schedule change

Well, yesterday was Warren's last day, (he is the part-time assistant night
manager, or was anyway), so that means til we find a replacement, I will
just be doing night shifts for now, no more of the 5am torture! For me it
is a bit of a relief and a break, as by now all of y'all have figured out I am
NOT a morning a person. But it is a bit of a drag for my husband, he really
HATES that I work nights. Fortunately he is very understanding and puts
up with it for my sake. (just a dollbaby!) Besides, I think more interesting
people come in at night, translating to more adventures (or misadventures
as the case may be)! I just hope tonight we don't have a visit from this guy
we all call Screwy Louie, as we have no idea, and really don't want to know,
his real name. He comes to the restaurant late night about once a week all
the way from Richmond, an hour or so east of here. Why does he do that?
Well, he claims that there are no restaurants like ours there. That may be
true, but there are also alot more restaurants in our capital city, thus more
choices. But his second reason for coming to our fair city is just unreal. He
claims that there is no do-it-yourself car wash there that has hot water, but
there is one here, so he comes here to wash his car! Yes folks, now you can
see where we get Screwy Louie from, obviously one or two are quite loose!
He needs to sit at a certain table, and if it isn't available will sit at the one
closest to it, and when the people sitting at his fave leave, will move to that
table! He also needs an endless amount of napkins, and puts away the iced
tea like a camel drinking water in a desert. He continuously rearranges the
position of the salt, pepper, and sugar shakers on the table. At times, he
wears mismatched shoes, and always asks us if we like the cap he has on
and if it looks good on him. Screwy Louie used to come in on Fridays, but
because he got to be scared of me (I told him on a couple of occasions that
he could not just wander around the restaurant as he liked; he would just
get up and walk around to the waitress station, usually to get more tea and
napkins rather than asking his server standing right there!) he began to
come in on Thursdays once he figured out I was not there at night. So we
may both be in for a big surprise tonight!

here comes the rain again

ok, so I can't sing like Annie Lennox of the Eurithmics, but then who can?
But we did get rain, and will get more in the next couple of days, basically
the leftovers of the latest hurricane to hit Florida (which luckily did not
do much damage). But we do need rain, as we have been in a bit of a mini-
drought this summer. The only bad thing is that anytime we seem to get
any substantial rain, the power goes out around here....almost every time
daggone it! You would think that in the 21st century this would not be
such an issue, but unfortunately it still is, and it is very frustrating, as we
have become increasingly technological and bound by electronics, then a
few drops of rain fall, and we are unable to use all of our hi-tech stuff; we
can barely make a phone call by candlelight! Please get it together, Electric
Company! But I didn't intend to rant today, but to just toss out some tid-
bits here and there. Mrs. Reagan came by for breakfast, she looked pretty
good today, not her best day, but not her worst either thank goodness! At
least she was in good spirits. And got a call from Lola - she was in the car
on her way to Alaska. She was in Iowa, about to cross into Minnesota. She
claimed that in Iowa she had passed about 50,000 corn fields; I told her
to stop exaggerating, that it was probably only about 25,000! She was
thrilled to put corn in her gas tank....apparently there are ethanol service
stations there, and cheaper than real gas. But she was hoping that Minn.
was less boring a drive than Iowa, I told her not to hold her breath. She
hoped to be in Canada by tonight, Winnipeg I think she mentioned, and I
think she will make it. Then after work dropped by the local supermarket
where the drag queen I mentioned last week works; she was there today,
but didn't get to go to her checkout line, as it was the longest one (must be
popular!) and I was kind of in a hurry, oh well, maybe next time! Oh, just
before I got home, I passed a cop who had pulled over this silver car. I
thought to myself, that car looks familiar, and it was! Roxanne, one of our
dayshift waitresses, had gotten pulled over, and I could see the cop leaning
into her window and her talking to him, will find out the scoop tomorrow
I'm sure. And finally, as I was pulling into my street, I was the correct
caller for the game on the radio station I was listening too! I always try to
call in, but am either the wrong number caller, or the line is busy. Well, I
finally got lucky today after a number of years, and even luckier when the
contest was to pick a decade for the mystery song! I of course picked the
80's, and as soon as the music started I got all excited....easy one! (Open
Arms by Journey). So I have won a car wash (need it) a free pizza from one
of the national chains (don't need that), and tickets to some wine festival
this weekend (will definately need that if there is too much drama at the
restaurant over the next couple of days!) But best of all, got to hear myself
on the radio, even if the DJ did pronounce my name wrong - guess it was
all Greek to him!

more fashion

Ok, don't want anyone thinking I am
a fashion diva, far from it. I don't
keep up with what is in or out of style,
although to be honest, how some
folks dress these days is a bit
alarming! But I am not a fashion victim either, just try to stay somewhat
classic, stuff that does not go out of style. I mentioned in a previous post
Aigner and Tretorn for shoes and accessories, but now am expanding to
a firm that does those things too but specializes in clothes, particularly
the dressy casual - Liz Claiborne! Just love Liz, again another firm that I
have been wearing since high school. When I first started wearing Liz,
she was just doing primarily clothes, but has since expanded to all
fashion avenues, and has done so quite well. My closet tends to have
more of her pants, shirts, blouses, even shorts, but Liz offers alot more.
And what is great is that she always seems to have the best colors, or
should I say, the colors I like - cream, blues, grays, white, black, pastels
in the summer, burgundy and navy in the winter. Furthermore, the cut
is generous for us healthy chicks. I don't have to worry about popping
buttons in the chestal area of my blouses, the sleeves are always long
enough, as are the length of the pants. And unlike some other firms,
you know a 14 is a 14 with Liz; with some firms you have to play around
with sizes because their cuts vary so much. So next time any of y'all are
in a Hecht's, Dillards, or similar type store, do check Liz out! Oh, and
for the even healthier ladies there is their 'Elizabeth' line, and for men
there is 'Claiborne'! I do like the men's line, but for right now anyway
tend to prefer another
firm when shopping for my hubby - Nautica!
Love it! It is both classic and conservative, but
with a modern twist. Again here, the colors are great, at least in
the style of my hubby and I, and their sizes run true. Their casual
everyday wear is great, as is their dressier line, no matter what season.
And like Liz, Nautica items are of the highest quality, just last and last,
always looking sharp. Nautica, like Liz, also has accessories galore, and
they both have a perfume line too. But we don't use their scents; I will
do a cologne/perfume posting with our fave scents in the future. But
for now, time to enjoy the rest of my day off before having to go back
to work tomorrow - ugghhh, up @ 5am!

