emergency meeting

we have an emergency staff meeting today. the boss texted all of us twice about it. once yesterday afternoon and once this morning. i guess she wanted to make sure we got the message. i have to work today anyway, so its not as if i would have missed it. but its not as if i want to go to it either.

i know what its about, shes going out of town for a few weeks and is nervous about leaving the bar in our hands. fair enough. we are a competent group but we all let things get a little casual every so often. so she will have to go over the things we are and we arent to be doing.

we shouldnt be giving away liquor. this is obvious, but in our environment sometimes the lines are blurred. its easy to just give away a beer from the tap, or a drink from the well. its a courtesy, but sometimes it gets out of hand. i know there have been times where a friend or a pretty girl has sat at the bar, gotten shit faced drunk, and ive only charged them for a few things. of course, this leads to the fact that we are drinking as well [or at least i am], and the sense of judgement gets scrambled, and the job goes second behind having a good time. obviously, when shes gone, this cant happen. we cant be getting drunk and we cant be getting people drunk for free. this should go without saying, yet it needs to be said. ive actually learned how to not buy too many drinks for people. there is a way around it, while still taking care of the customer. its mostly going to be a matter of me not drinking as much, which i shouldnt be doing anyway.

we have to be aware of the health department, and make sure all our bases are covered in terms of keeping the bar clean. this is really important because we are due for an inspection soon. a few bars in the neighborhood have been hit recently, one of them receiving a low grade, which they have to prominently display on their front window. thats not, as we say, "a good look." so the water in the sink should be hot and the fruit should be free of any signs of flies. the bar should not be sticky and the towels should not be covered in grime. we must make sure the bottles are all capped so no bugs crawl in looking for the sugar. the thermometers in the fridge should be at state assigned temps. no spoiled milk. no spoiled juices.

the regulars need to be checked so that there are no shenanigans. no getting to rowdy or making a scene. no heated conversations that may scare of the other customers. voices at a reasonable level. no invasive behavior. hands to themselves.

and as for me, i need to find the focus to make sure it all runs smoothly. at least on my watch.