I offered it to her. I was happy that everything went well. She didn't seem like she hated me. Actually, I felt like we got along like any two people that don't really know each other well but that share mutual friends. It was like meeting someone new even though we're not totally new to each other. We haven't really spent much time around each other though.Maybe we are just fine as long as my bf isn't around. He's the reason that we have problems considering he broke up with me to date her and then started dating me again after they broke up. I think it just gets uncomfortable when we are all together in the same place and that's the problem. I actually like being around her and my bf's sister when they are together. They're funny together. I think my jealousy just comes out in full force when we are all together especially because the two of them have very flirty personalities. I freak out too much about it when they are just being themselves. I say that now when I'm not in the situation but whenever we're all together somewhere, I just can't be that logical for whatever reason. I think I can be logical enough to not think that she absolutely hates me now though. Progress!
So, I went home afterward and put on the uniform sans the hose (they are hard to get on) to show my bf. He also noticed the awful muffin top. And he laughed when he noticed that you can totally see straight through the shorts without the hose. He pointed out my pink thong showing through the bright orange shorts. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to go commando for the first time in my life! I can see that this is going to be uncomfortable. And I'm still trying to figure out how exactly you are supposed to wear this uniform when it's "that time of the month." I hope I figure something out quick because my first training shift is this Saturday, the end of my "bad time" as my stepdad always called it for my mom.
So, yeah, I am excited for my first training shift which will be at 10:25 this Saturday morning. I am also nervous however. I had wanted to start training sooner but I could only work when a trainer was available which severely cut down my options. I still have one day of work left at my other job and I am unavailable on Wednesdays and Fridays because of school and this Thursday is our "Valentine's Day" because we haven't been able to celebrate it yet. Therefore, the only option was Saturday. And I'm going to have my first Sunday off without having to get my shift covered in over 2 years because they don't have a trainer working this Sunday. I am pretty excited about this! I'm hoping we will be able to actually do something fun for once. Hopefully. =)
No comments:
Post a Comment