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विश्वमा इन्टरनेटको विकाश हुँदा ४ अर्ब ३० करोड वटा वेब ठेगानाको लागि ठाउँ सिर्जना गरिएको थियो । अर्थात् ४ अर्ब ३० करोड वेब एड्रेसलाई इन्टरनेटको क्षमताले धान्न सक्थ्यो । वास्तवमा यो संख्या निकै नै धेरै हो । तर सूचना प्रविधिको विकाशससँगै वेबसाइटहरुको संख्यामा यति धेरै वृद्धि भयो की अब इन्टरनेट ठेगानाको कोटा पूरा हुनै लागेको छ ।

उत्तर अमेरिकामा अब केवल ३४ लाख इन्टरनेट ठेगाना मात्र बाँकी छन् र आउँदो गृष्मयाममा यी बाँकी वेब ठेगाना पनि प्रयोगमा आइसकेर सिद्धिनेछन् । वालस्टि्रट जर्नका अनुसार वेब ठेगानाको कोटा सकिनै लागेको यो अवस्थामा अब इन्टरनेट व्यवसायले महंगो नयाँ प्रविधि अबलम्बन गर्नु आवश्यक देखिएको छ । अर्थात् इन्टरनेट प्रोटोकललाई नयाँ संस्करणमा ढाल्नु आवश्यक देखिएको छ । अहिलेसम्म चौथो संस्करण आइपिभी फोरमा रहेको इन्टरनेट प्रोटोकललाई छैटौँ संस्करण अर्थात इन्टरनेट प्रोटोकल (आइपी) भि सिक्स मा रुपान्तरण गर्नु आवश्यक छ । इन्टरनेट इन्जिनियरिङ टास्कफोर्सले सन् १९९८ मै आविष्कार गरेको यो आइपीको नयाँ भर्सनको प्रयोग अब आवश्यक बन्दै गएको छ ।

वास्तवमा आइपी एड्रेस भनेको संख्याहरुको छोटो श्रृंखला हो जहाँ अंकहरुको बीचमा तिनवटा थोप्लो हुन्छन्, जस्तै 194.66.82.11 यसलाई कम्प्युटर र सर्भरले अन्यबाट आफ्नो पहिचान छुट्याउन, अन्य कम्प्युटर तथा सर्भरसँग जोडिनका साथै वेबसाइट लगायतका सूचना पठाउनमा प्रयोग गर्छन् । थोप्लोले छुट्टाएका यी चारवटा अंक समूहको आइपी एड्रेसको एउटा निकै महत्वपूर्ण अर्थ भनेको यसले कतिवटासम्म इन्टरनेट ठेगाना बनाउन सकिन्छ भन्ने सीमा तय गर्छ ।

चार सेटको यो आइपी एड्रेसको संरचनाले ४ अर्ब ३० करोड वेब ठेगानालाई धान्न सक्छ । तर यदि त्यसलाई ६ सेटमा पूराइयो भने त्यसले ३४० अनडेसिलियन अर्थात् ३४० पछि ३६ वटा शुन्ना बराबरको संख्या जति वेब ठेगानालाई धान्न सक्छ । यसको अर्थ पृथ्वीका हरेक परमाणुलाई पनि फरक फरक आइपी ठेगाना दिन सकिन्छ ।

विश्वका कतिपय देशहरु यो आइपीभिसिक्स विधिमा गइसकेका छन् । यसमा प्रयोग हुने वेब ठेगानाहरु केही लामा तथा जटिल हुने भएपनि त्यसले इन्टरनेटमा आउन थालेको संकट निवारण गर्न सक्छ ।

तथापि यसका लागि इन्टरनेट कम्पनीहरुले आइपि भि सिक्स सँग मिल्ने हार्डवेयरहरुमा लगानी गर्नुपर्ने हुन्छ, जुन अलिक महंगो हुन्छ ।-दी इन्डिपेन्डेन्ट

चीनको जिआंग्सु प्रान्तका बासिन्दा ७४ वर्षका जिया वेनुआनको होस तब उड्यो जब उनले आफ्नो घरमा पालेको बिरालोले जन्माएको बच्चा देखे । किन ? उनको विरालोले जन्माएको बच्चा विरालोको जस्तै नभै कुकुरको छाउरो जस्तै थियो ।

