u/Kiriyuma7801

I've just been trying to keep my head down and ears open at this new spot, I spent a long time in work environments where even a simple "fuck" behind closed doors would get you a write up, but today Chef talked to me and said he's gonna have me basically shadow every position on line to help me build familiarity with the crew as he thinks I'm "not properly connecting with the crew."

I started as a dishie, and from what I've been told I've been killing it, but lately I've been working pantry or prep shift more often than a dish shift lately.

I don't mind the experience and knowledge, and I make a few extra bucks per hour on those shifts which is nice.

I just have a serious disconnect between a lot of my coworkers on a... professionalism level.

I've heard it all, I don't give a shit. I'm not gonna go whining to HR, but I also just really don't connect with a lot of what my coworkers find humorous. I don't have much to add to their conversations, so I just keep my nose down and make sure my work is consistent. I've heard through the grapevine I'm a try hard, and a kiss ass etc...

I don't think I'm better than anyone , I'm learning new techniques for things previously unfamiliar to me on a daily basis from the same people who have had negative things to say about me, so I don't really give a shit, but I still don't want to be that weird guy.

Idk, I'm decently drunk and maybe overthinking, so I could just use some advice. TIA.

Less than a month in to my new dishie gig, I unfortunately had to have my elderly dog put down an hour before my closing shift.

It was just his time. He went peacefully. I'm grateful for that.

I just want to say, I am also grateful for the second family I experienced today.

I stayed up all night with my pup last night, got maybe an hour or so of shitty sleep, took them to be put down, then I powered through the rush today and crushed it.

I got a group hug from people I've barely known for less than a month.

Chef gave me 2 Filet Minions he made for my wife and I right before we shut the broiler down, so they were still warm by the time I got home.

Sides had portioned some mashed potatoes and creamed spinach for us. Pantry set aside some cheesecake.

This is why I fuckin' love this industry

My boy crossed the rainbow bridge late afternoon at 3:48PM 05/14/2026 at 14 years and 8 months of age. I only knew him for a fraction of it.

He took a turn for the worse the night before and I just knew it was time. He went peacefully and quickly at the vet he had been going to since he was a puppy.

I fed him an entire onion the night before, because he was a fiend for vegetables. Celery, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, he even ate my weed once (it wasn't a lot, he was fine.)

His original owner had a serious lifestyle change due to an unfortunate circumstance and was no longer able to care for him. He sat in a boarding facility for over 6 months, as a foster.

My wife and I were living in the NW, and due to cost of living in there during the COVID years, I decided to move us down to Texas, where my family was.

My sister got my wife and a job there, and we quickly learned about Giraud and we both fell in love with him and took him almost as soon as we acquired our first apartment in the new city.

He was supposedly never allowed human food due to his sensitive stomach, and never allowed on the couch by his previous master.

First few days we took him home he wouldn't eat any kibble we tried.

I gave him a can of sardines *in oil* and he gobbled them down. Woke up to my new apartment floor freshly painted brown. Lesson learned lol.

I went for a more neutral enticement the next day; plain crackers.

He, fucking, loved them. Activated his appetite, to the day of his passing, him hearing the crinkling of the saltine wrapper was the queue for meal time and would initiate his appetite.

We didn't have a dog bed when we took him in, but we had a huge L shaped couch, too massive for our apartment. I encouraged him up there for the first time, and that was his spot. For almost 5 years.

I was just beginning to train as a dog trainer at this point, so I was learning more about Giraud than he was about me. How to learn the language he's been taught, the one he learned and refined over 10 years from his training as a young pup and what his original master had instilled. I never quite got it down, but I know we loved each other.

Whether I'll see him again is for smarter people than me to ponder, so I'm just glad I got to know him.

I will never know another dog like you, Giraud.

You may run forever, not just in your sleep now.

He's got late stage kidney disease, he's over 15 years old. He has his bad and good days, but he's gotten sick again and I know what's best

I've got the funds to do it, I don't need any financial help just...some reassurance or emotional guidance.

I know I'm doing what is best for him but I just don't know how I'm supposed to be positive and upbeat in an environment where it's kind of critical to do so.

I'm on a probationary period so calling out is out of the question. I'd rather work anyways instead of sitting around crying anyways.

My current plan is to have him put to sleep before my shift either today or tomorrow.

