Come on Karma, One More Time !

Didn't even know what day of the week it was when I woke up but knew I had to work somewhere. I asked Tim what day it was and then at least knew it was an airport day.

My daughter gave me "The Alchemist" and have been reading it with a highlighter to mark things significant. I came across this quote early on and precisely sums up my choice to step out of the box and take this new second job.

"He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have."

Our financial struggle these past five years have taken a toll on not only me but my marriage and felt the waters quickly rising. It's been a tough adjustment and one of the hardest things I've ever done but know it's for the best and with each shift, feel a tiny bit more comfortable and hugely amazed at what international travelers not only spend on food but tip as well.

So now that I knew what day it was,  got up and got ready once again for my trek to Concourse F or as I call it...Yemen. Working at international adds at the very least twenty five minutes to my travel time once I get into the airport.

I left out the front door to go to my next door husband's house where my borrowed little truck sits, and going down the first step of our  front porch twisted my ankle. I wear Dansko's for work. They are great (extremely expensive) shoes. My sister gave me a pair about six years ago for Christmas. They are sturdy but add almost two inches. My foot turned to the side and almost fell but caught myself and continued to limp to the borrowed vehicle not wanting to run late.

It was killing me by the time I got off the shuttle to the international terminal but at least took my mind off my skinned up knees.

Got all my opening work done for my shift and since it was slow took my thirty minute break to scarf down my free meal before it got busy. I stuck my phone in my back pocket and went to the food court to eat. Got me two Chili Steaks, onion rings and a Co-Cola from The Varsity while scrolling through emails.

I checked in on Facebook since WiFi is free at the airport and even took this cutesy pic of my healthy snack!

I left the food court and stopped by the restroom before heading back to work.

I broke down and bought some jeans that actually fit me the other day and the back pockets are tiny, just like the pants. When I pulled them down to pee my phone almost dropped out of my back pocket so put it on the shelf in the stall.

Got back to work, clocked in and went to put my phone back in my bag  under the counter.

Not a GOOD FEELING immediately struck me! I raced back across the food court, not five minutes later but my phone was gone.

I raced BACK to work and tried to get it off my mind. No time to worry about it now, it was a done deal and the restaurant was starting to get busy with several delayed flights.

I didn't get off until after eleven but went downstairs to the information booth and spoke with a gentleman. He said Lost and Found closes at seven but gave me a number to call tomorrow (now today). Earlier one of my co workers had stopped by the bar right across from the restrooms and asked if a phone had been turned in when she took a restroom break but got a "No."

I limped down to the Plane Train to go back to domestic and ride MARTA back to my borrowed ride. The one good thing about getting off late is the Plane Train is pretty empty and I get to sit down. When I left F Concourse was alone so pulled off my shoe and sock to look at my ankle.

I'll be needing to finding an Ace bandage before I go to Mama Lucia's to work in the morning. My ankle is the only fat part of my body right now, black and blue to boot!

I have faith in my fellow man. Someone will turn in my phone and will get it back. I have to work a day shift at Mama Lucia's tomorrow (today) but will call the airport to check and see if maybe Karma has smiled on me once again.

If not at least is the only cell  phone we have with insurance on it, not that it matters much. I've heard nightmare stories about how lame the insurance is and meant to drop it a while back. If the phone is gone it's no ones fault but mine.

A phone can be replaced, although can't really afford that right now. But I lived for over forty years without one and can do it again.

My main concern now is my ankle which is pretty painful and have to work Thursday and Friday at my home restaurant then returning to the airport first thing Saturday morning by eight thirty.

I've said it before and will say it again, "You can't make this stuff up." My life is a comedy of errors but at least still think of it that way.

Limping to bed...COTTON

Halfway There

So today was day seven of fourteen training days for the new second job.

I feel like a lost puppy from the time I drive into the Marta parking lot until I get back to whatever car I've borrowed to get there. Not having a car certainly doesn't help my self esteem.

This past week I've been borrowing my next door husband's little spare truck. If I have to be there at eight thirty in the morning parking spaces are easy to find. When I go in at one or three it's like scraping the bottom of a barrel that's been emptied and wiped dry.

I've quickly learned to give myself at least fifteen extra minutes to find a space to maneuver the vehicle into. You also learn to follow people walking back towards the lot from the train station hoping to snag their spot. The aisles are so tight and close that you have to pull up, back up, turn in, back up again and repeat the process until you finally inch your way into the space open. I've seen several women who after trying nine or ten times simply give up their attempt and look for another space.

I feel like after these past seven days now seem to have the ability to parallel park an eighteen wheeler.

I finally got a spot when a woman gave up. She even had her son standing outside of the car telling her how much room she had as she pulled in , backed up and repeated the process at least ten times.

I guess that's why parking at the Marta lot is free, they certainly make you earn it!

