Insanity Overload (in a good way)

My nephew got married this past weekend and I actually took two days off in a row, which I never do. Lucky for me they got married the week I got my biggest paycheck ever from work with about seven hundred extra in cash. I'm so freaky now (after our five year struggle) about missing any shifts work but won't even notice it come next pay day. The rehearsal dinner was phenomenal and only thing missing from making it better was my husband and son, TJ ...along with his fiancee' and their two girls.

The rehearsal and wedding were both held at a quaint, historic Bed and Breakfast in the very scenic small town of Senoia close to where we live.

My husband flew in the day of the wedding, was a party to remember and  perfect celebration of love, family and friends.

Oh yeah, did I mention my brother came too? Let's just say he's NOT the guy on the left in the above photo.  

I went right back to work the next day . Tim and my brother left for Orlando at six in the morning and by three I was at the airport waiting tables again, and again and again.

 Today I went in even earlier and didn't leave until after closing. I'm also working the next four days and expect nothing but being busier.

I have so much to write about and tell you but will have to wait. I'm getting old and work is getting beyond (as my daughter says) cray cray.

I have to pace my now getting old ass self.

Give me until Saturday... my only day off. Will post marvelous pictures and tell you all about how fantastic my life has turned out to be at the tender age of almost fifty six.

As an old friend once said to me, "I think you pickled well."

I can tell you this  in advance.

I'm tickled pink about our life and everything happening to us and can't wait to tell you all about it.

Stay tuned and thanks for reading about our journey.

In the card I gave the bride and groom along with their wedding present, wrote this:

"I'm not going to tell you it will be easy, I'm telling you it will be worth it."


And it is.

Till next time...COTTON

Wedding Weekend

My nephew is getting married this weekend and couldn't happen at a better time. I need two days off in a row. Every shift is exhausting these days (in a good way) and the busy travel season hasn't even started yet.

My sister's younger son is marrying his beautiful Hawaiian princess and all of us couldn't be happier for them both.

He proposed to her on Christmas Day two years ago when were all at my brother's lake house in Orlando. It was so romantic. After we had all opened gifts he asked her to walk out on the dock with him. All of us knew what he was going to do and excitedly watched from the house. They stood on the end of the dock talking and holding hands while we all stared, mesmerized by their special moment. We were all wondering if he would go down on one knee when suddenly he turned to her, dropped to his knee and took the ring from his pocket. You could hear us (am sure) all screaming from inside the house. It was truly a magical moment and (bonus points) all got to share in it with them.

Both are avid softball players (how they met) and not sure which one's better...that's a tough call.

She's from Hawaii and beautiful from inside to out. He's pretty handsome too and make a great pair.


That's one thing both my sister's boys got totally right...choosing the perfect woman. Her other son, also a great ball player is more the artsy type and very talented in that field as well. He married one of the most talented women I've ever met. She can cut hair better than any stylist I've ever gone to even though she's never had any training. She designs and makes jewelry which looks better than what you'd find at a store and is the queen of  all things organic and herbal. She's an eclectic beauty. They married last August.

They are a match made in Retro Heaven and the ones renting our house when we move to Orlando.



So this upcoming weekend my other nephew is tying the knot with his own beauty. Griffin has always been the outspoken and goofy brother. Casey is the quiet thought provoking one. Both are excellent ball players and always been close brothers.

My sister was nice enough to also invite us to the rehearsal dinner so I get to take two days off in a row and not sure which thing excites me more (totally kidding) but certainly can use the rest from the crazy house (aka) airport.

They are getting married and also having the rehearsal dinner at The Veranda Bed and Breakfast in the quaint town of Senoia.

I'm totally pumped! Ordered me a dress from what's most probs a sweat shop in China (thanks and sorry, kids) for nine bucks and Massey bought me some cute shoes to match today while I was at work. The ones in this picture have a heel severely chewed on by Charlie, our bulldog (idiot) extraordinaire.

Tim's flying in early Saturday afternoon and us Clampetts will be there with bells on. He has to leave Sunday morning but at least will get to all be together for almost twenty four hours.

Jamie and Griff will be a stunning couple, always have been. They certainly rocked their last Halloween costume party!

Life is coming up roses for me at the tender age of fifty five plus and couldn't be happier about it.