अवकाशप्राप्त अधिकारी जियाले आफ्नो पोथी विरालोलाई छिमेकीको भाले विरालोसँग समागम गराएर गर्भाधारण गराएका थिए । तर बिरालोले त कुकुरको छाउरो पो जन्मायो । आखिर किन त्यस्तो भयो ? जियाले यो कुराको चुरो पत्ता लगाउन वैज्ञानिकहरुसँग आग्रह गरेका छन् ।

जियाले भनेका छन्, ‘मैले मेरो निउ निउलाई आफैले साथीको घरमा लगेर छाडेको थिएँ, गर्भाधारणका लागि । उसलाई दुइदिनसम्म सहवासका लागि एक भाले बिरालोसँगै खोरमा थुनिएको थियो । मेरो साथीले निउ निउलाई कहिल्यैपनि कुकुरसित राखेको होइन ।’

आफुले अहिलेसम्म कहिल्यैपनि बिरालो र कुकुरबीच सहवास भएको घटना नसुनेको भन्दै उनले आखिर आफ्नो बिरालोले किन कुकुरको छाउरो जन्मायो भन्ने कुराको चुरो वैज्ञानिकहरुले पत्ता लगाउनेछन् भन्ने उनको आशा छ ।

४ जेठ, वीरगन्ज । 'यसपालि विवाह गर्छु। तपाइँ विवाहको तयारी गर्नुस्, म कार्यालयको काम सिध्याएर वैशाख २० गते घर आइपुग्छु भनेर छोरा काठमाडौंतिर लागे, म छोराको विवाहको तयारीमा जुटें, हेटौंडा नगरपालिका—१० की विमला लामा भक्कानिदै भनिन्—‘अहिले घरमा छोराको शव आयो । अब म कसरी बसुँ ।'

विमलाको छोरा सुमन भोम्जनको विनाशकारी भूकम्पमा परी ज्यान गएको थियो। नेपाल पत्रकार महासङ्घका केन्द्रीय सभासद् तथा खेल पत्रकार सुमनको काठमाडौंको महाबौद्धमा डेरा गरी बसेको घरसँगै उनी पनि ढलेका थिए।

भूकम्प आए लगत्तै सम्पर्कविहीन भोम्जनको निरन्तर खोजिपछि उनकै डेरा महाबौद्धमा पुरिएको अवस्थामा सात दिनपछि शव फेला परेको हो । घरमा २९ वर्षीय छोराको शव आएपछि आमा सम्हालिन त्यति सजिलो छैन। छोराको तस्बिर छातिमा राखेर उनी सधैँ डाँको छाडेर रोइरहिन्छन्। उनलाई सम्हाल्न छरछिमेककी महिला र केही पत्रकार पनि आइरहन्छन् तर उनी दिनरात रोएरै बिताउँछिन् ।

चार वर्षदेखि गोरखापत्र दैनिकमा कार्यरत सुमन मेहनती मात्र थिएन्, मूल्यनिष्ट र व्यावसायिक पत्रकारिताको विकासका लागि जहिले पनि वकालत गर्न पछाडि पर्दैनथे । उनको मृत्युसँगै सिङ्गो पत्रकारिता अहिले शोक डुबेको छ।

नेपाल पत्रकार महासङ्घ मकवानपुर शाखाले शनिबार पत्रकार सुमनप्रति श्रद्धाञ्जलि व्यक्त गर्न आयोजना गरेको शोकसभामा उनका बुबा सुरेन्द्रको आँखामा आँशुको भेल हेर्दा त्यहा“ उपस्थित सबै पत्रकारको आँखा रसाएका थिए ।

“कामको सिलसिलामा काठमाडौं गएको छोरा विवाहका लागि वैशाखमा त फर्केला भन्ने थियो, तर शव आयो,” उनले भने—“दैवी प्रकोपलाई कसले रोक्न सक्छ र भन्दै चित्त बुझाउने प्रयास गर्दैछु ।”

