What Are the Odds?

Woke up this morning totally exhausted from my double shift yesterday at the airport but feeling almost giddy about being able to make the mortgage payment. Tim cooked me a big breakfast and by noon was walking out the door to go back for another shift.

I found a parking spot four spaces from the front of the MARTA station entrance and took it as yet another good omen. My next good omen was making it onto the Sardine Shuttle five minutes before it began to pour rain.

Walked into work and hadn't walked ten feet before a friend of mine who is also a server there said "You got Shopped again."

You have GOT to be kidding me??

On my very first day of waiting tables on my own,  I got Shopped and was devastated to learn the score was 78 out of a possible 100.

The parent company I work for hires secret shoppers to come in posing as regular customers and rate their experience.

Number one, it was my very first shift and number two, I was pretty much faking it as I went.

The corporate big wigs weren't upset but seemed rather pleased that I scored that high being a brand new server working a really busy shift which happened to be under staffed.

WHEW!

When you work for a big corporation you can be fired if you do a lousy job on a Shopper Report. It made me more determined to do an even better job and felt okay that at least had been Shopped and most probably wouldn't happen again for quite a while or at least until I felt more secure about all my abilities as a server in a fine dining restaurant.

One week later, I get Shopped again! What are the odds of THAT happening? I guess pretty good if you're a COTTON.

The manager was eating his dinner and spoke to me as I went by to clock in and said "What have you done to have the gods conspire against you? You got Shopped again."

I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit but then he said "You did a good job though, got a 93."

Another "WHEW"!!

My first shop was on June fifteenth, my second on June twenty third.

I asked the manager if I could see the Shopper Report and he printed me off a copy.

I remembered the woman. She was pregnant, flying out of the country on a business trip.

It really pumped up my self esteem. I only missed two things, asking if she was under any time constraints and pointing out that gratuity was already added although mentioned it was stated several times on her check and receipt.

Geez, she went into some detail!

Here's my favorite part:

"Kelly was incredibly sincere and very knowledgeable about the menu. I felt like she was there to take care of me and wanted to make sure I returned which is a rare feeling when you're eating in an atmosphere like the airport."

Heck yeah, GO ME!!

Looks like fretting over learning everything paid off! She also wrote:

"She also asked me if I was going to save room for dessert. I asked what they had and she described all the gelatos (it was impressive she named off all the flavors!)."

My general manager told me that Robby  (one of the founding owners of Fifth Group) called to say this report sounded like I had been working for Ecco for years, not weeks.

Go me AGAIN!

I'm simply not used to good things happening but looks like I'd better change that perception.

We started out slow tonight but as the evening progressed got busy as European departure times approached. The eighteen percent gratuity I made from charges was $182 and will go onto my next paycheck. Extra gratuity over eighteen percent they give me in cash and left with eighty bucks in my pocket.

Yes please, and thank you!

The worries over training, the massive amount of studying and even the added travel time to and from work has finally paid off.

I can finally say, without (well maybe a little) doubt we have finally turned the corner and everything will be just fine.

Seems like KARMA finally rolled back around.

Tumbling into bed, waking up by six fifteen to be at the airport by eight thirty to clock in. I'll get off around six and be home in time to work in the yards for a while.

Loving life about now...COTTON

Luckiest of the Unlucky, That's Me!

So a dear friend of mine, actually the person who talked me into starting my blog contacted me after my sister came and painted my kitchen. She wanted to do some decorating and add a few finishing touches. At first I declined her offer. Number one, I'm easy to please and was thrilled with just the paint job. Number two, once I told my sister about the offer, big sis told me that in fact I DID need some finishing touches and to accept her offer!

This morning she came over a little before ten to get started. Tim was in the kitchen making us some breakfast and I bounced out the door to the garage to she if she needed help with anything.

I brought her into our kitchen, letting her go in the door first. She immediately turned around and asked if I wanted her to wait outside for Tim to put pants on or to just come on in?

Oops...my bad.

At least Tim had on a pair of his nicer boxer briefs. He went upstairs, shaking his head and we didn't see him again.

I was just excited to get things started! Then she told me I had to leave. She had everything planned, with her and wanted it all to be a surprise when she finished.

I had plenty of errands to run so left her in charge. Around noon I came back home and she met me in the driveway.

Needless to say I was thrilled with the additions!

She had even bought a quart of the paint my sister used so it all matched . We now have a chalkboard mounted on old shutters with a hook at the top and nifty basket attached to the bottom by bent spoons, she even brought us some chalk! The other wall decorations were wonderful too and now have a matching lampshade for my lamp! I have a cool Lazy Susan on my table with a silver pepper grinder.

She made new curtains to replace my seventeen year old ones and even mounted them with a cute black rod.

She had found a huge clothespin and added a magnet to the back to hang on our refrigerator for To Go menus!

She mounted a collection of plates, some china some silver and arranged them on the wall.

The kitchen looks fabulous and the more I looked the more I liked it!

Yep, we got us a big ole "C" over the nuclear wave too. And notice the cute statue she painted black to match!

So now my kitchen is absolutely awesome! I tried to give my friend some money for all she did but refused. It's a good thing since I was down to chump change.

