Sunday 2nd November 2003

Week 36, Day 219

Time really is flying. It's just a little over a week before I make the 30 hour (or so) trek home to see everyone. Needless to say I'm damn excited! But very nervous about the actual trip. I hope the fact I'm constantly falling asleep on public transport when I go to work means I won't have much of a problem with rest on the flight over.

Work is still consuming my life but still loving it. Andy went away to Amsterdam last weekend on a manager's trip and when Les and I tossed a coin to see who would be left in charge, I got named captain for the weekend. Of course, Les, Abbas and I all chipped in as much as possible so I didn't feel like all the responsibility was on me. However, I did feel luck was not on my side last weekend.

Wednesday night (24th Oct) I was driving home and gave one of our grillers, Tom, a lift. He asked me how long the exhaust had been sounding so bad and I had explained that I was going to get it fixed on my day off. He said he'd get it done for me for free as he's studying welding at college. So we arranged it. About a mile away from home the exhaust went from sounding bad to making a racket! As I parked the car a cop car pulled up alongside me (scarying the bejesus out of me!). He rolled down his window and said, 'How long's your exhaust been sounding like that dear?' and I explained that it had actually just happened and that I wouldn't be driving the car. Dave found some places I could take the car to on the Friday morning to get it fixed. So I get in the car and would you believe, it decided not to work!! Talk about bad luck! AND it was the weekend that Andy was away. So after panicking a bit, I decided to hire a car. The only thing I could get my hands on at such short notice was a Vauxhall (Holden for those back home) Vectra! So I lived it up that weekend but paid the price for it too ;)

The rest of the weekend at the restaurant wasn't too bad. A few problems here and there with our extraction unit - it kept shutting down. The friday night it did that and then the fire alarm went off and the whole restaurant started filling up with smoke from us cooking on the grill. Managed in the end of course but it left me a bit shaky. The next night the PDQ machine decided to break down on us so we could only use the one we had still functioning which meant taking orders at the till were a bit longer. However, Les, Abbas and I managed. We didn't get rammed with people all weekend - it just went really smoothly, even when we were completely full. I was really happy with how smooth things went. We even made the best sales over that weekend yet, though this weekend might be even higher.

Monday night I went out with Dave to The Vine, a pub in town where his friend Matty was playing a gig. He's in a band called The Accutes. It was great to be on the music scene again. Matty is the drummer and there's one other guy in the band who's the singer & guitarist - yes, very White Stripes. I was more impressed with Matty's skills than his friend's I must say. And the band that was one before them, Herbie, was great! I have to find out if they have any CDs out.

On Tuesday it was arranged that I would go to Wigan to see Dave's father and have a look at a few cars. It was my day off so I had that chance and was glad to do so. We saw quite a few cars and ended up buying a white 3 door Ford Fiesta, 1996 (N reg). Dave picked it up yesterday and I don't know how it's running at the moment because he's spending the weekend in the Dales caving so I'll find out tonight. So, now we have to come up with a name for our new car. Sadly, I waved goodbye to Eric Ecto Thunderbolt (R.I.P - Friday 31st October 2003) who was picked up by a scrapper. It really was quite sad to see the car go as I was very fond of him.

This last week was half-term break for schools and so we got extremely busy at work during the day with tonnes of families coming in for lunch. We were also rather short staffed during the week due to illness. The Wednesdasy lunch shift I did we managed with two front of house staff and two grillers - and made £1000 just on lunch!! Crazy I tell you but it's always more fun when it's busy. Friday night's shift was a tad disappointing. It was halloween and so I brought in a witches hat (which I wore) and some devil's horns for the girls on front of house, just to get into the spirit of things. Anyhow, I don't know if my staff were adopting the feeling of the day or what but they were walking around like zombies!! We had quite a few hitches, but managed in the end which is the main thing I guess.

As Abbas has been on his week's holiday, I feel that I've been able to concentrate on my job better rather than having to make sure he's doing things ok as well. I can see places where I'm stuffing up a lot easier when I don't have to concentrate on helping someone else out through their management training as well. Next week though we have a new manager training with us - he's going to be working at the new Bradford store (I think!). That will be fun. I'll miss part of it as I'm away but he's got 4 weeks of skills training to do before he does his management training so I won't miss it all.

Apart from work I've been getting very excited over a few upcoming events. I think I'll save them for my Top 10 list below though!

1. Radiohead, Radiohead & more Radiohead!!!!! - Not only am I gearing up to watch the boys when I return from Australia, they announced their April Aussie tour to which I have decided I am going to attend, and making Dave come with me. I've booked tickets in Melbourne and hoping that my friends have bought me two more for Sydney. Yay and double yay!
2. Nandos - I've come to appreciate how much of a chance the company has given me in moulding my career and I am very grateful.
3. Friends who remember you - A big hug to Grace who's words of wisdom have given me a lot of comfort.
4. Happy Customers - Sitting down at our manager's meeting on Monday evening a man came up and asked if we were the management team. We said yes (very reluctantly I admit because I was expecting the worst!) and then he told us that he's been to most Nando's in London and Castleford is the best one he's ever been to. We were so stunned we didn't know what to say.
5. Mystery Shoppers - We only had one last week and it was during my shift. 100%!!!!!!! I have never been so proud. I only hope we keep that up.
6. Workmates - I've had a really good week in terms of enjoying the company of everyone I work with which always makes life a lot easier.
7. Kill Bill - Saw it last weekend and it rocks! I did cringe here and there over some of the violence but it was really refreshing to see Uma Thurman play the kickass chick in a Quintin Tarantino Samurai influenced flick!
8. Potatoes - The best thing to eat in this cold and miserable weather. I was just watching a cooking show and they were cooking purple potatoes!! I couldn't think of anything more suitable for my diet! ;)
9. Dave - For putting up with me being so unreliable these days and my long work hours!
10. Australia - here I come!

x
Vanessa