Okay, this is just hilarious.

I’ve spent time the last couple days driving into Baltimore to water the plants of a former professor of mine. She and her husband have a big old house that they’re preparing to sell, and the backyard is simply gorgeous — it’s overflowing with color. They’re down in West Virginia taking a breather from moving preparation (and I’ll be vacationing at their cabin there later in the summer), and I was only too happy to help. Watering their backyard isn’t a simple job — like I said, it’s very big (large enough, in fact, that the last time I went to one of her post-semester parties — she invites all her current students, a lot of her former students, and a number of her friends — there was still standing room: and this with probably well over a hundred people).

Anyway, watered the plants this morning and drove home for a few minutes before work: needed to set some production queues up for my bases on Astro Empires, a free online game allowing thousands of players to play against each other in a galactic version of Risk. I pull into my apartment complex behind two Baltimore County police cruisers, and was slightly nervous as I followed them up to the door of my building.

Thankfully, after a gentle inquiry, “Hey, you’re not here for that loser in Apartment A, are you?” “Um, no.” “Oh, good, that’s me.” (they chuckled), I darted into my apartment. They were standing by the door to Apt. C when I went into mine (I was kinda hoping they were going to evict the neighbors in D, but alas), and when I left ten minutes later, they were both gone.

***

Tonight at the Indy was dead slow. I was in the lobby re-reading for a second time this month Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone (hey, it was in my car) when a lady and her daughter came in for their order. Driver Gary was leaning against the counter. He recently bought a house in the city and has been spending a lot of time rehabbing it. Today he’d been up since 7am moving in, and was sick to boot.

Apparently, he wasn’t very enthusiastic in his service of the customer, because the woman called him on it. Mind you, I was paying attention only peripherally, and only after I realized she was actually upset about something. Driver Gary apologized for not sounding appreciative of her business (and I understand her point), explained that he was under the weather, and the woman apologized for her attitude, then for some reason defended her behavior because someone had tried to molest her little girl earlier in the day.

The same daughter who’d left the store a moment earlier with their food. I mean, hello?

I understand the woman’s complaint: when you give your business to a company, you want to feel appreciated as a customer. That’s all well and fine. But for Christ’s sake, keep your eye on your kid, especially if she actually had almost been molested earlier in the day.

***

I have been resummoned to Jury Duty in August. Wonderful.