Ramifications and repercussions - redux

I said this weekend that, come Monday, I'd still be writing, and I was right.

After Lila and I had our pseudo-movie-of-the-week breakup, I drove home, and got ready for a productive weekend of quiet and housework.

There were 7 messages on my answering machine:

1. Friday, 7:30pm: the alarm company. I forgot to set the alarm before I left the office. They need me to come up and set it.

2. 8:21pm: the alarm company. Never mind, building security set it.

Thank god - Ross is the next name on the contact list, and he would not have been happy to come in.

3. 8:24pm: "Hi Steve, it's Kelly. We were supposed to have drinks tonight, and I was just wondering if we're still on...my plans fell through....please call me."

Wait a minute. Kelly had a bachelorette party last night!

Oh, shit. This wasn't "Christina Applegate" Kelly; this was "Butterface" Kelly!

4. 9:40pm: [sounding annoyed] "Steve, it's Kelly. Still haven't heard from you yet, just wondering if we are on....please call."

5. 10:15pm: [angry now]"Steve, if you didn't want to go I wish you would have just told me! Now, I've cancelled my plans and, ohhhh!" CLICK.

Well, which is it, BIYOTCH? Did your plans 'fall through', or did you 'cancel them'?

6. 10:30pm: 30 seconds of silence. Sniffling in the background. CLICK.

7. 10:40pm: Hangup.

I never gave that psycho chick my number. She must have gotten it from the photo center or something - I develop pictures there sometimes. It's good that she works there, though - if it gets outta hand, I can just tell the manager that one of their employees obtained my number illicitly, and that if they didn't put a stop to it, I would sue. Believe me, Wal-Mart would be all over that one.

I've had a couple of stalkers in my life. Usually, I just totally ignore them, and they give up. I don't respond to them in any way, positively or negatively. One night, I was having dinner with a young lady, when another girl walked right into the restaurant (she must have followed us), and started berating me right there in front of everyone. I leaned over and whispered to my date to go get the manager, and meanwhile, just sipped my water and looked straight ahead. I avoided all eye contact, and said nothing.

A waiter came over and asked her to lower her voice. She smacked his arm aside. Then the manager came over, and the two of them escorted her out the door, still screaming. As she walked out, the whole place applauded.

If I had gotten into a shouting match with her, I guarantee I would have looked like the bad guy. Instead, I looked like the poor, innocent victim, and she looked like a weirdo.

I am reminded of what my dad told me: Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you deal with it. I use that advice most every day.

Lila will be here soon. Definitely ought to be more drama there. If she quits, I am hoping she simply stops showing up, rather than give two weeks' notice. If she gives notice, everyone will ask her why she is leaving, and she is bound to crack. If she does give notice, I may tell Ross everything, and let the chips fall where they may. It's better than him finding out through the grapevine.

I will wait and see what happens when she gets here, though.