I received the sweetest note from a blog reader today. It read:

Kelly, your blog inspires me. I enjoy reading it, you've had a rough few years and instead of feeling sorry for yourself and being a victim, you have fought and overcome. I'm so happy (and a bit jealous) that you get to move to Florida and have your entire family together. Thanks for being an inspiration to me.




How bout them apples for a compliment?

When things happen in life, is often for a reason. My "things" were and actually needed to happen. Tim and I sailed along through life for over twenty years without one hitch. We made well over six figures, had plenty in savings and not a care in the world.

Just as suddenly, Tim lost his job and we lived off our savings for over a year. Then the second shoe dropped and I lost my job. We hit rock bottom and then ended up under the rock. Then we sunk even lower. It seemed to go on forever.

But no matter how bad it got, we kept on keeping on and just as suddenly almost (literally) everyone we knew came to our rescue. My embarassment of our poverty lasted about a minute. The humility I learned  will last a lifetime and thanks to all, have survived.

Yes I'm pretty much a liberal and take plenty of hits for it but that's okay too, Tim's a staunch Republican so we even each other out. Yes there are plenty of peeps sucking the government teat and is appalling even to me but needs to be in place for people like us. Without government assistance as well would have lost our house and pretty sure would have been homeless. It's called checks and balances and needs to be a priority but with everything else going on the world  and corruption rampant on both sides of the aisle, politics is nothing but infighting at best and a total Catch 22. I feel lucky we survived at all, but survive we did and making huge strides we are!

The world isn't a perfect place, and I certainly don't live in a perfect country but do live in nation which takes care of their own, unfortunately along with millions of free loaders.

I've never considered myself a victim. I choose to consider myself and my family blessed to be loved.

Love is all you need...and that my friends, is so very true. You have to love the haters and feel empathy for their ignorance. You have to love others with their own opinions and agree to disagree.

You have to love.

We have been loved and am pretty sure is because we love as well.

Love is  all you need and doesn't cost one red cent to do.

F

I went into work today early and walked out (albeit late) tonight with more than I ever  made in a week at my last job. Trust me, I worked extremely hard for it and is actually quite hard to do, especially at the age of almost fifty six but am beyond grateful for the opportunity. There was one point I bet I had nine tables going at once but lucky for me everything synced... the kitchen, the hosts, the server assistants, the food runner and even the dishwashers. My managers are equally great and have never worked in such an insanely controlled environment of chaos. Of course I show up, on time and do everything expected of me and always attempt go above and beyond.

You get what you give. 

And I'm an all out person, especially when being handsomely paid to do so. And with that said, can take the next two days off to enjoy my family, my husband's quick visit home and the rehearsal dinner and wedding of my nephew. It's a family affair and one I look forward to immensely.

Growing up being one of the Leach clan was the best thing to ever happen to me. I know my parents smile down on us three sibs and happy we're such a tight group of numb nuts! We're crazy to be around and crazy about being around each other.

Love is ALL you need when you're one of us!

Can't wait to post pics and videos from this weekend, so stay tuned!

Til next time...COTTON

So I Made Lemonade

As my time here in Georgia begins to come to a close is bittersweet, much like lemonade we've been making for over half a decade. I look back over the past six or seven years, shaking even my own head in wonder.

Time flies. Literally.

Seems like yesterday I was going through the drive thru at the bank to make my deposit (always the furthest lane from the building) and making fake cell phone calls to look busy while secretly hoping the teller wouldn't tell me I was overdrawn (again). I remember my crazy (but sweet) mother in law telling me to take a spoon and scratch across the account and routing number at the bottom of my check with the tip and would prevent the check from being automatically read by a machine and would be kicked out and have to be entered manually by an actual person, giving you at least one more day.

It actually worked and sometimes kept our electricity on. I also remember how many people from Massey's high school helped us when she was on the color guard. I could never afford the dues but worked each and every event to help and many, many  moms helped with picking Massey up and bringing her home from practice while I was at work. They also stocked my kitchen cabinets and even helped pay for her letterman jacket.

I worked for a mom and pop restaurant at the time, after being fired from LongHorn and while didn't make fantastic money was taken care of by the owners as if was one of their own kids. They floated me interest free loans and once or twice ( maybe three or ten times) loaned me money until payday.

