The Un-Dating Un-profile of the Day: A true story

The year -- 1977
The date -- November 7th
Time -- 6:30 pm
Location:Grande Prairie
Reason: Hungry as hell

After spending an entire day traveling, one tends to get quite hungry. There is always the unknown factor when you enter a town you have never been to, namely, where to eat. It's not like you can pick up a local paper and go to the food critic review and select a quaint restaurant from the article. Small towns don't operate that way. You just drive around and pick a restaurant that "looks" good. And that's exactly what we did. We (I) picked a restaurant named Corona Pizza. I thought we might as well get right to the Italian and try it, cuz if it aint any good we aint stayin in this town.
So in we went.
Stomach growling.
And we sat.
A waitress approached.
I went numb.
I didn't know why, but numb from head to toe I went. All I could do was stare into the waitress' eyes. Was it her light auburn hair, or was it her light blue eyes, or was it her smile that made me go lala in the cabbage? Or was it the uniforms all the waitresses were wearing? The uniforms were solid black tops and a long, right-to-the-floor pleated black skirt. When a waitress stood still, they took on a slight resemblance of a Catholic Nun, but when they walked it was quite different. The wide pleats in the skirt would completely close when standing still, but when they walked, the pleats would open right up. The inside of the pleat was white, so their stride would create the effect of a fan opening and closing. A really different visual for a uniform, but that still wasn't what made me go gaga. It was the auburn-haired waitress that stood before our table that was now getting a little irritated by the fact that I couldn't seem to tell her my order. I finally did place my order and watched my catholic-nun-waitress in the fan-opening-habit-uniform work her section. She appeared to float effortlessly as she went from table to table and her uniform went from solid black to fully opened black and white with an almost musical rhythm.
Then the bill came.
In horror, I thought it just can't be over so quickly. We paid the bill and started to leave the restaurant and I can remember the words, "Okay, lets hit the road, we've got a long way to go yet." In sheer panic, I offered that we should get a room and maybe get a fresh start in the morning. The idea was readily accepted, and I was equally relieved for I had no intentions of continuing our trip.

The year -- 1977
The date -- November 18th
Time -- 10:30 pm
Location: Grande Prairie
Reason: Running out of funds

Grabbed the bar float from the office, and proceeded to open the bar for my first shift. Only eleven days in Grande Prairie and I was so broke I had to find work quickly. It must have been the fact that I had been dining every day at Corona Pizza, that I ran out of funds so quickly. A few of those dining nights, I was lucky enough to be sat in her section. And yes, if you must know, I went numb from head to toe every time she served me.

The year -- 1977-78
Date Range: December to June
Time -- After bar closing
Location: Corona Pizza
Reason: I'll let you guess

I got to make a few friends while working in the Ol' Park Hotel bar. I worked nights full time now. As a rule, all the staff would get together after closing and go for a few cocktails and a bite to eat. Donna, the proprietor of the Corona, would take phone orders for last call from bar staff all over town so the staff could come eat and let their hair down after a long night slinging drinks. I would always try to get the staff to sit in her section if she was working. Most of the time it worked, unless some staff got there earlier and already selected a table. Thank God for good tippers, because that's how I was able to go night after night just to get weak in the knees by being served by her. Though, I never let her know it.

The year -- 1978
Date Range: Mid-June
Time -- 10:30 am
Location: Park Hotel Bar

The regular day shift bartender was off on holidays so I got to open the bar for two weeks. It was quite routine to set out juices for drinks, stock beer shelves, make waitress floats, and all the little tasks to do before a bar can open its doors. It was a usual and routine Wednesday morning that the lobby door opened, and she walked in. I stopped right in my tracks as she proceeded to walk up closer and closer to the bar. What would I say to her? We weren't even open yet, so I couldn't just tell her to leave and wait till we open up. My head was spinning with fear and then she spoke. "Can I get a float, please?" she asked, but I didn't hear for I was frozen in place. "Can I get a float?" she repeated.
"Um, um, why?" I stammered then though to my self, 'Stupid Frank. Stupid. Just hold it together.'
"I'm the opening waitress today. Didn't you check the schedule?"
"Um. Um. No, I forgot to," I said, but thought almost out loud, 'YES!! There is a God. YES!!'
"I'm Lola."
"Frank," I said really nervously. I realized that I had been keeping such a low profile in Corona that she didn't even know my name. And I never knew hers, for I was reluctant to ask her or anyone else just to keep my interest in Lola from getting around the rumor mill, or just flatly rejected by Lola. But for a day, I'm in sheer Heaven.

