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Monday, April 6, 2009

Oh, Thank Heaven It’s Monday

I’m getting too old for this “weekend” stuff.

It’s exhausting! I either need to have more days off in a row or I need to just work straight through and not kid myself with pretending that Saturday and Sunday are going to be a break in the action.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Is it just me? Am I the only one finding myself running from errand to chore to drinks to odd jobs only to sit down Sunday evening and wonder what the hell just happened?

One doesn’t notice, of course, until one is home and sits down. That’s when one notices the bones in one's feet. That’s when you notice that despite the folding and the putting-away, despite being dirty-dish-free for perhaps the first time in weeks, there are odd bits of lint, string, and what appears to be a Crunchberry on the carpet...

I worked a church “mixer” brunch banquet on Sunday at Nye’s Polanaise. Nye’s was voted Best Bar in America by Esquire in 2006. It’s a fabulous place, an old-world style place, labyrinthine kitchens, full bars in the myriad rooms, linen tablecloths and a piano bar circled by upholstered stools: dreadlocked college student with corks in their earlobes sit next to an out-of-town sales executive sitting next to a 68-year-old ex-boxer sitting next to a couple on their first date, all of them singing a John Denver tune.

There’s a polka band that plays in a room off the front door.

Saying that the place has "ambiance" would not do it justice.

But the place's layout demands a lot of you. The building has stairs and layers and passageways designed in an era when I suspect people were smaller. Nye’s is a good-sized place; but yesterday, in the hours around lunch, the routes between the tables and the coffee, the kitchen, and the dishwasher were clogged with Easter-Sunday-dressed pre-schoolers and the older brothers and sisters charged with watching them. It was treacherous going for a while, but the serving staff was both speedy and cautious - no toddlers were harmed during the Palm Sunday Mixer.

The adults pushed the tables together, plates of food were consumed, the coffee flowed, and, surprisingly, so did the drinks.

I was not expecting the busy bar.

Who’d a thunk?

Anyway, thank heaven it’s Monday.

Frankly, I need the rest.

16 comments:

Kate Coveny Hood said...

I secretly kind of love Polka music. Makes me want to dance. And I realized recently that I actually know how to polka... How is that possible? Past life expereince maybe? I'm thinking that maybe my mother taught me when I was little...

Jess said...

Gotta love a good mixer...even if it is for the church folk!

MJenks said...

You've got my weekends pretty much down pat. Ah, time to relax, I say to myself. I remove the shoes, sometimes the socks, stretch my little pitties out whether they are ensconced within the sock or not. Wait, what? are my next thoughts, It's Sunday night? Hey...wh...who...WOT HAPPENED?

And then I sigh. And then I think, I could use a beer and a cigar.

Then I remember I gave those things up long ago.

And then I weep.

Jodie Kash said...

When I worked in the actual office (on a huge tech campus), I'd dress from shoes up. Shoes always won.

Where DO our weekends go? I mean, weekends are the only time I can take a sauna after a workout or sit IN the bagel shop and eat my salmon-tomato-red-onion-caper goodness while reading the paper slow and grab an ice coffee at the Nordstrom Cafe after hours browsing the Macy's racks and make soup.

And now a week of crazy deadline.

Is it to late to marry well and have weekends all the time?

underOvr (aka The U) said...

Hi Pearl,

I know where you're coming from this morning. This weekend was Final Four and a gathering of the male clan (NOT Klu Klux). Me and some of the fellas gathered to talk hoops, drink and more...

Whew! I am spent! I do not make a habit of hanging with the boys (particularly the boys who like to hang out).

There were several instances of early morning acknowledgements as I recited, "I can't do this again" in a feeble plea for mercy. Admission is one of those steps I've heard that gets you on the path to where you were before taking a circuitous detour.

Tonight I will watch MSU (in the comfort of my home) hopefylly show that the Big Ten ain't dead. Any homey's bringing offerings to celebrate will be greeted persona non grata.

U

Eskimo Bob said...

Pearl -

You have a a five day weekend! And happen to get monetary compensation for it - the real work is Sat & Sun. If only the rest of us were this lucky. We end up having to toil five to six days a week then having a day or two to recoup. . . and we have to spend our money to do so.

