*Deep Breathing*

Being a waiter is stressful.  There was a rush of to go orders that happened around 4, and I hadn't cleaned up any of the tables yet.  I thought all the to go orders, or most of them were waiting to be seated, and I was freaking out.  Haven't had a shift since last summer, so I guess I'm out of practice.  I stopped a couple times to take a couple deep breathes.  Everything ended up okay though, there were a few mistakes in the kitchen, but most of the customers were understanding so that's nice.I also ended up going to play Pump It Up with Darek.  It as fun, and I think I'm improving.  I went a lot further out of my comfort zone in terms of difficulty.  I'm not doing them as perfectly as I would like, but I'm at least passing.  I also tried out the new shoes today.  They started out with tons of grip.  I could step on the pad, and it would leave a mark because the sole was basically stuck to the pad.  As we continued playing, It got less effective, but I guess that's just because it picked up some dust, from the carpet and pad.  In the end, they were still much better than all the other shoes I've tried so I'm really happy with that.  I'll probably just wipe them down every couple times or something.  The only part I need to get used to is the lack of responsiveness?  My walking outside shoes don't have as stiff soles, so I can feel where I am on the pad much better.  Until I get used to the new shoes, I'll have to rely purely on the bar.  I also practiced some double pads, and I think I'm getting the hang of it.  Still playing easier ones, but if I keep practicing regularly, I'll be good for Otakon.  Darek also said that the new Dave & Busters in Virginia should be opening at the end of this month.  So I'll get to play on a brand new machine! (Hopefully... I heard Dave & Busters either has DDR or PIU, and they recently signed a new deal with DDR.)Today I'm thankful that I got to hangout and play PIU with Darek.  We also talked about work and church.