AIRY FAIRY WONDERLAND ALICE-LED LADY-AND A CLOWN-ESS

The woman in the red coat adorned with bright LED fairy lights, looked at the bakery goods displayed in the glass covered counter in  front of her, every -so- often checking her mobile phone.   Like her, I waited too.  We continued to wait…and wait.  LED lady  looked up at me and we exchanged smiles.  Two other women, dressed up for the local fun day were serving at the far end of the counter, which provided for the Baker shop café customers.

 At our end of the counter- sales – a young girl dressed up as Alice In Wonderland,(AIW) had her back to us; she studiously ignored everyone. The high visibility lady covered with sparkly LED lights glanced at her phone once more and then left the shop.  Alice in Wonderland looked round, glanced at me, then turned back to whatever it was she was doing, writing, I think.



I conjected that if I waited a few more moments I just might be served. I knew what I wanted to buy, it was pre-wrapped, so, it was just a question of selling it to me.  I thought my patience was being rewarded when a clown-ess, (one of the duo of staff attending to the café) bouncily arrived opposite me……. My mistake, she was involved in playing a game of choices for someone in the café, who, incidentally, arrived in the shop the same time as I did.

“Excuse me, can the assistant over there serve me?“ I pointedly asked.  Clown-ess raised herself on tip-toes to peer over AIW’s shoulder.

Clown-ess -said, “She’s busy doing shop admin”. With that she rushed away and with a smile called out “Someone will be with you soon”.  

Me – Looking directly at Clown-ess at the far end………“I’m going; that’s two customers you have just lost”.  And I went.



This is not the first time me and other customers have walked from this shop.  There are two other similar business in the same vicinity that have gained from the chaotic customer service. Goodwill is fading fast.

A LOAF OF SORTS

The machine has just produced a loaf of bread that has tried hard to cave in; it obviously did not quite succeed. At least it rose well enough.  I am sure it will be very edible.

When you get used to loaves appearing, looking wholesome and presentable, (they sometimes turn out like ski slopes  or mini bricks) there is always that little feeling of disappointment, that in spite of my best efforts, the final product does not look quite right.  I think I got too complacent. For sometime I have had to change the recommended water measure, as the packs of flour - note plural- required it.  It is difficult to predict, (indeed, for me, it is impossible to predict ) how a pack of bread flour will behave till I have seen what it does when transformed into a loaf.

Growth patterns, like too much rainfall, or, drought, lack of warmth, or, sunshine, in essence, Nature's vagaries, all affect the efficacy of bread flour.  I think the new bag of flour I used has just reminded me of it.