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February 02, 2009

May I Suggest...

It's pledge time at KCRW, and here's a message from Evan Kleinman. Both she and the show are a great source of information for all things food, definitely worthy of any support you can offer.

~Tad

February 01, 2009

Today is My Friday

In the restaurant business, it's not always possible for employees to have two days off in a row on a regular basis. Lots of restaurants are closed one day per week, like Monday, so everyone has that day off and another. The people that get Sunday and Monday off, or Monday and Tuesday off have the best schedule, so those are often given to the people with the most senority. Or it may rotate through the staff so everyone gets two days off once in a while.

But in casino restaurants, thanks to unions and big staff, it's expected and required for all employees to get two consecutive days off. Because everyone gets a true "weekend," there's a peculiar turn of phrase, "Today is my Friday" (meaning it's the end of my workweek) or "Today is my Monday" (meaning it's the beginning of my workweek). I often overhear it in the hallway and employee dining areas, in various accents. No matter what the person's native tongue, these specific phrases are what's used to communicate the concept of a personal weekend.