catch up time

Well, my 'weekend' is here, today and tomorrow off, time to get some stuff
done around the house. But first need to catch up on some overdue drama.
To do so, need to introduce you to 'Macy'. She is about 21, pretty, used to
work as a waitress for us on 2 different occcasions. She came in on Friday
night to eat and visit with us. This sounds all peachy keen, so let me now
fill you in on the real Macy. Both times she worked for us, I had to fire
her, the only reason she came back the 2nd time was she got re-hired
when I was on vacation last year and they were in a bind with the waitstaff.
Well, she has this thing for picking up men, usually men who are already
taken just to prove that she can, that she is prettier and sexier than the
women they are with. The unfortunate thing is that she comes from a
neighboring county crawling with rednecks, and redneck women don't
take kindly to some other women stealing their man. (to give you an idea
of the scene in that county, one of the main pickup joints is a gas station/
mini-market; the parking lot there is busy!) So naturally they came after
Macy, and yes, it happened at the restaurant. Macy came in on her day
off with this guy who I knew was dating another former waitress (who got
fired for stealing!); I asked Macy what on earth was she doing with him,
as his girlfriend is beyond psycho. She says 'oh no, they broke up, and
anyway, we are just friends'......I told her it was best that she leave, as I
didn't want any trouble. No sooner were those words out of my mouth
when 3 cars full of rednecks, including the supposed ex-girlfriend of
Macy's friend, screamed into the parking lot! They got out and started
kicking Macy's car while yelling and gesturing for Macy and her pal to
come outside; Macy hid, the guy did go outside. Well, I dialed 9-1-1
pronto, as I knew a fight would develop, and it did. The police were
there promptly, 3 cars, to break the stuff up. It took 3 cops to put down
and cuff the supposed ex-girlfriend; she screamed at Macy, who had
gone out only when the cops came, that she would get hers soon! Yes,
it was just a lovely scene. (just for general info, I saw this couple at a
local gas station a few months ago, not only still together, but with a
baby now!). Macy was then told to not bring any more men into the
restaurant; she got fired the first time when a few of them came in and
she left with them during her shift, supposedly they were taking her to
the hospital to visit a relative! Well, police drama with Macy occured
her 2nd go-round. She claimed that this guy was stalking her, only
because she was nice and had given him a ride to town. He kept coming
into the restaurant, demanding her car keys. At one point I told him he
could not come back into the restaurant to harrass my staff, so he kept
walking around the building looking inside the windows. Well, I of
course dialed 9-1-1, and a cruiser came by to talk with him, the young
man took off and was not seen again. So at the first opportunity we got
rid of Macy again; it just doesn't look good to drive by a restaurant and
see cop cars in the parking lot on a regular basis! Hadn't seen the girl for
over a year til Friday night, when she waltzed in with 2 guys (her old
boyfriend is in jail for 18 months, too many drunk driving and no license
offenses - that sounds familiar!) and of course asked for her job back! I
asked her what planet she lived on, and what kind of drugs she
was on to even dream that I would hire her back! She just laughed and
said that she knew deep down that I loved her! huh??? OK. well, she
proceeded to give all of us headaches with her mouth, as she is VERY
loud, over an hour of non-stop drama, telling us about her job, her new
car, catching us up on one of her former friends and another former
waitress who is now pregnant AGAIN and unemployed, but they are no
longer friends as the pregnant one tried to steal Macy's boyfriend before
he went to jail...and on and on and on. Came home Friday night and
popped a couple of Ibuprofen!

Clarification and Correction

Ok y'all! I officially have to issue my first publisher's apology for inaccurate
information. I don't feel bad at all, the local rag has to do it almost daily, I
have been doing this for over a month! Anyway, Sandra, my standup comic
pal, called me last night, telling me that the 'Queens from Queens' were
still reading my blog and were trying to post comments, but could not for
some technical reasons, so they called her to relay a message - that being,
they are not ALL Queens, just some of them, the others just straight up
gays (hhmm, I think I worded THAT wrong!). So I just want to say HELLO
to all of you, drag queens or not drag queens, and thanks ever so much for
reading, still hope you can come to visit one day! As for not being able to
post comments, keep trying when you can, it must be a problem with the
Blogger site, and I am FAR from technically inclined to even begin to know
why or what. So sorry guys and gals! Can't write too much today, overslept
AGAIN (but according to hubby I have overslept for about 75% of our
marriage...hhmmm, that sounds about right!), need to get ready for the
birthday bash we have been invited too, so can't tell you about the white
trash drama of Friday night just yet, but I can say that my buddy Francesca
came by last night, slightly intoxicated and in need of water and a grilled
cheese! Her wisdom teeth wounds healed and she was able to drink again,
plus it was her last hurrah before she starts classes on Monday, so she was
bar and frat house hopping! Will be back tomorrow with more follies!

headache

ick. Have had a headache since I woke up this morning. Popped a couple of
ibuprofen; they have helped, but not entirely. I guess I am hurting more as
normally I do not suffer from headaches (as I knock on my wooden desk at
this moment!), so I get all grouchy and mopey when I do have them. So I
guess I will have to wait til tomorrow to write about my adventures last
night. I will say that I am also bummed as today is the last day I will be
seeing Lola for who knows how long. She came in last night and hung out
for a bit, we split a pizza, read part of a magazine called 'BITCH' (never
knew there was a magazine about us!) and she showed me some pics from
her summer adventures (yes, some scandalous of course!) But she is
leaving tomorrow for her mother's home (in a corner of Virginia that gives
hickdom a whole new outlook!), then from there leaving Tuesday for Alaska.
Didn't think this day would come so soon, will be sad saying goodbye, hate
goodbyes. Hope I feel better tomorrow, as my husband and I have been
invited to a birthday party in the afternoon; we'll hit that before I have to go
to the restaurant, may be late. So hope to find time after breakfast
tomorrow to tell you more scintillating tales of intrigue, or whatever you
want to call drama from a bordering county teaming with a high level of
redneck culture!

weekend

Yes, the weekend is here, time of rest for most folks, but for us in the
restaurant biz, our busy time, but I love it busy, can't stand when it is
slow and there is nothing to do, or crazy people to watch and talk to
for future mention here! Tonight I should have some fun, Lola is now
back in town, trying to tie up loose ends and get everything ready and
together for her Alaska adventure. I am sure to also get a visit from
Michelle, Mrs. Reagan, and possibly the Thompsons if they don't have
company from out of town. And Lord knows who else will drop by in
the next 3 nights! I am about to get on the cases of our night shift
waitstaff...the last 2 dayshifts that I worked, when I opened the
restaurant, alot of the booths were dirty, crumbs and that type of
thing. Then I got a table with some kids, which allowed me to
notice that some of the high chairs and booster seats were just as bad,
if not worse. Slacking and laziness....it takes about 5-10 seconds to wipe
all the stuff I mentioned off, can't stand it when I seat someone and
have to brush off crumbs with my hand....you can call it my pet peeve.
So I am going to have to get mean again tonight....every so often I do
this, then they are diligent for a week or 2, then back to doing almost
nothing. Result is my bitchy meanness coming out - but they asked
for it! I have also found out in the last couple of days that some of the
night shift wait staff don't use the bread baskets for the bread that
comes with the dinners, but put the bread and butter on a plate. hhmm,
always thought that was what the BREAD BASKETS are for! gggrrrrr
Oh well, hope everyone reading this has a great weekend, and y'all
come to see me if you can - HINT HINT to Sandra!

make my own fun!

Well, I can honestly say never a dull moment, even in the most mundane
of things, supermarket shopping! Had to get a few things, and my first
hint that this was not going to be a normal grocery visit was at the seafood
stand, where the scales weren't working. So of course, the guy in front of
me naturally began a litany of how much better the old days were, when
folks used paper and pencil, with the occasional use of a slide-rule and
abacus. uumm, yeah, right.....OK! well, then, as usual saw a couple people
who I know from the restaurant (can't go anywhere in this town without
someone recognizing me, hubby says I should run for political office - can
you imagine!?!). Well, my visit was topped off at the check-out register. I
was looking for the shortest line, and see this kind of tall male cashier with
a very female voice! So naturally, I hit that line, and I instantly realized that
this guy was gay - voice, movements, hand gestures, the whole 9 yards.
Then I noticed how his hair was, tied back, but obviously well taken care
of, as were his nails, and I began to think that not only is he gay, but must
be a drag queen to boot! But you just can't ask someone that....unless the
woman behind you forgets something and leaves her cart! Seizing this
great opportunity, I asked sister girl if he was a drag queen - he/she broke
out into this huge smile and answered 'why yes I am!!', and then filled me
in on his stage name too! I remarked how some drag queens come into
the restaurant I manage, of course girlfriend knew everyone that I
mentioned! So you see folks, you can make the ordinary an adventure,
just hit the right check-out line at the supermarket (but try to avoid nerds
at the seafood counter)!

