Ah.....first days :)

Well, for those of you that do not know yet, I got a second job waitressing at Steak n' Shake yesterday. Today was my first day "working" there (if you consider orientation working). Yes, first days are always somewhat nerve-wracking, not knowing what to expect really, feeling rather silly, and sticking out because you are, if fact, new. This first day, however, topped off any of my other first days o' work.

On the way to work, I was driving along the road, and what should happen, but my car, Penny Lane, starts wobbling, and I realize that I probably have a flat tire. Yikes. Five minutes until I am supposed to be at my first shift at an entirely new job. I realize that there is no time to fix the tire and be on time for work, so I decide that I'm just going to have to go the short distance I have left on a flat tire and make it to work on time. So I do just that, wobbling and shaking in Penny the whole way there. This also means that after work I have a mean, shredded tire that I'm going to have to somehow change and take care of. Wonderful things to be worrying about while I'm trying to concentrate on the job. Yet, I don't let it get me down, and I just do what I have to do...the tire will be taken care of eventually. I wasn't thinking too much about my tire until my boss comes in the back door saying, "Who has the car with the Utah plates?" I timidly told him "me," and he said, "Did you know your front left tire is totally shredded?!" "Yes," I replied faintly, "I'm going to have to take care of that when I leave here. But I wanted to make it to work on time." And so, I finished my hour and a half of orientation, and my boss let us start the real work tomorrow because I had "stuff you need to take care of." Yes, bossman, I did. Therefore, after we were allowed to leave, I promptly called the extremely nice and helpful Luke to help me save my poor, poor Penny Lane. While I was waiting for Luke, I tried to figure out my car jack, alas, it seems to be missing a part. Yikes.....good thing to know after my car breaks down. Luke has a jack that works in his car, so all was well. While the spare was being taken off, my boss came out to check up on how things were going. He was so friendly and nice, and I really do think I will like working at Steak n' Shake. Let me tell you, my tire was indeed shredded.....actually, perhaps finely grated would be a more appropriate term for Mr. Tire. And so the spare went on, Luke and I washed off our very dirty hands, and I left the dear Steak n' Shake parking lot off to the land of Big O' Tires.

Now, Penny Lane sits peacefully at my apartment, not acknowledging the pain she and I went through earlier in the day. And I feel strangely at peace with what happened. It all worked out. It could have been SO much worse. God really spared me in so many ways. Plus, I probably got to know my boss a little more today than I would have otherwise. It is amazing how the most frustrating and challenging experiences usually end up okay. Most of all, though, we always learn from those experiences, and for that I am very grateful. Also, I have a funny story to tell about first days of work :)