Only Have a Party If You Want To

I apologize to my readers (and there are few) for not posting sooner. The past week has been full of disses and disappointments and one win.

            I work for a temp agency for servers, chefs, and whatever you might need to put on a private party, large or small. Most of the clients are small to medium catering companies who need to supplement their own on call staff for big events. The jobs that everybody wants are house parties. Which translates into working directly for the party giver, i.e. there’s a tip most of the time.

            Usually people are grateful to have professionals come in and take care of everything so they can have a good time at their party. They treat us like guests, introduce themselves and help out when needed. And then there’s BW, of BEBE woman’s clothing company. I can’t lose my little barely-above-minimum wage job so you’ll have to figure out her name if you care. She’s mid-fifties and doesn’t seem to have family since there were no photos in the house. She has a house on the water, without a view, in Mill Valley. It’s nice but I’ve been in bigger and much nicer homes. The house and décor are minimal and modern with no personality, just like its owner. BW greeted us in curlers, a long dressing gown in blue paisley polyester, and thick pink flip flops. She seemed nice and told us exactly what she wanted, she had detailed everything even to the time frame what to do and when serve the food and printed it all out. She went to get ready. She took the curlers out of her hair showing a need for some sort of color and changed into big chunky wedgie shoes, leaving on the outfit which was a maxi dress.

            We set-up and were ready to go at 4pm when the guests were supposed to arrive for this wedding reception for a couple that had been married for six months already. The couple was there, another couple arrived at four, and a friend of the bride. That was it at five when, just as another couple was arriving; the first couple passed them in the entry saying they had to go. As time went by it looking like the 50 to 70 people might be 30. BW got more stressed and unhappy. From then on BW was pretty pissy and could hardly wait to get the party over with. I think we all felt that way. I could hear people talking as I waited by the front to greet the people who weren’t coming. The groom was an artist who had painted several of the pieces in the house. He was a small stocky South American man, the bride was a much taller late fifties woman happy to be on her second or third marriage. These two did not match at all. The guests were all friends and family of theirs, mostly hers, not BW who was throwing the reception. Finally right before we were to serve the main course(s) two large groups of the brides family arrived. Three hours late. When BW filled out the post event email for the company I work for she took out her frustration by being hypercritical of us. Thanks BW, we don’t want to come back either.

            On a different note, I had a phone interview for a full time job today and the lady said I didn’t have enough experience in formal dining. They are looking for someone with five plus years. That seems to be the new magic number in hiring. Because they can, employers are requiring way more experience than necessary for the positions they have. Is there really a huge difference between two and five years of serving? My college years of serving didn’t count since it was to long ago. This afternoon I had an interview with a woman who owns a small catering company to work directly for her. The interview lasted less than ten minutes and I left with the assurance she will call me soon for a job. She and the chef were both really nice and came well referred. Yea!!

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