It's the Little Things

I was scheduled off at the restaurant here in Newnan so picked up a dinner shift at the airport. Left the house in time to stop at the gas station and get a large Coke Icee for the hot trek to the airport.

Once again the MARTA gods smiled on me and found a pretty close spot to the train entrance on my first drive through. The Sardine Shuttle was almost maxed out but slipped in between two dudes and made it to work ten minutes early. It's the little things like rapid transit going your way and being able to squeeze into a tiny spot in the Sardine Shuttle to make me feel like my day's going good.

Started out kinda slow but as the Paris flight departure got closer we got slammed. I didn't leave the restaurant until 11:20 but made over $230 on my day off and had twenty minutes to catch the 11:40 MARTA train back to the parking lot. It's a sad feeling when you miss the 11:40 because then you have to sit for twenty minutes for the next one at midnight.

I have it down to an exact science now  and a mere thirty seconds makes a huge difference.

I work way out on Concourse F and have to ride all the way back through gates E to A, then past the T gate to the last stop, ground transportation. I hustled all the way down to the first train which lets you out closest to the escalators you climb two at a time up to the terminal when the Plane Train doors open then half jog to the MARTA station another three minutes away and flat out run up the escalator steps. Most passengers don't know this, so the first car on the Plane Train is always packed with employees, all thinking the same thing "Let me make the 11:40!"

Everybody on the first Plane Train is looking at their watch or cell phone and planning their early escape when the doors open. One TSA guy keep telling another TSA guy how many minutes we had left every time it made a stop at the next gate making my tired old woman self more and more nervous.

I "HAD" to make that train!

The doors opened at ground transportation and we all elbowed each other to get out first. It looks more like a starting gate at a racetrack opening.

I beat the two even older TSA guys to the escalator and hot footed it up. They were close behind but chose the South terminal way instead of the North terminal way. One of the girls I work with told me she and another friend tried both ways, timed it and found the North terminal saved you at LEAST ten seconds.

Huffing and puffing through the MARTA turnstile and up the next escalator I made the 11:40 with about ten seconds to spare. My TSA buddies weren't so lucky.

I kept a watch on the time while driving home. By the time midnight hit and the next train was pulling into the MARTA station, I was already back in Coweta County just ten minutes away form the house.

It's the little things!

Working at the airport has certainly been a continuous and ongoing adventure. It's like working in another realm.

Tomorrow I am scheduled for a double shift here in Newnan but luckily have to leave the house only ten minutes before clocking in.

Yes, it's the little things!

Then it's back to my other realm on Saturday morning.

I got this!

I've been able to make two mortgage payments since working at the airport and now we are at least caught up. We're not ahead yet..but will be soon.

My car should be ready by this next week and can quit sponging off my next door husband for transportation. That will be another huge relief. I keep expecting to see a For Sale sign in their front yard every morning I trek over to his house to get in his little truck.

I have my "Thank You" blog saved in drafts but will post it soon. It keeps getting longer every time I think of someone else who has helped us survive this over four year journey. It may end up being as long as the Uni bomber's manifesto!

Yes I'm still tired and working too much but the feeling of getting caught up and closer to being ahead is euphoric and make every day and every shift easier.

I think this picture was taken at our wedding when the minister was asking us to repeat "For better or worse, richer or poorer."

Thank goodness I was listening!

This journey has been long and often though it would never end.

I finally think it has, and look forward to what the future holds for us.

Tim is gainfully employed again full time and in a place where he can advance.

I think my only regret is leaving Mama Lucia's full time. I feel like I am deserting them which in a way, am. But it was us or them and know they understand. They've already come around and think it is now just simply unspoken but understood.

I'm not one to forget when someone has helped me and this family has helped me out time and time again. They will always have my gratitude and sincerest admiration.

They're not too happy to lose me but know they are happy I'm moving ahead. Heck, it's a compliment to know they'll miss me.

Til next time...COTTON

Another Productive Day

Yesterday we scrapped Zach's car. They go by weight so we loaded up everything made of iron or steel we could find. The old broken grill from the back yard, brake shoes a kid left in our garage when he used our driveway to replace his brakes, old patio chairs and anything else we could find. Today we hauled Massey's old car over. It cranked and made it as far as the top of the driveway before it clacked, clattered and sputtered it's last breath. Zach's buddy had a truck and a tow strap so they hauled it over to the salvage yard.

