The Treasure Hunt

It's nearing 11:30 and I just got home. So far, it has been a rather long day but certain aspects of it have been enjoyable, and one particular part... very much so (: I had an early morning proctored test at school and once I had that completed I am now done with school for several weeks until the middle of January 2013: that will be the start of spring semester.

I used E a lot today to chronicle some of the things we did. She was with me in the testing center at school... but they had confiscated my phone prior to my test so I couldn't take a picture ): However, I did get in a couple of pictures at the college bookstore as I was waiting in line to sell back to them my Psychology book.

I was trying to get the three other people in the back part of the store in my picture with E. However, the girl was evidently camera shy and she was also pretty quick (especially for her size) and she tried to pull her head back just as I was snapping the picture, so I didn't get all of it ):

Then, as I was next in line I saw a picture on the front of a book that showed a girl with “man hands” literally. The picture reminded me of an old Seinfeld episode where he is on a date with a girl (you never see “her” face) and she has big man hands! It's a funny episode. E was evidently disgusted by this picture and she wouldn't even look at the cover.

I also had to make a stop at the UPS store and I got there at 12:00 and I was last in line. But, by the time it cleared out and it was my turn... the store remained empty until I left. In the first picture E is looking forward and then after that she was playing on a big bag of “peanuts” in the corner.

This evening Deb and I went to the movies and saw Skyfall: it was really good. For any person who likes a lot of action, for more than two hours this movie is almost nonstop action! In the next picture E is between the S & the the K. She is so small she is hard to see (: 

I only took the next one to show how deserted the theater was. I told the girl behind the counter that I needed to get out more because I was expecting a crowd of people? After all, this complex has a dozen screens and is a first rate facility. She said that on week nights it is like that a lot. In theater 10 where we were there were only three couples besides ourselves.

Deb wanted to go home after the movies but I decided I wanted some breakfast. Now, if I am really just wanting something to eat and it's breakfast food I want, then I would usually choose IHOP over Denny's. However, if I am wanting to try something, or if I am just wanting to watch people... I would choose Denny's. It is a completely different clientèle. It's about the same difference as people you see in airports compared to people you would typically see in a Greyhound bus station. (The latter groups is almost always more fun to watch and to listen to them talk.)

When I entered Denny's they were also slow and all three waitresses were standing behind the cashiers desk. I was sort of hoping I would get the oldest one of the group because you could tell in just a glance that this was the type of job she has always done and nothing would faze her. As luck would have it though it looked like I got the youngest of the three, Tiffany.

She brought the menu to my table and I ordered coffee. Before she returned I had made my selection: veggie and cheese omelet with spinach. Then, I pulled E out of my pocket and set her on the menu with her nose pointing to my selection. Usually people just turn away whenever they see me getting ready to take a picture of my little wooden platypus (: I had already planned for this and I figured that I now had a way that I would have a captive audience (so to speak) and she couldn't just turn away from me?

It was great! She did just the opposite of what everyone else usually does. When she came back and asked if I was ready to order I told her that I was, and I would take what “she” was sitting on... then I pointed with my finger to E on the menu. Tiffany glanced down at the menu and then immediately back at me and wouldn't look down again. You would have thought I had set something obscene in the middle of the table at Denny's. 

I actually had to tell her that it was the veggie omelet I wanted because she wouldn't look again at the menu. Normally I like to laugh and I laugh rather easily. And she looked so confused that all I wanted to do was laugh. But then I was afraid she would realize I was pulling her leg and then it wouldn't have been as funny to me. So, I sat there straight-faced and very slowly ordered a side of grits and sourdough toast. As she started to walk quickly away I asked her if I could have hot sauce with my order?

The place I had been seated was only one table removed from the kitchen. And behind me within a couple of minutes I could hear Tiffany telling a different waitress that when she brought my meal that I also wanted hot sauce. She was giving me away! Now I really wanted to laugh... she had found a rather easy way to not be my captive audience! Good for her (:

While at Denny's I also got to hear a disembodied voice on the other side of the wall (that separates the two dining rooms) tell the waitress how his wife had just kicked him out of their house. A few minutes later he stood up, I think(?) to get something out of a pocket, while doing this he looked over the wall at me and smiled. It didn't look like he had a single tooth in the upper part of his mouth... I grinned back at him.

All-in-all it was a fun day!

12-12-12 and on this day Toutatis will make a fairly close pass to the Earth: at least it will be close as far as heavenly bodies are concerned. Somewhere inside the distance of the Moon x 20? Anyway, fun stuff! If you have an opportunity to see it you should.

I hope everyone has a great day!