When she first told me I had to leave so she could work her magic I told her I had plenty of errands to run and lotto tickets a customer (another dear friend) had left me to cash in. I told her it was a new game. They give you twelve numbers...if you hit them all you win $250,000. or if none of your numbers hit, you win!

I told her we were all about not hitting the numbers right so thought we had a pretty good chance! As I walked out the door she shouted "Come back a millionaire!"

I didn't come back a millionaire but came home to a pretty awesome kitchen and still have a pocket full of lotto tickets to cash in. So my first ticket didn't hit, no worries.

I seem to being having a great run of luck and can't wait to see what the other tickets may do. My friend/ customer also gave me free scratch offs, so wish me luck!

When my friend left today she hugged my neck and said she prays for Tim every day to find a job. Extra prayers are always good.

So we've been through a lot here but on the other hand have been blessed every step of our unfortunate way.

I'm thinking our time is coming...and just think how great my house will look when we throw a big party for Tim's new job!!

I am truly the luckiest unlucky person EVER!

Til next time...COTTON

It's a Brutal Winter

As the days in January tick away, the temps continue to drop. I don't know how folks live above the Mason-Dixon Line. The wind was howling like crazy this morning and was still twenty seven degrees at noon. I personally don't like it when the temp falls below fifty.

I'm still sticking to keeping our thermostat set on sixty eight but had to bump it up a degree today. Three of our bedrooms are on the third floor and stays nice and toasty upstairs. I relented and let one of Zach's buddies stay with us for a while and's been assigned to Massey's room on the first floor for his short stay with us. He's a good kid, just a doofus (hence the "HE") and is already looking for a house to rent. He did vacuum the room and has it clean as a whistle. Since Massey's been gone we've just kept her door shut and have a space heater we use in the kitchen.  Our house is on a concrete slab and the first floor is always a bit chilly. The kitchen has two exposed exterior walls and a third is to the garage. If the dishwasher or oven is on it's nice but other than that, it's an igloo. I gave the man/boy a space heater to use in his temporary room at night. Massey's room is right off the kitchen and has an exposed wall as well. For Pete's sake, he's from El Salvador. I highly doubt they needed space heaters and lately the temps have been brutally cold. Of course it beat his option of having no where to live and he's been very grateful we have let him crash here.

A couple of years ago I let another one of Zach's buds live here for almost a year in a spare bedroom upstairs so he could stay enrolled in high school and graduate.

Here's my thing. We certainly don't live in a mansion, or really even a really nice house but it's ours and almost paid off. It's warm in the winter (if you're upstairs) has running water, heat, electricity and even Internet when we're current on the bill. They have a place to sleep and a place to bathe. They can wash clothes and usually fit right in with our dysfunctional little family. I feed them when I can and they in return pitch in with some money when THEY can.

We learned the hard way a few years ago what makes a family and it certainly isn't money. It's love and compassion, and we got plenty of that!

Tim has a lead on a job that would be an entry level position but a company which promotes from within. I'm doing amazingly well with my serving job, God seems to know I need the ego and economical boost. I go in every day with a positive attitude and walk out every night with a paycheck.

Today it was bitter cold before I left for work. The car we're borrowing from my sis seems to hate cold weather as much as I do. When it was six degrees a week or so ago, it flatly refused to crank for two days. I sent Zach out today thirty minutes before I had to leave to see if ole Bertha Benz would crank, so if she didn't I'd have time to call a cab. It took about five minutes but he got her crunk! (and yes I know that isn't a word)

I should have gotten off early enough to be cranking her up again before the temps dipped too low again but as luck would have it we were busy as crap (which I was thankful for) but got worried ole Bertha wouldn't crank to get me home. As soon as my last table left I went out back to give the ole girl a try. It's a painful sounding process. I have to turn the key for literally four or five minutes straight while continuously and furiously pumping the gas pedal. Two of my co workers were out back having a smoke and watched my attempt. It's like a ritual to me. I have to bop my head up and down as I turn the key and furiously pump the accelerator.  I've gotten pretty good at it and as they stood watching me... started to cheer for ole Bertha, saying "Come on, come on, we KNOW you can do it!" They were pumping their fists and yelling," DO IT! You're almost there, yeah that's it, keep it up, oh yeah..do it girl!" When ole Bertha finally roared to life they both walked over to my car and said "That almost seemed like a sexual experience. Congratulations!"

Seems I'm not the ONLY smart a** working there.

I let her idle for a good ten minutes then cut the car off and hurried back inside to finish my work. Once you get her cranked, she's usually good to go.

I clocked out less than an hour later and let her warm up again. I decided to go ahead and stop by the grocery store since she was all hot and bothered. Picked up groceries for tomorrow since I'm off Thursday and now don't have to worry about Bertha til Friday, when it's supposed to be in the upper forties when I leave for work.

You know, you just can't make this stuff up! I got me a life that borders on the redunkulous and never leaves me without something to laugh about.

Laughter is truly the best medicine.

I passed depression a few years back...it didn't help worth a flip. You charge ahead, you roll with the punches and you give life your best shot.

I'm just like ole Berth. May take me a while, but can get it done if I just try long and hard enough!

Til next time...COTTON