Every Day Is Different

So I worked a mid shift today at the airport. I had an attractive couple at one of my tables. Very nice, soft spoken. Nice looking dude and gorgeous petite blonde.

One of the cooks came up to me in the back and asked if I had table 213? He was stunned and told me that the guy was famous from UFC.

When I went back to the table noticed he did have a pretty terrific body, not to mention a beautiful girl with him. He left to go to the men's room and I was chatting with the woman who told me they had just been married in a beach wedding on Pawleys Island. I told her I had read a few books by Dorethea Benton Frank.

When I took their bill, told him my youngest son would think I was cool when I told him I had waited on him. I told him Zach had worked at Hooters where UFC is a really big deal. I told him I guess in the south, drinking and fighting went hand in hand!

Dang...talk about a six pack!

So in other airport news, I was talking with one of the S.A.'s (servers assistants) tonight. She's a young chick I met on one of my first days at the airport. I was riding MARTA with her and  struck up a conversation. She was working out on F with me but at a small sandwich shop/ bookstore. We met a few more times on the commute and in the terminal and told her she should come to work where I did.

She finally did apply and got on as an SA, to transition into a server. Very cute and smart girl. She had just recently moved to Atlanta and after talking more realized she was renting a house in my old neighborhood of East Point, actually four blocks away from my childhood home, renting a house next door to a former high school classmate's mother.

Go figure!

The most senior SA in the restaurant is a guy from Ecuador...y muy loco. I like him!

I could file my fingernails on his spiked up hair. We took this selfie at the airport MARTA station one night when riding home at the same time.

Here's the thing. An "SA" gets paid bare minimum but makes their money off  tip outs from servers and bartenders.

I've been a server for thirty five years. Some servers are just cheap when it comes to tipping out and that really bothers me, especially here.

There is a guideline. You're supposed to tip out .02 to the SA.

Big deal....Right?

Trust me, I'm a Lifer server and if you are on top of your game at this place and doing your job right, you'll make enough money that 2% is nothing.

Well let's say ten servers are greedy, cheap and squelch on their tip outs. That's a lot money when you add it up at the end of the year.... or two.

I'm not secretive about what I make...

We were audited by the IRS years and years ago when the kids were little and learned quickly how important it was to claim all your tips. I always claimed mine because when buying a house, car or applying for a loan seemed to me better, to be able to actually prove your income instead of brag on one income and pay taxes on another.

Anyway, back to my story...


My little friend I encouraged to come over and join our team is a really hard worker and always look forward to seeing her. She has a great attitude but guess I got her in the restaurant on the wrong foot.

Suddenly some new girl comes over from another store nearby in the terminal and airport oldies start talking about them being some kind of a spy for corporate or something.  (extra huge eye roll)

For Pete's Sake you idiots, we're not dealing dope, smuggling babies, illegals or trying to blow up a plane...she just wants to get her foot in the door. The worst thing she could tell corporate is that YOU are cheap!


Carlos, on the other hand has no problem whatsoever calling you out or asking for a tip out you forgot to leave him.

We use these cardboard coasters at work and Carlos always has one in his pocket with server names written, dates and when they worked. When you tip him out he'll scratch your name off...if you cheat him he mentally scratches you off and don't blame him one bit.

I'm bringing home a thousand a week just working five days and shifts.

Do you not think the SA's are seeing the tips left on your table when they bus and clean them?

HELLO??

What's two percent and be real...it's called "Paying it Forward" and not only that but Karma.

Yes they eventually bus all the tables but whose table do you think they will go to first...mine or yours?

DUH!!!

Sometimes you just can't fix stupid.

I've decided to give Carlos a special Christmas present. I'm going to get him a little coaster laminated with spaces for the AM servers on the front and PM on the back.

My little new friend/ spy had a great idea to give him a dry erase marker to fill it out every day.

After they all started calling her a spy, TJ came up with "Inspector Gadget" but after she tumbled on the escalator the other day on the way to work, had horrible bruises and scratches said maybe we needed to call her "Pink Panther."

I liked that!

I shortened it and now call her "P -Squared".

Come on people now, smile on your brother...you need to love somebody right now.

Love is but a song to sing
Fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment's sunlight
Fading in the grass

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It's there at you command

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Til next time...COTTON