Gold star for Robot Boy
Oh, Noel's birthday was so sweet. She met an old and mutual friend for coffee after her work, and before our friend's work (she ushers at McCaw Hall and it's peak Nutcracker ballet time). I arrived a half hour after they did, and crept in. While I was getting cocoa I noticed a guy sitting nearby, ears in the aisle, and sure enough, he went over to them and inserted himself into their conversation, loudly. He'd thought they said something about robots, concluded they were talking about the story that SF is using robots to displace the homeless, and went off on a rant about robots taking over the world. I got my drink and my babka and went over to sit with them, and he dwindled off and went away. He'd probably still be talking to them if I hadn't.
So when our friend left to get to the job, we went home briefly, put on our best clothes, and went back downhill to 10 Mercer, a moderately fancy place between the bus stops. We had scallops and steaks and dessert. The place was jammed, but about halfway through the meal everybody paid and left: heading over to McCaw for the ballet. We were the only diners left on the top level, so we talked to the waiter for a while. If there is time in his busy day and you are not a jerk, a waiter will unbelt and tell you things about his workplace. He talked a bit about having to deal with the dual rush crowd, before and after performances at McCaw and at the Intiman Theatre next to it.
The food was wonderful, and we had a view of the street outside, which, lit up with holiday lights, looked like a diorama, as perfect as one of the buildings in the holiday train diorama at the Seattle Center. People wandered in and out of the bookstore, walked out of the Japanese restaurant with to-go boxes, queued at the bus stop. We dined, got the excess food boxed, caught our bus home, a wonderful night.
So when our friend left to get to the job, we went home briefly, put on our best clothes, and went back downhill to 10 Mercer, a moderately fancy place between the bus stops. We had scallops and steaks and dessert. The place was jammed, but about halfway through the meal everybody paid and left: heading over to McCaw for the ballet. We were the only diners left on the top level, so we talked to the waiter for a while. If there is time in his busy day and you are not a jerk, a waiter will unbelt and tell you things about his workplace. He talked a bit about having to deal with the dual rush crowd, before and after performances at McCaw and at the Intiman Theatre next to it.
The food was wonderful, and we had a view of the street outside, which, lit up with holiday lights, looked like a diorama, as perfect as one of the buildings in the holiday train diorama at the Seattle Center. People wandered in and out of the bookstore, walked out of the Japanese restaurant with to-go boxes, queued at the bus stop. We dined, got the excess food boxed, caught our bus home, a wonderful night.