Work began tonight again. Waitressing was surprisingly enjoyable, and the meat didn't bother me as I tried just to move the plates through their procession without looking down. It was awful in a way, but I can't find work anywhere else and I don't encourage people to eat it; I'd recommend the salad over a burger any day, considering how good the salads at the restaurant are.

I was pretty insecure at first about waitressing, and I was worrying about whether I would be able to handle the fast pace. I figured out that I actually am good at it once I get the hang of it and memorize the menu and its many options. It was enjoyable, overall. It was a lot more fun than cashiering, which requires less skill. It was also a lot less stressful than the first time I waitressed in '09. Back then I was in school for 6.5 hours a day, then went home, changed, and went to work until seven or eight. It was too much, to say the least.

The waitress that trained me was great as well; we have worked together before when I hostessed with her on weekend mornings and she's a real sweetheart. The evening itself was probably made better by her presence.

The night was okay overall, and much better than many of the outcomes I predicted. It was less stressful than I imagined, even when it got a little busy. Hopefully things stay the way that they were last night (except maybe a little busier and much fewer hamburger plate orders) and I should be in good shape.

Disclaimer to All Militant Vegan Readers that Plan to Wave Their Flags and Scream at Me: Being vegan is something I am still very dedicated to, and I don't personally consume or advocate the consumption of meat or animal products. I realize it's scandalous to work in a place that serves it, but I have to get to college somehow. I won't spend much more time trying to justify my actions because I do feel remorse when I am bussing a table and see a chunk of muscle tissue with bleeding onto the plate. It's probably the worst part of the job, but this restaurant experience will prepare me for future jobs that will hopefully involve vegan food. I can work through college with the experience I gain working where I do right now. If I wanted to, I could hide the fact that I work with meat and pretend to be as righteous as most
militant vegans do. I'm not a perfect human being, but using any form of transportation other than walking involves animal testing and possibly animal products, so we are all abusing animals to a degree.