No Thanks. I'll Have Water.

Detoxing while beginning a new restaurant job plus it be the first 2 weeks of December is proving to be difficult and is testing me to the max on a minute-to-minute basis.

Being a new person at a restaurant is always challenging, especially if you're not familiar with the menu and haven't tasted anything on it yet. Customers ask for suggestions and ask me the one question I hate the most, "What's good here?" and all I can reply is, "Um, I'm new and haven't tasted everything yet, but I can tell you what seems to be popular!" And the food looks truly delicious but I just can't have anything! A place called Outriders Cookhouse isn't known for their delectable vegetarian gluten free entrees - but for their bacon double cheeseburgers and strip loin steaks. I feel like a jerk for not eating anything off the menu but I know that in a week I will be able to start tasting some things and finally be able to make personal recommendations to the patrons.

Also, last night when we closed down the place, a bunch of the staff were sitting around having a few drinks and having a good ol' time just chattering away. There's a comradery that is built within a group of people when the beers start flowing and the stories start pouring out. It's especially important to be able to join in that group and be able to fit within the close knit group, especially when you're the new kid in the block. But no. I could not join in the beer drinking and had to sadly sip my water while eyeing their cold glasses of Keiths... poured from the tap... with condensation building on the outside of the glass... so cold and delicious and just begging for me take a sip... just one sip....

Another reason it sucks to be me right now is the boxes of chocolates being passed around in every room of every business. People are getting excited about the upcoming holiday when they see the boxes of Christmas chocolates being stacked a mile high in every grocery store, they feel the need buy some for people at work where it get passed around from person to person, everyone eyeing up their favourite one. Then it gets to me. I look at the box longingly, sigh deeply and pass it to the next person. Then I get the question, "You don't want any chocolate?" OF COURSE I DO YOU JERKFACE! Wow, that a bit more hostile then I expected. Just posting that picture of the box of chocolates there made my mouth water.

The last reason it sucks to be me at the moment is because I've also been working a lot of Christmas parties at the Culinary Institute which means lots of booze, rich dinners and luscious desserts. And where do all of the leftovers go? To the staff of course! (apart from the booze obviously) Not being able to dig into a giant plate of roast turkey and bacon onion stuffing is torturous. You'd might as well just tie up my legs and feet and pull me in opposite directions by 2 cars.

The reactions I am getting from people when I have to explain this whole cleanse idea is always one of two:
1) Wow, that's amazing that you can have that kind of willpower! Good for you!
2) Are you crazy? Why would you do that? Especially during this time of year?

The first one makes me feel good about myself while the other reminds me that I am crazy and makes me wonder why I am doing this to myself. As the scent of Chris's coffee lingers in the apartment I am wondering myself that exact question.