पत्रकारिता गर्दागर्दै विनाशकारी भूकम्पमा परेर काठमाडौं मा छोराको ज्यान गयो, यता हेटौंडा नगरपालिका—१० मा आफू बसेको घर पनि बस्न नमिल्ने गरी चिराचिरा परेको छ, बबा सुरेन्द्र भोम्जनले भने—‘‘यस्तो विपद्का समयमा सरकारबाट उचित राहत र सहयोगको अपेक्षा गरेको छु ।’उनले आवश्यक राहत र सहयोगका लागि पहल गरिदिन पत्रकारलाई आग्रह समेत गरेका छन्। रासस

४ जेठ, काठमाडौं । भूकम्पले क्षतिग्रस्त नेपालमा क्रिकेटका पूर्वाधारहरु पुनर्निर्माणका लागि रकम जुटाउन ‘ब्याट फर नेपाल’ अभियान चलाइने भएको छ ।

नेपाल क्रिकेट संघ क्यानको नेपाल र विश्व ११ टीमबीच मलेसियामा एकदिवसीय क्रिकेट खेल्ने मलेसिया क्रिकेट बोर्डको प्रस्ताव स्वीकार गरेको छ । साथै खेलको लोगो समेत सार्वजनिक गरिएको छ । खेलको नाम नेपाल अर्थक्वेक फण्ड राइजिङ म्याच दिइएको छ ।

नेपाल क्रिकेट टीम राष्ट्रिय एकताको प्रतिक भएकाले यस्तो खेल गर्न लागिएको क्यानका सीइओ भावना घिमिरेले बताएकी छन् । मलेसिया क्रिकेट एशोसिएनका अध्यक्षका अनुसार खेल किनरारा ओभलमा हुनेछ ।

साथै अन्य देशको क्रिकेट बोर्डसँग पहल गर्ने निर्णय गरेको छ । नेदल्याण्डसहितका देशका क्रिकेट संघसँग पनि कुराकानी भइरहेको क्यान स्रोतले बताएको छ ।

वैशाख १२ को विनाशकारी भूकम्पले कीर्तिपुरस्थित इन्डोर हलमा क्षति पुगेको छ ।

विश्वकप छनोटको तयारीका लागि भारत जाने

नेपाल क्रिकेट संघ क्यानले आसन्न टी-२० विश्वकप छनोटको तयारीका लागि राष्ट्रिय टीमलाई भारत पठाउने निर्णय समेत गरेको छ ।

नेपालमा विनाशकारी भूकम्प गएपछि भारतीय क्रिकेट कन्ट्रोल बोर्ड बीसीसीआईले नेपाली टीमलाई आफ्नो राष्ट्रिय एकेडेमीमा आएर विश्वकप छनोटको तयारी गर्न प्रस्ताव गरेको थियो ।

त्यसलाई स्वीकार गर्दै नेपाली टोली जुन पहिलो साता भारत जाने भएको हो । नेपाली राष्ट्रिय क्रिकेट टोलीले भारतमा स्थानीय टोलीसँग अभ्यास खेलहरु समेत हुनेछ ।

भारतबाट फर्किएपछि नेपाली टोली अभ्यास खेलका लागि इंग्ल्याण्ड र नेदरल्याण्ड भ्रमणमा जानेछ । त्यहाँ ब्याटिङ प्रशिक्षक र फिटियोलाई पनि नेपाली टीममा समावेश गरिनेछ ।

टी-२० विश्वकप छनोट आयरल्याण्ड र स्केटल्याण्डमा जुलाई ६ देखि २६ सम्म हुनेछ । समूह एमा रहेको नेपालका सबै खेल आयरल्याण्डमा हुनेछ । नेपाल रहेको समूह एमा आयोजक आयरल्याण्डसँगै हङकङ, पपुवा न्यूगिनी, नामिबिया, अमेरिका र जर्सी छन् ।

विश्वकप छनोटपछि नेपालले वर्ल्ड क्रिकेट लिग च्याम्पियनसिप अन्तरगत स्कटल्याण्डसँग दुई खेल खेल्नेछ ।

क्यानको बैठकले जुलाईमा बंगलादेशमा हुने एसीसी लेभल थ्री कोचिङ कोर्षका लागि प्रशिक्षकहरु नविनकुमार सिंह र महेश रिजाललाई छनोट गरेको छ । दिपेन्द्र चौधरीलाई बैकल्पिकमा राखिएको छ ।

