What a Day...What a Weekend...What a Life

So yesterday I worked a day shift...then a night shift at the funnel cake stand. Got up this morning to have Massey back at the school by 8AM. I went into work at 10:30 and worked until 4:30. Ran and bought dog food so the hounds wouldn't try to eat each other and was back at work by five.

My day shift was good. I worked with two other great servers and two of my blog followers came in to eat with me...Jackie Gleason's son and his sweet wife, who has the most beautiful first name I have ever heard. It starts with a "K" and ends with an "elly." Another dear friend of mine blew in from my past with her daughters and it was like "Old Home" week for me!

Massey  left for a competition in Alabama and won't be home until 2AM (looking forward to THAT trip to the school !)

When I got back to work we had a party of 75. It was a surprise party for a woman's 60th birthday, thrown by her two sons and her daughter in law.

My bad hip kicked in around 9:00 and by the time the party left at 9:30 I was limping around like Chester on Gun Smoke.

I look at it this way...I had three tables in the party. I waited on three tables and my cut of the tip was $101.00.

I limped back home (at least I didn't have to ride a horse) and sat down at the computer.

Why I am so drawn to this blog still baffles me. I think it has something to do with the fact that my LIFE is in this blog. I can read and re read posts. I can see where I was and still remember the feeling. I can see that even though it is slowly...my life is getting better.

When we had the big party tonight (it was all one check...the two sons paid) several people left money on the table. They were all so nice...especially the people that left us extra money! It is such a relief to me to be in a restaurant that thinks I am "The Bomb."  I USED to think I was "The Bomb" as a server but was so beaten down by my last job that when I was fired, even started to wonder if they were right.

I know now after over six months at my new place, that they were all corporate idiots I worked for and tell myself on a semi daily basis that it was THEIR loss.

The only thing I hate is that my kid's have suffered...(well, Zach not so much... he's low maintenance and may end up to be my favorite.) But having to tell my oldest he had to open his wings and flap away from home wasn't easy. Telling Massey she couldn't go to Hawaii with the band crushed me. Having to know that Massey acts "Okay" with knowing we can't send her to Hawaii literally breaks my heart.

I have promised her (and not an empty promise)  when we get back on our feet that she, my sister and I will all get buddy passes and GO to Hawaii. Heck, it's 85 degrees year round ...we can sleep on a beach, I'm all about some camping.

If it were just me and Tim...it would be just fine. When you have kids it gets all mixed up with emotions and a sense of duty.

I have been blessed beyond belief and at least my kids are old enough to realize it and are grateful for all the amazing help we have been given by family, friends and even strangers. It has been a lesson for them that will prepare them for "Real" life.

When "The Great One's" son came in today to eat with me he said  he thought I should seriously try to get my blog published. I started my blog with that in mind but it has been pushed to the back burner with all else that has happened.

"What if?"

He isn't the first person to tell me that,  and now I am seriously thinking (believe it or not, I CAN be serious) what if he is right?

What if this could be my way out? Would people pay to read my writings?

Working nine shifts a week doesn't leave me much spare time between shuffling Massey back and forth to the school but my job is so much less stressful and if I THOUGHT it would work I would do it. The problem is I have very little faith in myself as a writer.

I have another week filled with shifts but have decided I would take my one day off and devote it to myself. There is a published author that reads my blog and I am determined to contact her and see what she thinks and ask for any advice she can give me (get ready Yvonne.)

We are headed in the right direction but if something I dearly love can help us move ahead, I would be even MORE of an idiot not to explore my options.

Am I crazy? (most probably) Am I lazy? (only when I am severely depressed.) Combine the two and it adds up to a woman who is afraid of failure and I don't think I want to fall into that category.

Call me stupid and slap me twice but this next week I am going to see what I can do... for myself and for my family.

How great would it be for the thing I love to do the most be the thing that saves us?

Updates to follow and prayers always accepted...

Til next time..COTTON