Back at it

Well, after 2 days off, back in ye old restaurant. Not a busy day today,
just bits of drama here and there. One of our dayshift waitresses, Tiffany,
(mentioned a couple weeks ago, the former exotic dancer!) had to leave
early as her mother broke her arm and was in the hospital. Brandy seems
to be having problems with her insurance company, was on and off the
phone with them all day. And Roxanne, as usual, was having her latest
man trouble! And the cooks got involved as well; Jake had a go-round
with his ex-wife, and Juan was late, and just never seemed to get it in
gear today. Good thing we weren't busy I guess. Anyway, my concerned
observer came in today, Mrs. Reagan, and I am very GLAD to report she
is doing much better than when I last saw her on Sunday.....whew!!!
Then this older couple of regulars, the Stones, came in for breakfast. They
are about to leave for Las Vegas for a week with some relatives, are excited
as they are going to see the Cirque du Soleil show there, as well as Celene
Dion - hope they have fun! And the one and only Lisa came in, without
husband Peter in tow, just as zany as ever. Now she has these cards made
up with all her husband's medical info and medicine dosages, in case
something happens to him. She has been very concerned about his health
lately, and to be sadly honest, I have seen him very gradually declining.
At least he is still able to bet with me each week on football games! He is,
unfortunately, a Washington Redskin fan (if you remember, I am a Dallas
Cowboy fan!) and each week we bet a quarter on the Redskin game. It may
be just pre-season now, but we are warming up! I, naturally, simply bet
against the Deadskins, and so far I am up 50 cents! Anyway, Lisa was
also telling me about a trip with other senior ladies to this great shopping
center in Richmond, and how she got all this stuff from 50-75% off, like
3 purses and a number of other things! I will give her this, the woman is
a good bargain hunter. What I question is some of the places she shops
from at times, like those TV network shops. She swears by them, but I am
VERY skeptical. One evening, a couple of months ago, she came in with
Peter, practically in tears. I asked what was wrong, and she told me she
had been crying all day, as these hangers in her closet ruined about 1/2 of
her summer clothes! Hangers, ruining clothes? Well that was a first for me,
but she went on to explain that she had bought these special stacking
hangers that had a material on them to prevent clothes from sliding off.
Well, obviously the hangers ruined these clothes! I just shook my head
and tried my best to sympathize with her. Lisa and Peter ate and left. Not
even a 1/2 an hour later, back they come, Lisa with about 4-6 hangers full
of clothes in both hands to show me the damaged goods! Yes, at around
11:00 - 11:30 at night here she comes into the restaurant with all these
clothes! It was a sight. And she exclaimed, 'look at my clothes, my
beautiful clothes!' (well, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but
anyway!). And I saw the problem right away, and asked her where this
closet was. Oh, in the basement she answered, and then it clicked...we
live in a very humid area, and I can remember when I was little, our
house had a basement with a dehumidifier that we had to empty EVERY
day. Her less than good quality TV network clothes had succumbed to
condensation/humidity, thus the running and/or fading of the pastel
colors of her jackets and blouses! But no, Lisa was convinced it was the
hangers that did it! Well, I wasn't about to argue with her, so I just
nodded and voiced my sympathy. And Peter's visage and reaction the
whole time? Raised eyebrows, accompanied by the occasional shaking
of his head.....poor thing - this is the man who said once said that his
so called "psychic" wife was also psycho and that he was bats! Hey, he
said it. not me! Just a perfect couple!

Dogs

So are they cute or what? Am in a dog mode AGAIN
after seeing an absolutely gorgeous German Shepard
at the local park where my husband and I often go to
walk. We have been talking for a while about getting
a dog, but tend to converge on a couple of points. The
breed and size of dog is one, he likes the big guys, I would
like something a tad more managable. Then he wants a puppy, I would
like a young dog who is at least already partially trained. So every once in
a while we meander down to the SPCA, or check the paper, in case we see
the ONE. I guess we will know him/her when the time or situation is right.
I had a dog when I was in undergrad, Amaretto! He was a mixed breed, I
think part retriever, part some kind of hound, same color as the cuties in
the pic above. I found him as a puppy, dumped by someone on the side of
the road, totally dirty and tic-infested. I cleaned him up, took him to a
vet for all the shots, and he lived on the balcony of my apartment (it was
huge, plenty of room for him). Amaretto was just too cute, sneaking into
the living room sometimes, sitting on the chair as if he belonged there,
watching TV! And he had a thing for my slippers, oftentimes dashing
away with one of them. And he got to recognize the sound of my keys, if
he heard me pick them up he knew I was leaving and would begin to
'cry'....broke my heart each day! But at the same time he recognized the
sound of my car, so when he heard me come back and park on the side
of the building, he would hang his head in the railing of the balcony
and welcome me home! I finally had to give him away just before I
graduated, as I was overseas at the time and was coming back to the U.S.
to pursue a graduate degree, I cried for 2 days....and still miss and think
of my little Amaretto. My best friend in undergrad named his pet Bacardi;
basically, we named our pets after our drinks of choice! Could have named
other pets Stoly or Kahlua if we had had more than one! Not that we
drank alot, although we did often buy pepsi or coke, pour out a bit, and
fill it back up with a little Bacardi, and go to class...made the boring ones
go by faster! Other times we did OJ with the Stoly or Amaretto.....yes,
believe it or not, Amaretto and OJ go great....and we discovered one night
after running out of pepsi, that apple juice goes well with rum! Hey, we
just couldn't drink the stuff straight! We even mixed 7-UP with white
wine, very cool and refreshing! Before you get any ideas, I don't drink
anymore other than the occasional glass of wine or champagne on special
occasions or holidays, drinking days long over, but they were fun!

Gardening follies

Right now, at this point, I am actually jealous of you green thumbs out
there, able to maintain your lawn, plants, bushes, and other living
green things. This jealousy won't last long, as this is something that
has NEVER interested me. I guess, to be honest, I have only been
concerned about this topic since my husband and I moved into our
own home and have seen neighbors with nice, immaculate yards.
Fortunately, there are a couple as inept as we are, so we don't feel too
bad! Anyway, in this last year we have hired 3 different so-called
lawn maintenance folks; 2 disappeared completely, and the 3rd just
massacred the little green stuff I had. Grass cut unevenly, bushes or
hedges or whatever you want to call them drastically reduced in size
and made unattractive, and sloppy cleanup. Hubby just wants to call
a professional landscaper; his reasoning is we may have to pay a bit
more, but get real service, resulting in a more attractive yard. I, on
the other hand, want to see if we can give it a go on our own. See, we
have a very small yard, less than 1/2 an acre. If we don't go overboard
we can probably maintain it ourselves. Fortunately, our good friends
the Thompsons, who live just a few blocks away, have very kindly
agreed to lend me their tools and expertise when the times comes.
They have a huge lawn, and it is always gorgeous. We'll see how it
goes, if we can do it ourselves, or just desperately call someone once
we realize that our thumbs are nowhere near green, but black! My
good friend and concerned observer at the restaurant, Mrs. Reagan,
oftentimes teases me when someone unwittingly gives me a plant or
flowers as a gift; she sort of pretends to be the voice of such plant or
flower, begging for help and rescue from my hands! It is kind of
funny when you think about it! Anyway, very concerned about Mrs.
Reagan last night. She came in moving VERY slowly, an extremely
pained look on her face; she hardly touched the food she ordered,
about 3 spoonfuls of soup, a bit of her tea. It was the worst I have
seen her since she got diagnosed with a serious disease last year. I
tried to sort of talk a bit, tell her a corny joke and a chock full of
drama restaurant adventure, but really to no avail; then we got busy
as she left. Frustrating when you see someone suffering and there
isn't a darn thing you can do for them. I just wish these medical
researchers would move a little faster in finding cures for stuff; I
need both of my hands, and maybe even a foot or two, to count the
regular customers at the restaurant who have some kind of serious
health issue, oftentimes the ones without a real, total cure. Well now
I just depressed myself, going from ineptitude in the garden, to
impotence in the medical field.....so to lighten the mood, let me close
with a blonde joke, they always cheer me up (Mrs. Reagan always
cringes when I tell those, she isn't blonde, but feels that I am being
unfair to the poor bimbos....I mean girls)!! So this blonde orders a
pizza to go, and the pizza shop assistant asks her if she would like
her pizza cut into 6 or 12 pieces. The blonde answers 'oh, just 6
please, I could never eat 12!'