हाम्रो देशमा छोराको आशमा दम्पतीहरुले धेरै छोरी जन्माउने गरेका उदाहरण प्रसस्तै पाइन्छन् । गर्भमै लिंग पहिचान गर्न सकिने र गर्भपतले कानूनी मान्यता पाइसकेको अवस्थामा छोराको आशमा लगातार छोरी पाउने क्रममा भने केही कमी आएको छ पछिल्लो समयमा । तर अमेरिकाको जस्तो विकशित देशमा भने यस्तो प्रथा अझै कायम रहेछ, यद्यपि छोराको आशमा होइन, छोरीको आशमा ।

अमेरिकाका एक दम्पतिले छोरी पाउने आशमा लगातार १३ वटा छोरा जन्माएका छन् ।

अमेरिकाको मिचिगनका जे सेवान्डिट र क्याटेरी सेवान्डिटले बुधबार आफ्नो १३ औँ सन्तानलाई स्वागत गरे । यसअघिका १२ वटै सन्तान छोरा रहेकोमा अहिले छोरी जन्मिने आशामा उनीहरु थिए, तर सोँचेजस्तो भएन । १३ औँ सन्तान पनि पुलिंगै भइदियो ।

आखिर अमेरिकाजस्तो अत्याधुनिक चिकित्सा पद्धति भएको देशमा पनि किन यसरी लगातार बच्चा जन्माउनु आवश्यक थियो र ? के उनीहरुले गर्भको बच्चाको लैंगिक परीक्षण गराउन नसक्ने थिए र ? भन्ने प्रश्न उठ्छ । तर कुरो के रहेछ भने उनीहरुको परिवारको परम्परामा नै गर्भको बच्चाको लिंग परीक्षण गराउन बन्देज रहेछ । त्यसैले उनीहरुले गर्भको बच्चाको लिंग परीक्षण गराउन यो पाला पनि  पाएनन् र छोरीको आशामा लगालग छोरा जन्माइरहेका छन् ।

१३ भाई छोराका बाबु जेका अनुसार यो पाला श्रीमतीले छोरी जन्माउँछिन् भन्ने आशा उनलाई थियो ।

अामा क्याटेरीलाई आफुले १३ छोरा जन्माएकोमा कुनै अनौठो लागेको छैन । किनकी उनी पनि १३ सन्तान भएको परिवारकी १३ औँ छोरी हुन् ।

स्वान्डिट परिवारका १३ छोरामध्ये जेठा छोरा टेलको उमेर २२ वर्ष छ भने अहिले जन्मेका कान्छा भन्दा माथिल्लो छोरा जम्मा २१ महिनाका छन् ।

कान्छो छोराकेा नाम के राख्ने भनेर अहिले बच्चाका बाउआमा तथा दाजुहरु समेत घोत्लिरहेका छन् तर अझै नाम जुरिसकेको भने छैन ।

अब १४ औँ बच्चा पनि जन्माउने हो ? भन्ने प्रश्नमा जे भन्छन्, ‘हुँदै हुन्न भन्ने कुरा भन्नै सकिन्न ।’

४ जेठ, काठमाडौं । महाभूकम्पपछि सरकारले स्थापना गरेको प्रधानमन्त्री दैवीप्रकोप उद्धार कोषमा सोमबार दिउँसोसम्म १ अर्ब ६३ करोड ५० लाख २९ हजार १ सय सात रुपैयाँ प्राप्त भएको जानकारी सरकारले दिएको छ ।

परराष्ट्र मन्त्रालयले सोमबार दिउँसो पत्रकार सम्मेलन गरी दिएको जानकारीअनुसार विश्वका विभिन्न राष्ट्रहरु, एसियाली विकास बैंक, विदेशी संघ–संस्था एवं व्यक्तिहरुबाट सो रकम प्राप्त भएको हो ।

परराष्ट्रमन्त्री महेन्द्रबहादुर पाण्डेले कोषमा रकम आउनेक्रम जारी रहेको भन्दै प्राप्त रकमलाई भूकम्प प्रभावित जिल्लामा पठाइ वितरण भैरहेको जानकारी दिए ।