I had friends from high school sending us gift cards and guard moms as well. My sister cashed in her own 401k and she and her husband gave us several thousand to keep us afloat.

I also remember running our trash can out to the street in my nightie and giving the guy five bucks to take our trash even though we hadn't paid. Did it more than once.

Now six years later, we are better off than we've ever been. Yes we have both worked hard and furiously albeit a thousand miles apart but now coming together and getting back to each other with nothing but blue Florida skies ahead.

Ole Jed, aka my husband is coming home this weekend for my nephew's wedding and think he will be muy impressed with all we've done around the house. Just a few more things to do and will be leaving my nephew and his wife a pretty awesome place to live.

My paycheck showed up pending in my account today for Thursday. Biggest one ever.

We've recovered because we were covered.

I know for a fact my husband is a great person and am just the person trailing behind but urging him on.

It takes two for a marriage to work.

Easy isn't in my vocabulary but determined is. 

It's been a wild  ride and roller coaster. 

I'm glad I stayed with the one who brung me to the dance...

Till next time...COTTON

Nights Like These

Yes I'm a waitress, at least that's what it was called when I started doing it in 1979.

After almost forty years in the business, have come quite a long way.

Not many people can say actually still love doing what they've been doing for a living after almost forty years but I do, and mainly because I've never been this good at anything else in my life.

I also have gotten to work with all three of my kids at one time or another and still do work with my daughter at my current job. It's been an eye opening experience for her, working in a five star fine dining restaurant and think has given her new respect for what I do. I do my job the same exact way each and every shift from the time I clock in until the time I clock out, give it my all... and then some.

It's earned me respect from my managers, coworkers (who matter) and even my guests.

In return, am treated fairly and compensated unbelievably. I did the math tonight after an especially grueling shift. Yes I tipped out support staff fifty four dollars and why shouldn't I when they helped me make over fifty dollars an hour? There isn't one support staff employee who won't drop what they are doing to help me when I ask for immediate help. They know if I specifically ask for help must desperately need, it and always quickly comply.

It's called "What goes around comes around".

I try and help some of the newer servers out with my knowledge but very few of them get it and often take offense. One did just that tonight.

I've finally come to realize that if they are okay making less than half what I do, just let them. It often means I step in and take care of their customers as well but trust me, those customers realize who's taking care of them as opposed to who's waiting on them.

The logistics of my current job are redunkulous and almost glad only have four more months left. The commute, the parking, the shuttles, the security are half my job and a part I don't get paid for.

If I had found this job when in my twenties, would be sitting on almost a million bucks by now.

Instead, am continuing to do the same exact job I've been doing for over two years now, doing it the same exact way and walking away in early September with the biggest fistful of dollars I've ever held.

I had a customer tonight, an older woman who'd missed her connecting flight to Paris because of a headset issue with one of the pilots. Bad battery, didn't work properly or whatever. Didn't matter to her, she was ticked.

The first thing I said to her was "I know being delayed is awful and inconvenient but as long as you make it safely, is all that ultimately matters."

We were besties after that.

At the end of her meal she said I had turned a horrible day into a delightful evening and asked to see my manager. She raved about the food and the wine and even my service and selections.

It feels good to change someone's day for the better. I wish all servers had the same mindset.

It's so absolutely incredibly busy these days at work and wears me totally out but think I can make it four more months.

It's like God gave me this job to get us over the past and into our future. It's served the purpose well and will be forever grateful to have had this opportunity to grow as a person and server.

The only thing I won't miss about this job is the logistics of getting there but can certainly do it four more months. Sometimes get to work drenched in sweat and out of breath before I even clock in. At least doing it all in reverse is easier after I clock out. I can take my time walking back out of security, across the atrium and down to the shuttle bus which takes me to the parking deck where I park my car. Doing it all in reverse is also easier because am walking with sometimes four hundred dollars, a few times even more which makes all the sweating and huffing well worth the effort.

Now all that's left to do is to find a house to buy, pack up this one and move to Orlando. Massey will be quitting her airport job on August 19 and be my packing guru until I quit around Labor Day. We've spent the last few months cleaning out closets and drawers and have donated bags and bags and bags of things or simply given them away. Besides what's in the attic, we're down to the bare necessities and ready to roll.

