Sanna's Bag

“I never seem to have what I need when I need it. I’m going to make a belt-bag that’s bigger on the inside than on the outside, and just carry everything with me.”

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

BAD blogger!

I don't know if it's my laptop or our internet connection or Blogger itself, but it has been like pulling teeth out of a cranky crocodile to get this blog posted. I failed utterly yesterday. So, maybe today, when the sun is shining and I could be outside playing if I were so inclined, I should just blog while I can. Anyhow, there's a limit to how much UV radiation my mushroom-pale skin can take, and I already spent half an hour scraping the moss off my car. Yes, moss. Mostly, it's green, algae deposits on the north side where ever the moisture collects, but along the edges of the windows, real colonies of moss get started every winter. So on a dry day in early spring, I go out and make them feel unwelcome. Simple Green and elbow grease seems to do the trick.

On Friday night we went to a newly opened chain restaurant called Claim Jumper's and met friends for dinner. It was VERY NOISY but other than that, not bad. We all ordered and in due time the waitress arrived with three dinners balanced on her trembling hands (the platters are huge and the portions monumental) so I figured she simply couldn't carry everything at once and would soon be back with mine. "Eat, eat! " I said, and everyone pitched in. Minutes passed and so did our waitress, but never did she have anything for me. Finally, when everyone else was half finished with their meal, she paused in her frantic flitting like a hummingbird at our particular fuschia and asked, "Is there anything else I can get you?" "How about my meal?" I suggested. She looked at me, looked at the empty space between my silverware, frowned, pulled out her order book, flipped through it, looked at our table noting the three other meals, and her little face crumpled. "Oh no!" she said, and fled incontinently to the kitchen. minutes later, she returned with my sea bass, which had not improved with sitting for fifteen minutes under the heat lamps. We got that dinner for free.

So on Sunday afternoon, we joined another group of friends (we were 14 in all) for lunch at Claim Jumper's. Another woman and I ordered salads. In due time, three waitresses and a busboy arrived bearing 12 lunches. The other salad eater and I sat and waited. A waiter came by with water and jokingly asked, "Aren't you eating today?" I told him, "I'm waiting for may salad, as is that other lady." "Oh, I'll go see about that." Two more times, servers came by, asked why we were'nt eating, and rushed off to find the missing salads. By this time, DH had finished his cheesburger and was graciously sharing his fries with me. Then suddenly, he knocked my hand away and beckoned a busboy over. "I know it's not very big and it won't eat much, but I think your manager should see this." He pointed, and there, marching across a french fry, was an ant. Probably a hitch-hiker on the parsley. What ant could survive the deep fat fryer? But still . . .
The manager appeared like magic and apologized all over. Then he turned to me and asked, "Was your meal all right?" "I don't know." I replied. "I'm still waiting for it. As is that other lady." Dismay blew across his features like a North Pacific squall. Our salads arrived in about the ammount of time it would have taken the manager to put them together himself, the three of us with unhappy experiences got our meals for free, and everyone got chocolate cake as a gesture of apology to the group. I don't know if I want to go back. The food is pretty tasty, but fairly expensive. If they are going to continue to forget me, the free meals are nice, but the frustration of waiting for them just might not be worth it.

Monday, I made another assault on Mt. Laundry. Friends J and C refer to their piles of clean, un-ironed, unfolded clothing as "A laundry feature." The dining room table comes with a laundry feature. It sounds less perjorative, don't you think?

Here is my pet ball of silk yarn, sent to stay with me by Lyssa. Thank you, Lyssa. I am waiting to know what this yarn wants to be when it grow up. Meanwhile, have FUN in Japan!











And here is a ball of the Lorna's Laces sent to me for a birthday "pressie" by Janette in Oz. Thank you, Janette! Two balls of this yarn are going to make awesome socks!