Way too much fun

Yes folks, I sometimes have to admit it, that I have way too much fun at
work sometimes (not always though, more on that later). The people who
come in to eat, or in some cases, not eat, but just talk. My good friends, a
sweet couple I will call the 'Thompsons' here, were able to come in, eat,
and then stay for some free entertainment.....the mother of one of our
esteemed waitresses, the lovely Tina, who I have mentioned extensively
in the past (boob job!), came in, apologizing for her son who works
part-time as a dishwasher for us, who hadn't shown up to work. She
explained why he didn't, then went into some very LONG, chock full of
drama tirade of how she has had it with him, how he is out of control,
that he is fine with other people but abuses her verbally and physically,
and hence she now has back problems, and how her son is going back
to his father.....yes, they are divorced, did you expect any differently?
Well this distressed mother was going on and on, right in front of the poor
Thompson's table, they almost choked on their pizza! And I am just standing
there, doing my darndest to look concerned and understanding! Hey, all in
a days work! But my great night doesn't end there. Michelle came in a tad
before midnight, and right behind her another one of my groupies came
in just to visit, a girl I will call Francesca here. She is a simply beautiful
girl, 20 years old, who frequents the restaurant (as does her sister, who I
am sure to mention in a future post), and for some reason has adopted me
as another big sister. Well Francesca zoomed into the parking lot; I just
happened to be out there as Michelle was showing me where someone hit
her car - anyway, she rolled down her window showing me her driver's
lisense, screaming 'not restricted'!!! See, a few months ago, Francesca
was on her way back from yet another party (one of the few she doesn't
actually hold herself!) and was pulled over by the cops for a sobriety test,
which unfortunately she just barely failed. It didn't help that she was, and
still is, underage. She spent a night in jail, eventually went to court, was
found guilty, and punished with a restricted lisense for 6 months, allowing
her to go to and from work and home. (ok, so she kind of went other places
too, but sssshhhh!). Well, her 6 months were up, and she came to tell me,
but was rather bummed that she couldn't drink last night, as she just had
her wisdom teeth pulled and can't have alcohol until her wounds heal. So
she was allowing herself to serve as designated driver for her drunk pals;
her cell phone was on, ready to receive calls (which she did about an hour
after being at the restaurant). I sure hope her buddies took advantage of
having Francesca be the designated driver, because when her wounds heal,
that won't happen again! But wait, I don't want anyone to think that she is
a lush, she actually has a 3.9 gpa at the local community college and will
transfer to the local university's business school next year if she can keep
that gpa at least at 3.7. So at some point she does study, just can't quite
figure out when, between the parties, the road trips to various beaches,
and juggling various dates (as she explained to me, they are not boyfriends,
just dates, and when she sees how boring they are, dumps them and
moves on to the next!). Unfortunately, life at the restaurant last night was
not all fun and games; just before closing, I had a table try to run out
without paying their check, I had to run after them, managed to get them
before they got to their car, and not only got my money, but tip for the
waitress as well! Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often, but it did
kind of put a damper on what remained of the night. Oh well, as I said
above, all in a days work!

Fun visit and a Special Greeting!

Back to night shift for the weekend, and it started off with a bang last night
with a nice, albeit overdue (!!), visit from a person I don't get to see enough
of, my friend 'Sandra'. She is actually one of the few friends I have in my
own age group, seems like most of my pals are either old enough to be my
parents, or almost young enough to be my kids (if I had had been a teen
mom from the trailor park or one of those barefoot and pregnant country
types!). Anyway, back to my buddy Sandra. She has had a varied and
fascinating life, from a life overseas to law enforcement in the U.S., to
writing books and doing stand-up comedy now! (with a whole boatload
of other stuff in between). She is also a survivor of a usually deadly
disease, I could tease her and say she is too mean to die, but in reality,
she is too strong-willed and simply persevered over the illness, and am
glad she did. Anyway, she dropped by last night and stayed a few hours,
shooting the breeze with me, some customers, and also Michelle, who
dropped by for a spell too. Sandra informed me of the comedy gig she
just had and the following she has; she also gave me surprising news,
that I have a following in New York, folks she told about this blog! I
was shocked, but in a nice way! So I need to extend a special 'HELLO'
to, and you obviously know who you are, the 'Queens from Queens'!!
I really appreciate you reading about the zaniness in a town alot
smaller than NYC and do hope you come to visit if and when time
allows! Waiting for you girlfriends! So then Sandra also informed me
that in 3 weeks she if off to NYC again for more comedy madness, so
hope that SHE COMES TO SEE ME B4 SHE LEAVES (hint hint)!! I
didn't get to sit with her as much as I would have liked, between the
restaurant being a little busy, other customers who like to chat with
me, and a couple of interesting phonecalls. First Lola (the crazy chick
moving to Alaska!) calls me, bored and stuck in traffic trying to get
from NJ to NY; she will be back in town for a spell end of next week.
Then I get a GREAT phone call....I answer, and this recording comes
on, informing me that it is the local 'room and board with 3 squares'
and asking me if I will accept a collect call from 'Kathy'!! Well of
course I would, and did! (hey, you don't get calls like that everyday!)
Anyway, Kathy excitedly told me that she was approved for work
release starting the middle of next week, we just have to submit a
set 40 hour schedule to her 'boarders'. Will have to discuss the
situation with the other manager and see what we can work out. I
mean, come on, we have to have Kathy around when the Queens
come to visit....hhmmm, need to have Tina and her enhancements
around too now that I think of it......well, time will tell!

tidbits

well, let me scatter around a bit of news from today at the restaurant.
Found out that the lovely Kathy will be on vacation for 7 months, which is
really actually lucky for her, as there was the potential for up to 5 YEARS.
Hopefully this will be the last time she takes these extended leaves; just
hope once her time is done she can stay on the straight and narrow, as
that extra suspended time will be hanging over her head. Then we got an
update from another former waitress, I'll call her Faith here. She is actually
one of the few girls, maybe only now that I think of it, from the restaurant
in a long-term stable relationship with the SAME guy....high school sweet-
hearts from what I understand. Well, Faith had been trying for some time
to have a child, and unfortunately had 3 miscarraiges in the past. But
finally this time things went right, and now she is expecting in October!
She dropped by the other day, showing off her belly; she seems really
happy and I just pray all goes well for her....she's having a girl! Let's see,
next I want to mention that traffic in town is gradually increasing, and
will be full blown by the weekend, as the local university students begin
to return; classes start next week. Weekends will be busier for sure,
especially with football season less than a month away. However, some of
the local regulars will drop off or even disappear; I have had more than
one person come up to me mid-August to practically say 'goodbye', that
they will see up when the students are gone again! A lot of the locals just
can't abide by the increased traffic and general chaos of the university
area, so don't even venture to that side of town. That I can kind of
understand. What I don't get is the local who are downright nasty and
derogatory towards the university and the students. Folks, this is a
college town, the city was basically built around the university, and it
has been here almost 200 years, in other words, before you got here.
The economy of this town revolves around the university, the jobs it
provides, and the out-of towners who visit it for one reason or another
(study, tourism or the hospital)....take it away, and we are a rest-area on
the way to Richmond or D.C. Yes, the eminent domain thing can be a
pain to some folks, and sometimes is appears they are buying too much
to build too fast, but love me, love my cat, it is the price we pay to live and
work here. And if you don't like it, well you can always join my friend
Lola in Alaska next month! I haven't heard from her in a few days,
wonder if her plans are still on track. A part of me hopes she changes
her mind about doing such a drastic and long move, but a part of me
also understands that a free spirit needs to be on the go, experiencing
a new life adventure, I just hope it works out for her and she will be
happy, more news on that as things develop. If anything, we need to
worry about her dog, a very bony, skinny greyhound.....he needs a
blanket if the air-conditioning is up a tad too high, what on earth is
he going to do in single digit temps?!?!? Don't think he'll mush with
the Huskies or Malamutes up there!

