A Day at the Beach: Lion edition.

A mid-winter weekend under a clear sky and bright sun finds the town buzzing with activity.  Families in town for the long holiday weekend, attending tributes and commemorations to Dr. King, and thanks to the warm temperatures, taking walks on the boardwalk and beach before dropping by to dine with us.

Lunch was busy and dinner promises to be even more so, as the masses arrive for football and stay around for karaoke and cheap margaritas.  There were reservations beginning at 1:30 pm and the walk-ins kept the 6 servers busy. Reservations for dinner were so strong that the banquet room will have to be opened to accommodate the larger parties.  After the snow, cold, freezing rain, and winds - it is amazing what a mood-changer higher temps and bright sun can do to cheer people up.

To my delight, it also brought back a customer (I've had a mini-crush on) who lives in DC and has a place here. He was all smiles as he rushed to greet me with a bear hug and, as he has done in the past, plant a kiss on my cheek as we embraced.  I was so happy to see him that I reciprocated, planting a kiss on his cheek.  This seemed to set him back a bit.

He smiled and asked for a table for 5, and not a word was said about our "encounter" but as his friends arrived, our eyes met  a few times.  I found this confusing and very puzzling. I imagine it was for him, too.  Thanks to some snappy patter with his friends during their visit, I received a hug from each and every one of them.  He was last in line and gave me a warm and relaxed hug, followed again by a kiss on the cheek. I responded in kind.  He smiled, as I did, and they were gone.

As I sipped my after-shift festive cocktail this afternoon, the Ravens & Steelers game was just getting under way. I was half way through the drink when the shouting, screaming, and cursing began.  ( I still can't understand why people yell at the TV during these games.  It's not like the players can hear them, or even give a damn.) I finished the drink in the kitchen and bolted for the door. 

The walk home was delightfully quiet as the sun set, projecting a pastel, sparsely clouded sky that took my breath away. 

Music of Mozart was emanating from one of the homes on my block and I hummed along as the music made my foot-falls a bit lighter.

The loco bosses are on holiday in Mexico for 2 weeks, so I've been pressed into service more than usual, but I don't mind.  It gives me more experience and insights into how things work around the business - and, it's fun!  That said, I am very tired and will likely be heading off to bed soon.

No music or movie tonight, the quiet is welcome instead.

And so it goes.
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