The colorway is "Purple Iris." Now I have something small and simple to carry around with me! KSIP!!! (K2, p2 rib I can do in the dark. I can do while reading. I can do while traffic idles along at two miles an hour because I don't have to look at the knitting and the only control the car needs is the occasional tap on the brake.)

8 Comments:

  • At 5:16 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Oh, that is a dining nightmare. And, really, there is no excuse for that happening. More than once. In my last job, we would all go out fo lunch when someone was leaving. One particular time, there were 12 of us. Everyone was sitting and waiting to plcea their orders. Mind you, it was a small place, and we were the only ones in there. After 25 minutes, I actually called the receptionist from my cell phone. I asked her if we could ger some service. She asked where we were. I said that we were the party of 12 sitting right in front of her. After finally getting the meals, *I* was the only one without one. Of course, I took out my cell phone, and the whole table burst out in a roar of laughter. I asked to speak to Michael, the owner. I explained that the service in his establishment was deplorable, and he had some angry customers. He asked what he could do about it, and I stood up and yelled across the floor for them to bring me my damned lunch!
    Ah, sweet times.

     
  • At 5:42 PM , Blogger JulieLoves2Knit said...

    How did I miss this party!!!
    Happy Birthday - I'm right behind you!!

    I knit some great mittens with flaps for my birding buddy in Wyoming with the Purple Iris - Love it!!

     
  • At 7:52 PM , Blogger Amy Lane said...

    Okay...I'm just jazzing over that yarn--my colors--and it's GORGOUS!!! I'm sorry Claim Jumper sucked...you will dine as royalty again someday, of that I have no doubt... (You sound a little down...fondle that yarn again...it's gorgous!!!)

     
  • At 5:41 AM , Blogger Pat K said...

    Uggh. What a disappointing experience. Of course, I've had my share of those, too. Must be a restaurant manager's nightmare.

     
  • At 7:12 AM , Blogger Norma said...

    Cracking up at Dave's comment. THAT is a hoot. Yours is not a hoot. But goodness, girl, you do give these dining establishments a hard time! :D

    That is just awful.

    And your problems with Blogger? Ugh. I used to use Blogger. For a month. Then I outgrew it. Couldn't stand it. Nowadays I have trouble leaving comments, too. But then again, I hear that people have a bugger of a time leaving comments on Typepad, too. I don't know what is the answer. Probably just like your non-appearing salads..... there is no good answer.

     
  • At 8:28 AM , Blogger Willow said...

    Do you use the New Blogger, the one where you sign in on google mail? since switching to Beta Blogger, I haven't had any more trouble posting, except for problems of my own making like hitting the wrong key and sending everything into cyberspace, you know, liveware problem.

    What a sad thing to happen on your birthday weekend. I fell asleep last night remembering your comments and trying to figure out the world. Why would a lovely, positive lady like you TWICE not get your dinner? (well at least it was free) The only reason I could think of, NOT AN EXCUSE for poor service, was that if CJ is newly opened, the manager has new, inexperienced staff and they are not yet well trained or well managed. The reason doesn't make up for the disappointing experience, it just explains it. I recommend going to another restaurant where people know you by name and have another dinner and pretend it's your birthday so you can have a good birthday dinner experience.

    Did the wonderful tea party make up for it?

    BTW, the photo of the brown eyed girl with me isn't Sweet Mary Rose, it's the school business manager Julie. I wish SMR could have walked the marathon with me...

    Thanks for the sweet comments. I LOVE my Beaches Blanket!

     
  • At 1:40 PM , Blogger Lucia said...

    Grr. I wouldn't go back there, at least not any time soon -- the hastily-trained-staff hypothesis may be correct.

    Happy birthday to you, again, anyway! I love the sock sculpture.

     
  • At 3:29 AM , Blogger Flea-Bites said...

    You must have been a very naughty waitperson in another life, Roxie (if you believe that crap - did I just say that?).

    I say all power to you - when CJs closes, you'll know it was because they had to give away more meals than they sold!

    I'm looking forward to the goslings.

     

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