shoes

They may be old fashioned, or in the eyes of purists, only
for tennis, but these are the best all-around casual athletic
shoes around! Of course this is just my humble opinion!
I have worn Tretorns since high school, and except for the time I played
basketball on the collegiate level, they are the only sneakers I wear or have
ever worn, or will ever wear. They are beyond comfortable, go with short or
khakis or even very casual outfits, have the little wing logo available in all
sorts of colors and designs, all looking spiffy again the classic white canvas.
They also last forever. Why am I giving free advertisement to Tretorn now?
Well, just got back from walking, something I try to do 2-3 times a week at
least, and was just marveling my shoes. For just walking I wear one of my
older pairs, in order not to mess up my shiny new ones, which I save for
when I go out all relaxed! If I have to dress up, then its times for Aigner.
Yes, I am sure y'all have seen
the famous 'A' on purses, shoes.
belts, wallets, even coats and
umbrellas. I just love Aigner,
the styles are simply classic. They used to be just the signature burgundy
color, then expanded widely, to cream, black, blue, taupe, and more. I
can remember when it was almost impossible to find their shoes to fit
me, I am a size 11, and not many companies cater to us big-footed chicks!
But at last they saw the light! They go perfect with the dress, skirt, dress
pants or pantsuit, especially when you have a matching Aigner purse!
And now to let you in on a little secret....why I really started wearing
Aigner (first back in high school again, and ever since). My first name
begins with an 'A', so I simply surmised that their logo 'A' stood for my
name, rather than Aigner! Hey, a girl can dream! But I have stuck with
them all these years because they are classically always in style, of good
quality, wear comfortably, and their products are beautiful. Needless to
say, I do not wear either Tretorn or Aigner when I am working. Tennis
shoes are a bit too casual for the manager, but the Aigners are also too
nice for the work environment, and it isn't practical to wear 3 inch heels
when you have to, in the space of 45 seconds, seat people, grab a to-go
order, and then run to answer the phone! And you know, it usually
happens that way, I could be sitting there for 15-20 minutes doing
nothing but reading a newspaper or doing some paperwork in the
booth, and then all at once the phone rings, someone comes up to pay,
and there are 4 tables waiting to be seated, and someone to pick up a
to-go order! I can handle all that, multi-tasking restaurant-style is my
forte. The only 3 occasions when I may fall behind? 1) if one of the
bathrooms has run out of toilet paper! 2) if someone needs an espresso
or cappucino or worst of all 3) when a group wants to pay seperate in
the midst of all that chaos. I ABHOR, DESPISE, DETEST, and HATE
seperate checks. People, either take turns paying for each other or just
pool your money, throw in a 5 or a 10 and go. You have no idea how
it slows us down, keeping us from being more prompt in taking care
of our other customers behind you or the ones who just came in or
are on hold on the phone. Inconsiderate completely. I just want to
tell all of them to go live in Europe for a while, as I did for 6 years. No
such thing as seperate checks, plus in many countries they even
include the tip in the final tally (you folks who stiff my waitresses
would be up a certain creek!). Well, I guess that was my rant for the
day, will be back at work tomorrow, hope no new drama occurred
during my days off, we shall see!

ah, day of rest

well, another work week has come and gone, now have today and
tomorrow off. Not complete relaxation, as I do have a dentist
appointment tomorrow, but unlike most people, I don't worry too
much about dentists and actually prefer them to other types of
doctors....and you fellow women KNOW EXACTLY what I am
talking about! eewww, definately have to change the subject now.
I am a little sad, as one of the assistent managers at the restaurant
gave his notice as he is moving out of state due to family reasons.
'Warren' as I will call him here, has worked for us on and off
almost 4 years now.....he was a waiter at first just part-time, as he
works full-time at one of the local historical sites as a tour guide.
He then left for a spell due to a medical situation, and when we
needed someone to be a sort of part-time night manager, I
thought of Warren, as he is a people person, very responsible,
and an all-around good guy; so he has been doing this gig for
about a year now, and doing a good job I must say. Will be sad
to see him go, but people need to move on when time and life
issues call. I just wish him the best of luck. I do remember, when
Warren first started working as a waiter 4 years ago, the raised
eyebrows on his face when he met another waiter who used to
work there, the one and only 'Chad/Celeste'.....Chad was one of
the best waiters we ever had, fast, good service, great personality,
customers loved him and asked to be sat in his section in droves.
I called him Chad/Celeste above as he was gay, and many times
would perform at the local gay club as a drag queen! As 'Celeste'
he would dress up to look like the country singer Reba McIntire
and lip sync her songs, and let me tell you, I have seen pictures
of him/her in drag, and talk about pretty! Makes me kind of
disappointed when a gay guy and/or drag queen acts, moves,
and looks more feminine than me! I can remember oftentimes
Chad sitting with me when were weren't busy, going through
fashion magazines looking at accessories, clothes, and hair
styles. And if a woman came in with a great dress, or cute purse
or pair of shoes, he would make commentary (like if her outfit
was well put together) or be jealous because he couldn't find
something similar in his size! Well, when Warren came on
board, Chad trained him, and you could just tell that in his
lifetime, Warren had not come across many, if any, people like
Chad....but then again, who has? I do miss him/her; he left us
last year due to some personal and medical issues, but he does
occasionally drop by to visit. And despite being gone over a
year, some customers still ask about him.....yes, good ole Chad,
he was like a sister to me!

hhmm, I think it worked

ok, well I see something got posted, so it looks like this Flock thing worked,
now just as I have almost learned....almost that is.....how to do the Blogger
site, something new! My husband is always searching and crawling through
the web for new software, programs, the lastest gig, and then does his
darndest to get me to check them out and use them! Its kind of amusing,
the high tech pro versus the NOT technologically advanced! You just have
to give him an A for effort, all these years and he keeps on trying! Anyway,
a sort of quiet night at the restaurant last night, not a whole lot going on.
We did have a visit from this very nice older couple who come in every
Saturday when health permits....the 'Browns'. They are in the early 80's,
just as sweet as can be (they bring me toasted and salted Georgia pecans
every now and then, they are so good!); unfortunately, Mr. Brown is having
kidney problems, doctors have told him he needs dialysis, he won't do it...
they gave him about 2 weeks to live, that was in late May or early June, we
are in the middle of August now! So it's always great to see him and his
wife pulling into the parking lot, proving the doctors wrong. Not sure how
much longer he can keep doing that, just hope for the best. Then later on
another fairly regular customer came in, one of the more unusual ones
I would have to say, I'll call her Rose here. She usually comes in alone,
likes a certain table when available, usually doesn't need a menu, is
generally very friendly....so why write about a seemingly normal person?
Operative word - 'seemingly', because she is a little off-kilter. One of her
hobbies is holding yard sales. She gets products and materials for her yard
sales by dumpster diving and driving around neighborhoods to see if anyone
has put anything interesting and a potential sell out in their trash, and if so,
scoops it up! Once she was telling me about a chair and some curtain rods
'perfectly good once I cleaned them up!'.....uh, yeah! But her weirder
exploits come inside the restaurant. Once she marched up to me in the
front, napkin tucked into her blouse, steam coming out of her ears....I
asked her what was wrong, and she demanded that I have a couple of
customers near her who were speaking loudly and using 'colorful'
language to pipe down. I offered to move her to another table, and she
said she didn't want to move, but for them to 'shut up!'....well, I went over
and spoke to the couple, told them to lower it an octave or 2 and try to
limit the foul language. That seemed to make Rose happy, all while
amusing the lively couple! And then another time, she came in, looking
rather shaken. I asked her if she was OK, and no sooner did I ask her
that did I regret doing so - sometimes I really just ask for it, opening
my mouth with some seemingly innocent comment or question, and
then wishing so much I hadn't done so! - anyway, she told me that she
was NOT OK, still trying to get over the nightmares she had while
sleeping the night before....and of course proceeded to tell me in graphic
details her horrible nocturnal adventure! I won't repeat it here, rather
inappropriate, it's just to illustrate a common fact of this crazy restaurant,
people, if they think you are nice or caring or whathaveyou, will tell you
practically everything, anything, whether you want to hear it or not! And you
just sit or stand there, mind racing while you concoct the correct facial
expression and exclamation for the situation! You know, I may have
missed my true calling....make that 2 callings, actress and/or shrink!

testing Flock

my adorable techie husband just found some new tool for my

blogging hobby, lets see if this works!

technorati tags:blog, blogger, restaurant, news, commentary, charlottesville, virginia, gossip, humor, joke