The year -- 1978
Date Range: Mid-June to Mid August
Time -- Too numb to tell time
Location: Park Hotel Bar and Corona

The waitress schedule rotated between evenings nights and weekends. There was many nights that Lola and I would close the bar together. Corona was the bar staff haunt after work, and all closing staff would go. I would always go if Lola was closing with us. Now, instead of weaseling my way into her section, I would try to weasel a seat beside Lola. Not an easy task with an average of 12 staff on weekends heading for after hour cocktails and eats. Most of the time, I'd get lucky and get the golden seat. After time, we would split a cab home and I would drop her off, and head home myself after Corona. Sometimes we would leave the Park and go to the Corona by cab right after close and beat the staff there (it would ensure the golden seat award). Neither Lola or I drove or even had a license to drive, so she thought it was quite a natural suggestion to cab it to Corona even though it was only one block away from the hotel.

The year -- 1978
Date: September 19
Time -- After the Bar, but before the Corona
Location: Front Seat of Swan Taxi
Cab Fare: $60.00 plus tip

The Canfor Forest Product plant was just the other side of Bear Creek which ran north-south about two blocks away from the hotel. It has a massive crane that unloads semi logging trucks in one grab and places the logs neatly onto a huge pile. The pile is about four city blocks long and as high as a four or five story building. The log pile caught fire today. The fire was enormous. Water bomber planes were called in to help douse the flames which flared over 100 feet high. People on both sides of Bear Creek stood on their houses with garden hoses watering their roofs for fear that their houses would catch from the falling embers. It was closing time, and I called a cab to go to Corona, but I had a detour in mind. We drove across the bridge and parked close to the fire and watched and talked. Lola and I were both in the front seat with Lola in the middle. Garret, the cab driver which we had gotten to know over all our trips from the hotel to Corona Pizza, just sat their watching the fire with us, and probable listening to us.
It must have been the fire and the dancing flames that I got up enough nerve to pop the question. No, not that question. I asked the 'pre-question' which was, "Lola, if I asked you to marry me, would you even consider it?"
She said, "I would think about it."
That was all I needed.
We finally took the cab home for now Corona was completely closed. I dropped Lola off at her home and I went on my way. I paid Garret the fare of 60 buck plus a substantial tip because of what we just put him through. Usually the fare from the Park to the Corona was $2.70 plus tip.

The year -- 1978
Date : September 20
Time -- After the Bar, but before the Corona
Location: Front Seat of Swan Taxi
Cab Fare: $80.00 plus tip

The fire had been raging for two solid days with no signs of waning. Embers were falling from the sky like burning meteors. I called the cab after work. We parked at the same location both in the front seat with Garret. We watched, and talked, and watched and talked some more. The fire was truly amazing and mesmerizing, but not as mesmerizing as Lola. I asked. Yes right there in the front seat, I asked Lola to marry me.
And
She said, "YES!"

Then we invited Garret to the wedding.

The year -- 1978
Date : October 21
Time -- Late evening
Location: Lola's Home
Reason: I had 2 suitcases

There was no real reason, I just couldn't take not being with Lola any longer. I packed 2 suitcases. I called a cab and headed to Lola's home. I didn't give in much thought at the time, I just new I needed to leave. I arrived at her home and knocked on the door. Lola's mother came to the door and answered the knock--in Polish. I didn't know at the time that Lola's parents could not speak fluent English. Lola came to the door and talked to her mother in Polish. Lola's mother let me in. I know that Lola was in a state of shock, but brought me downstairs anyway. Lola's mother and father were now in the kitchen, and both shook my hand and welcomed me in very broken English. I've never felt more welcomed.

The year -- 1978
Date: November 11 Canadian Rememberance Day
Time -- 2:00 pm
Location: Court House
Reason: Wedding Day

It was a small ceremony, followed by a small family reception and party. It couldn't have been more perfect. Garret came too.

The year -- 2003
Date : August 25
Time -- Early afternooon
Location: Frank and Lola's Home
Reason: We heard planes--lots of planes.

Just a few weeks shy of exactly 25 years to the day, the Canfor wood pile caught fire again. What was a husband to do? It was Karma. We got into the car (Lola got her license, but I didn't) and we went and parked right where we parked 25 years earlier and watched the fire. It was a perfect anniversary gift. It was Karma and I didn't start it. Garret moved away years earlier or we probably would have picked him up too.

The year -- 2009
Date Range: present
Time -- Early morning
Location: Kindersly

Lola and I are quickly going on our 31st anniversary. Kids have moved away. And after all this time, Lola and I have never been on a date--we just got married. Love is a funny thing isn't it? I'm still numb from head to toe.....