And Thought I Knew It All

It was a most excellent day with many surprises.

My next door husband sent me a text last night when he me pulling back into his driveway returning the free rental truck I've been borrowing from him for over two months now to get back and forth to work. He said he needed to get the emission testing done so he could get the new tag.. His birthday is three days before mine so I should have already thought of that. He was still up and out in his driveway so walked over and talked to him. I told him I would take the truck and get it done and pay for both the emissions testing  AND tag. That would at least make me feel a little less embarrassed about how long I've used his truck. He told me the only testing place he knew that took models older than 1996 was by the Racetrack gas station. I knew where it was, have used it before. The guy that runs it is an idiot and not too pleasant.

I had to renew my airport badge before it expires on my birthday so got up this morning, packed all my work clothes in a bag borrowed from Massey's closet and headed out shortly before nine.

Pulled the little truck into the line at the emissions place with only one vehicle in front of me. Two minutes later it was MY turn.

Captain Sunshine waved me in and I  pulled up. He waved me forward, I drove forward. He swung his arms to the left and I turned more to the left. He held up his hands frantically like I had just run over his dog and  flung his arms to the right. I maneuvered towards the right and stopped.

"I didn't tell ya to stop! Keep coming !"

I felt like rolling my window all the way down and saying  "You look really familiar to me, is your name Dick?"

He took forever and a day to complete the slush fund testing, took my seventeen dollars and griped the entire time.

All said and done, twenty minutes later I had the emissions done and won't have to hear his ugly attitude for at least another year.

I left and headed for the airport to renew my badge.

I just got a badge eight weeks ago but expire on your birthday so lucky me had to get another one.

Here's my thing.

If I HAVE a badge, that means I've already passed the FBI background and finger print check. Obviously I haven't raised any red flags or planted a bomb in the short eight weeks of being employed at the airport but had to start the entire process over.

Thirty minutes later I completed my customer service testing which was like a slap in the face of how much common sense I actually have.

After my "Exam" I headed back to the line in the security office to once again (for the third time) show my two forms of ID and get a number to have my badge renewed as I sat in a chair and waited another twenty minutes to be called.

Once my number was called I walked to the window and yet again showed my two forms of ID.

Stupid terrorists! This is all to due to their ASININE insane hatred of us. I know it has to be done and that's a pretty sad world but I have  a wonderful new job which has literally saved not only our house but entire family.

I've jumped through smaller hoops these past five years.

It was well after eleven when I left the badge office and didn't have to be at work til one thirty.

I drove the five minutes to my old stomping ground's of employment for thirteen years and sat at the counter enjoying  a yummy Johnny's Special while chatting with two of my former co workers.

Tomorrow was pay day and since was way on the other side of the airport, close to International decided to break the bank and park there, avoiding the entire MARTA debacle I face every day, albeit for next to nothing.

I knew the way, the Sardine Shuttle takes it every day.

I pulled in and followed the signs to hourly parking.

My co workers park there and it's sixteen bucks. Kinda pricey but get out of your car and are  clocking in at work less than five minutes later.

Sometimes they gripe about how hard it is to find a spot but  found one not twenty feet from the terminal entrance. Heck yeah, after all I've been through it was money well spent!

Got to the atrium early and had a text from a blog reader and friend who loaned me a car to even make the initial interview for my new job. She said she was at Ecco but I wasn't there. I text back would be there in one minute and hopped on the escalator.

They were leaving from the F concourse and had stopped by to say hello. I chatted with them for a few minutes since I got there so early then after they left changed clothes and clocked in.

It started out busy, they put me on the floor immediately. Calmed down around five and took my thirty minute break. I fast walked to the Plane Train and went to A concourse to "A Piece of Cake" for cup cakes with my employee discount. Zach wanted me to bring home two for him. I got two for me, a spare to share and one for another co worker.

Got back to work just as it started to pick up again. Got another rush, then another and finally walked out around nine forty five feeling all giddy. Number one because I had made incredible money and number two  only had a five minute walk to my next door husband's borrowed vehicle and would be on the road home in eight. I didn't understand why my co workers had a hard time finding a spot to park, I had pulled right in and found one easily.

I got my sixteen dollars out to pay and cruised to the exit gate. I put my ticket into the slot and waited for it to display "$16.00."

"$32.00" came up on the screen and the attendant held out her hand. After throwing up in my mouth just a little bit said "but I'm an employee" to which she replied "Well you should have parked below with the other ones."

What! Where?

Seems I should have taken the down ramp and parked in the park and ride / employee lot.

No wonder I found a spot so easily! I was in the "High Dollar" lot.

There was nothing I could do but pay it.

 On the upside I had made almost four hundred dollars but on the downside had just wasted sixteen.

Okay, maybe I don't know it ALL yet!

I stewed and fretted about it all the way home. I should have just gone to the MARTA station and done what I normally do.

Another lesson learned.

Heck, sixteen bucks would buy a large bag of dog food!

I tumbled into bed around one, happy I could sleep until 9:45 and be at work by 10:30 with no commute or parking issues.

The alarm went off early but my body woke up late. Luckily Tim was off and ironed my shirt for me while I  stood in the shower hoping hot water would erase the feeling of working sixty days with two days off.

Got to Mama Lucia's ten minutes late but since I know that job like the back of my hand got everything done before we opened.

By noon I wanted to go back home, bury my head under covers, sleep for forty eight hours and THEN start over.

Didn't happen.

I got off around two, went to buy dog food at Tractor Supply,went by Michaels's to get some more peepers for my eyes because they were on sale for $1.99 and got home by three so greasy with sweat I could have fried taters with the grease on my face.

Today was my payday from the airport so went to make another mortgage payment online.

Holy Crap they make it hard to simply take your money. I couldn't draft it out of MY checking account because it could only be a Wells Fargo checking account. Then I went to the phone method. Three tries later finally succeeded in drafting the money out of my account and into their slush fund.

Went back to work at five thirty, still wanting to be at  home and burying my head into a pillow.

Of course Murphy's law kicked in and peeps streamed in the door.

The new  hostess who I have never met told me someone was waiting to see me at the front door. I didn't see any police uniforms up there so kept on working.

Five minutes later she was leading two peeps to one of my tables saying "I was wrong, they wanted to be seated WITH you."

It was one of my most favorite people in the world. He was / is a cook at the Western Sizzler where I used to work. He had his cute youngest daughter in tow. The older one was away at camp.

He reads my blog and has followed our journey. They split a pizza and while chatting with his daughter chatted with him as well.

I told him it was time to quit working two jobs since  had one that although was kicking my butt was also moving us rapidly ahead.

I just don't know how to tell this family,which has helped us get to this point that I don't need the job anymore. I feel that would be a slap in the face to them.

My dear sweet friend put it like this:

"It's not about not loving them but is about what's best for you."

For two years I worked seven days a week, both shifts...AM and PM. Then I trimmed down to about ten shifts a week.

It's time to bite the bullet. I'm killing myself for no reason now.

I will always love these peeps , always appreciate what they have done for me but I have to do what's best for me and my OWN family.

It's a tough call and decision for me.

Will they be happy?

 No, but need to save what little sanity I have left.

I'm going to do it the adult and right way. Be upfront with them and stay until they can fill my position.

Mama's was a great thing which happened when we needed it the most.

I will never forget that, or them.

I'm all about some KARMA.

I don't know which way to turn.

 

Til next time...COTTON