Tales from the Picnic Table

the_friend and pbd told the tale of the person at work who thought B. was smoking pot because someone else was smoking cloves, and called her in to utter this line: “When you came back from lunch today you… …REEKED! of POT!” This same person was on a severe Atkins regimen that involved bringing in raw bacon and string cheese, microwaving the bacon, wrapping it around the string cheese, and eating the resulting delicacy for lunch. She had yellow eyes and blackening teeth by the time they both left that job.

A frightening Canadian folk tale was told several times.

Seventeen-year-old boys appeared and explained the world to us enthusiastically, then left.

I heard a number of stories about why you shouldn’t go to work in a bike shop. I think my favorite was the guy who bought the $5000 carbon fiber frame and then clamped a 9 pound lock on to it, removed the clips for regular pedals, and added fenders, a basket, and a bell. Also, not getting paid.

Good food was eaten, including: chicken with little Post-It™ notes all over it, hummade hummus, guacamole, my accidentally vegan potato salad, sweet potatoes, cupcakes, peanut butter PIE, and small irresistible appetizer thingies with salami and cheese in them. I hadn’t had cupcakes since the last child’s birthday party I attended.

the_silent_one and realitylost said they were looking at pumpkins but I think they were actually hunting an invisible bunny. What do you think?

Late in the evening, just before I left, the_silent_one and the_friend were sitting at the table in our conversation lit only by candles from a bit below. They were in a Georges de la Tour painting, and they were so beautiful.