Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Taco Tuesday left me with bad karma- no joke!

I hate it when people call it hump day! I hate the word hump- except when used in certain right and proper context. (I am not referring to humpty dumpty)

Yesterday, I did indeed go to Taco John's, or TJ's as it is locally and affectionately known, and purchase 4 tacos (previously 2 tacos for a dollar, or thereabouts), and a small potato olé's. You always purchase extra tacos for later on Taco Tuesday (or I do, anyway). So, when I got to the window a slight girl of no more than 16 told me the total was more than I expected. I inquired. She seemed kind of pissed and said something about the tacos being 2 for a dollar something nine- (I didn't hear her well). So I conceded and smiled and said "Oh, they've gone up." This apparently did not sit well with my little friend who rolled her eyes and proceeded to tell me in no uncertain terms that they've never been 2 for a dollar, people just say that because it's easy. Well that little brat was not about to rewrite a taco buying history which preceded her birth, nay the twinkle in her father's eye (note to self: I probably went to school with her father- that's creepy!) I let her know that yes indeed they were at some point 2 for a dollar and I am 35! (My advanced age somehow cementing the memory of my youth and surely enhancing my nostalgia.) Well, all attempts at professionalism had been flung out the window by this point in the, ah, conversation as she continued to roll her eyes, slam things shut and say nasty little things in unintelligible tones as teenagers do. (I have seen my future and it is dim- only 10 or so years to go, TK) So, as she hands me my debit card receipt, I smugly say to her, "Well, you don't have to be bitchy about it." No doubt this sent her through the roof of an already shitty job; a gentlemen of no less than 17 handed me my food and I left with a somewhat polite thank you.

I did however, feel bad later, as I realized that I had worked similar jobs and had people treat me similarly and it was awful. Even though I did not set out with an attitude of superiority, I think it came out. I called and apologized to someone which really did no good whatsoever. The point is, as is so beautifully laid out by Sarah Adams, “In the big pizza wheel of life, sometimes you're the hot bubbly cheese and sometimes you're the burnt crust. It's good to remember the fickle spinning of that wheel." And so,"Be Cool To The Pizza Dude" whatever your flavor your pizza may be. And, be sure and read any or all of the This I Believe series on the NPR website. I love hearing them, but it's so hard to catch them on the radio. My dad actually bought me the book and CD set for Christmas- Absolutely Fabulous! Love ya, Dad!

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Did you hear? A tree fell in the forest! Everybody's talking about it. You must have heard...

(If a tree fell in the forest, you'd surely see it on the newsstands before it ever made a sound.)

There's so much crap going on in the news these days- and I do mean crap- but the thing that keeps popping up in my brain again and again, even though it's not nearly as big of a news story as Miley Cyrus's boobs and the sheet with which they were covered-which, I might take this opportunity to point out were covered (Annie spared neither John Lennon, Demi Moore, Lance Armstrong nor a host of other luminaries such dignity), is the tragic story of Ms. Deborah Jean Palfrey, known commonly as the "D.C. Madame".

Like I said, I can't seem to get this poor lady out of my head, even though it seems the rest of the world has moved on. Maybe that's what Hillary was thinking about as she acted as though she'd never seen the inside of a convenience store, let alone gotten her own coffee at a gas station. Once again, I digress.

It seems Ms. Palfrey graduated from Rollins College with a degree in Criminal Justice and even attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Perhaps she entered the time honored profession in the same way that many girls become strippers, "just to get through college". "It's great money," or so they say. I wouldn't know. I led quite a sordid life for a while and even spent some time in jail, but not for selling my body. No, I just got drunk and gave it away. Who's smarter?

At issue is whether or not Ms. Palfrey actually committed suicide. Both the manner in which it was done and the circumstances surrounding her death lead to me highly question whether or not it was indeed suicide. There is a significant motive for any number of people who might not want certain information to be publicly released. No matter how or why she died however, fact is: she died an early death as a result of the lifestyle she chose. And the thousands of men who were served by this lifestyle? How did the story end for them? Very, Very Happily. No public humiliation, no jail sentence, and certainly, no death. The scales seem more than a little unbalanced, if you ask me.

Now, there is so much other gossip I must attend to. Tootles...