Glad This Week is Over!!

What a week...the best part is that it is behind me now. When work is the sanest place in your life I don't know whether that is a good thing or a sad thing...We'll call it a "Good Thing."

The people I work with are a great group of people. Yeah, there are a couple of idiots but that just makes us semi idiots look even better!

We have hired a few new servers that have been a welcome addition to our already totally dysfunctional family.The server I used to call Professor has been replaced with his Clone. The server who left was named Mark, and I find myself constantly calling the new server "Mark."

In my defense Ive always confused "Mark" with "John." (not really)

We have my best friend "Hoke" who keeps me in stitches without even trying. Saturday night we were slam packed and running around like chickens with our heads cut off.

Ole Hoke decided to pitch in and fill up the ice bin at the soda tower. He grabbed the bucket and took it to the ice machine and shoveled it full of ice. Then picked it up and walked right past the soda tower where the ice goes and proceeded to walk out of the kitchen into the dining room even calling the courteous "Corner Out" so no one would run into him as he swung the bucket beside him and turned the corner into the dining room and disappeared.

I thought "Where is the heck is he going?" As the thought flashed through my mind, he came swinging the bucket back into the kitchen "Corner In!" He said "I don't WHERE I was going!"

I started laughing so hard I thought I was going to wet my pants...and being an almost fifty one year old woman, it doesn't take much. It was a crazy night and every one of us were out of our minds busy, but this one comedic moment made it all okay. Yes, it was busy...but a good laugh always helps and Hoke is quite "The Helper."

Then we have our new female server "Frenchy." If she turns sideways, she disappears. They say I am as thin as her...if this is true I am in dire need of a lard sandwich on heavily buttered Texas toast. When it rains, she could stand under a power line to stay dry. She is the hardest working woman I have ever met. She makes the Latinos at work look like Slackers!

She helps everyone and runs circles around us doing side work. Its nice to know ONE French person that seems to love us Americans!

She and I both worked double shifts today. She came in before I did, so she got off before I did. When she was checking out with Len (the owner) in the office to leave I remarked "Hey, Frenchy, can you clock back in? The dishwasher just ran some more silver through and it needs to be polished." She immediately replied "Oh, jess...I vil be glads to."

Len said to Frenchy, "Tell Kelly to kiss your as#."

I was totally kidding but she would have done it in a heart beat!

It's been a rough week here at the house. It's been a rough week at work. It's just good to still be able to laugh.

"If we couldn't laugh, we would ALL go insane." (Thanks Jimmy Buffet)

Sometimes it's hard to see the bright side of life ... sometimes it just means you aren't looking hard enough. I think I may need to have my eyes checked!

Til next time...Still hanging by a thread, but that's a LOT more than millions of people have to hang on to.

Still counting blessings...COTTON

Don't Turn The Wipers On!!

Sometimes you are the windshield...sometimes you are the bug on the windshield.

Guess my maiden name came in handy tonight...because I was DEFINITELY the bug on the windshield.

I worked this morning and it was slow as Aunt Jemimah's syrup. I didn't get off til almost four and had to be back by 5:30. I left and had to take Massey a sandwich at the high school where she was helping out with Guard stuff. She told me she was in the old gym. I went to the old gym and they told me she was in the band room. I drove to the band room and they told me she had just left to go to the old gym.

It was already getting OLD to me but I got back in my car and drove back around the school, which is the size of a small college campus. I found her there, smiling and happy to see her sandwich. It didn't occur to her I had wasted fifteen minutes just trying to find her...but as usual she was all smiles and I quickly forgot what a pain in the boo-tay she can be.

I went home with 30 minutes to spare. Swept the kitchen floor (never, NEVER own 3 dogs in Winter) loaded the dishwasher that is too complicated of a contraption for anyone to understand but a Mom. Made Zach a sandwich, just because I had Made Massey one and now he was home too.

Tim was having car issues (let's just pile it on) so I had Zach drive me back to work so Tim could drive my car to work at 10:00.

All the while I was counting on that $150.00 I make every Friday night.

Hmmm....

It started out with a bang but died early and I was cut after a frantic two hours.

I made good tips ..just not enough of them. When you are a server for a living, your shift is your pay check.

Not ten minutes after I got cut we got another pop. I had already thrown in the towel and was just helping others when the new girl at work passed me with a look in her eyes like she had Charles Manson chasing her.

She had picked up two of my tables that had been seated since I had been cut, in addition to her own set of tables.

