Tuesday Plans, Last Table

Life is very different since we closed the brick and mortar Your Daily Fiber. Saturdays have changed more than any other day. For the most part, I have enjoyed the changes. I can’t begin to tell you how much Elaine is enjoying Saturdays.

Elaine starts planning the upcoming Saturdays on Tuesdays. (More about that in a minute.) For the last decade or more Elaine, Ivy, and I have worked in the store about 95% of all Saturdays. Elaine and Ivy teaching classes and selling stuff, while I was checking email, reading stories on the internet, going out to pick up lunch,

answering knitting questions, and taking the occasional nap. I’m telling you, Saturdays were exhausting.

Saturdays are not as exhausting now. We get out of bed, check the website, and emails for orders. We fill the orders and get to play the rest of the day. Yesterday, I wanted to get on with the day and suggested we fill the orders early. Elaine and I went out to the storage containers in our pajamas. Well, Elaine was in her pajamas, slippers, and a bathrobe. I don’t have pajamas or a bathrobe. I do have slippers, plastic ones. It was a little cold out there. The neighbors have learned not to look over at our place in the winter months if I’m outside.

We decided to spend the rest of the day in town running errands. Elaine thought it might be fun to have breakfast in town. Having breakfast in town, was part of Tuesday’s conversations.

Tuesday's conversations usually start with, “You know Monner, if the weather cooperates we can sand that rustic shelving for the new idea I have to display your Mom’s baby carriage.” Elaine loves projects like that. Projects like that remind me of what I do the other days of the week. She will sand, stain, or watch me and be completely happy. Me? I like naps.

Elaine and I decided to have breakfast at a restaurant Elaine worked at in the 1970s. This restaurant serves breakfast and Elaine and I (and sometimes the kids) eaten there hundreds of times. (Not always breakfast)

Elaine loves to tell waitstaff she worked at the restaurant, actually, Elaine’s mother was the bookkeeper for the restaurant.

Elaine struck up a conversation with the waitress. (My grammar program is telling me I can’t say waitress, [construction language] that.) I tried to tune out their conversation. I was fuming (OK, almost fuming) because I had missed breakfast by ten minutes and would need to order off the lunch menu.

Elaine: I worked here in high school and college. Jill: I started working here in ’81. (Yes, she said ’81, 1981!) Me: Wow! Jill: I’ve had other jobs, but I always end up back here.

The conversation with Elaine and Jill went on, and on……….and on. Me? I was staring at the lunch menu, I had no interest in, trying to convince myself a burger was almost like an omelet.

Jill spoke of her childhood home, her high school and people who have worked at the restaurant over the years. Coincidentally, Jill and I graduated from the same high school, seven years apart. Jill confirmed Roy, the morning cook is still cooking. Roy was the cook when Elaine worked there. Roy is now in his eighties. This restaurant provided the only job Roy has ever had.

Jill brought the food to the table and started the conversation again. Elaine and Jill were having a great time and hardly noticed I was sulking, staring at my Bacon & Ranch burger.

ill: You can get an omelet tomorrow until 2:00 PM Me: Didn’t I hear you aren’t working tomorrow? Jill: Correct, I have Sunday and Monday off.

Jill filled our drinks and walked away. She returned later with the check.

Jill: You guys are my last table I will serve at this restaurant. Elaine: What? Why? Jill: I don’t work Sunday or Monday. Tuesday, we will close the restaurant. Me: Beervirus? Jill: We can’t stay open. We will do carry-out, but really that doesn’t work for a restaurant like this.

Again, she walked away.

Me: Tip her big! Elaine: I was thinking the same thing.

As we walked out the door,

Jill: OMG, thanks Elaine: It was his idea.

The omelet didn’t matter any longer.

Here we go again, folks.

We spent the next few hours running errands to accumulate the pieces and parts for Elaine’s Tuesday ideas. Our first errand was a stop at Stan’s Club, for dog food and dog biscuits. Elaine informed me I was not allowed to bring home any toilet paper, even though I was the only one in the store without toilet paper in my cart. I was of the belief, we have new toilets, it is only right to have new toilet paper. Elaine said we have enough at home, even if it is not new. Three hundred dollars later, with a cart full of other stuff, we were on our way to The Orange Depot.

We got out of The Orange Depot without picking up everything we needed for our Tuesday plans, however, we can make new plans this coming Tuesday.

Shopping for building shelves can be exhausting. I was asked to carry new queen sized bed sheets, paper plates, apple fritters, dog food and biscuits. arthritis cream, detergent and solar lights . All the stuff you need for new shelves.

As one can see, it was a big day. I suggested stopping for a cocktail on the way home. We stopped at a pie shop/smoothie/cocktail shop people have spoken highly about. I walked in, looked around, and walked out. No tables, unfriendly staff, however, it smelled good. You hippie/yupsters can have it.

We drove a little farther down the road, to Girl Twin’s place of employment. Elaine was happy. They had wine. I ordered a Moscow Mule. (I am Russian/German. What else would I drink?) No ginger beer, First, no omelet, now no Moscow Mule. This was definitely bittersweet. They had plenty of Elaine’s wine. I moped around and ordered a lemon drop martini. (Only one!)

It wasn’t long and we were informed this restaurant would also be closing Tuesday. Beervirus! Elaine informed me she went into generous tip mode. No one ever tips me, just sayin’.

Beervirus targets restaurants in 15(+,-) counties in Colorado. Masks don’t seem to help in these counties, although, they are fun to wear. I hope to

get a bedazzled mask for Christmas. Only then will I feel truly safe.

Buy yarn. God Bless you!

Our crazy lives!

Monner

If you read last week, Pete is back at work. He never had symptoms and never was tested. His wife who tested positive never showed any symptoms and being self-employed, working at home and never missed work.