उनले नगदका अलावा, त्रिपाल, लत्ताकपडा औषधि, कम्बलजस्ता अत्यावश्यक वस्तुहरु पनि ती राष्ट्रहरुले पठाइरहेको भन्दै त्यसप्रति धन्यवाद व्यक्त गरे ।

उनले भूकम्पपछि क्षति पुगेका राजधानीलगायत देशका सहरी क्षेत्रका अग्ला घरहरु सुरक्षित तरिकाले भत्काउनका लागि विशेष उपकरण झिकाउने विषयमा विभिन्न राष्ट्रहरुसँग परामर्श भैरहेको जानकारी पनि दिए ।

भूकम्पले क्षति पु¥याएका संरचनाहरुमध्ये भत्काउनै पर्ने संरचनालाई टालटुल नगर्न सरकारले सबैलाई आग्रहसमेत गरेको छ ।

यस्तै, सुरक्षित र व्यवस्थित बस्ती निर्माणका लागि सहयोग गर्न तयार विदेशी तथा स्वदेशी संघ–संस्था र व्यक्तिहरुलाई सरकारले स्वागत गर्ने भन्दै उनले काम थाल्दा सरकारसँग आवश्यक परामर्श गरी अनुमति लिन आग्रह गरे ।

while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.A few people in suits and dresses milled around outside the front door. It was five minutes until the dining room opened for business, and usually there were a few tables worth of people waiting to bust the doors down and commence their fine dining experience. The first diners of the day always had a hurried immediacy to them, engulfing their basket of rolls and polishing off their beverages as if they had been waiting for weeks. And boy were they cranky if you didn't refill their ice teas and coffees before they were halfway finished. Boy did they let you know when they needed more bread and butter. They liked to snap their fingers and say, Garçon, more bread and butter, toot sweet.[blockquote]Candy pulled up in her little Honda Civic just as I was cleaning the very last window. Candy was the opening waitress, and had signed her fair share of EDFs[/blockquote]
. She was late. I saw her spring from the car with her hair confused, her white shirt halfway buttoned, the cigarette hanging from her lips one drag away from the filter
. Mr. Spatz unlocked the front door to let the extravagant loiterers into the Peachy Burroughs Terrace, and the line of customers spilling into the dining room blocked my view.
Mr. Spatz sat three tables. He flashed the same pained smile while explaining the daily specials and soup that he did while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.
"Hey, you," he said to me. Andrew never remembered my name. Charlie I told him. "Charlie? Yeah, Charlie. Will you take some bread out?" I shrugged and told him I guessed so. His smile faded and he gave me a dark look like take the bread or else. So I took the bread. Some people have no sense of humor.

Cirilo dropped the water. I dropped the bread. Andrew walked out from the cocktail lounge with a tray full of martinis and cocktails, and also a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. Appetizers, anyone want appetizers? he asked. One table ordered the crab cakes. Another table ordered the artichoke picata. The last table just wanted to sip on their champagne for a while.

A group of three people walked in the front door and stood next to the Please wait to be seated sign. Since Mr. Spatz was nowhere to be seen, I took the initiative. It was a younger couple with an older man. The couple wore matching tennis outfits that made them look like some freaky combination of sibling and spouse, with feathered blond hair and sparkling teeth. The older man wore a blue blazer with a tiny insignia like a coat of arms on one side and a white captain's hat, as if he had sailed to Peachy Burroughs in his yacht, even though the nearest marina was about two hundred miles away. I gave them some menus. Cirilo dropped some water. I dropped some bread. We stood around in the rear of the dining room with our hands clasped together behind our backs like we'd been trained to do, waiting for something to happen.I did none of those things. I walked through the door into the kitchen and past the cooks and the lazy-eyed dishwasher. I walked up the stairs to the employee break room, taking one slow step at a time and unbuttoning my vest as I went. As I reached the top of the stairs I removed my vest and crumpled it into a wad of material. I had visions of slamming it down in the trashcan in the employee break room. But then I decided I would keep the vest as collateral, until I got my paycheck. It felt almost like I was taking a hostage I found Candy in the break room applying a coat of lipstick with the help of a small mirror. She had straight blonde hair and a quick smile, and when she spoke her voice sounded like it was filtering through gravel lodged in her throat. When she turned and saw me, her face lit up. "Hey, Charlie. How you doing?"

