Bad Karma?

Otherwise known as... Sometimes you just have to do the right thing!

When I wrote about the fun I had on Friday night at dinner with my friend Linette, I left a key element out of the story.  When our server came by to take our drink order, I told him I like to drink IPAs... he suggested one out of Tampa, and asked if I wanted the 12 or the 20 ounce beer, which was only a dollar more.  I ordered the larger beer.

It was Friday night, after all.

For my entree I ordered the four taco platter with spicy adobo shrimp, which consisted of four tiny but tasty two-bite tacos, and a small dish of rice and beans.  Linette ordered a lovely bbq chicken salad, which looked yummy as well.  I devoured my food, and polished off the beer.  We weren't quite ready to leave when we finished our meal, so we ordered another round of drinks.  I wasn't driving-- what could be the harm in a second drink?  And again, it was Friday night.

That was my first mistake.  (Musical sidebar--  Lyle Lovette has a really great song called Her First Mistake that is one of my absolute favorites... He's such a great storyteller!  But I digress....)

We finished our evening, and Linette drove me home.  My roommate Chuck had failed to turn on the front porch light so I fumbled my way through the darkness to the front door.  (In all fairness, I hadn't asked him to leave the front porch light on!)  After a few attempts at the key, I was in, went through my nightly ritual (make up off, teeth brushed, pajamas on), finished the Smoosh blog post that I'd been working on all day in between life happening, and collapsed into bed.

Uh oh.  Why is the room spinning?  It was only two beers!  Granted big beers, strong beers, but two beers!  So, I got up, poured myself a glass of water, and sat down on the couch to watch The Planet of the Apes (the Marky Mark version) on FX.  After about half an hour, I felt better, then made my second attempt at sleep.  It was about midnight.  I fell promptly into dreamland, then woke up briefly about an hour later.  A mere 5 hours after that, at six a.m., I was WIDE awake.  My stitches were itchy.  I still felt drunk.  I was not happy.  I laid in bed until about 7:30, trying like the dickens to get a bit more shut-eye, but it just... wasn't... happening.  I got up, made some coffee in Chuck's fancy Keurig coffee machine, and grumped about.

I felt hungover.  All.  Day.  Long. 

At lunchtime, I drove over to my folks to share the picnic goodies that I hadn't been able to partake in the night before when the movie at Leu Gardens was rained out.  I spent some quality time with Mom and Dad, then at 1:30 left to get the Scion washed before picking up Linette for our second outing in two days.  We had plans to see The Trip at the Enzian.  The Trip is a British comedy about two guys (playing caricatures of themselves) who travel the northern English countryside reviewing restaurants for a week.  They also do a number of impressions-- Al Pacino, Woody Allen, Hugh Grant, Anthony Hopkins, and Michael Caine to name a few.  I had been waiting to see this movie ever since the first time I saw a trailer for it, about two or three months ago.  It looked smart, funny, and involved two of my most beloved pastimes-- traveling and eating good food.  A great deal of the movie took place in England's Lake District, which is a travel destination that I am greatly fond of.  Wonderful hiking, with each walk ending at a pub!

The movie did not disappoint.  My only complaint is that due to my hungover state, I had a headache by the end of the film because of the intent listening required to catch all of the quick British dialogue, not to mention deciphering the impressions.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  I need to make a confession.  I almost did a very bad thing that the universe would have most assuredly offered a heinous payback.  I'm still not quite sure if I'm off the hook, so let me share the story and you can be the judge.

This is the first weekend that The Trip is playing at the Enzian, which only shows one movie at a time on its single screen.  I knew it would be popular, and timed our arrival as such that we would be able to purchase our tickets in time for the 30 minute prior to showing door-opening.  I am not currently a member of the Enzian, but I really need to be.  Members can reserve a table.  I have two specific areas where I like to sit that offer the least restrictive movie-viewing.  It's only $60 per year-- well worth the price not to be concerned about getting the perfect table.

Linette suggested that she stay in the line to buy the tickets, while I secured a spot in the door-opening queue.  Exxxxxxcellent.  (Insert Dr. Evil's hands here.)  Once inside, we made a beeline for just the right table.  We were in!  No problem.

A few minutes later, a most curious situation occurred.  A couple asked the people sitting next to us if they could share their table.  These were four tops, granted, but I had never witnessed an incident such as this at the Enzian!  Then it happened at the table on the other side of us.  Linette and I looked at each other, wide-eyed.  We did NOT want to share our table!  We got there early!  It was our right to have our own table!  I had to go to the washroom, and Linette exclaimed, You are going to leave me alone to defend three empty seats!

Okay, I'll leave my purse!!!

When I returned, there was a woman who couldn't have been younger than 85 asking Linette if she were using the other three chairs.  I got there just in time to say,

I'm sorry, we don't want to share our table.

She was really nice, and I knew that I was doomed.  I am going to hell.  I just refused an 85 year-old woman a seat at my table.  Linette and I looked at each other, and knew what we had to do.  We told her to sit down, that we would make room.  Her two friends came over, and one looked at me and said, Good things will come to you.  This made me feel even worse.

I was honest.  I knew that bad things would happen if we didn't share the table.  That is the wrong reason to do something kind.  I apologize.  I'm Jennifer and this is Linette.  


They introduced themselves.  Then I asked them if they came to the Enzian very often, and they said they hadn't.  Then they asked me if I had seen The Tree of Life, and I told them I had, and they asked me to explain it.  (The Tree of Life experience is chronicled in The Dogs Kissed Me First.)  I did, and we all chatted about movies for a few minutes.  They were adorable.

I am still tremendously ashamed of myself.  The incident at the Enzian taught me that doing the right thing is so much more important than being comfortable, and in the end, our attempt at staying comfortable was the very thing that was making us so uncomfortable.  At this point I am not sure what karma has in store for me, but whatever it is, either way, I am sure I've earned it.