Oh YES!

Six more long hard work days have rolled by again and now comes my wonderful day off!!

Yesterday I went to bed totally exhausted but at least tumbled into bed before eleven and slept til ten. Of course I woke up at six thirty, my mental alarm still obviously working but felt even better when realized I didn't have to be at work until one thirty. I rolled over and conked out again until nine. I reversed sides and slept another hour.

I usually leave the house at noon for a one thirty shift but had errands to run so got up at ten and left the house around eleven.

My still borrowed truck doesn't have A/C and my uniform is hotter than a winter coat this time of year so decided to wear capris, a tank and flip flops for errands and the drive to the airport. I packed my work shoes and uniform in a small duffel bag of Massey's I found in her closet and headed off.

Hopefully , and mean really hopefully my own car will be ready at the beginning of next week. After over two years of paying the car , cost of a new transmission plus labor off bit by bit (a hundred here, fifty there) found out after the transmission was installed it needed a new engine too.

We've agreed to pay for the engine  but has really drained not only my bank account but Tim's too.

Just when I was getting used to seeing money sitting in my account it's now depleted once again but I HAVE to have a vehicle...and after all this money we've spent, better be a smooth running ride!

For now I'm still using the truck. Every morning when I go over to climb in and sponge my way to the airport am just grateful my next door husband hasn't locked me out of it or moved it completely from his property.

Felt wonderful being in short pants and flip flops as I ran errands. Had to shift money from my bank account to Massey's savings account for her tuition due this week at her credit union and deposit her paycheck into her checking account.

I stopped and filled my next door husband's truck with gas and thought about getting some grub from a drive thru before heading into work, I had thirty minutes to spare and a really empty belly.

I cut through the Tractor Supply parking lot to go to Wendy's , when just like a momma (even a dog momma) thought about what Zach had told me this morning when getting ready for work.

I crashed before he got home from work last night and put our younger boxer, Ziggy (aka Houdini) out in the back yard on his thirty foot cable run. I hate having to put him on a run but the little devil is determined to get out of that back yard the minute your back is turned or sometimes even when you are looking but knows you are too far away to stop him. We have a lot of woods, a creek and all types of wildlife behind our house and Ziggy is mesmerized by every bit of it beyond the hog wire we have staked up at the back of our property to keep the dogs out of the creek.

Ziggy always comes back, after roaming every inch of the creek and woods but am terrified of him wandering out of the woods onto the busy road by our subdivision and getting hit by a car.

 I'm not worried about someone stealing him, he's a horrible dog and although WE love him, after about a day with them the thieves would be digging through their trash can to find his collar with our address and phone number on it to bring him back.

Zach said last night he was sitting out in our garage with a buddy around two in the morning after getting off work late when Ziggy came walking into the garage acting all happy but tired, like he had just gotten back from a wonderful adventure, dragging about ten feet of the broken cable behind  him, panting like the adventure had been all uphill.

I had told Zach to just crate Ziggy in the spare room upstairs before going to work later because didn't think I had time to buy another cable before work.

I saw Wendy's in front of Tractor Supply and thought about a single and some fries before work. It sounded pretty good. Then I thought about Ziggy having to sit in a crate in the spare bedroom for seven hours instead of being out back with at least thirty feet to romp around with food and water.

I turned into Tractor Supply and bought another cable.

I headed back to the house and called Zach on his cell. I told him I had a new cable so he could leave Houdini out back when he left for work later but was now running short on time and to meet me at the mail box, and bring me three clementines out of the refrigerator to eat at work.

Both problems solved and was off to the airport with exactly enough time to get there.

A nice TSA lady flagged me down as I perused the lot looking for a close space to the entrance at MARTA to let me know she was pulling out and backed my next door husband's little borrowed truck in as she pulled out.

Hustled to the station in my flops with my little tote bag and caught the train less than five minutes later. Another two minutes later  walked up to the Sardine Shuttle stand when the woman, seeing me in street clothes with a duffel bag asked if I was headed to the international terminal? I nodded and she instructed me to "Please climb aboard!"

Dang, I'll have to wear street clothes more often!

When the Sardine Shuttle people see that uniform or airport badge, they get all puffed up with their limited authority and sometimes make employees feel like we're bumming rides from them in their own vehicles without offering to chip in for gas.

Made it through security with time to change in the restroom and still clocked in one minute early for work.

Did my opening duties in the back while eating all three clementines and got lucky when a cook brought back some fried goat cheese for me to munch on.

Had a nice little pop of business once I went on the floor and around six slowed down between flight departures.

I clocked out and took my break. I ate at The Varsity. Not the healthiest food in the world but pretty stinking good when you're starved. With my break slip I got two hot dogs, an order of fries, large Coke and a large FO for dessert. It cost me thirty four cents.

I like me some perks! Especially ones that help me gain weight.

I always sit in the food court facing the restaurant to eat so  can see if they are starting to get busy without me.

I went through the back entrance to the restaurant after eating and stowed my FO behind a counter for later.

I walked back up to the host stand to tell them I was back from break as a party of six asked for a table.

BINGO!

Belly full, hidden frozen delight and got back just in time for a big table.

It wasn't an overly busy night but walked out the door before ten making two Franklins and an extra fifty in cash to take with me.

I was like a kid in a candy store. I had the next day off,  had made the deposit I needed for Massey's college tuition, gassed up my rental vehicle, fixed the Ziggy situation, gotten a belly full of food and walked out of the restaurant at the precise time every employee on concourse F riding MARTA wants to. Twenty two minutes before the next train.

I fast walked to the elevator, got off downstairs as the Plane Train was leaving but knew it ran every minute or so. It gave me time to walk all the way to the first train which would spit me out at the bottom of the escalators taking everyone up to ground transportation.

This may sound trivial but isn't, especially when  you work at the airport, way out on concourse F.

It was the first time since the end of May when I started this job, that I stood on the escalator without huffing and puffing my way up the already moving stairs and simply let the escalator "Do it's thing."

I strolled through the MARTA gate and slow walked up the steps instead of taking them two at a time.

I reached the platform as the train rolled to a stop, taking me home for my thirty six hour staycation.

It's the little things in life that make you happy, it's the big things that worry you.

Have my list of things to do tomorrow (now today) but look forward to not having to run for a train or take a flight of stairs two at a time.

It'll just be me and my Johnny Dear, cutting grass. What an excellent way to spend a day!

Once again, a truly blessed and really happy COTTON