I wanted to tell her it was going crappy, but instead I said I was okay.

while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.A few people in suits and dresses milled around outside the front door. It was five minutes until the dining room opened for business, and usually there were a few tables worth of people waiting to bust the doors down and commence their fine dining experience. The first diners of the day always had a hurried immediacy to them, engulfing their basket of rolls and polishing off their beverages as if they had been waiting for weeks. And boy were they cranky if you didn't refill their ice teas and coffees before they were halfway finished. Boy did they let you know when they needed more bread and butter. They liked to snap their fingers and say, Garçon, more bread and butter, toot sweet.[blockquote]Candy pulled up in her little Honda Civic just as I was cleaning the very last window. Candy was the opening waitress, and had signed her fair share of EDFs[/blockquote]
. She was late. I saw her spring from the car with her hair confused, her white shirt halfway buttoned, the cigarette hanging from her lips one drag away from the filter
. Mr. Spatz unlocked the front door to let the extravagant loiterers into the Peachy Burroughs Terrace, and the line of customers spilling into the dining room blocked my view.
Mr. Spatz sat three tables. He flashed the same pained smile while explaining the daily specials and soup that he did while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.
"Hey, you," he said to me. Andrew never remembered my name. Charlie I told him. "Charlie? Yeah, Charlie. Will you take some bread out?" I shrugged and told him I guessed so. His smile faded and he gave me a dark look like take the bread or else. So I took the bread. Some people have no sense of humor.

Cirilo dropped the water. I dropped the bread. Andrew walked out from the cocktail lounge with a tray full of martinis and cocktails, and also a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. Appetizers, anyone want appetizers? he asked. One table ordered the crab cakes. Another table ordered the artichoke picata. The last table just wanted to sip on their champagne for a while.

A group of three people walked in the front door and stood next to the Please wait to be seated sign. Since Mr. Spatz was nowhere to be seen, I took the initiative. It was a younger couple with an older man. The couple wore matching tennis outfits that made them look like some freaky combination of sibling and spouse, with feathered blond hair and sparkling teeth. The older man wore a blue blazer with a tiny insignia like a coat of arms on one side and a white captain's hat, as if he had sailed to Peachy Burroughs in his yacht, even though the nearest marina was about two hundred miles away. I gave them some menus. Cirilo dropped some water. I dropped some bread. We stood around in the rear of the dining room with our hands clasped together behind our backs like we'd been trained to do, waiting for something to happen.I did none of those things. I walked through the door into the kitchen and past the cooks and the lazy-eyed dishwasher. I walked up the stairs to the employee break room, taking one slow step at a time and unbuttoning my vest as I went. As I reached the top of the stairs I removed my vest and crumpled it into a wad of material. I had visions of slamming it down in the trashcan in the employee break room. But then I decided I would keep the vest as collateral, until I got my paycheck. It felt almost like I was taking a hostage I found Candy in the break room applying a coat of lipstick with the help of a small mirror. She had straight blonde hair and a quick smile, and when she spoke her voice sounded like it was filtering through gravel lodged in her throat. When she turned and saw me, her face lit up. "Hey, Charlie. How you doing?"

I wanted to tell her it was going crappy, but instead I said I was okay.

while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.A few people in suits and dresses milled around outside the front door. It was five minutes until the dining room opened for business, and usually there were a few tables worth of people waiting to bust the doors down and commence their fine dining experience. The first diners of the day always had a hurried immediacy to them, engulfing their basket of rolls and polishing off their beverages as if they had been waiting for weeks. And boy were they cranky if you didn't refill their ice teas and coffees before they were halfway finished. Boy did they let you know when they needed more bread and butter. They liked to snap their fingers and say, Garçon, more bread and butter, toot sweet.[blockquote]Candy pulled up in her little Honda Civic just as I was cleaning the very last window. Candy was the opening waitress, and had signed her fair share of EDFs[/blockquote]
. She was late. I saw her spring from the car with her hair confused, her white shirt halfway buttoned, the cigarette hanging from her lips one drag away from the filter
. Mr. Spatz unlocked the front door to let the extravagant loiterers into the Peachy Burroughs Terrace, and the line of customers spilling into the dining room blocked my view.
Mr. Spatz sat three tables. He flashed the same pained smile while explaining the daily specials and soup that he did while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.
"Hey, you," he said to me. Andrew never remembered my name. Charlie I told him. "Charlie? Yeah, Charlie. Will you take some bread out?" I shrugged and told him I guessed so. His smile faded and he gave me a dark look like take the bread or else. So I took the bread. Some people have no sense of humor.