I have to go - my five year old is singing Sir Mix-A-Lot's song . . . yeah the butt song. Where do they get this stuff from?

Roshni said...

Hi Pearl! I just tagged you.. check out my latest post

Kavi said...

looks like some people have all the fun in the world !!

:)

Roshni said...

oh God! You are SO right! By the time we get thru the washing and cooking and errands and mucking about, every thing is as it was 12 hours ago and we are into Sunday evening! My husband threw in his towel very wisely early on Sunday afternoon (and fixed himself a good stiff vodka to boot) while I just went on and on like a crazy hen!
I feel so nice and rested today sitting here at work and commenting to your post!

ICKY said...

Frankly, I thought the people were rude, and the dirty little untrained rat children were a danger to us all.
But, the food was incredible, as always (thank you Paulie) and the wait staff was outstanding.
'specially that bald guy.

Anonymous said...

Pearl Honey...I am never more tired than Sunday night.

The bad news: This is a sure sign of aging I'm afraid.

The good news: In our younger days sometimes we couldn't remember the weekends when they were over, or what we did (without looking at the pictorial evidence)...and now we can fully tally what we did and thankfully didn't do...so it works out in the end.

Gettin' old aint so bad sister!
:)

Pearl said...

Kate, there’s nothing like a polka. I grew up playing them (and they paid me!) and have been known to polka with my father. It’s a happy sound, bouncy music that cries out for skirts that will twirl and liquor in brown bags back at the table. (for those of you not from MN, the ballrooms – at least back in the day – offered “set-ups” only, that is 7-up or Coke. You had to bring your own booze to mix it with.)

Jess, we do quite a bit of work for this particular church (some sort of orthodox Lebanese group) and they’re easy to work with.

iNDefatigable, and then you weep? Too funny. Well, not really, but I understand. I try to be thankful for how busy I am – someday, maybe I won’t have any work. Someday I may not have friends to hang out with or people to pick up after. One never knows.
Plus, you have to be careful of what you ask for. I would like more time, but it could come at the expense of something else. Some workplaces around here are talking about going to 32 hours a week…

Jodie, I just figured that one out in the last year! It’s only too late to marry well if your current husband won’t let you go so you can find it.
p.s. the description of your bagel killed. I would eat all of that. Mmmmm.

U, Willie’s been watching basketball nonstop. March Madness indeed! Tonight he’s going to the Twins’ opener, however. The guy’s practically ON the field…

Eskimo Bob, where in the world did he LEARN the Sir Mix-A-Lot song?!

Kavi, but I’m afraid that I’m hoarding all the happiness and want everyone to join me!

Roshni, ha! When Willie goes to bed, he takes off his clothes and climbs in the bed. When I go to bed, I have 45 minutes of things to fill, pack, set out, etc. before I can call it a night.

Icky, aw, it warn’t so bad! And the food was so good (one of the perks of serving – the leftovers!). As for that bald dude waiting tables with us, he better bring his A game on the 25th! Now THAT’S an unruly crowd, only with silicone implants!

Sweet Cheeks, ah, the voice of reason. You’re right, of course. Wait – IS it too late to marry well and get hired help??!

Unknown said...

Pearl, I hear ya! I often bemoan the speed at which the weekend goes by. How come Tuesday nite thru Thurs don't go as fast?

Hey we were doin' the same thing this weekend! I worked a potluck mixer at church.

We are good girls aren't we? A long weekend should be the reward!

Peace - Rene

Amber Star said...

I had to stop and go back to read the part about the church mixer at the bar. That was enough to keep me reading. It was a very interesting post and I truly enjoyed it.

troutay said...

After a busy week last week, I said enough!
Saturday I stayed in my pajamas until late, played with the computer, read and went and took a 3 hour nap.
I am usually pretty busy, but sometimes I just need to hibernate and regroup.
Try it sometime. Or at least "try" to try it.

Jeanne Estridge said...

God, I miss Minnesota. The Twin Cities have the best bars in the world.