Barbara J. Hamby

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A Quiet Weekend

We had a quiet weekend after the beach trip. Tonight we went out for a Chinese dinner at a favorite restaurant of Floyd’s just a few miles away. He and the waitress recognized each other from years ago. She has worked there for forty years, and says, “I’m married to this place.” When he told her his wife had died and I was his new girlfriend, she smiled and said, “Thanks for telling me. I was sure she wasn’t your wife and I didn’t know what to say.”

She obviously loves her job and the people she meets and is friendly and efficient. We had brief, but interesting conversations with her. She reminded me of a waitress about my age at a restaurant in Vancouver, where I formerly ate fairly often. Diane was still there the last time I went in; she recognized me and we updated each other. She loves her job so that I doubt she’ll ever retire. Regular customers all know and admire her. I remember that several years ago, while I still lived in Vancouver, they had a party for her 70th birthday.

I hope second-hand smoke never gets to either of these ladies as it has to the gal on the television commercial who never smoked but worked as a waitress all her life.

The weather was perfect today for lunch on the deck. Fortunately, the downstairs neighbor who is a chain-smoker, didn’t come out to water her flowers until we had finished and were nearly ready to go back inside.

She may have driven away the yellow jackets that circled our food annoyingly.

It’s probably nearly time to start putting away outdoor furniture and clearing the deck of dead flowers. There is one pot of dried plants that might be worth spraying gold for holiday decorations. I’ll see what my daughter thinks. She is craftier than I.