February 28, 2010
Settling for Silver
We are depressed here in my hometown of Plover, Wisconsin. Team USA’s hockey team lost the gold medal to Canada. It sucks. Big time. Here in Plover it was more than just watching a hockey game. Joe Pavelski, Plover native and former SPASH (my alma mater) hockey team member, was on the US team.
Joe is a San Jose Shark who was chosen earlier this year to play in Vancouver for the 2010 USA Hockey Olympic team. Our city was immersed in hockey, hockey, hockey for the last few weeks. You can imagine the sadness we are feeling right now. The boys played well and a silver medal is still pretty darned awesome.
It’s pretty solemn over here. Team USA, you did well…
December 31, 2009
New Year’s Eve, Past and Present
My husband and I don’t go out on New Years Eve. Not since we had kids, I mean. He says it’s “a night for amateurs.” Also, all the crazies crawl out of the woodwork on NYE.
When my father was still in the bar business, he had a New Year’s Eve party every year. He bought a few cases of champagne and made sloppy joes and appetizers for his customers. He gave his regular bartenders the night off, and Doug and I would work the party so that everyone could have a good time.
Every year, people that did not regularly patronize our establishment crashed the party for the free food and champagne. One couple in particular comes to mind. I can’t remember their names, but we called them “The Toothless Wonders” because both husband and wife were missing several front teeth. Doug would joke that they must have gotten into a drunken brawl one night and knocked each other’s teeth out.
The NYE party was not the first time I had to wait on these people. In college I was a waitress at South Point, my aunt Kelly’s 24-hour diner, and this couple would come in for a cup of coffee and stay all night because we offered free refills. They never ordered anything else. They never left a tip. The Toothless Wonders were the epitome of freeloading.
On New Year’s Eve in 2003, the TWs came in right before the party was scheduled to begin. I think the man’s name might have been Dennis, and her name still evades me, but for the sake of this blog entry, we’ll call her Wanda. They secured two bar stools closest to the food table, and Dennis slammed a wad of singles on the bar. Wanda ordered two tappers of Miller and lit a Basic, full flavor cigarette.
“What’s on the menu tonight,” she asked. “Sandwiches or somethin’?”
“Barbecues,” I told her. “And there will be taco trays and cheese and sausage, too.”
“We didn’t eat all day for this,” Dennis told me.
I remember laughing to myself. I’m imagined they starved themselves all day just to make sure they’d get their fill that night. The couple was never dressed very nice. They seemed to wear the same clothes all the time. Dirty jeans, worn out shirts and sweaters, and worker’s boots, despite the fact that neither worked. They lived off SSI and food stamps, and I think Dennis was receiving disability, too.
They were usually very polite, that is until they had a couple beers and began shouting and rudely bumping into other customers on the way to the bathrooms. I didn’t dislike these people, I just found them to be kind of creepy.
On this particular night they were strangely quiet. Mostly because they were constantly refilling their plates and slamming Millers like shots of whiskey. Speaking of whiskey, Dennis decided after the midnight countdown he would like two shots of Kessler. I poured the shots and rang $5.50 into the register.
“Five-fifty!” He yelled. “I’ve been robbed!”‘
I worked throughout the night, tending bar, refilling the food trays and making sure everyone was having a good time. As I was emptying ashtrays into the garbage can, I turned around to see Dennis and Wanda making out by the jukebox. I nearly puked. Customers began to notice it, too. Everyone was uncomfortable with the PDA. I didn’t want to be the one to break up their intimate moment, so I made Doug go over to them. I don’t remember what he said, but The Toothless Wonders stopped sucking face and sat back down.
The rest of the night was uneventful, save for the local lush falling asleep at the bar. This, I could handle.
“Joe! No sleeping on my bar. I don’t drink in your bed!” I hollered.
“Well, ya could if ya wanted to,” Joe slurred.
New Year’s Eve is definitely a crazy night I’m sort of glad I’m too tired to party all night. It’s amazing what becoming a parent does to your social life.
This New Year’s Eve is a quiet one. Dawson and I watched a few episodes of Spongebob. Owen fell asleep in my arms. Doug is listening to old Bob & Tom shows on the radio. Maybe I’ll switch over to ABC for the ball drop in New York City. If I’m awake at midnight, I mean.
Happy New Year! May 2010 bring you much luck, love and happiness!
June 21, 2009
Two Weddings and a Graduation Party
So I’ve been busy. How many times have you heard me say that? Too many, I know.
It just seems to go in spurts, these moments of calm followed by chaos and busyness and holy spotted cow, I’m tired.
We’ve attended two weddings this month, and one graduation party, and then we did some other things. I can’t really remember what.
I’ve been having more headaches a lot lately, and I’m starting to worry. Headaches while pregnant can mean blood pressure trouble. I’ve been monitoring it at home and it’s only slightly elevated, but when I get 3 or 4 headaches in one day (or one BIG headache that goes away and reappears like painful magic), I get nervous.
Also, it’s freakin’ hot. I complained how the first part of June was cold and rainy and sucky. Now I want to rip out my tongue. The humidity has arrived, bringing with it swollen ankles, sticky heat and general discomfort. Add that crap to pregnancy and Dear Heavenly God, please, PLEASE send me air conditioning. I just may die without it.
So, in lieu of a real post, I give you pictures of the fabulous times we’ve been having.
First we have my friend Kim’s Wedding:
Next we have my brother Frankie’s graduation party:
And finally, photos from K & T’s Wedding:
Doug and I had a wonderful time at each wedding, and my little brother’s graduation party was lots of fun, too. We’ve got so many things coming up this summer… I don’t know if I can keep up!
What have you been up to?
