Chinese Tonight

My son and I had Chinese takeout tonight from a local restaurant.  General Tao Chicken with Fried Rice and Crab Rangoon.  Mmmmmm.  I eat with chopsticks, the son eats with a fork...chopsticks don't shovel the food in fast enough for him.  This isn't exactly what it looked like, but you get the idea.

The restaurant only serves Chinese on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Ironically, I usually crave it on Wednesdays.

Eelpout Weekend

Another Eelpout Festival has come and gone in my small town.  Thousands of people came up to eat, drink, play and fish for the elusive 'pout.  I worked the whole weekend and reaped the benefits of some serious cash...and sore feet.

By the end of the weekend I had witnessed some guy walking down the sidewalk, stopping to puke on the deck of the restaurant I was working at, and then continuing on his stroll downtown; several people falling off of their chairs; odd items left under tables and in bathrooms; and many requests for pictures with random drunk people. 

As crazy as it was, it was also a blast.  I work with some great people and we made the weekend the funnest time ever!

Things I Can't Do...

I can't eat with chopsticks while I'm driving.  Really...it's nearly impossible.

The Bully

I was in junior high, probably seventh grade, when it happened.  School had just ended for the day and I was getting ready to board the bus for the long ride home.  In between my bus and the next stood a young girl whose eyes were overflowing with tears.  Her face was red and she was clearly terrified.  A much, much bigger girl was standing on the young girl's lunchbox, refusing to give it to her.  The lunchbox (they were metal in those days) was crumpling under the weight of the bully, the young girl was shaking with fear, and the bully was sporting a nasty, I'm-bigger-than-you-and-there's-nothing-you-can-do-about-it grin.

I'm sure the little girl was thinking that she would get beat up, her lunchbox would be ruined, her mom would be angry with her or any number of panic-stricken worries.  As I came by, she looked up at me with an expression of defeat...and a little bit of hope.  I can still see her face to this day...clear as a bell.

Here's the part where I tell you that I laid into that bully.  Told her how nasty she was and warned her never again to pick on someone smaller than her.  Comforted that little girl and swore to protect her from any and all big people.

I didn't do anything.  I walked right by and got on the bus.

I remember very little from my younger days.  But, I remember her.