 My house is looking better than it has in years. I have two windows to replace on the back side and some fencing along the front and will be a pretty awesome place to live. Zach gave me a carpet cleaner for Mother's Day and made all the difference in the world. I still want to replace the carpet in the living room with wood and should be able to do that before our exit.

The best thing of all is two of my favorite people will be renting our house here, my nephew and his recent bride. No worries about renters, trust me they will have it looking even better in no time and is a good upgrade for them. A huge fenced in yard for their own two pups and a lot more room than they have now.

I let Tim handle the renter's agreement and he once again made me proud. No down payment or first or last month's rent. He asked them what they pay now and said that would be just fine. We could have rented it for at least three  hundred more but these peeps are family and ones we love dearly.

 Once again, Paying It Forward. They get a great place to live at a great price and we don't have to worry about what's happening to our old house. We told them they could do anything to it they wanted and  sure will be more improvements. If they want to, can buy it in a year or two with the same deal...a great price.

Over the past five years feel as if we've moved through a financial mine field but survived.

My family, related and extended have hands down been our saving grace. My heart is full of thanks and mind has been set at ease for the first time in over half a decade.

It's like the good things keep on coming. It's almost surreal. Tim's skyrocketed with his new job albeit apart from his family for two years. Instead of district manager over deliveries is now manager over the entire state of Florida. Now have no need to fret about losing my current job and have the cushion of time to find another one.

Here's the thing I believe in the most.

If you try and be a good person and give life your absolute  all while still consistently paying it forward... not so much monetarily but emotionally and with a  good heart and intentions,  good things will come. You simply  have to be vigilant and patient.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

For the first time in quite a while, I feel like everything's going to be okay...and will.

The first manager at my airport job who not only scared but inspired me (above photo from his last day) is one of the main reasons for my success there.

He called not too long ago just to check in as I was turning into the terminal, screeching into the parking deck and furiously seeking a parking spot. He gave me a compliment I'll never forget.

No, he gave me inspiration.  He said he knew I would succeed because I'm a fighter who never gives up or never gives in.

It's been a journey and a really long one.

Would I change it?

Never, and absolutely not.

I was one fat ugly baby, but grew up and gave life my best shot weighing in under a hundred pounds at the age of almost fifty six.

I call that a win, any way you look at it.

Till next time...COTTON

My Brainy Lost Boy

I think is the only picture I have of just Zach and me together after his early elementary school years. He used to happily pose for pictures, usually in something of his sister's and just to make her mad.

Then he went through his serious stage.

Then he went through his "All Business" stage.

Then for some unknown (wink wink) reason, quit posing for me to take his picture.

Out of all three of my kids is the most like me, bless his heart. He has an excellent dry wit and quick with the sarcastic comeback. I'm not really sure if those are actual attributes (unless you ask me or him) but also happens to be a whole heck of a lot smarter than I ever will.  He built his first computer when in high school and for several years was the only one we had. He knows more about history than any teacher I ever had and can tell you exactly how the the atom bomb was made.

And also just like me, has sometimes made some really bad decisions. In retrospect, is also like me in the fact that he owns up to his mistakes. He was diagnosed with ADD  his second (duh)  year of kindergarten.

In second grade I had him put on medication. At the time, all were stimulants and  had to go pick up the level two prescriptions from his doctor, they couldn't be called in. He made all straight A's that year.

He also didn't eat a bite of food after having breakfast early at the house before leaving for school and would see him at lunch in the cafeteria (also worked at the school during their elementary years) looking up and seeming to count ceiling tiles while clicking his teeth together. He still bumps his head on the pillow to fall asleep, at the age of almost twenty four.

Tim and I  both agreed would rather have him make C's than to not eat. He was skinny to begin with and didn't suffer from ADHD.

By the time he struggled his way to middle school, they had come out with medicine strictly for ADD and non narcotic which unfortunately also coincided with his rebel years.

And this was his happy look?

When Zach was going into second grade, spoke with his pediatrician about his fascination with video games. She told me kids with ADD often find them stimulating and easy to focus on.

Case in point. Zach used to be terrible about playing with a second player because  was so good at it, could go for an hour or more before losing his turn. A kid a little younger than him came over one day to play and I insisted Zach let him be the second player. The kid didn't know too much about playing Mortal Kombat (most popular game at the time) and Zach seemed all too happy to help him. I remember being in the kitchen cooking  and heard Zach say something like "Now press B-1, now press B-2. Now press it again but faster. Okay... now stand still while I kill you."

