Luke's Diner, May 12 (Monday)

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

Lacey? Still painting. Still slapping the paint-covered brush angrily against the wall. Still mad about what the radio was reporting about her.

At first glance you might think the fireplace poker laid out on the tarp beside her paint cans, rollers, and brushes was part of some strange new redecorating technique, but maybe not so much.

Today's Special
Beaver Squirrel Tails

Luke's is open, and you're welcome unless you have a bushy tail. But don't let that stop you.

[OOC: And again, there's a Monday or Wednesday shift available for anyone with a burning desire to have their kid be a burger jockey -- ping me via email if you're interested. SP until after 5 PST . . .]

Comments

Mod Your Server

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

Crazy poker lady is crazy.

Re: Mod Your Server

[likeguidelines.livejournal.com]

It took a while to get them organized, but it would be hard not to notice the gaggle of squirrels outside the diner holding up signs that said "SQWIrls R not 4 EatIn'!"

Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

No, really! She's not! Really!

Re: Talk to Lacey

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

He'd had a workout that morning, and a workshop that afternoon and now, on the tail end of that, Cal was taking a walk through the village to get acquainted with it, because being productive, in a way, was a good way to just kill time. His only other choice would be to fill it with either being social or smoking, and both, he felt, were bad for his health.

As he passed by the diner and got a little nostalgic stab of interest, he stopped, checked it out, and then wondered if walking was going to turn out bad for his health, too. Despite himself, he poked his head in and asked, "You know you have squirrels protesting the place outside, right?"

Re: Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

Lacey looked up and gave him a pitiful look. "Oh, don't talk to me about those little rodents. This is about the only place on the planet where you'd get picketed by squirrels instead of getting picketed for having squirrels in the diner."

Re: Talk to Lacey

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Cal held up his hands defensively. "I was just checking because I wanted to make sure I wasn't going crazy. I'm not used to seeing picketing squirrels."

He took a quick glance around, at all the paint. "You open?"

Re: Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

Lacey let out a short, tired laugh. "Welcome to the club. Neither am I -- and sure, we're open, come on in and have a seat anywhere you want. What can I get you?"

Re: Talk to Lacey

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Ah, I was just thinking a cup of coffee while I'm here, if you don't mind," Cal said, shrugging a little bit and moving toward the counter to sit. "I don't mean to interrupt. I mean, but my dad used to own a diner kind of like this, I got all nostalgic, and then there were squirrels, and, I mean...coffee, you know."

Which was better than a cigarette. Or so he kept telling himself that.

Re: Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

"It's okay," Lacey assured him as she stood and ducked in back quickly to wash her hands before emerging with a clean mug that she proceeded to fill. With a slightly sheepish glance toward the wall, which had several more layers of paint than recommended, she added, "I think it was time for a break anyway. Are you one of the new kids?"

Re: Talk to Lacey

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

Cal followed the lady's glance a bit, taking an appraising glance at the wall. "Looks good, though," he commented and then gave a small nod. "And, yeah, that's me. One of the new kids. Cal Stephanides if you want to get a bit more personal than that."

Re: Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

"Hey now," Lacey said with a slightly forced giggle, "I've only just met you. Lacey Burrows, and no, I don't actually serve squirrel here, although I'm starting to be seriously tempted." That last bit, as she handed him the coffee and slid over the sugar and cream, was extra loud for the benefit of the furry picketers outside.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. It's been a little bit hectic, what with the redecorating and now the squirrels, and I just lost one of my employees last week thanks to graduation."

Re: Talk to Lacey

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Don't," Cal said, shaking his head. "Serve squirrel, I mean. Barely any meat on them, and what little they do have is kind of tough and a bit nutty."

The paused a bit, to sip his coffee. "And don't apologize for the hectic, either. Sounds like you've earned a little bit of spazzing time."

Re: Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

". . . that's more than I wanted to know about squirrel meat, but thanks for the information," Lacey said after a few moments' sputtering. "Hey . . . you wouldn't happen to be interested in a job, would you?"

She'd just chalk up the slight wheedling tone to the squirrel picketers getting to her.

Re: Talk to Lacey

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella wandered into the restaurant in search of a sandwich and neatly took a seat at the counter. She watched the woman painting for a bit before venturing an observation. "You do that as if you were angry."

Re: Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

"Well, yeah," Lacey said, although she did set the paintbrush down. Best not to scare a potential customer. "Have you seen the . . . the acorn activists out there?"

Re: Talk to Lacey

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"They were hard to notice," Ella had to admit. "It's odd that they're so upset. Not so odd that they're such bad spellers."

Delicately, she added, "Have you tried negotiating with them?"

Re: Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

Lacey sighed. "One of them came in here the other day wanting pie, and hello, unsanitary! Of course, then I found out they work for the radio station and after some of the awful things it's been saying about me, I definitely wasn't going to reward that kind of behavior. Anyway." She took a deep breath and forced a smile that bordered on a grimace. "What can I get for you?"

Re: Talk to Lacey

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Just a chicken sandwich on wheat bread, please," Ella requested. "And lemonade to drink."

She swiveled slightly on her stool, considering the saga of the squirrels. "Perhaps you could put pie outside for them ... though I suppose that's a reward."

Re: Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

Lacey served up the lemonade and sent the order back to the kitchen. "Either that or they'd consider it a victory. And I don't really want to reward slander. Or is it libel? I forget which is which, but whatever. I was going to put up a Help Wanted sign in the window when they showed up, and then I thought they'd just make fun of that too."

Why, yes, that was a slight pout she was trying and utterly failing to hide.

Re: Talk to Lacey

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Libel, I think?" Ella mused. "Slander might be written. Or I could have them backwards too. I hope they just get bored and go away. Squirrels can't have long attention spans." She took a sip of lemonade, and then realized part of what Lacey had said. She needed a job, and she'd spent enough time with Mandy in the kitchen, so ...

"What are you hiring for?"

Re: Talk to Lacey

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

"Oh, just looking for a couple of people to come in and help me run the place," Lacey explained. "Take people's orders, serve the food, all the basics. It's not glamorous," she added with a touch of wistfulness.

Re: Talk to Lacey

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like what my friend Mandy does at home," Ella said, also sounding wistful. "I always liked helping her."

Community Bulletin Board

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

Ignore the flyer on squirrel traps (http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/squirrelcontrol.htm) . . .

Re: Community Bulletin Board

[perfectmissyork.livejournal.com]

Joining the flyer on squirrel traps sometime during the day would be an announcement for the next gallery exhibit.

New Exhibit Opening! :: 14 May 2008
at the York Gallery
reception opening at seven o'clock pm
Snacks and Drinks provided.

Come and experience a blend of the provocative and the classic sculpture by the hands of Bruce Naigles.
A perfect compliment to the the island's current landscape of beautiful Greece!

Call Charlotte York at the York Gallery (http://www.livejournal.com/editjournal.bml?journal=perfectmissyork&itemid=970) for questions.

OOC

[laceycantlie.livejournal.com]

I'm far too amused by this for a Monday morning.