Last night, the Christmas Train comes through town. A couple of reservations for after the train, 7:30, it's an event for sure.
A couple of reservations meaning 2, one for 3 people and the other for 8.
Only it's never that easy, they're late, and there are the other "reservations" made 10 minutes before they arrive, a 7, 5, 9, 4, 2, 2, ...
There's a machine gun outside the restaurant firing people into it, we're full and the phone doesn't stop ringing, all this over maybe 10 minutes, "Kootenay Style", I call for backup - and more backup - but it's 15 minutes away...
Nonsense, absolute nonsense, there's no keeping up, no coming close, but here we are.
The night goes, I'm home just before 11:00. We close at 9:00.
***
Today a double, there's no Christmas train but it will be more of the same. Kids are out of school, kids love sushi. It's gonna be a bloody nightmare but I just - somehow - have to keep my sanity and make it through.
***
This morning, Kramer sauntering through to grab some coffee and toilet paper. She's in a fine humour - turns out she's won some $76, 000 on a jackpot last night. Now - I don't mean to be skeptical - but - well, you get it.
She assures me that the bulk of her winnings will go to pay off her debts. I'm not her only creditor, and I'm wondering where I'll be on the list, but let her have her victory and we'll see how things go. In any event I'm not certain she's won anything, no doubt she'll pop round tonight to borrow a few hundred dollars because that's what she'll need to "free up" her winnings...
In any event, my worries are on the day; if I make it to tonight we'll see how her story's holding up.