So Zach, being in his rebel stage during middle school refused to take the new drug. He firmly stated was his  body and didn't want to put drugs into it.

I also remember telling him would remind him of that if I ever caught him smoking weed in the back yard.

Eventually did and did.

He hit a rough patch his senior year and barely graduated. Then got in trouble for a stupid mistake which cost him thirty days in the county prison. I know it was hard on him but at least owned his mistake. I think it was even harder on me. I cried every day.

He came out an even smarter person and actually wrote letters to some of the guards thanking them.

Since then has been a different person. He works hard and is much easier to be around. He's still moody (just like me) and thinks he's always right (just like me) but now knows how to be a responsible person and hasn't let us down once. I call that a win.

Massey and I came home from work tonight, dog tired. I went straight into the house to pee while she went to the mailbox to check the mail.

Zach has started building another computer and gets packages delivered every other day from UPS. I walked into my kitchen which I left clean as a whistle around noon. The kitchen table was covered with computer parts and instructions. I shook my head, muttered "Oh my god" and went to pee.

I was peeing (with the door open which all my kids hate) and heard Massey come into the house with the mail.

I heard her say "Oh my god" after seeing his computer parts covering the entire table so hollered from the open bathroom door, "I know. Right?"

He was crashed on the sofa in the living room after getting home from work with a now empty Key Lime pie box on his chest. At least he was home.

He rarely ever drinks or goes out. He's a homebody and seems to like being home. His friends like coming to my house to spend time with him and I like it that way.

He's never gone on a rampage with a gun (not that we have any in our home, never have) or felt so lost felt there is no other way out.

He's a kid who was raised by two parents who've constantly kept a vigilant watch over their kids and all too well know what signs to look for.

He's by far been the one to cause me the most worry, guess that comes with being so much like me. It was the same for my parents with me, but I eventually turned out alright around the age of thirty so guess Zach's right on track.

Here's a perfect example of how Zach's mind has always worked.

He was about the age he is in the above photo. It was around Easter and had them both in my van with me going somewhere. We passed a church with three crosses out front each draped in white. Zach asked why there was three of them? I told him, in the back seat over my shoulder that Jesus was hung on the center cross and a robber hung on either side of him.

I still feel bad about not having my kids in church twice a week like my parents did but usually always cleaned house on Sunday mornings with Jesus Christ Superstar booming over the stereo. I guess I home schooled my kids in religion.

Anyway,  decided to use the drive as a Sunday School lesson and said "Zach, did you know they drove nails through both of His hands and feet to hang Him on the cross?"

Zach immediately replied, "I thought they hung Him with a rope."

I'm glad both kids were in the back seat of the van and couldn't see my face. I continued with my lesson. "You know the last thing Jesus said to all those people who hanged Him? He said I forgive you."

Zach thought about that for about five seconds and quite seriously said "I would've said, I will GET you."

I thought about that for about five seconds as well, then said "Well that's why His name was Jesus and your name is Zachary."

That may be my all time favorite "Zachism".

He can and often is moody but just the same can also melt your heart. The older he gets, the better he gets. He's my fine wine of a child. Can make you deliriously happy and can sometimes make you wake up wishing you hadn't.

I've often times felt like also saying to him "Okay, now stand still while I kill you" but am the one responsible for bringing him to this dance we call life, and what a dance it has been!

Till next time...COTTON

Craziest Things

I was sitting on the shuttle bus last week heading back to the parking deck after work. I always use the time to check my email or bank account and sometimes texts. I had gotten an email telling me there had been a comment posted on one of my blogs, it read:

Hello Kelly, I read and thoroughly enjoyed your story about "Moses." And this is how crazy it gets...Moses and I work together in a location not far from the airport. So after reading your story together, I told him that I will reach out to you so that you two could meet again. Please let me know how best to reach you. He asked that I can give you his number but I do not think it is appropriate to do so in this blog comments section. Thanks.




It had been posted about a blog I had written in 2014 well before ever starting to work at the airport. I was still working at Mama Lucia's here in Newnan. I had to look up the old blog because I've written well over 1,400. Then it all made sense! This is what I had written on March 15, 2014.

