When the Planets Align

There are just days when you can't catch a break no matter what you do.

When I worked for Alltel we used to shake our heads when we had a customer that entered "The Customer Service Twilight Zone". Some poor soul who had everything go wrong with their phone and their billing - they just stumbled in the zone through no fault of their own.

If we don't have little things go wrong from time to time, they become bottle necked and all shoot out at once when the pressure forces an explosion.

That happened to hubby and I Saturday night when we went on a dinner and a movie date.

Actually, a movie and then dinner because a later show would have released too late for dinner at an acceptable hour and getting home before we turn into a pumpkin and mice.

So we decide to go see "The Dark Knight".

I was a little freaked out about seeing it since Heath Ledger had died right after filming but hubby said "You like Cary Grant movies don't you?" He had a point so off we went.

What a good flick -

About 10 minutes from the end, the screen starts going "erp! brechhh! phtttttt!" and the movie stopped. What an uproar! It was a matinee and sold out! People were not happy. It took several minutes to get someone to let us know what was going on other than the obvious; no movie.

A little girl ,no more than 4 foot nothing ,comes in and announces " It will be 7 minutes before the show resumes." I remember seeing all those big, brawny teenage guys out there taking tickets., they sent a girl in to tell us. Chickens.

How can you be irritated at a little slip of a thing?

So the movie starts back up from where we left off and when it's over we go get something to eat.

"You pick." I say to hubby.

"Are you sure?" he replies, surprised to say the least.

"Sure, you pick the restaurant. I will be happy with where ever you choose"

"Yeah right" he mumbles.

So off we go.

I should have guessed.

Pizza and beer.

So we get to the Pizza Joint.

I really hate getting out of the car. It was hot out there, baking hot. 101 degrees at 7 PM in the evening. Someone hand me a hose.

We go inside. Hubby heads for the bathroom. He drank the large Diet Coke pretty much by himself and I feel sorry for anyway blocking his way.

The hostess leads me to a table. It sure is hot in here.

She is abut to slap down the menus and run off when I ask her "Is your AC broke?"

"Uh-huh" she replies and rushes off.

Lovely, just lovely.

I wait for hubby sandwiched between two tables with kids; one table hasn't gotten their food yet and they look hot and a little mean and the other table the kids are out with just dad who is oblivious that his toddler is aiming pepperoni from his pizza at my shoe.

Hubby returns looking relieved and I bolt to the bathroom "My turn!"

I hang out in there for a little longer than necessary for there is an open window in there and it is actually tolerable. I finally go back to the table and sit down banging my knee on the table as I try to get in the booth.

Hubby looks at me, " Do you want to go?" he asks.

"Yes"

"Alright let's go".

Back in the car I say "Pizza and beer was a great idea. Let's go downtown and eat at Mellow Mushroom".

"It's too far, and I thought I was picking."

I sit there silently. A couple of lights later we are pulling into Red Robin's parking lot.

OH NO I say to myself. Red Robin has pretty good burgers but they have yet to get my order right even once and I have been there at least 10 times. They've even given me a $25.00 gift certificate for poor customer service.

"Please" I pray, "just this time get an order straight".

Hostess takes us to a booth and I notice the seats are wet. I am wearing white pants, this won't do. I ask her if she can get something to dry them off with and she goes off mumbling something about busboys.

We're seated with menus and our waiter comes over. He was a nice guy but little did he realize that we sucked him up in the Twilight Zone by sitting in his area.

He takes our drink order; Bass for hubby and Diet Coke for me.

We start to cool down and relax.

He comes back for our order. We're not ready, Hubby had forgotten his reading glasses and I was trying to use my sunglasses to read the menu while he had on mine. Waiter goes and comes back. We're ready this time. Hubby orders a cheeseburger and I order a Santa Fe burger with melon instead of fries.

Where's our drinks?

I look at hubby and say "You know, they have never gotten an order right for me. Ever."

He looks at me and says "If they say they are out of beer or cheese, I'm outta here".

We wait for the drinks.

My Diet Coke arrives.

The waiter goes off looking for the beer.

We wait.

The manager comes to our table.

"I'm sorry Sir," he starts off. ( I start twitching)

"We're out of Bass."

"You're out of Bass?" hubby is incredulous.

"Yes, How about a Guiness?"

"That's fine".

Needless to say we sat there anticipating the worst. But all that happened was I got melon with my fries.

I can live with that.

But Red Robin, you are 0/11 so far.