What do you mean it's not a full moon?

So on this busy weekend at the wine bar in Belleville, I have actually been feeling good.  The stress of the extra hours hasn't made me "crave" the Vodka, and I kicked ass Friday night in general.  Good people, good service, good money.

However TODAY was a completely different story.  We are all feeling it: the "didn't I just do this?  Did I even sleep or have I just been here the whole time?"  The people were also different-- a little more hillbilly, a little less savvy on tipping standards.

So I am not sure if it was the hours, the poor tips, or what, but I had the headache from hell.  Throw in our "surprise!" staffing changes for the weekend and I was on 2 painkillers every 4 hours.  GET ME OUT OF HERE type of thing.

The staff saw it in my face--and heard me complain lol-- but the regulars told me I was still at my A game.  I was done.

When the staff started leaving, they were all like "Holler, time to drink, what a weekend, etc."  I was like "This.  This is going to be hard later when the closing staff is letting loose."

I texted a few close friends who have been supportive of my challenge around 1am and warned them that I was in a bad spot.  Would I have drank? Honestly, no.  But MUTHAH FUCKAH I wanted to.  SOOOO badly.  Even boss's broseph was like "OOH! Free Wine!"

>:(  Like, really new kid?  Really?  Right in front of me?  Get your shit away from my bar.   And take those extra bottles just in case.  Go. Go.  My boss was cool and threw away the ones I like since Doug left and I wasn't having it.  (Doug's still kickin ass too... 13 days hollah)  So the lack of wine around helped.

It helped til about 3:15.  I was done cleaning from the crazy weekend.  Boss went and got some smoked gouda and summer sausage-- my favorite accessory to a good dry red.

"COUNT MY MONEY AND LET ME LEAVE" I say with my eyes to boss.  Get me out of here.  Yet he continues to slowly count, and slowly eat da Gouda and drink ze Beer.  At 4am when I was still there, and still off the clock, I snapped.  I raised my voice to him for the first time and was like "Just take the shortage, I don't care, I'm here unpaid and against my will, I'm out.  Get it done."

I couldn't really be social for the usual Denny's trip, or pay a visit to casa de Doug for a half bottle, I had to just keep driving and try to defuse my situation.

Inhale...
Exhale...

I kept getting reply texts throughout the wee hours of the morning: "Did you do it?  Did you drink?"

"No" I said with pride.  My hardest challenge and I passed.  Yay me.

And the praise of my colleagues and friends made it all the better.  Another day.