Saturday, December 13, 2008

Qdoba - Christmas Card Incident

Greetings Readers

I was a mess for a whole week. Well, not a mess, but damn it was hard to pick a Christmas card out for my Qdoba girl.

The card could not be serious, no word “Love” in/on the card, could not be suggestive (i.e. Like I got stocking stuffer for your stocking), and it could not be stupid funny. So, there I was in two different specialty card stores the past week.

Let me tell you I wanted one that was “To a Friend”, but I am not sure that we are even that. Yes, I know that we both known each other for a while (Over a span of five years or so), but hell we did not know each other’s name until just two months ago.

We said hi to each other, she serves me my order, I say “Thank You” and that has been our “Friendship” over the past five years or so.

Oh by the way Readers, where my Qdoba girl works is probably the only restaurant that I have to be so not me. I have to be nice, not that it is that hard, but yes I will admit it is a challenge in itself. Because you know I can find something to complain or basically make you be the person you were hired to do. After all I am the customer!

Anyway, the Christmas card was hard to pick out. I even had to ask some other customers (women) their opinions on whether this card would be too much for my situation. And believe me that was not hard asking women who I did not know for their opinion. I think all were helpful =),

That was half the battle.

The next part was not writing something wrong. As you make or not make out I have posted a picture of the Christmas card I bought and all the writing I added to the inside of the card.

Boo-yah! Nope, damn that was hard trying to figure out what I wanted to write and say to her. There was a lot I wanted to say, but I also to have to hold back on other things to say or not say.

So, all week I was trying to figure out what to write in the card. Come last Friday I was about two blocks from Qdoba’s already freaking out when I remembered that I did not write my final note in the card. I did write what I was going to say on scrap paper, but I actually did not write in the card.

So, I had to turn around and go to Office Max or Office Depot and buy some pens since I did not have any in my bike back pack. Well, I needed some new pens anyway. A few minutes later I was outside in front of the store in my biking gear, bike shorts, nervous and on top of that getting very cold so writing in the card I was shaking from the cold and pure nervousness.

Five minutes later I was biking up to Qdoba’s with my Charlie Brown Christmas card with my personal note written in the card. I was scairt! (Slang)

I open the door and see that my Qdoba girl is working. And looking good and the same as last Friday.

Yet, when I got to the counter I saw the twinkling of a diamond or Cubic Zircona earring in her left ear lobe. I also saw a smile and her stand a bit taller when she addressed me. I also notice a sparkle of light in her eyes. Although that could have been my imagination. Yet, I doubt that.

Readers, I really do not know what I said or talked about. I remembering me saying something about working long hours at work since it is month and year end close. She said that she has been working longer hours and cutting down staff hours because of cutting costs of labor.

I was nervous and not paying attention since I had done everything I said I was going to do and here I was. I pulled out my wallet and Christmas card at the same time and kept them out of her vision. Just in case I chickened out. Oh yes Readers that was a possibility I did take into consideration! So, if any of you Readers do hear a “cluck” on a Friday evening in the South side of Denver – that be me.

She helped me throughout the line, my Qdoba girl did not pass me off to the ingredient person. Thank goodness.

Basically, we were done with each other and this was the moment to give her the Christmas card.

Then

1. What if she opens the card right there?
2. What if she asks me if she can open the card now?
3. What if she asks me if she can open the card later?
4. What if I dine in and wonders if she should open the card?
5. What if I make her uncomfortable with the whole card thing?
6. and so forth.

Mind you Readers, all these possibilities played out in a few seconds and then I figured out that I will not dine in. I will take it to go therefore making her or me uncomfortable with the Christmas card I am planning to hand her in the next 10 seconds.

“Happy Holidays” Or something to that effect and then I hand her the card.

I have now passed the point of no return. I am out there! No turning back. I can not undo what I just did.

I see her face light up a bit, a smile and a she says “Thank you” and I think that is all I can remember. By the way Readers, I was sweating in places that I never knew. Hah hah.

I walked out of Qdoba's hopefully like I was like "The Man" and not too fast. Oh yes, I was thinking “Oh Fuck me – I did it.”

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete

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