I Have a Theory for That

It's 12:32 AM and I am awake.  Wide awake.  Fucking brilliant how you can wake up after 3 hours of sleep, alert and brimming with the solutions to all of the non consequential problems in your life.

It’s a gift.

I’ve figured out what I’ll wear to work tomorrow, and that I’d like to wear something else to go shopping with The Tall One after work.  I suspect he’ll be wearing track pants, and so I’ve decided that either before or after we pick up his new phone, he’ll be getting a new outfit that he must wear before going to dinner.  We’ll be going to McVeigh’s, so that I might have a covert final appraisal of Bartender Jimmy and report back to you all on whether or not Habibi continues to hold title of Best Bartender in Toronto.  I really should come up with criteria for said position. 

Later.

That there is some important stuff ya know.

Have a theory for hunger am currently fighting...forgot to have dinner.  Had coffee before salon visit and wine after.  Meh...

Yesterday Ehshay came into work three feet off the ground (as usual) with story about his drive in.

Yes, I just switched gears a little...need a minute?

Ready?

Ehshay came into work and started telling us about the rubberneckers that caused his frustration.  Young St. Louis gave him a WTF in reference to ‘rubbernecker’.

 Eyshay gave the WTF pose and looked at me.  I shrugged.

It’s a construction site...occasionally we grunt too.

“Do you know what a rubbernecker is?” he asks me...eyebrows raised, eyes bugged out...

“uh...yeah” I start...

and Young J and Work Sista both echo St. Louis’ WTF... laughing and add-libbing theoretical definitions for the term.

Trust me...Eyshay is not one to walk away.   He’s like a little bulldog now...he’s got em right where he wants em...

Seeing where this is headed I explain that a rubbernecker is someone that slows down or stops to look at an accident on the highway. 

Ehshay very clearly vocalizes his surprise and utter dismay that no one knew that.

Uh...hello...I knew that..dorkuss....

And I had a theory.

See now you had to know I’d eventually get back to my topic, right?

The theory was that it was a generational thing...under 30 didn’t use the term. St. Louis, Young J and Work Sista are all under 30, while Ehshay and I are both over 30.

By the look on the very animated Ehshay’s face, it was game on.

As a couple more people filed in, we asked them if they knew what a rubbernecker was.  Big J, over 30 knew the correct answer...as did the other 2 over 30’s on site. Under 30 year old Metroman did not.

I was wiiiiinning :)

Ehshay, determined not to go down without a fight decided that Mcmikey, extremely intelligent under 30 year old, Ehshay’s Golden Boy Himself....would know the answer, proving me wrong.

He wasn’t in yet. 

Late in the afternoon, I came close to losing this fierce battle when Bobbielove, under 30, calmly defined rubbernecker to us.   But he turns 30 in a couple of months...so I held on....

Finally, Mcmikey arrived. 

Surrounded by the entire team, all in on the quiet war raging between Ehshay and I, Ehshay asked the unsuspecting Golden Boy if he knew the answer to the question.

“Do you know what a rubbernecker is?”

“Of course I do” says Mcmikey.

Ehshay celebrates, doing his own little jig...

My lil bro, Young J, needs to make sure though...

“What do you think it is?” he asks the somewhat bewildered Mcmikey, who is clearly in a hurry to get some work done, or something as equally trivial.

“Well, it’s like making out or something..” he starts.

And as the entire trailer bursts out laughing it’s MY turn to raise my arms and shout “I WIN!” as the mighty Ehshay hangs his head in defeat.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how we roll...

Now go to sleep...some of us have to work in the morning.

Dinner With Ma Work Brothas!

So it was Tuesday.  And I had been talking with my brothas about dinner for ages...never mind the constant messages JL had been sending from my Habibi....it was time for an evening at my home away from home...

Here's a little tune to set the mood...LOL

Songbird

I wheeled my sleek and beautiful Avenger into the parking lot that sits on the north side of the East Toronto Delta.  Wrapping my scarf around my neck and listening to the cheerful beep of the car alarm engaging, I hurried against the cold wind, and blew through the revolving doors that led inside.

Chester, a big burly man that seldom smiles, looked up and his eyes about popped out of his head as he exclaimed "Vicki!!!  Are you staying wit uss???"

Feeling a bit like a deer caught in headlights I laughed and shook my head, explaining my short visit.

"ooh noooo! But we miss your smile!!!" says he.

Now I don't care who you are, ya gotta love that.  He missed me!  Awe......

The Delta was my home for months until I found my sweet condo downtown and moved out.  It had been three months since I had been back...the visit was long overdue.

I missed the people that had adopted me there...Chester and the ladies at front desk that greeted me every morning and every evening, Karen and the girls who served breakfast every morning, J the bellhop that would always stop to say hello and make me smile..the cleaning ladies that gave me extra chocolates and coffee...and Habibi and the other bartenders and wait staff that worked the restaurant I ate at every night.  I felt like a princess :)

I hopped up onto a barstool at the end of the bar and chatted with the girl who served me a drink...delighted to see me and excited to see Habibi's reaction when he saw me.

Habibi is a tiny man from Egypt...and he's worked that bar for 20 years.  He is the best bartender in Toronto...and I'm doing my best to prove that theory!  When he laid eyes on me he hurried around the bar and gave me a huge hug...."wwwick!!!!  oh my gawd...so gooda see yuuuuu!!!  Did you get my messages???  Oh my gaaawd!!!!"

Sitting at Habibi's bar, your glass is never empty and, well, for his favourite ladies anyway....every drink served is followed by "I love uuuu!"..  For the men at the bar, he's quick to point out all the "beautiful countries" (code for hot chicks)...

See what I mean?  Ya just have the love the guy!

It wasn't long before I was joined at the bar by my work brothas and we ate some dinner...had a few drinks...and a lot of laughs.  I still can't believe how fortunate I am to work with such a great bunch of people!

Much to my surprise, about an hour into the evening...in struts Captain America (so dubbed by JL as the muscular and handsome man served in the US army and was a policeman for a good number of years).  Another guest that I had befriended during my stay...I think he had been there on 2 separate occasions for about a week each visit.  What amazing good fortune to have the pleasure of catching up with this sweet man for a couple of hours.  I got to hear about his 2 adult boys and his daughter...the wife he adores...  If only I could someday have that kind of love....the kind that survives and flourishes....sigh....  And Captain America promised that I would.  In fact he told me to settle for nothing less that a man that puts me on a pedestal, who stands beside me, protects me...never let's anyone say a bad word about me...  All I'm thinkin is wow...sigh....

After Captain America went to bed, I allowed myself to be talked into just one more drink with the 3 fine work brothas that surrounded me.  I listened to the banter...got in one or two digs myself.  I laughed when a couple of them offered to share their rooms..."c'mon!  Have a shot!  Habibi..get the girl a tequila!!"

Eye roll.... as if....

Hearing my protest and excuses about not even having a toothbrush, Big Jay staggered out to the Front Desk to get me one.

"See?" he said .. "Gif a shupernintendent a prolem an eel fiksh it"

Good ta know dude!

I drove home later on feeling blessed.  And I am.  I have people that care about me..and I care a lot about them too :)

And I am so gonna book a night there soon so I can park my ass in front of a line up of Habibi's tequila shots and have a serious drink night with the Work Brothas.  This excites Habibi too...because the Delta just ain't the same without the lot of us turning his bar into a party now and again.

My my my, can we party...

But I'll save those stories for another day :)