I just don't get it

People really make me wonder sometimes, wonder how their minds work.
For example, last night, my pal Michelle (who I have mentioned previously)
came in with her friend Diane. Michelle is a regular at the restaurant, well,
she is basically one of the groupies so to speak, there sort of hanging out
when she has nothing better to do. Ever since I have known her, she has
been in an on and off relationship with some guy I'll call Sean here. For the
last year, it has been primarily off, together only for a couple of days here
and there. The primary reason is that he keeps calling the relationship off,
declaring he has no feelings for her, that it is over, that it can't work, then
totally ignores her and basically treats her like a piece of garbage. Sean
is egotistical, self-centered and absorbed, and selfish. So you are reading
all this and wondering what the heck, why doesn't Michelle get over him
and move on....I mean, there are other fish in the sea. Well, for some odd
reason, one that I and for that matter all of her friends can't understand,
she is still in love with him and is convinced that they will get married
one day, start a family, and live happily ever after. ?????? I sure don't see
it happening, but for her sake, for her happiness and sense of self, I hope
it does happen for her; she is hanging on to this illusion, clutching to
what she calls the good side of Sean, that there is a part of him that is
just great, that we can't see. Heck, we sure can't. I know Sean, and he is
very personable, a great conversationalist, good sense of humor and
actually quite intelligent. But then I see and hear how he has treated
and continues to treat Michelle, and I have come to the conclusion that
is just won't ever work....apples and oranges, cats and dogs. Michelle is
a good person, big-hearted, kind, and great sense of humor, and just
deserves better and doesn't have to live like this. Sean and a friend
from work came into the restaurant last night during the time Michelle
and Diane were there; he did not say one word to her or even look at
her. The exact same thing happened last time he came in while she was
there....just sad to see her sit there and suffer. At least she gets free
entertainment from the waitress Shaniqua, who seems to provide free
entertainment, advice, and jokes for the regular customers! Kind of
like Oprah and Whoopie rolled up into one! I was about to bust a
gut laughing at her the other day.....we were getting some of the
booths re-upholstered, so some of the tables were out of commission
and signs were put up. Well, that older couple I have mentioned in
the past in connection with Shaniqua, the Whistler Tom and his
wife Marion, if you remember, I have stated that Marion seems to be
in the early stages of Alheimers, having good and bad days memory
wise. Well, they sometimes seat themselves if they see a table to their
liking, and I had mentioned to Shaniqua to not let them near the
tables that had no booths, because we didn't want them falling down
the empty seat to the floor. Shaniqua agreed to lead them in the right
direction, but then threw this comment in ' well, at least if Miss Marion
falls through the seat and hits the floor, she won't remember it the next
day!' Cold and cruel commentary, but at the time, the way she said it,
it was totally funny I'm sorry to say! She calls Michelle her sister, and
that the only reason she is black and Michelle is white is that when
they were kids in Arizona, their mother left Shaniqua out in the sun
too long as she went shopping, and that was the result! But the most
classic Shaniqua moment was about a month ago, she got these ethnic
university students who, hhmm, how should I put this, maybe do not
shower regularly in their native countries and deodorent is not yet
sold there! Well, Shaniqua complained how she is having to hold her
breath everytime she goes to their table...I just told her to suck it in
and bear with it, and showed her a can of air freshener, telling her to
spray the area after they left. I did not finish my sentence when she
grabbed that can and tore through the restaurant spraying it, of
course concentrating in the area where her rank customers were!
I didn't know whether to be mortified or to die laughing, it was
actually a combination of both....and the most amazing thing of all
is that after all that, those customers still left her a tip! Like I said,
people really make me wonder sometimes, what makes them tick?!!

what on earth?

ok, these radical fundemental religious freaks just need to get a life.
what is the deal with blowing up, or trying to blow up planes? Just
been reading all the details at the CNN website (great for news, just
go to cnn.com) and it is just unreal. In the past I used to travel quite
a bit, at least twice a year, and the biggest headache I ever encoun-
tered was lost luggage (once they ended up in London, another
time in Kansas City.....2 cities I have never been to!) There is no
Bible or Koran or Torah or any other religious text that says to blow
up modes of transportation or cut off heads. Religious zealots just
twist and turn words around to suit their own agenda, then find
the weak-minded lambs to follow them....simply pathetic. Makes
me almost giddy to know that my biggest problems now are
wondering if a cook or waitress will be on time, or even show up
at all.....or if we need to loan some funds for the bail bondsman!
Speaking of bail and that sort, our lovely Kathy is in her final days
of freedom before her extended vacation begins on the 15th, hope
she comes by before she goes in, if not, well, I am sure we will
hear from her about a month before she is set to be released,
inquiring about a job! Well, with the weekend here, sure to have
some kind of drama and adventure, will keep you posted.....I am
curious to see how the feud that has developed between our
cook Dale and waitress Shaniqua turns out, they seem to have a
hate-hate relationship, and no one can understand why. Just
hope it doesn't explode, need to handle this one carefully, it has
been escalating over the past 3 weeks, time to end it somehow.

Writers Block

uugghhh, woke up at 5 am, and now almost 14 hours later, still have not
recovered from that rude awakening, causing me to be short on words
here! I did get to read the court reports in yesterdays paper, and saw the
brother of one of our waitresses in there.....the usual drug possession
and other related charges. And what did the waitress say when I brought
the subject up? 'oh yeah, my brother, he's a gangster!', laughing about it!
I would be mortified if I or a close relative or even close friend were in
the court reports....heck, it was bad enough when I got a speeding ticket
and had to go to court as it was reckless driving (driving more than 20
miles over the speed limit - I was doing 60 in 35....hey, I was late for an
appointment and in a hurry!) I kept hoping there would not be anyone
in court that day that I knew, and thank goodness there wasn't. And
another one of the waitresses recently had her son arrested on some
drug related charge. It is just sad how people, especially young folks,
get entangled in that dangerous web, a web that more times than not
either have them end up in jail, or even worse, in the morgue. I could
go on and on about this subject, but don't have the energy right now,
and thinking about it is disappointing and frustrating. Now I am about
to amuse myself for a little while before dinner by catching up on some
e-mail and maybe playing a game or two at Pogo.com....a great site with
a multitude of card games, word games, bingo, puzzles, backgammon,
and other board games.....if you're not familiar with Pogo, check it out,
it is well worth it, with lots of variety!

sports talk

Ok, now to explain...this is the logo of my
favorite soccer team, Italy's Juventus,
from Torino (in northern Italy). They are
Italy's most successful Serie A team,
winning more titles than any other
squad. I have been following them since
the mid 80's. They have absolutely
nothing to do with my blog, I just wanted
to show off the beautiful black and
white logo! I am a big sports fan, with
football, soccer, and basketball at the top of my list, but I follow
other sports as well. What do I NOT follow? Well, activities that
I DO NOT consider to be true sports (yes, time for me to pick on
someone!) Nascar, bowling, golf, those eating contests that ESPN is
showing, and that other new ESPN staple, all those poker and other
card game contests. EXCUSE ME, but any kind of activity where
overweight and/or out of shape folks abound is NOT a sport. hhhmmm,
for that matter, let me add baseball to the list....have you seen the size of
some of the pitchers and designated hitters? Push away from the dinner
table gentlemen! Anyway, I am just glad that football season is just
around the corner, then I can follow my fave team in that sport, the
Dallas Cowboys...cut out that booing and hissing, I know it isn't the
same now as the good old days, but I am NOT a fairweather fan, one of
those losers who jump on the bandwagon when a team goes well, then
jumps right off and on to another one once a team's fortunes change.
Those type of people are not true sport fans, but just lemmings who
follow the leader. So go and boo and hiss them, not Dallas or Juve!