Our garage is cleaner than it has been in years. I'm somewhat of a hoarder, guess it comes from being audited by the IRS about twenty years ago. I had bank statements, bills and pretty much everything dating back to before Tim and I were even married. Not that we have any money but felt uneasy about throwing away so much personal information. Zach burned it all in the firepit in our back yard. I went through every box , every piece of paper and every envelope first just to be sure I wasn't getting rid of something we would need.

While the boys dragged Massey's car to it's final resting place I ran errands. Got some bills paid and bought transmission fluid, power steering fluid and oil for the Mercedes we're borrowing from my sister...gotta keep ole Bertha running smooth.

Went into work at three thirty. It was slow as Christmas until about six then they all came at once. Hey, at least they came!

I did great last night so was okay with having just an above average night. You gotta share the wealth. I waited on just three tables but walked with over eighty bucks. I am off Wednesday and Thursday but picked up a Thursday shift from another server so I should be okay. Around seven, Barb came up to me and said "Your buddy is at the bar." I knew immediately who she meant. I peered around the corner and saw him sitting there. The Rat Bast who fired me from the "Western Sizzler" where I worked like a dog for fourteen years...not that I hold a grudge. (well maybe I do) I've tried to get over detesting him so much but simply can't. I did feel some satisfaction when he got fired for something equally as stupid but still can't bring myself to speak to or even look him in the eye. What I really want to do is walk up and punch him in the face, but that won't solve any of the problems he caused either so instead make sure I have a pleasant look on my face at all times and act like I am having the time of my life while I run to and fro around the restaurant making sure to keep a wide perimeter.

What I want to do is go up and tell him how humiliating it was for me to not only have to file for unemployment for the first time in my life but file for food stamps and put my kids on medicaid as well. We almost lost our house and had to rely on the charity of others simply to survive. Pretty much I just want an apology but know I will never get one...hence the grudge and chip on my shoulder. I get over a lot of wrongs and forgive pretty easily but don't think that will ever apply in this case. Karma came back around, befriended me and should be satisfied with that. This healing process may take a while longer!

TJ and Zach start their new jobs tomorrow. They are having the soft opening for family and friends so I may go see what the new place is like. The menu looks good and the prices are reasonable.

On another note, I'm pretty ticked at Mr. Groundhog and his so-called abilities. Six more weeks of winter? "Inconceivable!"

I'm going out front tomorrow (now today) to clip my budding Pussy Willow tree. It's all popped out with the fuzzy buds and  make great vase decorations. After that, Old Man Winter can go away for all I care. I can't stand being cold,  can't stand the rain and can't stand not being able to work in the yard without a jacket.

It's time to get my Johnny Dear out of hibernation in the garage and start cutting grass again.

I miss my flip flops.

They are predicting snow again this weekend and hope for once they are wrong.

Til next time...COTTON

Another Day At The Fun House

Started a really hard work week today. I am only scheduled five days but all five are the dreaded double shift. At least I still have two days off to keep what little sanity I have left.

Went in to open the store and while setting up, the young girl (who I love dearly)  was mopping the front lobby and mentioned  a car was on fire in the parking lot! We went to the front door and sure enough...

I called 911 from my cell and they asked if everyone was out of the car? I said yes, the two people were standing by  the car. They  told me tell them to move away from the vehicle and help would be there shortly. I walked outside where a young woman, VERY preggers and a young guy stood looking into the hood of the car. I told them the fire dept. was on the way and to maybe move away in case of an explosion. An older gentleman standing with his wife said the same thing and after finally figuring out fanning his wife beater at  the engine just seemed to increase the flames they stepped back. I told them I was sorry but a car can always be replaced. (been there done that)

They weren't overly friendly and not to seem judgemental, the young man looked pretty sketchy to say the least. He had on baggy pants that were so low I could have given him a suppository easily and he had a "loosey" tucked behind his ear. Neither of them thanked me for calling the fire dept. but looked around nervously. The fire truck rolled in less than two minutes later followed by  three police cars. A car pulled in on the other side of all the commotion and two women got out. The young couple walked towards them, looking back over their shoulder at the flaming vehicle and all got back in the car and simply drove away...leaving the now fully engulfed car.

What the heck?

I walked out front and told one of the officers that the people who had been driving the car just left in another car with two women. They asked if I had a tag number but they had backed out and I had no way to see. I gave a description of the car and one of the officers said so far the tag on the burning car hadn't shown up as a stolen vehicle but maybe one of them had a warrant out for their arrest.

The fire was out and they were cleaning up the mess when another car pulled in and two older women got out accompanied by  the preggers chick. Sketchy dude was conspicuously absent.