Could use any advice. Thank you.

Today I showed up for dish shift, 2-close. Service starts at 3. Head Chef pulled me aside and asked me if I'd be interested in working the line today on pantry as he had 3 call outs. Its just salads, desserts, seafood. We had a chat about how I've earned the respect of a lot of people who are notoriously scrutinizing over newer hires and said I really probably should have applied for a higher position than what I did with my skill set. Apparently knowing how to show up on time, how a kitchen works, being respectful, and using a knife without maiming yourself is a big deal?

He showed me the recipes for salads and how to plate desserts, and set up seafood towers. Took me a little bit to get a groove down but I learned the recipes and plating in about 30 mins.

Only real hindrance I had was the anxiety about the whole situation. Almost felt like a relationship that was moving too fast lol.

I don't know where fuckall is in the walkin so that kinda fucked me a few times, but nothing I put out got sent back expect a cheesecake, and that was a servers fault.

But oysters. Fucking oysters. I had never shucked an oyster in my life before today and I'm surprised I didn't put that damn knife through my hand with how many I had to shuck with no experience doing it.

Today was a weird day and I'm honestly still sort of reeling from it all, could use any advice at all.

And before anyone chimes in with something along the lines of "I worked a higher position for dishwasher pay"; I made an extra 4$ per hour for my shift today.

Chicken drumsticks are .39¢/lb at my local meat market. Whole leg quarters .59¢/lb. Pork is also dirt cheap.

The same cuts of meat that are poorly cut, waterlogged, and sometimes just nasty are nearly 3x as much at the chain grocery I used to buy from.

If you're really on a budget, and get in good with your local butcher/market, they'll even usually sell you their bits and ends for pennies and on dollar.

They make great stocks which can be frozen and used for all kinds of stuff...

Just curious what everyone's schedules are like.

New place has me pulling almost 60 hours a week and it's been fucking brutal. I won't be complaining when I get paid, but holy fuck is this taking its physical toll on me.

Even wearing dish gloves, my hands are cracking and I'm getting random cuts on them from something as simple as someone breathing the wrong way or mishandling a piece of cardboard, or worse grabbing the wrong end of a steak knife while sorting silverware.

My body aches in ways I didn't know possible, despite my confidence I was relatively 'in shape' for my age. Am I getting overworked or is this what a lot of y'all do and are used to?

I started last week at a high volume, high end steak house. Since I got hired on, we are now "fully" staffed and the usual 1 or 2 dishies on a close aren't getting swamped like they're used to. This has led to some awkwardness because the "Lead" dishwasher only works AM and the PM crew I've been working with is.... Well, they're more interested in their phones than being helpful. I've been running dishes from the line and taking out their trash etc, but I come back to my fellow dishies just bullshitting while everyone else in the building is in the weeds.

I want so badly to tell them "X or Y needs doing, please go do it" but I'm not even a whole week into the job so I know it ain't my position.

Also nobody seems to remember my name, I politely introduce myself to every person I see, but today alone I was called Colton, John, and James by 6 different people.

Is this shit normal?

12 hours. 800 covers. Had two banquet events today as well. Non-stop chaos. I smoked a cigarette while I took the trash out before service and that was my only break. Didn't even use the bathroom the entire time.

The fucking nozzle for the sprayer is busted, it's constantly going as long as the water is on, so even with an apron and a disposable plastic one, I was absolutely soaked about 2 hours into my shift. Got home and my feet looked like raisins. I'm sore in places I forgot existed.

I kept forgetting where shit goes, and forgetting to retrieve the line cooks dishes. They were pretty pissed and I felt like I was kinda letting everyone down.

I was thankfully working with the Lead dishwasher so I was able to ask him to takeover when I felt like I was in the weeds.

The servers and bussers seemed to like me at least, because I kept three buckets for them to drop silverware in to presoak and consistently left two dish trays for them to drop their plates straight into

I worked at Panera Bread for a long time, and helped out dish when I needed to but that was....very different from this. Just basically plates, bowls, and silverware, maybe the AM prep guys utensils.

I'm just worried I am going to sink rather than swim, and as crazy and shitty as today was, I'm ready for tomorrow, so any tips so I can do this right and not let anyone down would be appreciated.

Got 15lbs of filets, could use any recipes on how to use it that isn't basic frying or baking.

TIA