This & That Thursday Tale

As promised....a "tale" from my past...guaranteed to make you "giggle!"

"Hi, my name is Betsy and I'll be your waitress this afternoon! Can I start you off with a strawberry lemonade or a raspberry tea?"

It was my LAST day of SIX YEARS waiting tables at Garfield's Restaurant! I absolutely LOVED my job as a waitress, in fact if I didn't have three strapping young boys and a beast of a husband as well as a home I own, two cars, electricity, water, cable, phone, Internet (you get the point) I would still be a waitress today (let's face it, you can't have all of the above AND have money left over to buy new shoes every week on the tips of a waitress).

As I was saying, it was my last day of six years waiting tables. I was 23 years old and it was time to get a "grown up" job (AKA a job that my parents would be proud to tell their friends about). I had just been seated a table of 8, easy...after all I had six years under my belt of waiting on tables even larger than 8. This particular table had 8 lawyers seated, ready to order and eager to let me know they were limited on time. I had their drinks out to them in a flash, their food came out minutes later, their glasses stayed filled, extra napkins were given, the entire meal was perfect and they were happy to let me know! I took pride in my job and it reflected in my work on a daily basis...I actually had "regulars" that would ask for my table (but enough about how totally awesome I was)...when it came time to bring the check the young gentleman at the end of the table asked me to bring one check and he would take it, I obliged. As soon as I handed him the check I began to gather empty plates and glasses and the gentleman holding the check called out,

Gentleman: "Excuse me mam, can you tell me what this amount on the bottom of the check is?"

Me (walking over to look at the check): "Oh, sure...that's your PITUITARY!"

Gentleman (with a confused look on his face and somewhat of a smirk): "My what?"

Me: "Your PITUITARY...for a party of 8 or more..."

Gentleman (now with a HUGE smile on his face): "Do you mean GRATUITY?"

Me (with a "of course that's what I mean" tone in my voice"): "Oh, sure!"

Yes...for SIX years I had said PITUITARY and NOBODY corrected me until my LAST DAY!

*I should mention that I sometimes have issues with fully understanding others pronunciation of words and so I say A LOT of words incorrectly (that goes for sayings too...that will be next week's story).