All of the virtue, none of the fun

[constance]

So here's what I've done with my weekend:

• Given blood


• Gone on to work at the bookstore afterwards, until midnight, which was a big mistake; allow me to inform you that they are not kidding when they say not to exert yourself after giving blood or you will regret it; I spent most of the night dizzy, in a cold sweat, fighting the urge to lie in a corner in a fetal position and moan helplessly


• Slept for a really long time


• Woke up to a frantic call from a friend to say that a family friend had died and would I sit for their daughter while they went to the funeral and wake this afternoon


• Curtailed my plans for a leisurely lunch with a book to picking up takeout and eating it on the way to my friend's


• Noted the enormous spider and huge and intricate web on my porch as I was leaving, with a promise to myself that I would take a picture of it when I got home, which of course it was not there when I got home


• Drew pictures, played make-believe, intermittently watched not enough bad children's television to know what was going on, and generally got ordered around by a sweet little three-year-old tartar-in-training, when all I really wanted to do was read the new book of short stories in my tote bag or watch some comfort movie of mine

Am currently feeling insufficiently rewarded for my saintly nature, and would probably feel much worse if the Battlestar Galactica season premiere (eta: and the huge, low-hanging harvest moon) hadn't been this weekend.

:::

Also, I have a question. Say you went to an Indian restaurant on a regular basis mostly to pick up takeout, and every time the waiter/cashier rang you up, he chatted with you, talked about nose rings or bollywood films or asked you why you never ate in the restaurant any more (you haven't because you've spent the past few months in financial straits), or asked you what you did for a living and whether you have a holiday weekend coming. And assume that you know perfectly well that you are the sort of person who has to actually be asked out on a date to understand that someone is trying to flirt with her or pick her up. And assume that as you were picking up your restaurant food this latest time it suddenly dawned on you that it might, just might, mind you, be that this man was trying to flirt with you, and that because it only just occurred to you and you are the densest person on the planet, he maybe has been trying to flirt for some time, and you just assumed he was being friendly. Would you think he really had been trying to flirt, or would you go on thinking he was just a very nice guy?

This question is purely hypothetical, of course.

Comments

[aubrem.livejournal.com]

Could be either way. My bet would be on flirting though. Do you like him? : )

[gmth.livejournal.com]

Personally? I would go on thinking he was just a very nice guy, but that's mainly because my self-esteem doesn't exist and I wouldn't be able to believe anyone was actually flirting with me. YMMV. :-)

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

So if you ate in the restaurant, would this guy be your waiter? Or does he only deal with takeout?

Because if, theoretically, he were flirting with < insert name here >, then that person could go to the restaurant and eat in during some sort of off hour, like three pm on a Saturday, giving said restaurant employee a chance to have a longer chat with said friendly but reserved person, perhaps leading to an extra-restaurantal type of invitation. That is, if the person in question wished to encourange an extra-restaurantal interaction.

I haven't done this sort of thing in ages, but years ago I had a very satisfactory fling with the deli clerk at my local market. I had to take the first real step, though. In fact, here is a thought: does one call the restaurant in advance to order the takeout food? And does the restaurant ask for one's phone number? Because then maybe one could encourage a restaurant-related call, such as "Call me when it's ready" or "Let me know when you are making that special okra chupatti again."

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't think twice about it. I do have fond memories of flirting, but it hasn't happened in a long time!

However, were I hypothetical, I would definitely let him know when I have a holiday weekend coming. :)

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Maybe he's just a flirty guy. But I guess all depends on if you want to actually, you know, go out?

And good for you for giving blood. Boo on your subsequent ickness.

[aliciamasters.livejournal.com]

This is the world's hardest question for a shy person, isn't it? As someone who is gregarious, but married to the shyest man on the planet, I can say this: just keep talking. If this hypothetical situation WERE real, for example, I'd say that any discussion about what you're doing in RL is encouragement. Long weekends, movies you want to see, books you've just read, and television you watch are all good ways to stay comfortable and still invite more discussion.


I will also say this: as someone who worked in the restaurant business, I always wondered about life outside of the restaurant. If you changed your buying habits, from eating in the restaurant to getting carry-out, he might wonder if you met someone & are sharing the food. ;) Hypothetically, of course. You can easily dispel that with a comment like, "I want to see this movie, but I don't have anyone to go with," or even, "It takes me two days to eat this much food. It's too much for one person!"

[dahlia-777.livejournal.com]

You are a saint. And ooh, potential pash. Lovely. I'd keep talking to him. Maybe ask a few questions back. That's not committing yourself, if he's just being friendly. But if he's flirting you'll probably be able to tell from the way he reacts to some reciprocal interest. *If he asks you on a date say yes!!*