Pornography in public

It was 8:30 or so at TMac's. I guess my favorite part of this encounter was how it started.

I see a sketchy-looking youngish guy peering into the restaurant from the inner-entrance. After I finish up some things, I go out to greet him and find some 30-something Seattle yuppies scoping out the menu. Here's the best part: I ask yuppie guy, "Will it be three of you for this evening?" He was very awkward about this then said rather intentionally rudely, "We are not with him," indicating sketchy guy. Someone with a sense of humor would have had something clever to say about it. I liked making yuppie guy uncomfortable. The couple left and Sketch sneaked his way to the bathroom, which at TMac's requires a journey through every part of the restaurant.

I lost control of the situation and a well-meaning co-worker engaged with Sketch. I guess he ordered and paid for some food, because every time I approached him to ask if he needed something (and subsequently ask him to leave), she intervened. He was making us all uncomfortable hanging out by the server station. He asked me if I drank whiskey. I said no. The last straw came when I came upon him gazing unabashedly at a hard-core pornographic magazine. I asked him to leave immediately, but then once again well-meaning co-worker came to his rescue. No one else there noticed what he was looking at, probably because none of them have an interest in reading.

Anyway, he hung outside the restaurant for some time, making some older ladies afraid to leave so I had to call the cops. They recovered a fork which was on his person and asked me if it was ours, and when I indicated that it was, yes, indeed ours the officer begged me to press theft charged. I refused. Later, I found out the our friend the well-meaner had given him the fork. I think there is a problem with being too nice, or maybe I'm just an asshole. The cop told me that he had been bothering many businesses tonight and they were chomping at the bit for him to commit a crime for which they could lock him up.

In other news, I've found a place to live with some sports fans in Portland and my dad is coming out to help me move. I saw Steve Brooks tonight and he asked me if I'd talked to you lately; he wants to have some updating done on his sign. I suggested that he sent his chalk board to turkey.