Hair today

I just had an odd experience.

I decided to treat myself to a nice ladies luncheon today, so I went to an expensive little cafe, which shall remain nameless (you'll see why in a minute).

I ordered myself a curried chicken salad sandwich on sourdough at the counter and found a seat at the last remaining table on the patio.

When the sandwich finally came, it had a long dark hair on one side. (Not mine.) I got up to take the sandwich back inside -- the waitress had scurried away -- took four steps and realized I was so hungry I didn't want to wait. I would just discard the hair and eat the sandwich.

Of course, when I opened it to put some back of the curried chicken salad that had fallen out, there was another black hair curling among the chicken and grapes. I have a pretty strong stomach, but that did it for me. I took the sandwich inside.

The guy behind the counter couldn't have been nicer. But there was no more sourdough. (I went for the rustic white second time round.)

The waitress brought the new sandwich quickly, and a shortbread cookie as well, which I thought was nice but a little chintzy considering the original sandwich cost me $10.95.

I checked -- no hair -- and I was eating away when the two women at the table next to me started talking about an awful friend of theirs.

When she went to restaurants, one of them said, "She's as picky as Elizabeth Large."

I wanted to stand up and say, "Wait a minute, they pay me to be picky" or "Picky? What do you mean picky? I almost ate the sandwich in spite of the first hair." But I didn't.

I only managed half my sandwich when a young woman came out and asked how the second sandwich was.

"Hairless."

OK, not very gracious of me. But she smiled and presented me with a gift certificate for $15 (no, she didn't know who I was) and a very gracious apology.

I'm always impressed when restaurants try to make up for their mistakes rather than get belligerent or defensive (although I also know some customers take advantage). It's amazing the goodwill it produces. If she hadn't been so nice I'd probably be writing this entry and naming the place.