Cirilo dropped the water. I dropped the bread. Andrew walked out from the cocktail lounge with a tray full of martinis and cocktails, and also a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. Appetizers, anyone want appetizers? he asked. One table ordered the crab cakes. Another table ordered the artichoke picata. The last table just wanted to sip on their champagne for a while.

A group of three people walked in the front door and stood next to the Please wait to be seated sign. Since Mr. Spatz was nowhere to be seen, I took the initiative. It was a younger couple with an older man. The couple wore matching tennis outfits that made them look like some freaky combination of sibling and spouse, with feathered blond hair and sparkling teeth. The older man wore a blue blazer with a tiny insignia like a coat of arms on one side and a white captain's hat, as if he had sailed to Peachy Burroughs in his yacht, even though the nearest marina was about two hundred miles away. I gave them some menus. Cirilo dropped some water. I dropped some bread. We stood around in the rear of the dining room with our hands clasped together behind our backs like we'd been trained to do, waiting for something to happen.I did none of those things. I walked through the door into the kitchen and past the cooks and the lazy-eyed dishwasher. I walked up the stairs to the employee break room, taking one slow step at a time and unbuttoning my vest as I went. As I reached the top of the stairs I removed my vest and crumpled it into a wad of material. I had visions of slamming it down in the trashcan in the employee break room. But then I decided I would keep the vest as collateral, until I got my paycheck. It felt almost like I was taking a hostage I found Candy in the break room applying a coat of lipstick with the help of a small mirror. She had straight blonde hair and a quick smile, and when she spoke her voice sounded like it was filtering through gravel lodged in her throat. When she turned and saw me, her face lit up. "Hey, Charlie. How you doing?"

I wanted to tell her it was going crappy, but instead I said I was okay.

while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.A few people in suits and dresses milled around outside the front door. It was five minutes until the dining room opened for business, and usually there were a few tables worth of people waiting to bust the doors down and commence their fine dining experience. The first diners of the day always had a hurried immediacy to them, engulfing their basket of rolls and polishing off their beverages as if they had been waiting for weeks. And boy were they cranky if you didn't refill their ice teas and coffees before they were halfway finished. Boy did they let you know when they needed more bread and butter. They liked to snap their fingers and say, Garçon, more bread and butter, toot sweet.[blockquote]Candy pulled up in her little Honda Civic just as I was cleaning the very last window. Candy was the opening waitress, and had signed her fair share of EDFs[/blockquote]
. She was late. I saw her spring from the car with her hair confused, her white shirt halfway buttoned, the cigarette hanging from her lips one drag away from the filter
. Mr. Spatz unlocked the front door to let the extravagant loiterers into the Peachy Burroughs Terrace, and the line of customers spilling into the dining room blocked my view.
Mr. Spatz sat three tables. He flashed the same pained smile while explaining the daily specials and soup that he did while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.
"Hey, you," he said to me. Andrew never remembered my name. Charlie I told him. "Charlie? Yeah, Charlie. Will you take some bread out?" I shrugged and told him I guessed so. His smile faded and he gave me a dark look like take the bread or else. So I took the bread. Some people have no sense of humor.

Cirilo dropped the water. I dropped the bread. Andrew walked out from the cocktail lounge with a tray full of martinis and cocktails, and also a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. Appetizers, anyone want appetizers? he asked. One table ordered the crab cakes. Another table ordered the artichoke picata. The last table just wanted to sip on their champagne for a while.

