I worked at the most popular bar/restaurant in my college town. It is pretty much the only bar students go to, and naturally, it is the hot spot for nostalgia on alumni weekends. Saturday nights of alumni weekend are mostly spent on the satellite campus at school where two of the Fraternities have houses and they host big parties for pretty much everyone to attend. Friday night is the big bar night of that weekend. Trying to move is almost a physical impossibility. Ordering a drink? The bar is 4-5 deep. Food? A table? Yeah right.
My junior year, I worked Friday night of alumni weekend. It is the most stressful thing I think I have ever done, in terms of short bursts of stress (As opposed to stress over a long time, like a horrible semester or something). I was screaming at the top of my lungs at people to move, ordering new drinks as soon as customers got their round because it took me that long to get them their next round, practically crying with every loser who thought it was funny to try and steal drinks off my tray when its got 10 drinks on it and I have two pitchers of beer in the other hand. Taking food orders and trying to make it back into the kitchen by some grace of God. I collapsed on the floor and stayed there for about 15 minutes after the place cleared out, and made a fellow server crack my back. I made amazing money even after tipping out every food runner, dishwasher, and the bar. But it was not an experience I ever wanted to repeat again. And I didn't. Senior year, I was a party-er, not a server. It was an amazing experience being on the other side (but still holding privileges from working there, like being able to cut through the kitchen to get to the back bathroom and getting faster attention from the bartenders).
If I could make it through that night and come out on the other side alive, then I can sure as heck make it through 8 hours tomorrow. Bring it on, Black Friday.
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