Saskatoon O. G.

Today marked my first visit to the Saskatoon location of the Olive Garden.  I'd visited a location many many years ago, in Winnipeg with some co-workers, but this was my first visit since the chain opened up a franchise in the Bridge City and except for one hiccup, which I will cover shortly, the experience was exquisite.

I'd recently received some very good news and I wanted to celebrate with a nice lunch for myself and my mother.  She's helped me out in many different ways over the year and this news not only helps myself, but may put me in a position where I can start paying my mom back for all the favours she's provided me over the years.  In the past, she's wanted to visit the Olive Garden and today seemed like the perfect opportunity to do just that.

The restaurant has been present in the Hub City for a couple of years, already, but due to Covid, we've not dared go hardly anywhere in public, let alone a restaurant.  Plus, the lines to get into the premier eatery were lengthy at best and we'd come to an agreement to not go until some of the luster had worn off, so to speak.

Today was the day to try it out and try it out, we did and as I stated previously, it was exquisite except for one tiny hiccup, which I will address shortly.

We had arrived shortly after lunch and the parking lot was almost completely filled, but we found a spot near the front door.  Inside, they told us it would be about a 10-minute wait, but it was more like five minutes.  We were ushered to a table on the east side of the restaurant and we perused the menu until our server came over and explained what our options were.

We both opted for the salad, instead of the soup -- which was very tasty, as well as one helping of the breadsticks.  My mom chose the marinara sauce, while I went for the meat sauce to dip our respective breadsticks into, which came to the table warm.  A slight crispiness on the crust and warm on the inside.  It was delightful.  As for our lunch choice, I decided upon the Chicken Parmagiana, admittedly having to Google what it was before ordering it, and my mom chose the dish as well.  Though it looked very little like the photo I had Googled, it was, however, very tasty and quite filling, I might add.

Midway through the main course, I had to excuse myself to use the washroom.  Our server was very kind and pointed me in the direction of the restrooms and off I went.  I was not prepared for what came next, though.  (It is here where I feel it necessary to point out that what follows was completely no fault of the Olive Garden, but a very bad decision on the part of the patron whom I encountered in the washroom.)  When I entered the men's room, I found a single individual standing back from the urinal, pants down around his knees and cell phone in hand, taking multiple photos of his.... His you-know-what.  I was shocked, embarrassed and very uncomfortable.  I immediately turned to use the toilet, which was thankfully behind a locked door, but that was occupied, forcing me to have to stand at the handicapped urinal next to the "photographer".

At the best of times, I have a shy bladder.  I find it extremely uncomfortable to go in front of other people, especially in a public restroom.  I'm reminded of the time I went to a KISS concert at SaskPlace and was forced to search multiple bathrooms to find a vacant toilet stall in order to relieve myself.  On this day, though, I was forced to try and go, despite the discomfort and awkwardness that was occurring in present time.  The whole process was difficult and I soon returned to my table.

Looking up from her meal, my mother could see that something was wrong and asked as much.  I told her what had just happened and she was, rightfully so, appalled.  I apologized for ruining her lunch, though we both muscled through it like champs.

I never voiced my concerns to the restaurant staff, as what would they be able to do about it, after the fact.  I couldn't identify the fella, other than he had a bald head and a huge pecker, neither of which is a criminal line-up that I wouldn't wish to bear witness to ever again.  Best to roll with the punches and try to salvage the remainder of our lunch.

Overall, the lunch was, as I've stated, exquisite, with a huge capital 'E'.  I tipped our server, Michelle, very well, but the next time I visit the restaurant, I may just avoid using the restroom so as to not stir up any traumatic memories.

Not A Cure...

 

I recall seeing a 4-wheel drive truck spinning it's tires on glare ice, back when I was in high school.  This truck was raised several inches, had big tires on it and a powerful engine that roared as the tires did very little to move the truck forward.  I shook my head as we passed by it in our 2-wheel drive sedan.  How were we able to progress, while this monster truck was virtually helpless?  I think it was the false sense of security that the driver of the truck had.  Here he had this truck that towered over everything else on the road, so when it came to ripping through ice and snow, he felt that he was second to none.  That nothing would stop him, yet a small sheet of ice rendered him helpless.

I often reflect on that motorist whenever I think of something or someone as having a false sense of security.  As the vaccines begin to siphon out and get distributed across the country and soon, the world, I'm thinking that those who get inoculated, there'll be a false sense of invincibility that follows.  

The definition of a vaccine is that it is essentially preventative.  That the drug that is administered will contain a weakened virus that will help the body's immune system to produce antibodies that will help stave off impending sickness, but it won't eliminate completely.  My guess or prediction, rather, is people will receive the vaccination then continue their lives as they once did, prior to the global shutdown due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.  Such behavior would be premature and I would imagine many more people would become infected as a result.

This blog has evolved much since I was first inspired (many weeks ago) by this subject.  Discussion in the beginning involved WHO would receive said vaccine.  I couldn't believe that was even a question.  There should be one logical line of treatment that follows upon the opening of that first box of vaccines.

1. Frontline caregivers; doctors, nurses, pharmacists, care home providers, etc.
2. Patients in hospitals, care homes, those most at risk.
3. Police, ambulance and firefighters.
4. Funnel down from there; High density populations, then down from there.

Latest news concerning the Covid-19 vaccine, lists side-effects and a warning to those with severe allergies.  Side effects include symptoms of Covid, so I'd imagine those who receive inoculation, may be required to quarantine for two weeks, which is a little ironic.  My research has presented that many of the side effects resemble that of getting the Coronavirus, which is expected, but leaves me scratching my head in confusion, anyway.

As for me...  I often joked throughout the year that if the shit that I've dealt with and handled in my job hadn't killed me, then Covid would have no effect.  That aside and given my severe allergies, it doesn't look like I'll be getting an inoculation any time soon, anyway.  I've never been one for getting the flu shot, so why risk getting sick (or worse) from getting the Covid-19 vaccination?

I've got a shit-ton of very stylish face masks and I don't mind wearing them.  This is just a calm before another storm.  People will get inoculated then carry on as they once did.  They'll either get sick or get others sick and we'll be in the same boat as we've been in 2020.

The vaccine is NOT a cure.  No one will get cured of the Corornavirus.  It's all preventative, so care will still be required.  We all gotta be smart, here.  As for the morons who are non-believers, we smart people are going to have to be smart for those idiots, too.