Monday, September 8, 2014

Coming Into the Home Stretch


 Four months ago we were on the brink of foreclosure and was at my wit's end. Desperate times call for desperate measures and taking a plunge of complete faith made the biggest change I ever had, threw caution to the wind, pulled up my big girl panties and stepped out on that limb.

Four months later we have not only caught up two months back mortgage but are current and all bills are being paid on time for the first time in almost five years.



God opened that window we've been banging on and is beautiful on the other side!

For almost four months I still worked my other job as well, They had been absolutely wonderful to me and although hated losing me full time , knew it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down.

Three months in working seven days a week proved too much for this ole gal, especially with the stress of now commuting , maneuvering the city known as "Hartsfield Jackson" and battling public transportation wore me "Slap Out" as we say here in the south .

I went down to one day a week at my old place and after another three weeks, all bills were caught up and one morning  woke up and thought, "I'm really tired".

I spent almost three hours on my less than one page long letter of resignation and like a coward, simply left it on the desk in their office.

The wife understood, The husband is Italian and took him a couple of days but can see it in his eyes, he genuinely cares about me as I do him.

I was planning on working out my two week notice but when  stopping by the day before my last shift to see what time to come in saw I wasn't on the schedule anymore.

The owner was training two new servers and didn't want to bother him but he told the bartender to tell me he had relieved me of my obligations. (and said it very nicely)

You know, it kinda hurt, but in a good way.

Now I was not only the proud owner of a fantastically lucrative job, but knew Len wasn't mad at me anymore and was giving me his blessing.

I felt like walking over to him, kneel and kiss his wedding ring like grateful  poor peeps did to Marlon Brando in The Godfather but decided against it. Instead I spoke to him briefly on the way out and could see it in his face. It was okay with Len and he understood.

As I drove home in my still borrowed rental vehicle, it hit me like a wave.



The family restaurant I drove away from was my home for over four years and was a good home.

I was pushed out of my comfortable nest by necessity and despair. Yes I fluttered, flitted about and fell (literally off the Sardine Shuttle one day) but after three weeks was making more money than I ever have as a server after thirty five years...and liked the job!

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop (which would be shoe number four by the way) but after almost four months feel pretty good about my leap.

Yes it's a challenge and yes it'a a lot to learn but I'm banking on Henry Fonda being right.




Dang, I'm home early on a slow night, still walked with over two Bens and now have two days off a week.

I think maybe God DOES like me!

Maybe He didn't like my often used jokes I've  stolen from others. My favorite one  is from Lewis Grizzard.

This past weekend I was talking with a bartender at my new job. He's a super nice and knowledgeable guy and pretty obviously "Fabulous." Atlanta was having a Black Pride Gay parade and asked  if he went?

He said no and the Phyliss Diller in me came back and said "Geez, did you hear about the two gay guys attacking a woman in Piedmont Park this weekend?"

He looked mortified as I continued to rattle on "Yeah! One of them held her down and the other one did her hair!"



That one gets them every time!

I even exhaust myself sometimes but feeling this great feels so absolutely wonderful after so incredibly long that I come back to this  solution:



Dr. Seuss was a pretty smart man too.

I have God as my Pilot, tons of champions behind me and the rest of my life to explore.


A very HAPPY COTTON

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