There was a lot of hand motion and arm waving by the cops as they all talked.

Exciting start to a long day!

The rest of the lunch shift was uneventful. It rained and rained and rained. Peeps in Georgia are terrified by  ANY inclement weather and it made for a slow lunch shift.

Went back for my dinner shift and was thrilled to see my new friend and server "Timmy Tune" was working.  That made my night. Even if it was slow again I could pick on him and entertain myself.

It wasn't slow and I scrambled for a while just to keep up. Once it slowed down I began to relax and the "Fun" started!

While working the slow lunch shift I  told the owner's son about my game "Planting the seed." The owner's son is the sous chef and I have known him longer than I have his parents (my bosses.) Poor Tim...

Just when it started getting busy, Leon (the owner's son) started slowly and aimlessly singing from behind the cook line "All by myself...don't wanna be, All by myself."

I started laughing, poor Tim just looked and me and said I was a bitch. He smiled though as he walked out of the kitchen.

Let me also say  that after our second night of torturing him with my "plant the seed" game another co worker got him to sing "YMCA" by The Village People. I told her if she could get him to make the letters with his arms she would get fifty bonus points!

Since he was on to my scheming I decided on another line of torture...throw him under the "Barb" bus. (a horrible place to be)

Barb was going to retire last month but it has been waylaid. She has worked like mad for over forty years and is close to the end of her rope, mentally and emotionally drained from decades of seventy hour work weeks. She is a good woman but crazy as all get out. Her temper can flare up quicker than the car did out front of the store this morning.

She has a jar of Kraft mayonnaise she keeps in the small cooler for her own personal use. She uses more mayo than any person I have ever known.  When  servers need mayo they are supposed to go to the back walk in cooler and get it out of the gallon jug. She saw Tim getting some out for a guest and in usual "Barb" fashion chewed him out for using her own personal mayo and dogged him out for the top not being screwed back on correctly.

I was laughing so hard (you HAVE to laugh at Barb or you will go as nuts as her AND her husband) and said to Barb "I see Tim eating your  Kraft mayo all the time."

Tim apologized at least twice and left the kitchen. I walked out front and told Barb "Sometimes when he works a double shift, he takes your jar of Kraft with him on his break."

Not two minutes later... Tim came back and said "Barb just  accused me of taking her mayo with me on my breaks."

I looked out front from our service alley and Barb was sitting on her perch by the bar chuckling  to herself.

I work in a freaking nut house...but  love it and tend to call it the "Fun House."

Yes,  the owners are (as Massey calls them) "Cray-Cray" and can make you madder than a hornet but if you work really hard for them the entire time you are clocked in and always think of the restaurant's best interest...they are the most sincere and honest crazy people I have ever had the good fortune of not only meeting but lucky enough to work for.

Tim (my husaband Tim) noticed yesterday that both the rear tires on my car are showing steel belts and I gulped, thinking I just took this car to Atlanta and back a couple of days ago going eighty both ways and down to Warm Springs and back last Sunday.

Called my buddy  at B&L Tire today while out back at lunch calling home to check on Massey and told him I needed two new tires. He said to come in tomorrow and told him I hope I was gonna make $300 at work tonight. He said he hoped so too.

I made pretty good money  tonight but not near enough to pay for my tires. When  home on my break I packed up some of the potato salad I made to take back to Barb, who LOVES my potato salad. (thank you  momma for teaching me how to make it)

Before I clocked out I pointed out the potato salad in the cooler to Barb and she thanked me for it. I told her it came with a price and asked her if she could float me a loan  to help with my tires?

With  another shake of her head, a quizzical look and a sideways glance; she fronted me the money to get my tires tomorrow.

I work in a Nut House...but it is a Fun House.

Sometimes they kill me, but  have always come to my rescue in our time of need.

Getting two new tires tomorrow, don't have the full amount but for some crazy reason my buddy at the tire shop loves me too and will be fine with me having half the amount due. I am working non stop the rest of the week and can have him paid off in a couple of days.

Life is strange. You think you are losing it, all is lost and your life is over. Then people who love and have faith in you come to your rescue.

Next week Massey and I are taking Barb on a road trip to Warm Springs (a BEAUTIFUL place) with  the top down on the car and a full jar of Kraft mayo in the cooler.

When you think you are lost...look for a friend. When your life sucks, keep on keeping on. When you  think it will never get better, pray.

If YOU don't try, why should anyone else?

Til next  time... Cruising again soon COTTON