Bon Voyage!

My next door husband's oldest daughter left for Germany today with her husband who is in the Air Force. They just finished four years in Hawaii and are now off to Germany for another four.

When my neighbors moved in next door to us, Megan was still in elementary school. Now she's a married young woman traveling the world!

Her father was in the Air force as well ...the legacy continues. I knew they were flying out today and sent her a text when I got to work inviting them to come by the restaurant and see me before they left if they had time.

I was in the back when the hostess told me there was a young lady asking to see me out front.  I had already told my manager about them leaving for their new assignment in Germany and asked if it was okay I bought them a couple of appetizers and a drink?  My manager  immediately said that would be fine, just split off their tab and he would take care of it later.

How cool is that?

I was terrified about taking this job, felt (and was) out of my league and comfort zone but absolutely HAD to take the chance and has hands down been a saving grace to my family. I still have a lot to learn... and learn it I will but already knew how to work hard, show up every shift and work from the time I clock in until the time I clock out and they seem to like that about me and have done a lot better job than I thought I would be able to do.

I also partly owe my wonderful next door husband for having this job. I asked to borrow his little spare truck back in June for two  weeks until my own car was ready and am still driving it in October.

I'm guessing the crock pot they are using to fix my car in was mistakenly set on low instead of high or something like that, but finally just bought the truck from my neighbors a few weeks ago. I made the final payment this last week and put it on our insurance. (along with the car that I still haven't even sat in or cranked up)

There aren't enough good thing I can say about my next door husband. He has helped out every single person in our family time and time again, always refuses any payment and acts like he enjoys helping. I'm pretty sure he probably rolls his eyes and shakes his head slowly walking back next door after a "Fix It" visit to our house but never refuses when we ask him for help or advice.

We Clampetts learned early on... just go over and ask for his advice about a problem we need help with and he'll stop what he's doing, come over with his tools and "Get er Done!"

This is a short list of what he's helped do:

Install two dishwashers
Fix my electrical outlets
Fix my oven
Fix my dryer (three times)
Fix my washer
Install ceiling fans
Fix my car
Fix my car again
Fix Tim's car
Fix Tim's car again
Fix my Johnny Dear
Fix my Johnny Dear again...and again...and again and again
Fix TJ's car
Fix TJ's car again
Fix Zach's car
Fix Massey's car
Fix our dryer vent
Fix out privacy fence
Bring an escaped dog of ours back
Bring an escaped dog of ours back again
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
(our dogs used to get out a lot)
Loan us dog food when broke as jokes (too many times to count and wasn't a loan but charity)


I'm serious that I could go on and on, but you get the drift. He's a good neighbor.

He always answers his phone or calls us back when we call and can't tell me he has EVER thought even one time we were calling to just say hello.

What a guy, and what a neighbor!

It's not like we're rolling Phat now but at least we're rolling along and in the right direction. I wanted to simply pay a little forward.

He works for  an airline and the whole family could come through security to see them off so ended up being seven of them. I'm sure that's why they didn't come into the restaurant and just sent the two sisters to say hey to me.

I told them all to come in and had to practically beg. First my next door husband said they weren't dressed nice enough, which they were. Most people fly casually dressed these days and besides that they let ME work there don't they? Then he said they had Megan's dog with them. Big whoop, peeps bring in dogs all the time I told him.

I had to once again force them to order something other than water and finally got my next door husband to order a beer, then got three more cocktails out of the rest of them after insisting. I went ahead and ordered two orders of fried goat cheese for them. It's our signature appetizer and absolutely decadent. Six balls of goat cheese tempura style battered, quickly fried, drizzled with clover honey and fresh cracked black pepper.

Then the husband of my next door neighbor's daughter who was leaving for a four year assignment in Germany asked me how the lamb pistachio meatballs were and insisted once again they try some.

 I cannot tell you how wonderful it felt to do something for this family which has been absolutely wonderful to us over the years and never once asked or expected anything in return.

I personally forced a hundred dollars worth of  stuff on them as my next door husband commented they had to leave soon.

I told them when they had to leave, just leave. It was all taken care of. My next door husband said no but told him if he tried to pay I'd never let him fix anything at our house again. His ex wife who was with the entourage and knew how much he has done for us over the years said "Yeah, right."

Touche'!

My manager had left to go to a meeting earlier but came back just as they were leaving and met Megan and her husband as they left.

After they all left I told him it had gotten to be a little bigger party than had originally thought but the family meant a lot to me and have helped us out tremendously through the years.

He walked over to a computer and swiped his card after asking at what table they had been sitting ?

I didn't look at the check until well after they were gone but knew whatever it cost me was well worth and beyond what  this family has done for us over the years ten fold.

He had taken care of everything but the bare minimum and my next door husband had thrown a twenty on the table as a tip so for ten bucks I got to do something nice for someone who has done nice things for us for over thirteen years.

Life is good.

Life can be and IS hard, but if you are good and determined, will always get easier.  You have to  keep on trying your best. May take a while and at some low point feel like "Whadda I have to lose by trying any way" but right to feel that way.

Nothing ventured...nothing gained.

I was at a low point. I ventured and I gained.

Once again, am an incredibly lucky person...sometimes God just makes you wait to realize it.

Good luck to Megan and her cute hubby on their new adventure together!

Til next time..COTTON