OK, now I am on that other planet again, the one where the days are a little shorter than 24 hours, because I fall asleep earlier and earlier and then wake up earlier and earlier. This does not bode well for choir tonight...

Yesterday, I went with Ray when he went to work and went to the library for a bit. My Dad was there and we said hello. I checked out a couple books. Then I went to the Hilton Garden Inn for an OLLI lunch. There was a game where we tried to identify famous lovers in history and fiction (and OLLI). I had no trouble with Romeo and Juliet, but Eloise and Abelard were hard. I didn't really know anything about them besides their names. I've already forgotten, but I think he was a philosopher in the twelfth century.

There were maybe as many as fifty people at this lunch and the restaurant could not really serve that many. It took forever for our table to get the first course--lobster bisque. One of the people at my table left before it came. The other person eventually got her soup--and her salad at the same time, while I was still waiting. When I got mine, it wasn't even lukewarm. They took it back and heated it up, but it still wasn't hot. Then we waited another long while before we got our entree. It was tasty, grilled chicken, mashed potato and vegetables. People all around were complaining and trying to leave. I wasn't concerned because I didn't have to be anywhere until 2, and I was trying to be the one person who was calm and pleasant. It was hard. They announced that we could have free dessert. My table-mate and I had ordered dessert when we ordered our dinner: bread pudding. She said she had had it before and it was excellent. We waited and waited. Nobody brought us dessert. There were lines of people trying to get their bills and pay them. I went up and asked and one waiter directed another to bring me two bread puddings. Two o'clock came. I asked again and she said to give her two seconds. I said sure. A waiter came and said, I would love to give you bread pudding, but we are all out. (this is what happens if you wait politely). Your dessert is free, but we don't  have any more! Would you like apple pie? I said I would like apple pie to go, but not in a styrofoam container. Could you put it in a paper cup for me? He did and I thanked him and gave him a ten dollar bill, asking him if it would cover my lunch and he said it would.

I was more amused than anything. It was the worst service disaster I have seen in many years, but the food was very good and it only cost me $10. I was about twenty minutes late for my writing workshop, but others are often late. In fact, another woman came in after me. The workshop went well and I read another installment in my story, which was well recieved. Sara said my sense of pacing was good...I would like to figure out a way to publish it serially. I want a website that people could visit to read the latest installment. I don't think there's a way to copyright it, though, and protect it from someone copying it and passing it off as their own. Can I charge 25 cents every time someone visits? Or put a donation button, so people can give me money if they enjoy it?

I waited for Ray for awhile and then we drove home. He made a reservation for a nice dinner, but it wasn't until 8:10, so we decided we'd rather eat leftovers at home. Happy Valentine's Day!

Then we watched TV, including the first installment of a show I had borrowed from my small group: Doyle and Doyle. It is a private eye series from Canadian TV, set in Newfoundland. Pretty good. Love the accents. I managed to stay awake during that, until almost 9:30.