Getting Closer Every Day

I can't tell you how glad I am the page finally turned. For a while it even felt like wind was blowing  pages back and had to re read bad pages again and again.

I haven't gotten that hunk of cheese free and clear yet but have been nibbling away at it with my red helmet on as life simultaneously kept banging on it seemingly for years.

Thank the good Lord at least it didn't age me much. This is my favorite selfie.

When you suddenly lose a six figure income for a year before finding a starting over wage income while all the bills are still coming in it's tough to even make an attempt much less a comeback.

Guess who's almost pretty close to being there?

That would be this girl, lucky enough to have two absolutely wonderful siblings.

They have always taken care of their little sister and their little sister has always been grateful, even if she didn't always show it.

We were all three lucky enough to have terrific parents and the happiest childhood any kid could dream of.

We lived in a modest but roomy,  clean and inviting house in a great neighborhood tens minutes away from the heart of downtown Atlanta. It was the early sixties. Everyone slept with windows open and doors unlocked. We were a family of five and owned two house keys. Momma had  one on her key chain and Diddy the other on his.

 Momma died when I was seventeen. Diddy died from West Nile Virus at a totally healthy seven seven in a ten day sudden illness.

Well by the grace of God, family, friends and even strangers I survived. I even decided to change my hair. That way it would distract from staring at all my wrinkles. The color of my hair distracted from any staring at all the gay hair I was getting.

We're by no means in the black yet but the red is so dark I know that's changing too.

I came across a great quote that pretty much sums up these last six months.

"Damn that was hard"

No wait a minute!  Not that one (although pretty close)  I meant this  one.

Although technically am still just  a server (as some people consider) I stepped out of the box on this new job.

I was a fish out of water.

It  was like being from Bug Tussle suddenly working in Beverly Hills. I felt like  Granny Clampett working in a place so swanky the only feller she knowed who done had vittles there was Milburn Drysdale. When I first started waiting on people from the UK who would say "cheers" felt I should respond "Fabersham!" and tip my head towards them.

I was a nervous wreck the entire first four months there, no kidding.

I'm a slow learner, I went to Russell. (huge pun and shout-out to all my Wildcat peeps)

I still have a lot to learn (and will) but is a crazy massive amount of totally different things to know, know how to do and remember to do but is pretty much what gave us the kick start towards the deep red and away from the black abyss.

For months and months I've waited for the other (freaking next) shoe to drop but hasn't. We still owe everybody and their (my) brother. I owe my sister her retirement fund and countless others but the ones who could (would) sue us are regularly receiving  payments now.

It's a nice feeling to exhale, feel like we haven't in years.

As bad as it's been at times, have been blessed to learn how to be humbled, unashamed but extremely grateful and must be the reason God gave me a quick wit and (obviously) God given ability to find humor in any situation at any given moment.

It's been a journey. Maybe not one I want to take again any time soon, but was still a gift. I'm still present. Or as my dude says, "Pre Sent!"

Til next time. a LUCKY COTTON