Friday Holiday Going Away Lunch

Tomorrow is Veterans Day one of those holidays which is not holiday for some yet is for others. I am lucky that for me I am one of the others I have tomorrow off and the whole office has been in a rare form of excitement. One of the few remaining staff left yesterday for an out of state family visit leaving the skeleton crew. We have our monthly council meeting Tuesday and everyone is focused on getting materials and the office ready for the meeting. We are taking phone calls, infact there have been a lot of counsel members RSVPing the meeting, some getting their travel arrangements made as well as then usual calls.

The storm moved into the area last night and I could hear sleet and rain beating against then bedroom window this morning . The morning was dark, windy and raining here in my office. I have the heater cranked up, I have coffee made and NPR playing in background. I mentioned, around 11:00 A.M., that I could sure get into some spaghetti and meatballs for lunch. I was serious as anyone could be sitting in a warm office and was not going leave for anything especially for lunch. But I must have struck a cord because soon the remaining staff were also extremely interested in spaghetti and meat balls and soon everyone on staff was calling round our neighborhood trying to find the least expensive Italian take out. We finally found place across the street at the Gateway Mall. A place I would not have chosen but I was welling to go along with the crowd. I figured Spaghetti and meat balls was spaghetti meat balls. Then the boss said she would pay for the meal—how could you go wrong?

Biaggi’s is the place we ended up ordering the meal from and all in all the meal was not bad at least mine was not bad. I was the only one who ended up with S&MBs . There was no meat balls in mine and hardly any meat if any in the sauce BUT I did not pay for it and I did not have to go get the meal. The place is just to fancy dancy for me. The Spaghetti was OK, I plan to take the remainder home and mix some fried ground beef I have frozen. I think this addition will push the “take home” into the great left over category. You know how sometimes you have to justify things in order to do things? Well, Shane who is our current contract analyst is moving on “Jumping ship” and at the staff meeting earlier this week Shane indicated that he did not want the customary last meal. We said Ok, but and went on with the staff meeting. Then this morning realized Shane’s departure was a great reason to do this communal lunch.

We had lunch, broke bread and enjoyed each others company and paid respects to a departing employee. The phones rang and the wave of people started wondering in for a meeting which was scheduled for 1:00 pm. We gulped our meals and got back to work. The rain has moved on but the clouds linger, threatening more rain late on. The temps have dived to the upper 30’s. I believe tonight will be cold and I had better double my covers. I got wind of more possible family issues but these will work themselves out, Thanksgiving will come and go and we will be just fine. I had a meeting at 3:00 I have missed but the meeting was just an Open House, nothing to vote on, I don’t feel too bad. I think I am needed more here at the office this afternoon then being put in the community.