The Sunday after the Ceilidh I drove out to Killin alone, as Anna's stormy love affair was on again, and I had tea and scones there, it being nice to be served by someone else now and then, then drove back at my leisure.
It was a beautiful day for a change, and the seating in front of the hotel was overflowing with people, the ones not sitting on chairs making use of the steps and other spots. Liz and a lot of my other friends were sitting out also, and when I drove in, they shouted at me to join them. I still had about two hours before work so I parked the car and tried to have a coffee, but with the Scots around, that was impossible, and I ended up with a red wine. I had to laugh when Janet, who waitressed now and then, looked at me in wonderment when I refused another drink and said: 'Fancy someone saying no to a drink!' And that is how the Scottish are.
I have stopped going into the pub when there were a lot of local people in, as I had such a bally shock the first time, because I ended up at a table with about ten people who insisted on buying me a drink on every round, and as I usually passed it on to Anna, I would actually have only about two. Then, suddenly, there were this lull, and all eyes turned to me, and I realized with horror that it was my turn for a round, costing me almost thirty pounds! As I could easily do without a drink, and have coffee instead, this did not go down well with me, and I could see why Alex was always moaning about his financial difficulties, as he went to have a few drinks with his friends every night.
Anyhow, I could see that both Liz and John, the one who kept on saying that Anna and self were so very quaint, was as drunk as skunks, but I was getting used to people a bit high in their cups, so I laughed and joked with them until I had to get ready for work.
It was a busy night, the hotel being full, and Alex was extra impatient, and I was running around like a chicken without a head to find everything he asked me for. Anna was again not good! I had to help her a few times by taking some puds in, as she was in no state to do it, and of course Alex had no sympathy, telling her shortly to snap out of it and do her own work. I wish she could see that Gordon was not her type at all, and send him on his way, but whenever I talked into that direction, she would clamp up, and tell me to go to hell!
As we were short of waiters also, I had to take a lot of the meals to the pub, where my heart went into fibrilations every time I caught my loverboy's eye, and he smiled at me so nicely, and that of course was not good for the concentration needed in a busy kitchen, and a few times Alex's voice rang out in exasperation when I forgot something!
I was as cross as a teased wasp with Joe, who came into the kitchen and stated that I was a fine friend! I looked at him in surprise, not knowing what he was on about, and he informed me that as a friend I should not have Lizzy get to the stage of drunken stupor she was in now! He then turned on his heels and went back to the pub, and I stood fuming, as I was away the whole afternoon, and had only one drink with Liz and friends. One of the young waiters, who heard this, was working in the pub that afternoon, and was upset for me, and told me that he was going to tackle Joe about it.
I was busy clearing up when I became aware of a commotion in the pub, and went to see what was happening. It was Liz, who for some or other reason had peered into a huge and empty potplant holder, and not being so steady as she should have been, then disappeared from the amazed view of the people outside, head first, into the pot!
It was apparently one major job to get her out, as she was as limp as a rag doll, and fighting like a tiger, telling people to bugger off and leave her alone, and that is just like her!
Later Joe apologized profusely, as the young waiter had spoken to him, but I was a bitty hard assed, as he should have known me by now, also that I am constantly talking to Liz about her astma that was made so much worse by the red wine!
Poor Anna, for the first time I've known her, did not feel like going into the pub, so I went with her up to the room, where she cried herself to sleep!