Today was TJ's last day here so treated him and Zach to brunch (Barb always gives me a nice discount) where I work. The boys know how to eat. Let's put it this way...they each had three eggs scrambled with cheese, a heaping of home fries, three strips of bacon and two gigantic fresh blueberry pancakes. It was busy but they stayed a while and we all got to chat.
I didn't get off until after four thirty and had promised Massey I would drive up and see her at school to drop off a few things she left here. Made great time on the highway but it makes me a nervous wreck driving into downtown Atlanta...the drivers are insane to say the very least. No one uses blinkers they simply swerve, zig and zag in front of vehicles or semis when ever they think they can get wherever they are going just a bit quicker. They'll cut you off, they'll ride your bumper or get so close next to your car you could reach out and knock on their window...all while texting or talking on their cell. It's downright frightening. I got all flustered as two cars shot in front of me to make the International Blvd exit and missed my own exit at Edgewood. I had to double back to get to Massey's dorm but at least I was safe and sound (and shaking.)
She needed a half gallon of milk, creamer for coffee, sugar and fruit cups. She had left her hair dryer and mirror behind so I had everything packed in the car. I took the top off a small cooler and filled it with ice and stuck the milk and creamer down in it. When you go visit Massey, it has to be a drive by pick up, parking next door to her dorm costs $7 sometimes $8. I know she'd like for me to come up and visit, and I have on several occasions but number one that's a lot to pay to carry up groceries and say hello to her friends and checking in to see her is like getting into the Pentagon...not that I am complaining, I like the fact that security is so tight. I called her when I was one block away and told her to step outside the lobby when she saw me at the light. Lucky for us the light was red and no one was behind me.
We went cheap for dinner, The Varsity. I'm surprised I'm still alive. Here's what I had eaten so far. I clocked in at ten thirty and started a pot of Kona blend coffee. We have awesome coffee. I had four cups and a hot peanut butter cookie the owner baked for me. Then I had another two cups of coffee and opened my jumbo roll of Sweet Tarts. They were gone in under an hour, but DID give away all the blue ones if that counts. Then we opened our BIG bag of candy.
One of the cooks asked me last night to stop at Kroger and get us a bag of candy for work today. He's a hard working dude and it's not like the price of a bag of candy would pay off all my debt and keeps me a favorite of the cooks (and owner) who like candy. We were well supplied during the holidays, everybody was dropping by to bring us candy, cookies and treats. We're all in withdrawal and next Christmas is a long way away.
I started with the Baby Ruths then switched to the Butterfingers. By three o'clock I was buzzing like a chain saw! Left work, went home and changed clothes, loaded up the car and headed to the ATL, still buzzing like a bee.
I picked Massey up and we headed to The Varsity for a quick Lube job... I needed some real food and if you grew up on the outskirts of south Atlanta like I did, The Varsity is as real as it gets!
We walked in and the mag pies were all squawking. I swear when they are all screaming "What'll Ya Have?" at the same time it sounds like an audio clip from the Hitchcock movie, "The Birds."
We sat and watched TV for a few minutes and chatted while we ate. I had two chili steaks with mustard ketchup and raw onions, a large Co-Cola (as my momma always called them) and split an order of fries and onion rings with Massey. What a dietary nightmare of a day!
We wound our way slowly back through downtown Atlanta, a truly beautiful city especially at night. I pulled into the Greek housing parking lot right next to her dorm, which you aren't supposed to pull into but can see her walk into the front door of her dorm from there, faking a back out like I had made a wrong turn. I had all her stuff in a grocery bag and she grabbed her milk and creamer out of the cooler in the back seat. We hugged, kissed and just like that she was out of the car and gone again.
I miss my girl, she's my bestie but what's best for her is to get an excellent education and go as far in life as she wants; and if I know Massey, will be far and beyond!
So I jump back on the highway to hell one block away, merging as cars zoom all around me and head back to the country. The Grady curve is the worst (if you're from Atlanta you know what I mean) and once you pass I-20 it's easy sailing. I was bopping along with my greasy innards and made it to the airport in under
six minutes. Twenty more minutes to the house!
Hit the Coweta County line and ignored an overhead digital highway sign which read
"Accident at Collinsworth Road exit, delays expected."
You know I actually thought about getting off before then but thought, how long could the delay be?
Guess what...
I sat with my car in park for over forty minutes on the highway before traffic even began to crawl again. It moved ten feet and people started putting blinkers on to change lanes, like THAT would help. An eighteen wheeler was backing up the exit ramp next to us and peeps were pulling over into the emergency lane for a quicker escape.(I hope they all got ticketed) Here's my thing, if we're all stopped because of an accident up ahead , changing lanes isn't gonna help anything unless you're a magician and obviously no one was because it just caused more chaos and delay. IDIOTS!
Two hours later I pulled into my driveway from what should have been a forty minute trip, tops.
At least my kid was happy and I was happy to have made her happy...the things a parent will do!
TJ is headed up to his mom's house but we had a great three day visit. Got to see my girl and spend some quality time with her as well.
Nothing is simple when you are a COTTON, learned that years ago and I'm just fine with it. Things could always be worse and remind myself of that on a daily basis. I wouldn't change my crazy life if I could...well maybe I would but I know I can't so why sweat it?
I have the most patient husband on earth, the best family a girl could ever hope for and more friends than I can count. I have three great kids who for some bizarre reason think I'm pretty okay. What more could a person ask for?
Til next time...a Contented COTTON
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