Bathrooms and Waitresses

Cheesecake Factory

Some days are just good days.  You have a lunch date with a friend you haven't seen in a long time, at a restaurant you really like.

Cheesecake Factory usually puts us in a booth when I bring a service dog, but this time they put us at a four-top table in the center.  They explained that they didn't want us at a two top because there wouldn't be enough room for the dog.  I thought that was nice.  When we got to the table, our hostess offered to take a chair away, but I told her we were fine.  

Corky doesn't have the best settle, but he does ok.  True to form, he stood like a horse in a stall under the table. Sigh.  He's also not a puppy that takes kindly to you pressuring him to sit down.  He's either going to do it in his own time, or not.  There's just no way around it.  

He decided Michele's feet looked comfy and sat on them.

Our adorable waitress came up and nearly stepped on Corky and then nearly fell all over herself apologizing.  Turns our she has a golden and is a huge dog lover.  She was delightful.  She showed us photos of her puppy.  Very sweet.

Corky was very good under the table.  There were a few moments when he got up and wanted to stand and test out the standing, but he finally settled and fell asleep.

Bathrooms

After our nice lunch, we stopped by the bathrooms, which were all full.  The  first one to open was a regular stall, so Corky and I made our way in.  The stall was stall number one against the wall, so we only had one neighbor on our right side.

I had to scrunch us in and then turn Corky around so that he was facing the right hand side and I could close the stall door.  I hooked his leash up on the door with my purse.  

Corky poked a nose under the stall to the right.

"Oh!" Came the response from the woman in the stall to the right.  I could see her lovely shoes.

Pause.

I see a nicely manicured hand scratch Corky's chin. 

Corky sticks his whole head under the stall.

"No peeking! No Peeking!" The lady said in a laughing voice.  I pulled Corky back.  Thankfully, we were ready to go. 

If I timed it right, I could wash my hands and be out of there without meeting the person my guide dog puppy had seen in a delicate position!

I timed it right.  Thank God for automatic faucets!

Suddenly Bad

This morning, I got up, after shooing Jam off the bed in what has become a morning ritual of

"Please let me get up on the bed."

"No."

"Here?"

"No."

"Here?"

"No."

You get the picture.  It's tiring.  But this morning, we had things to do.  I needed to get up.  I had no time for playful morning rituals.

Jam had other ideas.

I brushed my teeth and walked with them downstairs where I fixed my usual large glass of New Orleans coffee with chicory to jumpstart my morning.  Then I started to think about my day and what I needed to do.  Just then, my coffee call arrived, so to speak and I headed off to the downstairs restroom.

Imagine my surprise when both Jam and Coach burst through the partially opened door.  Coach left as the bathroom is very small, but Jam was in a mood and looked around for something to tempt me. I could tell that there was trouble a foot and with my hand held out trying to forestall whatever evil he was planning, I said, "Jaaaaaaaam!"

It did no good.  Jam looked down at the decorative Talavera pot beside the toilet where I store extra rolls of toilet paper and he grabbed the last roll of paper and skedaddled.

Jam, happy with his roll of paper.

 Now you might be wondering, was Cheryl left high and dry?  Did Jam take the very last roll of toilet paper?

View of the mangled paper after I got it back.

Was I forced to yell for Fred who was upstairs working hard in his office?

Another view of Jam's torn up roll.

Thankfully, no.  There was actually some toilet paper on the toilet paper roll!  Thank the Heavens above!  Crisis averted.  But I'm not sure why he was tempted by the TP in the first place.  Jam has never been a toilet paper stealer, so this was unusual action for him.

Protective action has been taken so that future bathroom visits will be safe and secure.  Now, if only I was sure that Jam understood what that NO meant and why the TP was taken away.  We will definitely have to wait and see if this is a new delight of his.