Holiday!

sing as you would that song from early in Madonna's career.....
'Holiday'! Yes, next 2 days off, so like a holiday. As for Madonna,
well, she really is something else. When she first began to hit it
big, I wasn't a real huge fan, then she got cooler (in my book at
least!), and now seems to be slipping a bit. So what does she do
to pick things up again? Create scandal of course! Whether it is
with her music videos (we all remember the scandal with 'Like
a Prayer' and how Pepsi dropped her like a hot potato!) or her
personal life (Dennis Rodman??) or her latest, being pseudo-
crucified in ROME of all places....yes, the Catholic Church just
LOVES her! I will say this about Madonna, love her, hate her,
don't care about her.....she is a smart business woman. She has
managed to stay in the forefront for over 20 years now,
changing her style as the times call for, re-inventing herself
over and over. From 'Lucky Star' to 'Vogue' to 'Frozen' to 'Music',
just 4 examples of 4 completely different song types, years apart.
So many wannabes, one-hit wonders, and talentless paper dolls
have come and gone, and yet she is still around, pushing 50 and
the envelope.

put on a happy face!

why the happy face? well today I work night shift, and then I have the
next 2 days off...yes folks, happy face! :) Not sure if I will see any of
my fave regular customers tonight, it is monday after all, but I am
sure to get a visit from my 'concerned observer' Mrs. Reagan, and
Lola might pop by for a spell. And more than likely, the older couple
I have mentioned in the past may come by, the entertaining Lisa
and Peter. There is another couple, even older that Lisa and Peter,
who have become regulars just in the last month, and may be in
tonight.....I will call them Tom and Marion. They are in their early
80's, and I am afraid that Marion is in the early stages of Alzheimers,
as she has good and bad days memory wise. Tom is very doting,
taking great pains to ensure she is comfortable and happy. Oh, Mrs.
Reagan and I call him the 'whistler', as when he is not either
eating or speaking, he is whistling this merry tune! He occasionally
will bring this book in about architecture; his father apparently
was a leading architect in the early 1900's in the Pittsburg, Pa. area,
and there was a book written with pictures of his designs. Tom is
very proud of that, which I think is just neat! But what is the most
amazing thing about Tom and Marion is the connection they have
made with the waitress that usually takes care of them, I will call
her Shaniqua here. Yes, she is African-American, around 30 or so,
and is one of those 'tell it like it is' type of folks. Yet this old, very
white couple adore her! Apparently Tom mentioned once to
Shaniqua that they occasionally have problems being 'regular'
(yes, they did say that, and believe it or not, they are not the
only regular customers to discuss their bowel movements with
us!) and how they need to eat more vegetables. Well, our
restaurant isn't exactly a health-nut's dream, we have no veggie
sides, just potatoes....but we do have cole slaw. So as soon as
Shaniqua sees their car pull into the parking lot (the restaurant
has windows on 3 sides, we can see everything and everyone!)
she goes to the back and gets the cooks to prepare 2 dishes of
coleslaw for them, and then pours their drinks (iced tea for
him, white zinfindel for her!). She then asks what they are in
the mood to eat, then recommends dinner options for them,
and even deviates a bit from the menu when necessary to suit
their needs. And when Marion asks for something and Tom
says no, well, Shaniqua just ignores Tom and gets Marion what
she asked for! It is great to see and listen to the interaction
between these 2 very different worlds, and how the older
couple completely trust the young 'miss thang'! And during
these days I was working dayshift, I heard that they had come
in one evening, and the person covering for me gave Tom and
Marion another waitress, much to their dismay....but then
Shaniqua proceeded to tell me she made sure the other
waitress 'did her job' and went to their table several times to
make sure everything was ok. Shaniqua is 'the truth' in the
restaurant, telling it like it is, and putting new staff members
in their place (as in telling one new girl to not look at or talk
to or laugh with this one cook, Melvin, who happens to be her
boyfriend....as she said, 'if you need to talk to him, write him
a note!) And yet, in the 5 or 6 weeks that she has worked for
us, she has become one of the most popular staff members,
as everyone loves her, and a myriad of customers are
asking to be sat in her section, as they love her bubbly
personality! But it is the 'whistler' and his wife who seem to
have made a truly special, albeit UNUSUAL, bond with
Shaniqua; as she is working tonight, I hope they come in!

finally over

the stretch of consecutive opening shifts...done for a while anyway!
whew, nice to know I can sleep in tomorrow...and will be in a much
better mood! Well, today turned out to be a pretty cool day at ye old
restaurant, we were busy, which I like...can't stand when it is slow,
you get bored, time doesn't move, you tend to eat more (hey, it's a
restaurant!). So busy is good. The bad thing about busy is when folks
come to visit you, there is little time to spend with them. Such was
the case when my friend Lola (mentioned in a previous posting)
came for breakfast with our mutual friend Mike and his significant
other. Mike was a student at our local university, and a restaurant
groupie; he went from customer to friend to groupie...even working
there for a spell after graduating. He then got a job out of the area,
but fortunately comes down to visit every couple of months. He was
another one who originally liked the food and prices, but soon
became addicted to the drama and storylines behind the scenes!
Even now when he visits, if we are busy, he jumps right in and
helps (as does Lola now when duty calls!). Customers often assume
we are related, as we both have very dark hair, but no, Mike is just
a dear and special friend. Great to see him and his S.O. (who is also
very cool and sweet) today. I do want to mention today the hostess
who has been working with me the last couple of days; she is
a waitress but due to some kind of wrist surgery can't hold or carry
trays laden with food for a spell, so she's hostessing for now. I'll
call her Beth here, and as she admits herself....she is a redneck.
Her pride and joy, other than her baby girl, is her pickup truck,
which I call redneckmobile. I will say it is a step up from the
previous redneckmobile she had, some old jacked up heap of
metal. And of course, her pickup is adorned with stickers, and
yes, some with Confederate flags. Beth herself is adorned with
tatoos and piercings, colored acrylic nails,and her natural hair
color hasn't been seen in years. She used to live in a trailer park,
but has since upgraded to a house! Ok, you can be critical of me
ragging on her, but the truth of the matter is that I really do like
her; she is a hard worker, reliable, on-time, works when called
in on her day off or stays later than her shift to help if we are
shorthanded. And she has improved several times over since we
first hired her (about 3 years ago), to the point that she is one of
our better servers. And she has done a good job hostessing too.
Of course she has drama in her life as well (what true redneck
doesn't?!?)...threats of eviction (the latest due to too many junk
heap cars in the yard....CLASSIC REDNECK!), the ex-husband
in and out of the local and state 'room and board', her current
boyfriend changes jobs more often than Beth changes her hair
and nail colors, and of course, the occasional requested day off
due to yet another court appearance! So refreshing that so many
of the restaurant staff have such great firsthand knowledge of
the legal system, a bunch of legal eagles!

grumpy and grouchy

I can't do it, I just can't....become a morning person that is. Have been
doing this opening shift the last few days (and will tomorrow too) to
fill in for a colleague on vacation, and let me tell you, waking up @5
is for the birds....they say the early bird gets the worm, well, they CAN
HAVE IT! And then you see these obviously worm-loving customers
bee-bop on in shortly after opening (6am) all cheery and ready to go,
while my second cup of coffee has yet to provide any effect on me (I
have decided this coffee thing is a myth, it doesn't keep me awake
at night, and doesn't wake me up in the morning!). The nice thing
is I get to see some customers who I rarely would get to visit with
otherwise, plus work with some of the staff members who I don't
usually get to see. But I still definately prefer the night shift, much
to the dismay of my husband unfortunately; he really prefers I
work days, but I think deep down sees and understands how
much of a strain it is on me, so he patiently accepts my night owl
preference! Haven't talked about my husband much here, he is a
very private person and is actually quite surprised I am
undertaking this blog adventure (he immediately said "don't
use our real names!"). But let me just say I am lucky to have him
(hhhmmm, and he is lucky to have me too!)....we met in 1994,
started dating in '95, got engaged in '97....finally tied the knot
in '03....ok, so we took longer than most to make things
official, but better late than never! And we are a classic case of
opposites attract....he is a morning person (daggone it!), I am
very patient, (he definately is NOT), he is passionate about and
very up to date with all high-tech matters and gizmos (heck, I
can't even program the clock on the microwave oven!), if he is
having a bad hair day he will fret and try to fix it, while I just
throw on a baseball cap and go! But despite all those
differences, we have alot in common as well, and definately
have a magic connection and bond; we are lucky to have found
each other and make it work as we have, especially nowadays
when the divorce rate is so high, and irresponsibility and
infidelity even higher. Only thing I would change about him,
(other than making him a more patient night owl!) is for
him to love football as much as I do! He is European, and of
course like all Europeans, adores soccer. I love soccer too, but
football is my true sports passion, but he just can't get into it.
Oh, he'll watch it with me for a while, but then either fall
asleep on the sofa or get on one of his computers and play
with software! Oh well, he is handsome, adorable, and has a
great accent, so I will stop complaining!

