Sunday, Nov. 21, 2004
O'Donnell's at 1am, writing these words on a napkin, posted at 8:37 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com The weekend has been a good one.Friday night's house concert with Wally Pleasant was, as advertised, the house concert of the year. The crowd was great, the show was excellent, and I think everyone had a good time. And, I got really, really drunk. Not only did I have most of my work colleagues come, as well as some regulars and some internet friends, but I also had a Langoki, my oldest friend, from before high school, attend with all-time good guy John, her fiance. Dave, another high school friend living in DC, was there. So was Fool's Fate (can't wait to see her pictures, because, well, she wasn't drunk), Argyle, and some of Wally's fans in the area who I didn't know. Also, a group of restaurant work friends came. Including the Polish girl, looking as beautiful as ever. We didn't end up making out, although that certainly crossed my mind. Instead, I got really drunk. All of my restaurant buddies bring out my party instincts, because, like most servers, they go to bars after shifts and often successfully try to get me to do the same. Later, the head chef came out, and he convinced us to all go out to a bar at 1am after everyone else had shuffled out. We headed to O'Donnell's Pub, and Irish place within walking distance from my house where I've never been. I kicked myself for this, as it was a much better place than I had imagined. I don't know; I always was turned off by the "Opens at 6am" on the sign. But the place was cool. I remember that seven drinks cost $13 and that I was extremely intoxicated. Actually, maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. I took picture after picture at the place, mostly of the Polish girl. I haven't looked at them yet.
The chef dropped me off after O'Donnell's closed, and my hazy recovery on Saturday was slow and not fully complete until today. I worked last night at the restaurant. I ended up having a 14-top table (tip was $84, an 18% gratuity), a 5-top (tip was $40) and a 2-top (tip was $10). Not a bad night, plus I got cut before I closed, meaning I'll walk with the standard 80% after tipping out. I think that means I broke the triple-digit barrier that I've had a hard time of passing in the last couple of months. I was really "on" last night, despite my hangover. It is not hyperbole to say that I'm a near-excellent server.
I'm about to head in for a brunch shift. I'm bringing my gym clothes, hoping I can grab a workout afterwards before heading home and planning my brilliant lesson for Monday. However, perhaps the Polish girl will convince me to head to Thirsty Dog Pub for a palm salad and a pizza. I always begin my Sunday shifts by saying, "(Polish Girl), there's no way I can make it to Thirsty Dog tonight. I've got so much to do when I get home." She started answering me a new way last week. "I know what you're trying to do, Epiph. You're trying to get me to talk you into going. Well, I'm just not going to. We're going. That's it." And we usually do. Because while she's stopped wearing her misbegotten wedding ring, there's something else wrapped around her finger now. Me.
I also had I had the basement spare bedroom done in time, and it looks pretty good, if I don't say so myself. Wally and his fiance said they slept better than they had in a long time. We headed out to eat the next morning, and I took him to the restaurant where I work for our Saturday brunch. I feel like I'm Wally's friend now, and that's really cool, since I've been a huge fan of his music since 1996 or so. And his concert was just as good as I remembered. Even though many of the punchlines haven't changed since '96, I still laugh, while other songs ("Denny's at 4am") just grab me in the chest and pull me back to the hopes and fears I had in my late teens and early twenties. Some of his newer songs ("Plan B") hold more adult themes, and I connect to them in different ways. However, all his songs are always marked by rich humor and intelligence.
I still can't figure out how to light the furnace. Wally couldn't either. I hope it doesn't get as cold as it seems like it's going to.
Oh well. Here's some photos for you:
The Polish girl, at O'Donnell's, very late in the night. (Out of the tons of photos I took, this is the only one that doesn't cut off a body part. And, let me tell you, there are no body parts that should be cut off of this girl.)
Wally Pleasant and his "orchestra" perform.
Danielle (Langoki) and John.