Sometimes I get almost to the end of the day and still haven’t given away my $10. The biggest challenge when this happens is that being dark outside creates another element to the task. At least here in the city, people’s defense mechanisms are heightened at night. We are much more leery of someone who approaches us at night, so sometimes I end up going to business establishments that are lit up where people have a greater sense of security, albeit perhaps a false one.
Bar at Kramer's Afterwords Cafe (Photo: Reed)
A few minutes later a few guys came in and I honed in on my target: Pat.
He was a white guy with a beard who looked to be in his twenties. He had a Pabst Blue Ribbon hat on and a shirt that said something like “Grumpy’s.” This should be interesting.
It turns out that Pat is a chef at a nearby restaurant. I love to cook and had my chance to ask him some burning questions I had, but I didn’t capitalize on the opportunity. I did ask him however what his favorite item to prepare was. “The pig. It’s the greatest animal ever! It’s 100% edible from snout to tail.” I would have thought some other animals fit that description too, but maybe they are not as tasty as the pig.
We started talking about some other things and the topic of the snowpocalypse came up. He told me how he ended up being stuck downtown for a week. His employer got him and some other staff a room for the week and he worked 14 hour days. “We did our best day of business so far this year on the day of the snowball fight at Dupont Circle” Pat tells me. “We sold over 200 bottles of wine in just two hours.” They couldn’t open bottles fast enough at one point.
I asked Pat to think of three words that fully described him. “Genuine, crazy and asshole” he says as he looks to his pals to get confirmation. “I tell it like it is and I help other people out.” As for being crazy he says that anyone who works in the restaurant busy is crazy. “You can’t work in this business and be sane. This is the most hard-core cut-throat business there is.” He adds that alcohol and drug abuse is more common in restaurant service business too which “makes it even crazier.”
The big and small hand on the clock are creeping toward 12 when the Metro closes during the week and Pat is ever mindful of the time. He and his buddies decide they have to leave in order to catch the last train. They were heading to watch Showtime’s comedy-drama hit Weeds.
“I’ll probably spend the $10 on alcohol or put it on my Metro card.” He grabs his bag and downs the rest of his beer. “It’ll probably get spent on alcohol” he says with a smile as he hurries out the door.
Would you believe the very next day I was driving along 22nd Street in DC and saw Pat and his PBR hat. He didn’t see me because I couldn’t stop, but it was him. Small world.
Year of Giving 