I shouldn't be remiss

Hello again! And let me say a special 'HI' to the folks who posted to my
last entry, thanks so much for reading and I hope you continue to do so,
and do visit me at the restaurant! Well, today, I want to go a different
route, I have been writing on about goings on with some of our lovely
clientele, waitstaff, even one of the hosts. But I have been remiss!
Yes, the time has come to introduce some 'behind' the scenes
characters...the cooks! A varied crew indeed, from Adam and Herman,
who have been with us almost 20 years, to Dale, who on and off is
approaching about 8 years, and Jake, at about 3 years. All of them
do a great job, and to be honest, the restaurant would not be
successful if these guys and the other cooks didn't put out the
food right. We can have attractive and sultry waitresses, hosts
and managers with great personalities, but the cooks have to pull
it all together. But I digress! Jake is a single dad, with 2 kids
who look just like him, He works dayshift, and despite
doing so for almost 3 years, it is clear he is not a morning person
yet...he comes in, sort of grunts a greeting, and makes a beeline for the
coffee machine! He is ok after his second cup, able to conduct a lucid
conversation! What is rather surprising is how very responsible Jake is,
raising 2 kids on his own and all; it is proof that appearences can be
deceiving. He listens to heavy metal, has tatoos, and has one of the most
interesting haircuts I have seen - very long in the back, braided, while
the sides and the back of his head are shaved. So all that hair
cascading down his back comes from the top of his head! Hey, to each his
own, bottom line is that he is a good guy. And another good guy, with a
big heart, is Dale. Dale is just part-time now, and for a spell was not
with us at all. It isn't because he does a bad job...far from it, he
does quite well when he is there....but that is the operative word,
WHEN. It is a shame that someone in their early 40's has yet to learn
how to tell time! I can probably count on one hand the number of times
he has actually been on time. To make matters worse, when he worked
for us full-time previously, there were times he just never quite made
it in....he would call, say he was running late, then an hour later, call
again and say he was on the way, and then nothing. Very frustrating.
So why do we put up with again, even on a part-time basis? Well, it is
very hard to find good help, particularly cooks, willing to work the
night shift (very late hours). And when he actually DOES make it in,
Dale is non-stop, doing sidework, cleaning, prep, even helping the
waitresses if they get in a bind. And his personality is such that even
as you may be seething, mad as heck at him, you just can't help but like
him. Guess you take the good with the bad! Dale has also provided us
with adventures due to his personal life.....his girlfriend is about 10-15
years older than him, and in the past, when she was mad at him, she
would call the cops on him! On more than one occasion we would have
to loan him bail money! After 6 or 7 times of this, the judge basically
threatened her, saying next time he would jail her as well! Yet Dale
stays with her, to the comprehension of no one. Oh well, I repeat, to
each his own!

call me Cher.....

....you like me, you really like me! Ok, so I can't pull off Cher, but then again,
other than a drag queen, who can? But I do appreciate the folks who are
posting comments to my blog here, thanks ever so much! Well, today was
the first day back to work after my days off. Today, and the next 3 days,
will be day shift, which is USUALLY a tad less scintillating that night shift.
But that doesn't mean there are no adventures to be had. For instance,
every Wednesday the local rag....I mean newspaper....prints a section
called 'Court Reports'....records from both the city and the county of
various folks, their court dates, crimes, and sentences. Naturally, I and my
staff pay great attention to this part of the paper, just to see what other
restaurant employee, past or present, or regular customers have their
name in black and white! Sadly, most of the time, there is a name or two
we recognize, such as the ex-husband of one of the waitresses, or an
ex-roommate of one of our regular customers most recently! And then
there is mail call....our friendly postman delivers the restaurant mail,
usually right around 11:00am or so....and I would guess that about once
a week or so, we get some kind of mail from the state or local authorities
that request that we enforce some kind of garnishment from an
employee's paycheck, usually for court costs and/or child support. I, as
the restaurant manager, do not reveal who is the subject of the mail,
but it is rather interesting to hear the staff try to guess who it is 'this
time'! Unfortunately, we have about a 1/2 dozen employees with some
kind of garnishment issue. And then of course, the icing on the cake,
when the local sheriff arrives with a warrant for some kind of court
appearance for someone....yes, when the automobile of the law pulls
into the parking lot and stops in the front, all eyes and ears are on
full alert! So as you can see, even if it seems to be just a normal day,
many times adventure is literally delivered to our door!

Cirque de Soleil

ok, here is the promised review. It was a very good show, at the
very least something very different. I would say more of a concert
with extraneous happenings all around rather than a circus per
say. Some of the singers were outstanding, particularly one lady
from Canada named Nitza...I am guessing Greek-Canadian from
her looks and music/dance style. I enjoyed most of the music as
it had a percussion dominance, and I like drums. My husband was
rather impressed by the lights, light shows, and the almost
continuous mini-movies going on all around at the same time
(leave it to him to be impressed by all the high-tech stuff, my
adorable little techie-bear!) And we both loved this chick with
the sparkly hula hoops....she starts off with one rather mundanely,
then throws on a second, by the end of her routine, she was a blur
with 6 madly spinning hoops, all while dancing on 1 leg smiling
like a cheshire cat! I would like to see a beauty pagent contestant
do that before she promises to cure cancer and bring about world
peace! As for the new arena, well, it has all the bells and whistles,
nicely done, but two complaints, the seats too small and/or too
close together (I mean, my husband and I aren't fat, but we aren't
runway models either!) and secondly, going up is very steep, I do
not have a problem with heights, but at first had a queasy
sensation til I got used to it....they could've had the incline a bit
less extreme, but I guess that would have sacrificed seating. So
my ratings for both...Cirque de Soleil - an 8 out of 10, the new
arena - a 7. Surprising was also the relative ease getting in and
out of the parking area, yes we waited, but nowhere near to what
we expected. Hey, I should be one of those critics for the
newspapers or morning news shows...oh wait, not mornings...
please....uh, never mind!

hhmmm, i wonder.....

ok, I officially have my first comment posted to my little blog
here...albeit anonymous, but I think I know who it is, just wait
til I see this person! Anyway, glad someone is reading, and
thanks! Well, its the first day of August, I have today and
tomorrow off, and tonight going to see Cirque de Soleil, have
heard so much about them, hope they live up to their billing
(will let you know tomorrow!). Anyway, I would like to take the
time to introduce to y'all another member of the restaurant
staff, someone who simply DOES NOT fit in with the rest of
the picture, but is simply a blast to have around.....I will call
him Philip here. Philip is an older gentleman, from England,
very refined and dignified (see what I mean about not fitting
in?!?!?) What is simply great about him is his oh so British
accent, the old genteel way of speaking properly and formally,
(he uses 'quite' and 'dear' alot!). And that isn't even the best
thing about Philip. In cooler weather, certainly not during
this 90 degree spell, he wears an ascot! An ascot, in this
restaurant....just too rich! And to top it all off, Philip has a
handlebar type mustache, which he obviously takes great
pains to maintain. Ok, I know what you are thinking, what is
someone like Philip doing in a restaurant where our staff
is represented by convicts and loose women? Well, he is
semi-retired, a former restaurant manager, and he came on
board several months ago just to work as a host part-time
to have something to do, to help out when busy or
short-handed, just to get out of the house. So despite not
being seen on a regular basis, he has become loved by all.
I think deep down, he is amused by the decadence of it all,
all very un-British! I will get to see him later on this week,
it should be fun! Take care, be back tomorrow!