Sunday, November 24, 2013

YOU CAN SLICE THE CHEEZE, BUT PLEEZA DON’T CUT IT!


It was a somewhat lovely evening, in the heart of Saratoga Springs just north of Albany NY. Being co-chair of the Guardianship committee for the Suffolk Chapter of AHRC, I was invited to attend a symposium on guardianship and the changing world as it applied to my committee.

After the registration at The Gideon Putnam Resort and attendance at the Sprite Film Festival offered to all the attendees from around the state of New York, it was time for dinner after the long drive from home.

Jim, one of my good buddies from the board and current president, hooked up with Shelly our talented Guardianship coordinator and her very able assistant Wendy, (if I could spell either of their last names I would do it) and I decided to visit Chianti Il Ristorante, a very sophisticated yet elegant establishment for a good old northern Italian dinner. Where I go there is usually trouble, but unlike most times, I did’t do it and in fact was the only one in the place who saw it!


As we were dining, I happened to notice the waitress across the room grading a huge chunk of Parmesan cheese over a customer’s plate of pasta. Putting a lot of elbow grease into it, she held onto the cheese and was chatting with the diner, when all of a sudden: ‘PLOP’ the cheese went straight into the man’s dish in one giant chunk, uncut! The poor waitress was mortified and to say the least, embarrassed, and I caught it all!

Running with the now covered with sauce cheese, the poor girl takes off for the kitchen to either clean it off or get a new piece of cheese. Returning to the table, she finishes off the guys dish and stops at my table.


“What happened? I asked her.  Did he say “More cheese” and you decided to give him more cheese? Kind of like: “You want more cheese, I’ll give you more cheese!” She grabs my arm and says laughingly, “I was so embarrassed!” Someone in my party said, no one saw it except him!

Of all the people in the place, I was or had to be the only one to witness it.

Well wouldn’t you know it, a waiter comes with the dinners and places a plate of pasta in front of Shelly and asks if she wants more cheese. But of course, it was coming and you know it! ‘PLOP’ and huge piece falls off the big chunk of cheese into Shelly’s plate, enough to feed a family of five for a couple dozen plates of pasta!

When the waitress came over with the dessert menus, (Ellen, I swear I didn’t have any) we returned the dessert menus to the young lady, and I suggested she not drop them.

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