~Thursday~ Today’s buscapades were a serendipitous soap opera.
When I got on the bus, there was a lady sitting across from me with a Waffle House uniform on. I thought, “Damn, she’s got a long way to go,” because the stop for the Waffle house is the last stop on the outbound route, which means she had to go all the way inbound, wait during the sync time at the downtown station, and then go all the way back outbound. “She’s gonna be late,” I thought, and then, “Or she has to allow almost an hour to get to work.”
Several stops later this hefty, ballsy (if women can be ballsy) white girl got on, holding a horse-leg sized cold drink cup with about six napkins wrapped around it. “This thing’s leaking. I always grab some paper towels before I leave just in case this happens,” she said sort of to the general public.
The Waffle Woman responded though, “That’s because you got hot coffee in a cold cup. It’s separatin’ the cup.”
“Yeah, I know. You goin’ to work?”
“No! I just got off. I’m on my way home,” she clarified.
Ah, the good old 24-hour Waffle House. I instinctively checked her teeth, remembering that tired old joke: “What has six breasts and three teeth?” Answer: The overnight shift at the Waffle House. [Badumpbump!]
These two started talking about the restaurant business, and Ballsy Girl said that the place where she works is usually the busiest on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. “The plant next door to us closes their cafeteria now on Fridays, so we get all that business. Those people have no place else to eat. That’s made Fridays our busiest day now.”
Waffle Woman mentioned looking for another job. Ballsy Girl said, “Two Guys [a local Raleigh restaurant, which is actually right by my work, and a place at which I like to eat every now and then] is hiring.”
“Really?” said Waffle Woman.
“Yeah, they just fired three guys—fired three guys at Two Guys, love that—for tip-snatchin’. My girlfriend works there, and she saw her co-workers go right over to her table and take her tip money after her customer got up. And she’s got two kids.”
Waffle Woman, “So, they just took her kids’ money, really.”
Ballsy Girl, “That’s right. That’s money she’d spend on food for those kids. And those kids got it rough already, ’cause my girlfriend’s aunt, who’s younger than her, lives with her, too. She’s eighteen, and she’s a drug addict. And so is the daddy of those two kids. There are shady characters coming in and out of that house all the time.”
All of a sudden Ballsy Girl hollers, “THERE SHE IS!” pointing out the window of the bus.
“That’s her?” Waffle Woman asked, incredulously.
“Yes, that’s that aunt! The ‘ho.”
A very cute, young, long-haired blond girl was making tracks on the sidewalk. Who knew she was making tracks on her arms as well? Well, the whole bus did now.
That story behind us (figuratively and literally, as the bus moved on and left Aunt Trackadora behind), Ballsy Girl answered Waffle Woman’s question about where she lived by saying, “Yeah, I had to move to get away from this guy I had a restraining order out on. He’d be out in the parking lot in the morning when I went to work. It’s kinda hard to hide when you drive a red Jetta.”
Oh, look at the time. My stop.
I had a three-meeting work day, and all three meetings were fairly productive. I left in time to catch the 4:30 bus, which I don’t think I’ve ever done, but I had a 6:00 meeting out in BFE that I needed to get home in time to head out for.
Sitting in the front of the bus, I could clearly hear a spirited conversation going on in the last two seats of the bus, between four people. I’d characterize the tone of this conversation as “one-downsmanship.” You’ve heard of one-upsmanship? This was the opposite of that. The topic was probation.
“Yeah, I got to pay $200 restitution to the State every month. That’s money I could be spending on other bills I got,” said one of the four as if he were paying for some bling that he couldn’t even wear.
“Well, I got court on Monday, but I’m gonna get off,” said another.
“You’re gonna get off?” a familiar-sounding voice questioned, continuing, “Is this your first offense?”
To which the guy responded, “Well, it’s my first felony.”
I looked back there to check out that voice. It was BALLSY GIRL, and then she said, “Was there a vehicle involved?”
I thought that sounded so “Cops” that she said vehicle instead of car, even though I’ve never seen Cops. I know it’s a TV show, because Joe watches it.
And one of the other people back there hooted, “Sounds like we gots us a lawyer back here!”
Ballsy Girl said, “Well I know what I’m talkin’ about. I’ve had a felony larceny, but I paid it all back. All $3000 of it.” Recalling her morning conversation, I wanted to say to her, “So you took $3000 of some kids’ food money?”
I tried to zone out the rest of the drone, which deteriorated into who had the biggest rap sheet, whose probation was more tired, and other woes of being stuck by “the man”—namely all those involved in law enforcement and the judicial system.
Once again. Saved by my stop.
I attended the STC-Carolina‘s Vision Day 2009 meeting, which was out at West Regional Library in Cary. It was a two-hour meeting, and it took me a half-hour to get there, and another half-hour to get back.
We discussed programs and events we’d like to do in the coming year, and did some general B&Ming about the international STC—particularly around its mounting financial debt and the diminishing ROI for its annual dues.
I met Alex at Flex at 11:30, where we eventually joined his friend Bill, a guy he’s seeing named Robert, and Esteban at a table right up by the stage. Fortunately we didn’t get any sweat or anything on us, and we even ended up with one of those Sam’s size tubs of Cheese Balls that was used in a contest during the show.
My primary reason for going tonight was to see Raven Simone, who hasn’t performed in a long time, and I don’t think has ever performed at Flex. Flex’s drag, which is only Trailer Park Prize Night (TPPN) on Thursday nights, is booger drag. Raven is a class act, female impersonator. Her drag is not one iota of booger. She didn’t disappoint this evening.
It was a hoot of a night, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve stayed until the very end of TPPN. I’m sure I’ll regret it in the morning.
Oh yeah! I finished Anna Karenina today!
