A tiny little RANT for the beginning of this week.

Ah, yes, it is Sunday night, again. I have just finished watching the 3rd in The Complete Jane Austen series (Mansfield Park) and it has become my Favorite of all the three thus far (see here for info on the series on PBS.) However, I have no doubt that as the movies continue to present themselves, it will surely be replaced with another of Ms. Austen's amazing writings. If you are not watching them for yourselves, then you are truely missing out.
And, on to the rant part of the post...
We (Ini and I) went to the Olive Garden this afternoon for lunch. It is one of her *FAVORITE* places to eat, and I figured it was time that we had a little "Girls Lunch" out as it has been a while since we have gone to lunch together. We had approx. a 30 min wait (not bad for a Sunday afternoon) so we made a side trip to Barnes and Noble to check out their Bargain Classics section (I had to pick up some new reading materials - Emily Bronte's Wurthering Heights (YEAAAAHHH!!) and a copy of Mansfield Park to add to my growing collection of Ms. Austen's works. Our "beeper" went off fairly quickly, so we raced back to the restaurant and handed the damn thing to the "hostess" (who chose to ask us at this time if a booth would be alright, 'cuz if we wanted a table we would have to wait longer. Right, like I am going to force my hungry 3 yr old to wait for a table. ((insert eyeroll here)) I say, a booth is fine. Then she turns and asks me if we will be needing a children's menu (can we say a collective "DUH!!!") I just looked at her, like, "Do YOU think that we need a children's menu?" She seated us in a horribly located booth, and informed us that our server would be by soon to take our drink orders. UGH!
Our server was BEYOND negligent. It took her 15 min before she showed up to ask us what we would like to drink, at which time, we took advantage of her being there and ordered. Add an additional 15 min before we received any salad or breadsticks. Before she had taken our drink order she had dropped of another table's check and they were still sitting there, waiting for her to take their money and bring them boxes. At which point, I thought to myself, "This is not going to go well." (The other table eventually flagged down another waitress to settle their check for them.) After she brought the bread and salad, she disappeared somewhere for the next 30 min or so before making an appearance to inform us that our meals *should* be about done (really? 30 min to make some chicken and spagetti? I could have went back there and cooked it myself faster than that.) The food came, and it was decent (presentable, hot, fresh, edible) Our waitress, however, did not come back to find that out.
On to dessert. I always order the same thing, Torti Di Chocolate and it is DELICIOUS. Ini always orders the Chocolate Gelato. And, generally, they give a child sized portion in a little bowl with the caramel sauce and chocolate shavings on it, just like the grown up version. However, this woman brought her a Chocolate Gelato *SUNDAE* with Chocolate syrup and whipped cream on it (in the shape of a smilie face no less ((again with the eyeroll)) ~ she was *NOT* happy. However, she developed a love for maraschino cherries because of it, so the day was not a total failure. LOL
We paid, we went to the fabric store (at which I bought *ONLY* thread HURRAY!!!!) And then went to pick up Cait.
When we picked her up (30 min late, mind you) she had NO COAT on (it was a warm day, but it won't stay that way) and her shoes were from her Dad's and not the ones that were sent with her (UGH!) Normally, I would not have been so angry (who am I kidding, I would have been just as livid,) BUT I make an effort to send her with items that come home with her from there house when she goes back to their house. It would stand to reason that they could make a bit of an effort to make certain that the things that she arrives with, come home at the end of the weekend! And, on top of everything else, they attempt to lay the blame for their lateness on my shoulders. In fact, I believe their *exact* words were "We wish that you would call us when you are coming to S---------- on Sundays." Why? So that they could get out of providing her transportation to the designated pick up site? WHATEVER!
Anyway, as exciting as today was, it is not a day I would wish to repeat.
On a bonus note, Ini was *REALLY* good the entire time we were in the restaurant (despite having woke up at 6 - FREAKIN' - 30 IN THE MORNING!!!!)