February Is Marching Out

I thought about this today as I was cleaning the back sliding glass door leading to our back porch. The dogs can't just simply look through the glass without their wet nose pressed against it.

Every single time.

Whether on the inside or the outside, doesn't matter.

Maybe they are like me and are far sighted.

I still find Charlie's white hair when cleaning the leather love seat he claimed for his own personal throne.

We all still miss Sir Charles...even Ziggy and Ham still look for him.

Ole "Chally-TooPhat" was a pretty cool ole dog. We didn't really want him all that much when he first got dumped off at our house eleven years ago for a two week stay and was hard the love the ole grump. Then eleven years later we had an even harder time finally letting him go.

He had a good run with us, was always taken care of and loved. What more can you do for a dog?




Then this happened...

I worked an opening lunch shift yesterday. I was kinda excited. The opening server goes in at ten thirty and is usually walking out the door before two. I knew I probably wouldn't make a lot of money but already had my 'ToDo' list written down for the rest of the afternoon.

Then the hostess called out. No worries, it's usually slow on Monday day shifts. We run with three servers, one bartender and a host.

So what we were down one man?

But, here's the thing about working in the restaurant world. One law always applies to any given shift, any given day.

...And it did.

My first table was a party of seven which turned into a party of nine and stayed for three hours. Three bottles of wine, ran me to death but ran up a tab of $450. Very nice people though, having a business meeting. The place filled up quickly. On the day shift we don't have support staff (bussers or food runners) so was pretty much left to us three servers to run our own food, clear and reset our tables and now seat the guests as well.

Controlled chaos at its best.

I clocked out at four but did so with a car payment in my pocket.

I ran all my errands anyway and finally got home around six. I walked in the house and saw a manila envelope on the kitchen table with my name on it. I didn't know anyone from New Hampshire but opened it, curious to know what some Yankee had sent me.

How sweet was this?

I knew immediately who it was from.  The package had a tracking number on it and had been delivered early after noon.



During the debacle of my lunch shift, I  received a text from a co worker. It read "How's your day?"

I simply didn't even have the time to reply.

Then when I opened the envelope, it all made sense.

I was on the fence about this woman when she stomped her way into Chroma a few weeks after I started. She charges into the room, seems to take over and no one argues when she does. She walks like she is on a mission to kick some one's ass and take their name later.

She kinda scared me.

I am a lot older than her, not nearly as pretty and was still nervous about getting everything right at my new job. This old dog finds it extremely hard to learn new tricks.

After a few months went by we became work friends. She has the same work ethic I have and when working together make a pretty great team.

At Thanksgiving time last year, she spearheaded a fundraiser behind my back with all the other employees and they presented me with a $100 Publix gift card, thanking me for all the food I bring in and share, not to mention always having candy and snacks for everyone.

So very true.

Sometimes I make other people happy and in return, (lucky for me) they do the same.

It's The Golden Rule personified.

It can be something as simple as a phone call, text, email, note dropped in snail mail or hug when someone needs it.

I have so many faults there isn't enough paper in the world to jot them all down on. But faults should inspire, not define you.

I'm not the best at anything (other than sarcasm) but know what love is and how much it means.

It may sound trivial but isn't. When this world learns to love more than hate, that will be the change.

My life has been quite the journey. Watched both my parents die in front of my own two eyes, which opened them even more. Married a wonderful man, had three kids and two decades of success, then a decade of financial failure.

Then this happened...

We are all still here, five surviving and thriving. Be a good person and good things will happen to you.

Don't worry about politics so much, worry about loving each other more.

I say this with firm conviction. Tim and I are a divided couple. He was a Repub yet married a Demo.

The problems of this world will only be solved when we all meet in the middle, quit accusingly point fingers at each other like children but instead work from the middle to achieve the outward common goal .

Grow up America.

I did, so can you.

Til next time...COTTON