Friday, February 27, 2015

The Next Chapter Begins

Tim left for Lubbock yesterday. He had all his clothes in plastic tubs in the back of the little Ranger and headed out at ten. He drove straight through the snow, ice and rain headed for us here in Georgia for a thousand miles.

He called me last night a little after seven to say he had crossed the Texas state line. When Tim drives, he drives and drives. He only stops for gas. He sent me a text this morning at seven saying he was checking in at his hotel. Surely that is some type of record.

I was really worried about him driving such an older vehicle but our little Ronnie Ranger literally kept on truckin'.

I'd simply put it out of my mind that he was moving across the country for at least a year. I just kept considering it as him getting a promotion and new job.

I went to get ready for work today and opened our closet door to get my uniform.

His side of the closet was totally bare unless you counted the empty hangers.

At first my heart sank a little. He's gone. For a while. It was really the first time it hit me.

We've had a really really hard few years and  sometimes amazed we actually made it through and remained married.

We've been tested on almost every vow we made to each other, time and time again.

It's gotten ugly between us at times but we always got over it. Sometimes it only took an hour. Sometimes it only took a week.

If I had to visualize who would play Tim and me in a movie about our life would definitely be these two.

This would be who played me:

...No, wait a minute that's an actual picture of me!


I meant her:


Then of course, this is who should play Tim:

Tim is an honest, extremely laid back man of very few words. No worries, he's got me to do the talking and can say with confidence I excel at the task.

He actually does quote ole Jed often. When I do something really stupid Tim will just slowly shake his head and say "Pitiful. Just pitiful."

Now that he's gone, a thousand miles away and  taken this giant step forward for our family makes me remember all the reasons why I married him.

Once the initial shock of seeing his half of our closet holding nothing but empty hangers, it  struck me he had left every hanger.

Guess he'll be ironing a lot of clothes. It made me smile to think of that and then it was better.

Tim will be fine.

He's a hard worker and the only person I've ever met who doesn't like him is me, and that's only been sporadically during really rough financial times these past few years. (that also made me feel better to say)

I think I'm already liking this, even with the distance factor. We're now back to making what we were when the bottom fell out. If we didn't have five years of "Ketchup" to finish we'd be on vacation.

We are on an equal playing field now. He can really move up with this company, they've already realized his potential  in less than a year. That's a good thing.

I have a job I absolutely love and feel blessed beyond belief to have. Initially I thought was being trained to be a brain surgeon but quickly realized was simply stepping out of my "waitress" box and into the box of being the professional server I consider myself to be.

I love working at the new International Terminal. I've only been there for about nine months but quickly came to realize had been lucky enough to land a job at the only place I would work.

Domestic is okay unless you're a server or bartender. The International Terminal is only three years old and serene compared to the angry beehive known as Domestic. Not to dis anyone but if I have to serve for a living would much rather meet and interact with people flying all over the world to and from places I've only read about. I've met guys who work on oil rigs off the coast of Thailand and are in the air for over twenty four hours just to get to work. I've met people with interesting stories and destinations. I've met quite a few celebrities and even some kooks but every day is different from the day before and will be different from the next shift as well. I see or witness something hilarious, shocking or incredibly touching every single shift. It may be in the parking lot or on the shuttle bus. It might be in the security check point or on my walk through the atrium to the restroom or to get my free meal. Heck sometimes it's in the restroom and often times is simply at a table in the restaurant where I work, and not necessarily my own.

Two older women came up to our bartender yesterday. One handed my coworker her cell phone and asked if she would take a selfie of them both?

That cracked me up.

I think if they had asked me would have replied I'd be glad to take a yousie for them!

I've met people going to Africa to help conserve rain forests or endangered species. I've met people going there to hopefully kill one of the endangered species. ( kinda hard to be really nice to them) I've waited on and seen close enough to tell if  they had a booger in their nose, celebrities I've only seen on TV or read about. I've waited on people who have actually asked to sit with me because read my blog and have received emails from two different tables I waited on. Several from a couple in Ireland I waited on when flying through Atlanta and another from a couple from Key West.

Kinda cool...and I get paid for it too.



God has finally opened the window for us. Granted, Tim is on one side of it and us on the far other side but are all through it.

It may be another five year struggle but then will be finally set just fine to enjoy our golden years and cut back to part time.

All said and done am just grateful to have even gone to the dance.




I am  totally serious when say there have been at least over a hundred people who not only helped us limp to the window but somehow pushed us through and over.



I can finally see how we can work it out.

Together.

With God as my witness it should and shall be!

Til next time...COTTON









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