She is cute and young (they are ALL young compared to me). I could tell from her frantic face she needed help.

I ran some food to her table and they remarked "Gee, that was fast... we haven't even had our salads yet".

They were very nice, a young couple...and I told them I would get them some bread and their salads.

This server was so overwhelmed. I know she was because even at the age of fifty I have BEEN there. In restaurant speak we call it "In the weeds". It means you are so busy that you can't seem to find your way out of the weeds. You lose sense of time and direction. It is a horrible feeling but one that EVERY server has experienced.

I helped her out a little and after ten minutes of being in the 'Server time warp' she regained her composure.

She just started a few weeks ago.

One of the first days she was there someone mentioned my blogging to her and talked about the blog where I gave everyone nicknames or characters. She asked me what HER nickname was and I told her I would have to think about it.

After all settled down and I helped everyone else make money...I went up to her and said "Well you made it. You finally earned your nickname".

She was still a little shell shocked from being thrown into the line of fire (the ONLY way to learn).

I said "We'll call you 'Weeds'."

I think it will stick.

When she went back to the young couple who I had helped her out with, they mentioned they had both been servers in college and knew she was in the weeds.

Can I call it or WHAT? It's a gift...Tim calls it my PHD in BS.

Had to bum a ride home from another server since Tim had my car.

Walked in the house tonight, already dejected about being the bug on the windshield and went into the bathroom off the kitchen to discover I was also Josephine the Plumber.

How hard is it to push a suction cup on a stick up and down a few times in rapid motion to make a problem disappear?

My kids prefer to close the toilet lid...like it's some kind of magic trick. They'll come back when they HAVE to use the restroom wearing a cape and waving a wand.

They'll tap on the lid three times with their wand and "WA LA"... "Mom came home".

If my life wasn't so funny, it would be sad.

So I didn't make much money tonight. It was more than I left the house with.

I gave a new server a new nick name...and trust me it'll stick whether she like it or not!

Yesterday Tim and I bit the bullet and decided to write a new chapter in our lives. We are beginning with Chapter 17.

I hate it but I also feel a tremendous sense of relief.

Our mortgage company has taken us on a year long trip of "What If" too many times.

Now we will keep our home, with our stopped up toilet and our muddy kitchen floor because of the pups. I can once again answer the phone hanging on the kitchen wall and know that in a few short years all will be said, done and paid for.

Yes I am fifty...but as I sat in the attorney's office yesterday looking at my husband who is two years younger than me and now completely gray I know we made the right decision.

I don't even look in the mirror anymore. I know I am skinny, but that doesn't mean I look good.

I think I will start writing my life story now ...to me it has been amazing, devastating, rewarding and eye opening.

I think I will call it "Chapter 18".

Til next...after I wake up and work the consignment sale at the high school til 3 and go into work again at 4...to make up for last night....

It could be worse...but it's gonna be better.

COTTON

On the Right Track and Never Looking Back

Just got home from work. Slept in this morning after a ten hour double shift yesterday, got up and jumped on my "Johnny Dear" and cut my yard and my next door neighbor's. He still has a bum tire but with yet another Fix a Flat he made it through. Tomorrow I work a lunch shift and will go buy some new plugs and see if I can salvage the tire.

I thought about going to Wal Mart tonight after work to buy the plugs so I could do it before work but the thought of Wal Mart at 11:30 PM kinda made me feel queasy ...actually the thought of going to Wal Mart at ANY time makes me feel queasy. The day time crowd isn't all that great and the closer it gets to midnight the slimmer your chances of survival are. Some customers at Wal Mart tend to rub me the wrong way and I have had several confrontations that embarrassed my daughter beyond belief. Like the man smacking his four year kid in the head because he forgot to brush his teeth. I didn't hesitate to walk right over and ask if he'd like it if I smacked him around? I followed up with a verbal tirade about if he treated his kid like this out in public, what kind of treatment was this child getting behind the doors of his home. I finished up with a group of people staring at me, Massey slipping off to act like she wasn't with me and a couple of people actually backing me up. My next episode was with a woman screeching into an empty parking space that I had my blinker on for and calling me a "bitch" after she got out as I continued to sit in my car with my blinker on with my hands up in the air signaling "What gives?" The 'bitch' remark almost made my head explode and unfortunately Massey was with me once again...already running for another entrance to put as much distance between her and me as possible. I'll never forget, it was Easter Sunday and we were there to pick up an Easter basket for my brother in law who was in the hospital recovering from open heart surgery. I passed the ole biddy several times while I was inside the store and every time said "I hope you have a GREAT Easter" or "Enjoy this beautiful day." Massey was mortified...my own mother often mortified me when I was a tween, so Massey was just catching up with my own experiences with my mother who was a LOT like me.

