Thursday, December 6, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The Perks of Falling on your Face
I'm one of those clumsy people that is forever tripping over my own feet. Yesterday (no lie) I tripped into a road and also on a busy sidewalk with laughing college students all around, and I even tripped up a set of stairs at work in front of several tables. That was the worst of them. I literally caught myself two inches from my nose crashing into the floor of the deck. On the positive side, since it's cold and I work on a rooftop, it wasn't very busy. There was a table of snooty girls that the other server was taking care of, and then there was my group of ladies lounging on the couches, which was just closing out.
Now from my table, the first lady that left gave me three cents on $14.37. Yay. I was expecting similar tips from the rest of the crew. Yet, falling on my face seemed to change everything. After I picked myself up, my ladies were very worried about me and expressed nearly excessive concern. I laughed and blamed it on shoes that were falling apart. (True...but I'm still uber clumsy.) I returned with their credit cards and in proper server fashion thanked them for coming out and wished for their speedy return.
They'd all had only one drink through me since they'd gone to the bar for their first round. I had done very little for them and hadn't even wowed them with my charm or knowledge of the city. So, I was quite surprised to find that they'd all tipped me lavishly. Not only that, but they called me back over, having decided to stay for one more round. When they closed out for the second time the tips were equally impressive and they left with many thanks and well wishes.
Who knew that falling on your face could pay off so well?
Now from my table, the first lady that left gave me three cents on $14.37. Yay. I was expecting similar tips from the rest of the crew. Yet, falling on my face seemed to change everything. After I picked myself up, my ladies were very worried about me and expressed nearly excessive concern. I laughed and blamed it on shoes that were falling apart. (True...but I'm still uber clumsy.) I returned with their credit cards and in proper server fashion thanked them for coming out and wished for their speedy return.
They'd all had only one drink through me since they'd gone to the bar for their first round. I had done very little for them and hadn't even wowed them with my charm or knowledge of the city. So, I was quite surprised to find that they'd all tipped me lavishly. Not only that, but they called me back over, having decided to stay for one more round. When they closed out for the second time the tips were equally impressive and they left with many thanks and well wishes.
Who knew that falling on your face could pay off so well?
Thursday, November 22, 2012
To all the Holiday Strays
Strays. The holidays are full of strays. In fact the two go hand in hand in my world. There is no holiday without a stray in the Bird home. Ever since my mom moved us to Virginia our home has been occupied during any day of celebration by friends less fortunate than us or separated from their families by distance of the land or heart. Of course we don't just open the door for those we know. We've had Egyptian exchange students, coach surfers and Appalachian Trail hikers. We've had random refugees, extracted from broken down cars along side the highway. We have our dear friends who are not lacking in love or companionship from their own families, yet still choose to share in the Bird family chaos of love. As my former partner stated regularly, my family is crazy. It's a fact. But what we lack in propriety and "normalness" we make up for in adventure and passion. Holidays within the walls of Birdston Manor are always an adventure... or always were anyway. Of course then tragedy struck and stole away my brother. Things change...
So here it is noon time on Thanksgiving and for the first time in my life I'm alone on a major holiday. My children are enjoying the holiday with their father's family, while mine is strewn across the eastern seaboard and Michigan. The partner I've shared the last few years with is no longer mine and is probably having a miserable time with his family. So, I am alone and commiserating with the family best friend via text messaging. I'd hoped I'd at least get to see him. But he also has found himself stranded in a strange place today, researching hemophilia inhibitors...or something like that. Two years ago I noted that it was our turn to be the strays. I guess we've got more time to serve in this role. Oh, well far worse things could be taking place.
In fact, when I arrived in Roanoke on Sunday night, I realized that my key to my mother's apartment was somehow left behind in Charleston, SC. For those of you not familiar, that's a six and a half hour drive! There was no chance of running back for it, so if I couldn't figure something out I would be seriously SOL for a week. Luckily my mother still lives her life taking in strays, so I was given entrance and saved from a week of sleeping in my car. But, alas, a holiday without a friendly smile is a hard day to live. Maybe by Christmas we'll be able to wrangle some other strays together and perhaps share a cup of cheer. Today, I think, I'll just take another shot of whiskey.
So here it is noon time on Thanksgiving and for the first time in my life I'm alone on a major holiday. My children are enjoying the holiday with their father's family, while mine is strewn across the eastern seaboard and Michigan. The partner I've shared the last few years with is no longer mine and is probably having a miserable time with his family. So, I am alone and commiserating with the family best friend via text messaging. I'd hoped I'd at least get to see him. But he also has found himself stranded in a strange place today, researching hemophilia inhibitors...or something like that. Two years ago I noted that it was our turn to be the strays. I guess we've got more time to serve in this role. Oh, well far worse things could be taking place.
In fact, when I arrived in Roanoke on Sunday night, I realized that my key to my mother's apartment was somehow left behind in Charleston, SC. For those of you not familiar, that's a six and a half hour drive! There was no chance of running back for it, so if I couldn't figure something out I would be seriously SOL for a week. Luckily my mother still lives her life taking in strays, so I was given entrance and saved from a week of sleeping in my car. But, alas, a holiday without a friendly smile is a hard day to live. Maybe by Christmas we'll be able to wrangle some other strays together and perhaps share a cup of cheer. Today, I think, I'll just take another shot of whiskey.
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