Give Me 5 for Friday: Bartenders and Moms

My friend Katie is running for the 2013 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Woman of the Year.  You can make a donation to the LLS and help support blood cancer research right HERE.  NO amount is too small!! :)

So last night Katie had a guest bartending event a local restaurant/bar and ALL tips were donated to her campaign (all money goes directly to LLS).  And guess who was one of the guest bartenders?

Yep.  You guessed it.  Me.

I realized in my short stint behind the bar that bartending is a demanding job...and it's a lot like being a mom (or a dad too).

For Give Me 5 for Friday, I present to you 5 similarities between being a mom and a bartender...

Similarity #1:

• Bartender:  Everyone is giving you orders. 
• Mom:  Everyone is giving you orders.

#2:

• Bartender:  Everyone wants something different.  Some people want beer, some like wine, others prefer the hard stuff.  You have to have it all on hand to please the masses.  And sometimes you might give people stuff that you know is bad for them.
• Mom:  Everyone wants something different.  One loves pasta, the other only wants peanut butter and jelly.  One wants milk, another wants juice.  You have to have it all on hand to please the munchkins.  And sometimes you definitely give the kids stuff that is bad for them...like doughnuts, candy, and whatever else you give as a bribe treat.

#3:

• Bartender:  Around closing time, people are tired and cranky and many have had "too much".  Sometimes they are rambling or slurring or even crying.  You just want to tell them all to go home and go the f*ck to sleep.
• Mom:  Around bed time, everyone is cranky, the kids are crying, and YOU have definitely had enough.  You want them all to go to bed and go the f*ck to sleep.

#4:

• Bartender:  At the end of the night, you are sweaty, exhausted, and your feet hurt.
• Mom:  At the end of the day, you are sweaty after wrangling the kids for bath time, you are exhausted, and your head hurts.

And #5:

• Bartender:  When everyone is gone, it is FINALLY your time to sit and have a very much deserved drink.
• Mom:  When everyone is asleep, it is FINALLY your turn to sit and have a very much deserved drink.  That is...if you can stay awake long enough to finish it.

 As you can clearly see, Bartending is almost EXACTLY like being a mom.

Except the tip part.  If I only could get my kids to tip me...I swear I would be SO much more efficient and eager to please.