Home
Not a thought in my head
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 1948
A very long, extraordinarily-long week at work. 10, 12, 14 hour days without break, busy, busy, busy.
And today - finally, the long-anticipated and over-rated day off.
Now there's no way I can do everything I have to do today, I have to prioritize, given the season it will be Christmas Gifts.
No luck.
2nd Priority - Nap.
Now this is highly successful.
And then there's food (eat out), and groceries (Toilet Paper), as a bonus I clear the fridge of fruit and vegetables that have languished there since July (surprisingly not moldy, just dessicated), and then there's the few moments to myself where I can breathe and gather my thoughts.
And I find, curiously, that there are none.
There are an abundance of notes, copious notes, documents, wordpad jottings, journals and sheets of loose papers filled with scribblings, but in my head there's nothing.
It's empty. Completely empty.
I search, vainly, for something, anything, I must have a thought? An opinion? So many projects outstanding, lists of things to do, but in my head? Nothing.
Zen Masters, they spend years upon mountain-tops striving for this, thorny paths filled with tribulations, me, a couple of weeks of non-stop work has gotten me to the same space.
2 weeks of non-stop work, a couple of weeks to go, and there isn't a thought in my head....
Amy Wood - Cinnamon Heart
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Music
- Hits: 1941
Frantic last minute attempts to find the perfect, unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for Xmas.
Things aren't looking good, the elusive, perfect hand-made gift just isn't falling into my lap.
I hit up the Market Collective - local artisans and craftspeople, ethical gifts, search, search, but there's nothing remotely giftable for those in my small circle.
The arts and crafts, they're good, just nothing that inspires me, nothing that shouts out "this would be perfect for....".
But in the background, on the stage, there's an artist - Amy Wood - and - surprised that nobody's listening - well, she's good. Very good. Big voice, curious lyrics, local, she should be a lot more popular than this...
Link: Amy Wood, on YouTube (Lonely)
Krampus
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
- Hits: 1756
Now this, because it's Xmas and I'm not even slightly in the Xmas spirit (what waiter is? Who has time?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLnl5ZWG4tg
The Austrian version of Christmas, compete with Krampus, this year I am Krampus, and I marvel (briefly) on how pasteurized, homogenized our version of Xmas has become....
The Wheelchair Waiters
- Details
- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: People
- Hits: 1566
They're both good, in their separate (and similar) ways - each knows by name half our regular customers. They schmooze them, appease them, somehow make them feel comfortable. They're each about 10 years older than me. Old, very old, by waiter standards, but I think that it pleases our customers to get better than Earl's
But they don't get along. We've separated them, different sides of the restaurant, still there's the minor, petty feuds.
They're not so quick, but it's good to work with different people.
They know what they're doing. Slow, but they don't have to be told.
But as they dicker and feud, about trivial things, like who's been waitering longer (and where, what restaurants, etc) - I can't help but imagine them working together.....
It's a bizarre tableau.
The one, Z, pushes the other, M, in a wheelchair. This is a first for a waiter, I imagine. They argue the whole way about who's been waitering longer.
When they come to the table they're silent. M holds up a card. It tells them that his name is M and he'll be their waiter this evening.
HE doesn't speak, because - truth be told - our customers don't want to be spoken to.
Instead, the cards he holds up indicate whether they're ready to order drinks, wine, food, etc.
Customers can sign (thumbs up, down, etc) according to the illustrations on the placard that M holds up.
They're not in the least bit curious as to why M doesn't speak, or why Z doesn't either, they're secretly glad to be able to not speak to their waiter.
Maybe, as M writes things down, Z can argue with him about whether he heard things right.
And when he wheels away, with their drink or food order, they can see/hear him feuding with Z about small and trivial things.
This would put us on the map. The wheelchair waiters.
I want to push one of them, push M, or Z...
They fight, feud, I don't hear of it but know because they can't work together, one always has to work with me, and I have this bizarre vision of them working together in some sort of waiter hell, the wheelchair waiters.....
Page 832 of 1083