Oh, don’t look at me like that …

Space shuttle Atlantis slated for retirement, to be stripped of parts which are to be reused to maintain Discovery and Endeavour.

Last Tuesday (a week ago yesterday, that is) I was off work at the Indy. Coincidentally, I needed to pick up some dry-cleaning from the place right next door to the Indy. I pulled into the lot — directly in front of the Indy — got my drycleaning, and left for the grocery store. I knew my timing was bad — if I’d been scheduled, this would’ve been the time I’d be getting into work (actually, I would’ve been late).

Today, I got into work a little early. I was surprised that I was the first person in after Gary — generally, he schedules someone in at ten to help with the prep and knock out any early orders. “Yeah, I was freakin’ a bit too,” Gary said. “Then I looked at the schedule and kicked myself.” Seems Gary had scheduled me, Silent Bob, and the new guy, all in at eleven.

Silent Bob came in about fifteen minutes late. I was kind of hoping he wouldn’t come in at all — there were several delayed orders up, all paid with credit cards, and all had nice tips on them. It was the kind of day two drivers could handle easily, and one driver could handle with-a-bit-of-stress. I was okay with the stress because, y’know, dead-ass month, and I could have used the cash.

In any case, as me, Gary, and the new guy (he’s not really new, but I have yet to think of a nickname for him) made orders and worked on the prep-list, Gary’s mind suddenly snapped back to the previous Tuesday. “Oh! Last week, sometime, you pulled in right out front — everyone was already late, we were busy, I was hopping mad and I was going to rain fire on you! Then I looked back up and your car was gone, and I was like, ‘where the fuck’d he go?’ I was so ready to grab a baseball bat, go to your apartment, and beat you down.” Then Gary explained he’d looked at the schedule later, realized I wasn’t scheduled, and went after someone else with the baseball bat instead.

Well, good.