I may try a narrative someday...

Just not today.

Last Christmas, when the thought of spending another X-mas in the black was looming, fortune smiled upon me. I had to rent a costume for my big-kid-day-job and I went next door to my building where there was a costume shop. I saw that they were looking for a part-timer, and before you could say "tailcoat" I was shilling tuxes and costumes for 'em. Like being a cop, the store has moments of boredom, punctuated with moments of sheer panic and terror. (Read: Prom season and Halloween.) I'm generally always busy when I am there, but the quiet and tranquil moments allow me to do 2 things:
1) Practice Lines for whatever show I'm in, or work on monologues/music for auditions. (The bathroom/warehouse has really nice acoustics. Well, nice to me anyway.)
2) Try shit on, or dork around with the swords and costumes. I've been a skunk, a bumble bee, a pirate...and that was just last week! (Bah dum-dum). I was able to practice foil work which I find hilarious that this place actually sells a foil.

I'll vanquish what ever shit my brain comes up with, read through the merchandise catalogues to imagine buying some of the really cool haunted house stuff, or finding the dream wedding merchandise the J and I have always wanted.

The problem is, as soon as my shift ends, I wanna be done. Till closed, cash counted, in my car, on the freeway, heading home or to the Y. (I'm seriously packing on the lbs. folks. Seriously) I can usually pace myself so that as soon as my night's over, my night is over.

Except when peeps come in riiiiight before closing to buy something. (Mind you, costume rental closes at 6:00pm, so if they get all pissy it is on their own venerable head.) Or the strangest thing...like last night:

I've finished brushing the Santa fur, and have launched into speaking my part (Montjoy) for Henry V. I see NO cars in the lot, so I feel comfortable enough to speak full voice whilst I practice. I just finish up shutting the lights down in the warehouse (Saying a particularly saucy verse "Thou never shall hear Herald any more..." It's a tongue twister, those double "H's") when there in the front of my store is a senior. Looking very lost and apologetic on his cell phone. Turns out his car broke down next door, and he was trying to give his wife directions to our store. I told him the easiest way out here, and that he could hang out at the store and be comfy until she arrived. (Hey, it was 7 degree's out last night. He was gonna try and walk to the Rainbow 1/2 mile away. Even I'M not that mean.)

Well, his wife called, and was hella lost. Even with the easy directions. I offered to talk to her (She screamed into the phone that she didn't want to talk to me.) I even offered to drive him down to the Rainbow...you know? (Again, she screamed no!) Rainbow, with the big green sign that HAS to be in front of you based on where you she was driving? As it turned out, she too was a senior and had a major aversion to both driving, and driving at night. Y'know the type? After taking two rights when she should have gone left, she finally found us. Finally.

I ended up leaving 45 minutes after my shift was supposed to have ended. A 15 hour marathon day between 2 jobs. And guess what? When I looked out at the parking lot where his car had broke down? It was gone. Meaning it must have magically came back to life.


I like to think that he was my protector for the evening. You know what I'm saying? If I had left on time, when I should have, I probably could have been in a serious car accident. Or mugged!. If life works that way, I'll leave that as my justification. At least it kept me from being crabby about missing a work-out.