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Ulay, Oh - How I Became the Bomb
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Link of the day
- Hits: 2197
If you're older than 30, 40, 50, the older the better, you'll understand this. I discovered it a while ago, found the comfort to post it now:
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One Day Left
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2608
1 day left, unbelievable, that I've made it this far. Those who've summitted Everest have nothing on us, three times now, Xmas in the restaurant, I've crossed the winter solstice, from here on in the days grow longer and the night will disappear...
In the hour before bed and sleep I listen to Ben Howard, The Fear, and Keep Your Head Up, Classic prospecting music...
Funny that's not a genre on soundcloud...
Long days, to be sure, and every regular customer we've not seen for a year is making a last minute reservation, some we love, some we hate, all are here for their Christmas Panatone, the chef, owner, he gives them out every year, the regulars come back again and again, for a stale piece of Italian fruit-bread ...
Some bring baking, wine, bottles of liquor, Lottery Tickets for the staff, the genuinely and sincerely nice customers, we have those too, a shame I don't give them enough press, we joke that if only M*** would drop by we'd have all our vices covered, a proper white Christmas, the nephew's nervous, he's been good, but he knows it isn't going to last....
One day left, and then tomorrow the full-on rush to do the entirety of my Xmas shopping, including, and I can't forget, the groceries for Christmas dinner, but first to survive today...
Of the restaurant...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Dreams
- Hits: 2135
Not *THE* restaurant, other restaurants, less dreams, as I seldom find time to sleep, it's more the ongoing chronic exhaustion of the holiday season in a poorly staffed restaurant. Of a large restaurant, built around a courtyard, the center descending several levels deep, there's been a flood and the lower levels are covered in slime, filth, they need to be cleaned, and I am trying to organize this while dealing with the customers on the main level ...
...and recognizing the too regular customers from the restaurant, *THE* restaurant, otherwise benign, harmless, even pleasant customers, but I am strangling them, killing them, it's them or me ...
...Outside, somewhere around Elbow Park, a bright summers day, I'm somehow between 2 restaurants, going from one to the other, admiring the architecture, an old, large gingerbread styled masonic lodge, eccentrically put together, behind it an old sandstone church, the lodge is interesting and I know inside it's fabulously decorated....
(No sleep, merely unconscious intervals between work, between customers arriving early by all and any doors, and leaving late... Which, if my dream life is any indication, is becoming a bit overwhelming...2 days to go!)
7 days to go
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2554
The days are long, grueling, a short day is 12 hours, long one 14, 5 double shifts and a Saturday, we're not so busy, nowhere in Calgary is, but for three waiters we're running, lunch and dinner, the slowest Xmas in the history of the restaurant, but everywhere in Calgary is pretty much the same, this downturn in the economy, it's flattening everyone, we can't complain...
Well, we can, about 12 and 14 hours a day, about not-enough sleep and a grumpy boss and customers we hate and all the other trifles, like our complete and utter lack of lives, and we see it in each other's eyes, A*****, the civilized waiter, no relation to the Nephew, he's just hanging in by a thread, as am I, the Nephew is still Fresh off the Boat and wants to get his own place, not so much his own place, rent a house near the restaurant, rental prices are dropping every day, it would be great, we could all live together, so cheap, and he proposes this ridiculous domestic scene where we all curl up together, housemates with a single giant bed and TV, watching Netflix...
But we have some pretty good customers as well, who double and triple the tips before Xmas, ensuring we're lucratively rewarded for our lack of sleep, but fuck, I'd throw it all in in a heartbeat for a good nights sleep and day off...
Only 7 days to go...
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