Sunday, August 23, 2009

Service With a Smile



Wow, I'm really behind on posting. Part of it is that I can't get the pictures off my camera right now. Always one thing is missing for this to happen, always a different thing. I thought I would post a recent interaction between a restaurant owner (Theron) and patron (Daddy) - I was reminded of it because the restaurant popped up in the living room again tonight. I think it's some kind of scam. What would you think of a place that charges $2 for a banana and keeps all its money in a ziplock bag?
Here's what happened: Ashley ordered food from the "restaurant' (yeah, right!) and after eating he burped and did not excuse himself. In a later interview Theron told me he runs a polite restaurant and he demands manners. So he created this document.
Name. What happened: with three check boxes - Didn't Excuse, Ran, Stole Food. He checked the first one.
He gave it to Ashley who wrote his name and then wrote on the side, "I am sorry. I don't mean it."
So Theron persisted. He handed it back with his own note, "Say Sorry" with an arrow pointing at a line for Ash to write his apology.
So Ash writes, "I am not sorry! Really!!!!"
Theron hands it back.
Ashley writes, "I am sorry I came here to eat".
One last time, Theron hands it back and Ash writes, "I am kind of sorry - a little tiny bit. not much".
At this point Theron either accepted this or gave up because there was no where left to write on the form.
Oh, and as I look up the restaurant is GONE off to who knows where. And I gave him my credit card for a piece of ham and a root beer.

Sunday, August 02, 2009

You say ci-CAY-da, I say ci-CAH-da

Vacation in Oklahoma at Lake Tenkiller. You forget, living near the Pacific Ocean, that there are actually warm bodies of water, not pools, where you can swim and swim without worry of sharks or jellyfish. Wild places but friendly places.

Places where a little boy can learn about skipping stones, roasting marshmallows, decide un-roasted marshmallows are more his type, use a slingshot, fish but NOT KILL THE FISH, and learn to exist with dirty, wet, or dirty and wet feet for days on end.


A place where cousins can somehow make playing video games a participatory activity with lots of shouting and laughing.

A place where you can find baby birds sitting on the ground. Where there is spotted: deer, brown bunnies with white cotton tails, cardinals, great blue heron, a water snake, a red fox, scissor-tailed fly catchers, little fish that like to nibble moles and nipples, and one squashed armadillo.