From The Ashes ...

Finally two days off!

Oh the end of my work week is a happy time. Even though most of the world is just getting started. It's funny, but having your days off in the middle of the week is frustrating in that the rest of the world seems to be busy working even though clearly there are other people shopping when I do and going to the movies and eating in restaurants. So why is it so hard to meet another fag who is on a similar schedule? I have long ago ruled out a serious relationship with a 9 to 5 business type because even though that's my clientel, when it comes to dating they just can't seem to grasp my schedule. It's never too long before they ask you to spend the weekend at the beach and you're like "the weekend being this Tuesday and Wednesday?" but no, that's not what he meant. Of course now that I don't work for tips things are slightly different in that taking a day or two off no longer means losing money as well but still, the reason I'm off mid-week is because the bar business happens mostly Thursday through Sunday and I need to be there then.
Perfect example: This weekend I got in Saturday at 9:30pm. We have a rule that the doormen are supposed to follow. No problems/ emergencies/situations are to be brought up as we are entering the building. It just seems more civilized and easier to take if we get a chance to get in, take off our coat, have a seat, check the mail, apply a little lip gloss you get the picture. One of our doormen just can't quite grasp the concept so on this night, I get a little preview. "Oh, P---- will tell you all about it." (Insert big rock in my gut) As it turns out, what happened was that a patron, or in this case potential patron as he hadn't come in yet, was entering the building and got a little light headed on the stairs coming in. He fell back and managed to sort of break his own fall but then basically passed out for a second on the sidewalk. EMS was called. I'm not even sure at this point if he was taken away or treated at the scene. Problem over. Cut to: the next night (Sunday) Insert brief back story here: I close the bar Saturday at 4am. By the time I finish paper work, accounting etc it's 4:45. A cocktail and shoot the shit with my staff and now it's 5:20. Hop in a cab home in ten minutes it's 5:30. (6 or 6:30 if we hang for a bit). Right to sleep, I'm usually back up by 1pm at the latest. I've got time to check my email, throw down some coffee, watch a little TV maybe shave my *ahem* parts and then leave for work by 3:30. Sunday I'm there from 4:30 till 3am. (And just to totally impress you I do it again: 4:30 - 3am on Monday)

So back to Sunday it was 9pm or so (I think) and I hear "get T--" in that serious way that I know I'm needed for real and not because a bartender needs a band-aid or some nonsense. I'm told that someone has collapsed by the piano. Now, you would think that I would immediately call 911 in this situation but really, not so fast. In my business there are degrees and types of "collapsed". It can be due to medication (legal or not) or old age. It can be alcohol induced (read: passed out). Hell I've seen 'em go down bacuse of diabetes or they're anorexic and haven't eaten in four days. So 911 is not the first option until you actually go and make an assessment of who fell out and why. In this case by the time I arrived the patron appeared unconscious at first but after a second I observed that he was in fact awake and lucid. After I cleared away all the well-meaning but ultimately useless homosexuals surrounding him it seemed pretty clear by his manner and the friend who was with him that this had happened before. So I guess maybe a small seizure or a reaction to medication. I make sure he isn't injured ( as he fell on a lamp on the way to the floor- he was fine the lamp is broken) and ask him if he would like some water which just seems to help in these situations and after a few minutes (maybe ten) he manages to get on his feet and walk out. It's all very dramatic on the surface but really, just a part of my day and actually quite a relief compared to the one two weeks ago.

Now does this sort of thing happen on a Tuesday or Wednesday as well? Of course. But law of averages will tell you that if you have 180 people in your bar on a Tuesday and 580 on a Saturday then chances increase exponentially the something is more likely to happen on a Saturday that needs your attention. So, Brad you see I can't just take the weekend off and go to New Hope with you.

Dr's appontment today. New blood test results to see if I'm losing ground or holding steady. Tomorrow I meet with my nutritionist. I think she's kind of full of shit but hey, it's free.....