Anyhoo...decided I didn't want to face the nuts tonight and just went home.

Work was great tonight! I'm catching on so much that you'd think I worked there! I'm getting faster on the computer and learning something new every shift. One of the dinner specials tonight was"Spring Rack of Lamb." Herb marinated 1/2 rack of lamb grilled and served with tzatzil, couscous and goat cheese and asparagus wrapped in phyllo . It was the prettiest dish on a plate I have ever seen. The chefs at this place are truly incredible and the dinner specials are always amazing. Come try some "Salmon & Shrimp Cartoccio"...Fresh salmon and shrimp baked in parchment paper with capers, black olives, tomatoes, shallots, basil and linguine .

My last job was a 'cookie cutter' type restaurant...this place is some "GOOD Eatin' with a flair."

In the words of a song I learned at the age of five in Sunday School.."I'm on the right track and I'm never looking back."

Tim and I have come a long way...we have a long way to go, but now I know we are on the right track and our train is headed in the right direction.

Gotta work in the morning and fix my "Johnny" in the afternoon so I can finish the cutting at the subdivision entrance.

Life is good. Life is hard...but stick with it, persevere and it will all work out. God is good. God makes it hard, but persevere and HE will make it all work out.

Til next time...Persevering COTTON

Tree Decorated..."CHECK"

All happy on the home front. Massey and I just finished decorating the tree
with Zach on the couch watching "Elf." At least we were all in the same mode. Sometimes (all the time with me) it is hard to bring a seventeen year old into what you are doing and make them feel like being a part of it.

Massey was a willing participant for the photos and Zach made me have to use a curse word to get him off the couch and in front of the tree...no wonder he looks so happy.

But what matters to me is that " I " am happy. My husband is working, once again my friends have come through and it is looking like the greatest Christmas I could ever hope for.

Everything that I learned about Christmas as a child has come back to me as a fifty year old woman.

We are happy and secure...we are together and taken care of by God , our family and our friends .

Though you can't tell it from Zach's face...we are happy. The look on Massey's face says it all.

Yeah, I'm a dummy for being a pup lover...but look how happy THEY look. They know a good deal when they smell one.

What goes around comes around.

The earth has finally finished it's rotation and I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

I am at home decorating the tree, my husband just left for work and thanks to the goodness shown to me by too many to mention in one post...we are enjoying Christmas.

I may weigh 95 pounds but feel like a big fat woman... with so much gratitude in my heart for friends and family. The year is almost over and a new one is on the horizon.

Going to work tomorrow and just know that it will be another blessing ...the peeps have finally come out to celebrate and I will be there to hopefully make their visit a good one.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

P.S. Be sure to click on the photos...Priceless!!

Dog Tired

Woke up with the smell of funnel cakes still in my nostril hairs. Had to be at work for an all store meeting early this morning...even earlier my manager called to see if I could run by the Newnan store to pick up some food product he needed. Knock up another favor he owes me!

Went to the meeting...BORING, except the free food they rolled out for us to try ... new menu items coming out with our next promotion. Came back home, watched a lame movie with Massey on cable and snuggled down for a late morning nap. My favorite time to nap is from 10 to 12 in the late morning hours. Woke refreshed and jumped on my John"Dear" and cut the front and back yard, weed eat ed, raked and swept and I felt GREAT!

Massey looked through all of my cookbooks to find a new recipe for dinner. My oldest son came down this afternoon just to remind us that he was still sneaking back into the nest so we decided to try something new.

Had talapia over fried rice with black beans, red peppers, broccoli and corn salsa, a salad and rolls with rosemary. Cooked some sugar snaps with sun dried tomatoes and it was all delicious.

I cleaned one of three bathrooms, caught up some laundry, read half a book (you HAVE to pick up a Nick Hornby novel) and tossed back a few cold ones.

It is amazing what makes you happy when you are an old woman.

So only one of my three bathrooms is clean...that means I only have two to go.

Dinner dishes are done, my yards look great and I am fixing to run a hot bubble bath to wash my grime away.

A day in the yard, a night with my kids and I feel satisfied.

I feel like the picture of my sister's dog in this photo..worn out but relaxed.

Wake up tomorrow and start all over again.

Til next time...COTTON