Mishmash

Mismash

This has been a very 'wasted' day off. I've been sick all week, so instead of spending yet another precious free day driving to an audition (about hypocrital christians in an urban family -- maybe not something I'd want to play anyway...though this week at work tipped me over the edge the other direction), I stayed home today.

Last night was wonderful! I walked to Blockbuster and rented Sense and Sensibility (Alan Rickman...one of my favorite actors), Closer with Natalie Portman, Jude Law and Julia Roberts, and He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not with Audrey Tautou (from Amelie). I walked into the new pottery and glazing store to check out prices, and then to Shopko and bought myself a mermaid coloring book. The urge to color with good crayons has been quite strong. Especially since I've been buying box after box of fresh, new, never opened 96 Crayolas for our Operation Christmas Child boxes. So I got out my old box of 120, given to me by Adrian some birthday back in college, and my new Mermaid generic $1 bargain book and drew pictures for my kids in Tanzania and the Philippines. I watched two movies in the bargain.

Today I finished the book I've been working on between endless work shifts, White Oleander, and had a few naps. I still haven't finished my Lewis final paper, which I want to write, but want to do well, so I'm waiting for a good stretch of time. Today would have been good, but it feels SO GOOD to nap and loaf around. I haven't had a free day at home in weeks. I've ordered a carry out pizza and will watch the Audrey Tatou movie over dinner. Hard to read subtitles and color at the same time.

I spent some time this morning tracking down a director I worked with last fall who hasn't sent me my reel, and putting another item on eBay to see if I can sell enough to buy a plane ticket to Chicago in November.

I have one bone to pick, again, about waiting on Christians tables. I've said it before, but here's another friendly reminder from a person who is very glad that SHE has to wait on them, because they aren't going to harm their 'witness' to me, just annoy me very much and give me something to blog about:

This week has been church visits week. Pastors meetings, church groups, individuals. So far I've enjoyed the pastors and the couple from Georgia who have done a lot of missions trips the most. One group of women last week didn't like anything I brought them, everything wasn't how they'd pictured it (their fault, not mine, I'd brought everything they'd ordered out correctly). They didn't want croutons, and I can't remember what all now, but everything was very Screwtape Letters chapter 17 which I have dogeared since Solvang. Then, as I finished pouring fresh ground pepper on their salads, they all bowed their heads and told Jesus how greatful they were for the food. Huh. I wasn't fooled and I'm willing to be he wasn't either.

Thursday night I crawled off my pre-cold death bed and came to work hoping it would be busy since the prime rib buffet in the bar usually means a lot of overflow for the restaurant. Not the case that evening, and the three of us plus busser stood around. At 8:00 I was about to leave when one more table came in. A young couple on their 10 year anniversary. It was my turn, and they ordered appetisers and expensives meals, so I decided to hang on anyway for the tip at the end. They bowed their heads and prayed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The average meal lasts 40 minutes to an hour. An hour and a half later, they were still talking, kissing, holding hands. They wanted dessert. They were taking pictures of each other. I offered to take one with them both in it, and took two at their table, two in front of the fireplace. The other waitress took pictures of them down the hallway on a large couch. Then...they disappeared into the bathrooms. We waited. Their dessert was uneated. 10 minutes later they still hadn't come back, and neither of us wanted to go check on them. Finally they reappeared, ate dessert, paid their check, and left a $3 tip on a $60+ tab, and a comment card with all tens and a "keep up the good work!" Huh.