                                                        "How Crazy Is This?"

So I'm working on Saturday night at the restaurant. It's hopping and so am I. I started off with a bachelorette  party of fourteen at four and keep running all through the dinner shift. I had four older folks sit at one of my tables around seven.  Two married couples most probably in their late sixties. One of the men looked familiar but when you've been waiting tables in the same general area for over thirty years that's usually it. I asked him where he worked and replied he was retired from the GBI (that would be the Georgia Bureau of Investigation) but also said he has eaten in our restaurant often.

So begins another crazy server story...

I asked if he had worked for them in the early eighties? Yep, he did.

So this is me talking to my customer:

"I know this sounds crazy but there was a restaurant back in the seventies and eighties called "Steak and Ale." I worked at the one on Virginia Ave by the old Atlanta airport in 1980. We wore short plaid skirts with low cut peasant blouses and black tights. I was on the way to work one day and had a flat tire on the ramp of the interstate. I was only twenty at the time so thought nothing about getting out of the car in my uniform to change a tire, or at least attempt to. Cars whizzed by but finally a dark sedan pulled over behind me. A black man in suit and tie got out. He told me to move over out of the way and proceeded to change my tire for me. He was such a nice guy but chastised me for getting out of the car in my current attire. When  finished with the tire he handed me his GBI business card and said if I ever needed help to call him. Sounds crazy but after thirty four years still remember his name, maybe you knew him. His name was Moses Ector."

My customer looked quite surprised and said "In fact I do know him, he's the reason my wife and I are married. He introduced us over thirty five years ago."

Number one, how crazy is it I remember a GBI agent's name after all this time and number two, how crazy is it I would be waiting on his friend thirty four years later and this conversation come up?

His wife had gone to the restroom but when she came back was just as shocked as us!

She even gave me more enlightenment about my flat tire hero. Yes, they were still friends with him. He had grown up in the small town of Hogansville about ten miles south of where we live. He was raised by a white couple who had literally found him abandoned in a wicker basket. They name him Moses, Touche'!

How ironic that our paths crossed yet again tonight, thirty four years later. I asked if he still stayed in touch with Moses and he does. I told him to ask Moses if he remembered helping a fair young maiden on the interstate one day in 1980!

I have a lot of aches and pains but the one good thing I have left is an excellent memory.

It is truly a small, small world. It's a world full of rage , dishonesty and despair but if you try hard enough can always find a silver lining...I found one tonight. I hope this couple comes back in to eat one night along with their friend; my flat tire hero, Moses. Wouldn't that be really cool?

Till next time... COTTON

I was blown away that a blog written well over two years ago and put on the Internet had been found and shown to the person I'd written about, never thinking in a million years that person would ever see it.

The person who contacted me was tagged  "Harry The Reader" and can only guess he randomly reads blogs and somehow came across mine. I sent "Harry The Reader" my personal email address  and hope he gets back in touch with me, as  would absolutely love  to meet my knight in shining armour again.

I actually kept the GBI business card for well over ten years in my wallet. My little cyber snoop of a daughter googled my hero and appears after retiring with the GBI was police chief in his former (or maybe still) hometown for a while and also did some teaching.

Tim would have a fit if he knew about this. He worries about me putting my life out there for everyone to read but I don't. He kinda freaked the time I came home from working at the airport, maybe my first month there and told him someone had asked to be seated in my section because they read my blog. I had never met the person but found out had gone to a neighboring high school in the town I grew up and had many mutual friends. We had a delightful conversation before he took off for Greece and was an awesome guy, happily married just simply wanted to stop by and meet me because had followed my story and admired my will to survive. Tim worries about me which in return makes me feel secure enough.

I've had almost 156,000 hits on my blog from people all over the world and even right around the corner. It's what I want to do when I grow up. I want to be a writer and writers want to be read.

There's another reader from Ireland I've never met who follows my blog and commented was going to stop by when traveling through the airport this next month.

You can't live in fear of people you've simply never met, especially if you're a good person. Good things happen to good people and a lot of good things have happened to me. A lot of bad things have happened as well but lucky for me, is water under the bridge.

I look  through my email every day, waiting to hear back from Harry The Reader and think it's pretty awesome  all of this happened because I started a blog.

Till next time...COTTON