In the early 1970s, during my university days, I was a waitress at two Winnipeg restaurants and I learned so much from those experiences.
I was a waitress at The Paddock across from Polo Park and at the A&W Coffeeshop. I often think about those waitressing jobs because they taught me lots of important lessons.
I learned to work quickly and efficiently at a whole variety of tasks, especially at the A&W Coffeeshop where they really didn’t have enough staff and I was run off my feet.
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I had to keep ketchup bottles filled, take orders, total up bills, clean the bathroom, make milkshakes and floats, clear tables, cut and plate pieces of pie and cake, fill drink orders, keep my eye on the kitchen for when my orders were up, make sure customers didn’t leave without paying, work the cash register, wash the floors and wipe down the booths. These lessons in working quickly and efficiently paid off big time in my teaching, writing and homemaking careers.
As a waitress, I learned to keep a smile on my face at all times and exhibit extreme patience. I knew my tips depended on me having a friendly demeanour and not looking upset when people took a long time deciding what they wanted or made negative comments to me. This skill came in very handy when I would be doing parent-teacher interviews at school and I needed to keep a smile on my face as I spoke with one set of parents after another for hours on end. Patience came in mighty handy as a parent and a wife and a classroom teacher.
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I learned lots of other things waiting tables too. Like how important it was to get to know your boss and do the things that keep them satisfied with your work. To be tough and accept criticism. To ward off inappropriate comments and actions from male customers. To take responsibility even when something isn’t your fault and to act like you have things under control even when you don’t. I learned to relate to all kinds of people.
And…………… I gained a real appreciation for folks who work in the hospitality industry. This means I ALWAYS leave a tip. I try very hard not to complain and do my best to be friendly and kind to anyone who serves me.
Those waitressing jobs fifty years ago played an important role in my life. They weren’t easy jobs but they sure taught me plenty!
Other posts…………
When my husband Dave plans a date night for us I can always look forward to it being something unique. Last Friday he picked me up after I had spent a long day doing stuff for my Dad and said we were headed for a literary spot. 
I would never have guessed it was a brewery, but the Stone Angel fit the bill since it was named after the famous book The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence. The large statue in the brewery attests to the fact but just to be sure I double-checked with the bartender and he confirmed indeed the brewery had been named after Margaret’s book. 
Dave is part of a beer club that meets regularly to explore all the breweries in the city so he had been to the Stone Angel with his club members. I don’t drink beer normally and since I was the only woman in the place during our entire visit I was a little intimidated but I had a good time. 
Dave picked out two beers he thought I might like- a Kilter Juicy and a Peanut Butter Stout. I tasted them both. The stout was a little too bitter for me but the Kilter Juicy had a nice grapefruity flavour and I drank the whole thing. 
Next, we were off to the Tehran Cafe. I had never had Iranian food before but it was wonderful. 
I ordered a walnut, chicken and pomegranate stew with saffron rice and green salad. So good. 
Dave had a lamb shank with rice and Shirazi salad. It was great too. 
We enjoyed the interesting art in the restaurant and the attentive service. 
A literary brewery and a new kind of food were not what I was expecting for my date night but it was a fun evening. Even after spending more than 45 years together with him, my husband continues to make my life interesting. 
My sister and I sat in an old observation train car built in 1914 that has been attached to the station house. 
The restaurant serves meals with a definite French flavor and in the background as you eat you will hear the latest Montreal francophone music. 
I tried in vain to find some photos of the train station in the late 1950s because during the 1958-1959 school year I was attending classes at Marion School right across the street from the station. I must have seen the old train station every day when I arrived at school.
Thursday night I attended a cooking class at De Luca’s restaurant with my sister and two of her friends. 
Our affable host Tony welcomed us to his well-known family establishment which opened in 1968
and introduced us to Chef Mike who would show us how each dish was prepared. 
First up was a tomato soup served along with three kinds of fresh bread. 
Tony was on hand to answer any questions we might have about ingredients or cooking methods. 
That’s what we had read about the Marlin Azul cantina in Merida. After my sister said she and her husband had enjoyed delicious shrimp fajitas there Dave and I decided to try it on our trip into Merida yesterday. Once we were out of our Uber we got a little direction turned but there are these English-speaking tourist guides hired by the city at many key intersections and this man named Roberto was happy to point us in the right direction. 
When we got a little turned around again direction wise this gentleman kindly stopped and offered to take us to the restaurant.
He led us right to the Marlin Azul and the outward appearance lived up to the descriptions we had read.
So did the descriptions of the friendly service. This affable waiter helped Dave pick out the perfect beer to go with our meal.
And the food certainly lived up to its hype. The shrimp fajitas we shared were wonderful.
We were about to set off on an eight kilometer walk around the city to explore some of its art galleries. Our meal at the Marlin Azul fortified us and got our afternoon off to a perfect start! 
On Friday my friend Esther and I paid a visit to the Amsterdam Tea Room just beside Old Market Square at the heart of the Exchange District. I had been there before for tea but never for a meal. As the name of the restaurant indicates there is a distinctly Dutch flavor to the menu items. 
I had a vegetable sandwich with beet soup
and Esther had the endive, pear, grape salad with the pea, celery and leek soup. 
They have dozens and dozens of kinds of tea on offer at the Amersterdam Tea Room. I opted for the Pina Colada tea and Esther chose a chai blend. We had a lovely meal at a sunny window table and caught up on what had happened in each of our lives since we last got together. 
We had planned to sketch in one of the many art galleries in the Exchange but it was such a gorgeous day we sat at a picnic table in Old Market Square to work on some new pages in our sketch books. 
Winnipeg, we decided, is a beautiful place indeed on a fine fall afternoon!