7 September 2000

Hi. Like, what's up?

I'm tired. I should go to bed or something, but I can't ignore my little diary forever, can I? Man, I am [painfully] throbbing from sex. I think Jeff and I are totally exhausted from tonight's [ahem] festivities.

He's taking me to the Cheesecake Factory tomorrow night for dinner. I don't even like cheesecake. Haha, but I chose the place. I've never been there. I'm such a dork--you want to know the extent of my pickiness? I actually looked them up on the web and read up on their menu. I think I decided on something. We'll have to see about prices. I hear it's kind of up-there. Of course, that was sort of the point, we both wanted to go to a nice restaurant. (Opposed to my "family favorite" place that I work at.)

Now I love my restaurant, its atmosphere and its food. But, it's nice to go to an upscale place from time to time. I heard you make great money working at the cheesecake factory. So I figure this would give me a chance to look around and see if I liked what I saw. Of course, it's kind of a small journey to get there, so it wouldn't be convenient at all travel wise (since where I work now is right down the street--like, if I hit green lights and I speed, I'm literally there in two minutes.) Cheesecake might take me 20-25 minutes to drive to.

Not good if I'm late!

Like the tell-tale heart, I'm having some problems when I go into work.

I did something wrong.

I did something illegal.

And depending on if people complain or not....well, I'm just stuck in that guilty limbo until I think I've "cleared."

Basically, during my monday double I managed to lose three of my credit card charge slips. Without the slips, I don't get my tip. At one point in the day I was running seven tables (six of them being sat all at once!!--it was during cross-over from AM to PM shift where none of the servers were on--or there.) For all of my hard work, it seems a shame that I have to lose three of my tips because I never had a chance to collect myself and get organized. I was continuously running around.

So I hand punched in the number from what was in the computer to re-run it. It printed out the slips that were to be signed by the customer, and then I put in a tip, and scribbled a signature.

I don't know what I was really thinking. I guess, I wasn't. I was thinking, "hey this is unfair, I'm getting my tip..." Obviously, I shouldn't have done it, and it was really dumb, and I can get caught so easily. If anyone were to complain they could look it right up and know who put the charge through. It's just....this terrible waiting period. I mean, if someone took the second slip home with them and wrote down how much they gave me, and then compared that to when their credit card charges come through the mail and its all off--won't they complain?

Of course, maybe the number will be lower that I quoted (assuming they gave me tips--although, with one of them, I just ran it through, because I'm pretty sure she gave me a cash tip, so the total didn't change from the one she actually signed for.) Or the number i made up could be a lot higher. I gave myself just slightly lower than 20%. Basically 20% then rounded to a whole number.

I'm terrible. If I get caught, I can only imagine what would happen to me. The disappointment--from managers, myself, the customers....my parents. I would certainly get fired...and it would be mighty hard to get another job after being caught for fraud. Er, does this include jail time?

I mean, for the two I did, it will probably mean the difference of a dollar or two. Either in or not in their favor--and that's assuming they actually kept their copy, with the tip on it (a lot of people take the slip, but never write in the tip...of course, maybe they have their own personal tipping technique so they just figure out the number later when they're accounting for it...) Anyway, and a lot of people don't even take the copy any way. But if they did, and the numbers are wrong, and they complain....

I'm going to be in a lot of trouble.

I keep thinking, they won't complain. Maybe they'll just doubt themselves and what they actually wrote down on my copy.

But, I have an even worse story to tell you that plays along the same lines of this credit card thing.

I don't remember how long ago it was, but it was during a day shift, somehow, I gave the wrong check to a table. Now, instead of saying something, the man, just la la la-ed it and paid for the bill (because it was lower than the one he would have gotten.) So I ran the credit card, and then continued on to ring in this other person's bill.

Oops. Looks like I had printed out two copies and somehow had ran her credit card, under this check and this man under it, but couldn't figure out why it was telling me I owed "zero dollars" to pay for when I ran her's.... I got confused and didn't realize what had happened until I had already cashed out the check. (With his credit card paying.)

Now what do I do? Well, I should have just paid for the bill or something. But instead, I hand typed his credit card number in for the bill (of *his* real check) and sent it through again. But I still have a slip with this woman's signature (with the exact same tip that he had quoted.) So I staple her's to "her" check and his to his (with my phony signature).

She's now, actually paid for nothing, even though I have the read out saying she did.

He's paid for both his and hers.

La.

That was bad. I mean, it was my fault for laying down the wrong check to the wrong table. But it was definitly HIS fault for not saying anything. (That's kind of shady to not say anything, don't you think?) The difference was like 15 dollars. But I mean, now, he's going to get a VISA read out saying he purchased two meals at M&E (totally a little over 50 with both of the bills). I mean....wouldn't *you* complain about that?

UNLESS, if you look at it, and see the two totals and remember how *YOU* lied about the right check anyway, and feel guilty and just don't say anything.

I'll have to hope for that. I gues, with this one, I can somehow claim insanity and show how the confusion all got ran up. (Of course I can't really explain the phony signature....)

But with everything, I have to hope they don't complain. Because if they do, I'm screwed. So I've been praying and meditating a lot. I figure I need to give it to November 1st, before I can breathe. I need to give it all that time to get statements back, and a chance for a complain to be made. It's actually pretty scary thinking about it.

It's dumb really. I mean sure, you want those few dollars more for your tip (I made 6 dollars off my first two cases I mentioned) with the tip I gave myself from both. Is six dollars worth losing your job for?

Nope.

Not so smart, Aglaia. I'm not this type of scheming person either. I'm a good girl, I don't do these kind of things. I mean, the gossip would spread so bad if I got fired...everyone would know. It would be terrible. All those people live on campus, and attend school, I know I would run into them. I just can't imagine, it would be bad.

So enough of that.

How about this for a total conversation changer: I told you how I didn't masturbate "normally" right? Well, the other day, I actually (er, got right down to it? ;) and actually orgasmed doing it the "right" way. It's so funny, because, I just jumped up and ran around laughing because i was so happy I could. It gives me hope that I could have an orgasm through sex. Now, it was a pretty weak orgasm, but still. I'll just have to train myself.

You know what "trick" I learned though? Using your right hand, and then having your left hand grab your right hand's wrist. How weird is that?

Whatever works, right?

I get my hair done tomorrow. (yaaa.) I want lotsa highlights. What's cool with the kids lately, style wise? I wear mine long and straight (because when you've got hair as straight as mine, and everyone is jealous--of what, I don't know--flat, thin hair? ;)--you just wear it long, cuz everyone loves it like that.

Besides, guys like long hair. I hear that constantly. AND, I figure when I'm 40 I'm gonna have to cut it short like everyone else, so I might as well continue to wear it long, right? But, I am interested in doing something different. I kind of wish the layered around your face thing would come back. My hair looks best like that. But I got rid of layers, and it's all one length right now. (Think: parted down the middle, hippie style, blond straight hair ;) But I'll ask Ellen and see what she thinks. She wants it long, she's been growing me out for awhile now.

I need a cut or something. I like to use color to change, but I need something a little different. Hair should be fun. :)

Did I tell you how cute Jeff is?

Becuase he is. :)

Bye.