A group of three people walked in the front door and stood next to the Please wait to be seated sign. Since Mr. Spatz was nowhere to be seen, I took the initiative. It was a younger couple with an older man. The couple wore matching tennis outfits that made them look like some freaky combination of sibling and spouse, with feathered blond hair and sparkling teeth. The older man wore a blue blazer with a tiny insignia like a coat of arms on one side and a white captain's hat, as if he had sailed to Peachy Burroughs in his yacht, even though the nearest marina was about two hundred miles away. I gave them some menus. Cirilo dropped some water. I dropped some bread. We stood around in the rear of the dining room with our hands clasped together behind our backs like we'd been trained to do, waiting for something to happen.I did none of those things. I walked through the door into the kitchen and past the cooks and the lazy-eyed dishwasher. I walked up the stairs to the employee break room, taking one slow step at a time and unbuttoning my vest as I went. As I reached the top of the stairs I removed my vest and crumpled it into a wad of material. I had visions of slamming it down in the trashcan in the employee break room. But then I decided I would keep the vest as collateral, until I got my paycheck. It felt almost like I was taking a hostage I found Candy in the break room applying a coat of lipstick with the help of a small mirror. She had straight blonde hair and a quick smile, and when she spoke her voice sounded like it was filtering through gravel lodged in her throat. When she turned and saw me, her face lit up. "Hey, Charlie. How you doing?"

I wanted to tell her it was going crappy, but instead I said I was okay.

while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.A few people in suits and dresses milled around outside the front door. It was five minutes until the dining room opened for business, and usually there were a few tables worth of people waiting to bust the doors down and commence their fine dining experience. The first diners of the day always had a hurried immediacy to them, engulfing their basket of rolls and polishing off their beverages as if they had been waiting for weeks. And boy were they cranky if you didn't refill their ice teas and coffees before they were halfway finished. Boy did they let you know when they needed more bread and butter. They liked to snap their fingers and say, Garçon, more bread and butter, toot sweet.[blockquote]Candy pulled up in her little Honda Civic just as I was cleaning the very last window. Candy was the opening waitress, and had signed her fair share of EDFs[/blockquote]
. She was late. I saw her spring from the car with her hair confused, her white shirt halfway buttoned, the cigarette hanging from her lips one drag away from the filter
. Mr. Spatz unlocked the front door to let the extravagant loiterers into the Peachy Burroughs Terrace, and the line of customers spilling into the dining room blocked my view.
Mr. Spatz sat three tables. He flashed the same pained smile while explaining the daily specials and soup that he did while extolling the virtues of proper dining etiquette to trainees, or pointing out someone's failure to perform within the expected parameters. His smile made Spatz look like he suffered from a painful and extended constipation.
"Hey, you," he said to me. Andrew never remembered my name. Charlie I told him. "Charlie? Yeah, Charlie. Will you take some bread out?" I shrugged and told him I guessed so. His smile faded and he gave me a dark look like take the bread or else. So I took the bread. Some people have no sense of humor.

Cirilo dropped the water. I dropped the bread. Andrew walked out from the cocktail lounge with a tray full of martinis and cocktails, and also a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. Appetizers, anyone want appetizers? he asked. One table ordered the crab cakes. Another table ordered the artichoke picata. The last table just wanted to sip on their champagne for a while.

A group of three people walked in the front door and stood next to the Please wait to be seated sign. Since Mr. Spatz was nowhere to be seen, I took the initiative. It was a younger couple with an older man. The couple wore matching tennis outfits that made them look like some freaky combination of sibling and spouse, with feathered blond hair and sparkling teeth. The older man wore a blue blazer with a tiny insignia like a coat of arms on one side and a white captain's hat, as if he had sailed to Peachy Burroughs in his yacht, even though the nearest marina was about two hundred miles away. I gave them some menus. Cirilo dropped some water. I dropped some bread. We stood around in the rear of the dining room with our hands clasped together behind our backs like we'd been trained to do, waiting for something to happen.I did none of those things. I walked through the door into the kitchen and past the cooks and the lazy-eyed dishwasher. I walked up the stairs to the employee break room, taking one slow step at a time and unbuttoning my vest as I went. As I reached the top of the stairs I removed my vest and crumpled it into a wad of material. I had visions of slamming it down in the trashcan in the employee break room. But then I decided I would keep the vest as collateral, until I got my paycheck. It felt almost like I was taking a hostage I found Candy in the break room applying a coat of lipstick with the help of a small mirror. She had straight blonde hair and a quick smile, and when she spoke her voice sounded like it was filtering through gravel lodged in her throat. When she turned and saw me, her face lit up. "Hey, Charlie. How you doing?"

I wanted to tell her it was going crappy, but instead I said I was okay.