First Night Training at my new job

Okay, so it's 3am, and I'm finally in bed after my first night training at my new job.  I went in at 4:30pm.  I hope I don't fall asleep while typing this, because if so, I will never get back to updating it.  Like most of my posts.  So anyways, I have been unemployed for a year.  I stopped working at a cocktail waitress back in June of 2010 due to my problems with alcohol.  Anywho, for awhile, because of probation (for a DWI) I wasn't allowed to work around alcohol, what, with my felonies, I couldn't find work anywhere except restaurants and bars.  So I tried everyday to find employment.  My probation has changed and I am now allowed to work around alcohol as long as they serve food.  So, about tonight.  Hourly wage for waitresses in NC is $2.13 an hour plus tips.  But I have to train on two night (closing) shifts, and two day (opening) shifts.  During that time, I get paid $2.13 an hour and NO tips.  When me and Adele got there at 4:30, there was already a girl there, Kristen, who came in at 3pm (she would get cut early).  And then at 6pm, Jessica came in.  Kristen got cut at 10:30pm, and so they went ahead and split the drawer (tips).  Between the three of them, Adele, Kristen and Jessica, they made $75 each.  Pretty damn good.  That's after they tipped out the bartender.  So Kristen went home, and I continued to follow Jessica and Adele around.  Which I didn't do much, I have 6 years of waitressing experience so I pretty much did stuff on my own.  At this restaurant, waitresses take care of all tables and split tips.  At the end of the shift, 2am, they split the tips again, this time making $67.  Thats a total of $142 on a Tuesday night.  If I make money like that, well, I won't be buying a house or anything, but I will finally be able to eat on a regular basis, pay my probabtion, pay my bills, and maybe do something fun with my son on the weekends.  So, I'm going to try to keep a record of how much they make each shift.  And then I will continue to keep a record of what I make each night, so I can eventually figure out a budget of some kind.  All checks will be zero.  The owner of the restaurant, only claims whats in credit card tips, so your cash tips are under the table.  Which is pretty freaking awesome.  The only downside, is that because I know have a job, I will loose my Medicaid, but I will figure that out too.  I turned my will over to God, and boy did he handle it! Thank you Lord.  Good night