I was sweating by the time I squeezed the truck into the space but patted myself on my sweaty back for doing it in just three attempts.

Here's another thing about judging how much time to give yourself. So you find a spot to squeeze into. Then you halfway jog to the station because you're eating up those spare minutes you've allowed yourself.

Now that I have my employee Marta card,  getting through the turnstile is a piece of cake since I don't have to stop and reload my card. I tap my card and go right through.

Then the next thing that can go wrong sometimes does. You sit down on a bench to wait for the next train which is supposed to stop every few minutes. I mean what are you gonna do if they don't, get up and jog across the highway to the airport?

I waited over ten minutes for a train today, watching the clock eat up more of my "allotted" time.

I finally got on a train to the airport fifty five minutes after leaving my house, less than thirty minutes away.

Don't get me wrong I appreciate parking free and only paying a dollar per ride but rapid transit leaves a lot to be desired, especially when you are headed to the busiest airport in the world.

By the time I caught the international shuttle (which also takes another fifteen minutes) was nearly out of my "allotted" time.

Riding Marta gives me a new perspective on why there are so many incidents, fights or confrontations.

Once the shuttle drops me off at the international terminal it's finally a piece of cake. They drop me right off at the door and less than five minutes later am not only through security but riding the escalator up to the front door of the restaurant, albeit sweating like Mel Gibson in a synagogue.

Then I clock into a job I have no earthly idea how I am going to learn to do in the next seven days with any remote feeling of confidence.

Yep, sounds like this is right up my alley!

Everyone has been extremely nice and am actually learning quite a bit. Hard to believe after being a server for over thirty years there is still something I need to learn. Guess being a server is a REAL job after all!

I had to take two menu tests today. I'm a terrible test taker, freeze up and feel like I've forgotten everything. I only cheated twice, asking a passing server for an ingredient I was missing on a description.

I'm used to working four or five hour shifts but this place is totally different and most shifts are at least eight hours. (another thing to get used to)

When I first got the job thought I was totally out of my league. Now I know I just simply have to step up my game and JOIN the big leagues!

This has been a draining experience but at least am old and wise enough to know "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."


I'm gonna be the freakin' "Bionic Woman" by the time this training period is over!


Collapsing into bed and waking up even earlier so I can have time to run a few errands before I head back to the airport and give myself enough time to stop sweating before I clock in.

Til next time...COTTON

Easy Peasy?

I only hit the snooze once this morning but had set it fifteen minutes early so I could. I'm learning tips every day (huge pun). Take a shower at night, have your clothes ironed and ready and load up your Marta card when you leave the airport so you don't have to in the morning rush to work.

Made it in record time, even though I had to wait a few minutes for the shuttle to concourse F, or as I call it "The ends of the earth."

Walked into the atrium of the international terminal after breezing through security thirty minutes before I had to clock in.

Dang, this was a first! I sat at a small table, ate a fruit cup, had a bottle of OJ and still had twenty minutes to spare.

I was the first server there and really didn't know what to do besides clock in so I hit the clock and looked around. I saw the soda machine was still taken apart from last night's close and after over three decades of serving certainly know how to put one together so did. The ice bin had been emptied to clean  so I found the bucket and filled it up. I saw the tea machine and turned the heater on to warm up so we could brew tea.

The only manager there was the executive chef and training new servers how to open probably isn't one of his favorite things to do so just left him alone to do his own thing with the other chefs.

Another server showed up shortly and apologized for running late. Didn't blame her one bit, she worked a long double shift yesterday and had another one today.

She began to show me how to do things in the back kitchen to open. One of the chefs was prepping and pulled an octopus out to prepare for cooking. OH yeah, I took a picture!

It brought back memories of the movie Alien when that thing jumped on that dude's face and it slap kilt 'em!

The last two days have been following this server and has helped me out tremendously. I guess she appreciates senior citizens who can still work!

The management wants me to take a thirty minute break after five hours because they are paying me training wages but keep forgetting to so have adjusted my times to show I took a thirty minute break.


Today I finally remembered to take a thirty minute break at one thirty, must have been the breakfast I ate! I have terrible eating habits and been so worried about learning everything at this new gig I simply forget about time.

I also forgot that when on break can eat free for up to $9.50 at any of the other restaurants operated by the corporation that employs me. So only having thirty minutes had to eat close by. I could eat at The Varsity, The Original El Taco or the Bistro next door to us. I saw one of the cooks from our restaurant meandering around and asked where I should eat? He said he usually just ate at the Bistro so took his advice. I asked him what he ordered and he replied  "Chicken fingers with fries are always a safe bet."

I stepped up to the counter once again unsure of what I was doing because have never used my meal privileges before.

A very young, pretty Asian girl was working the register. She asked what I wanted and told her chicken fingers and fries. Shes asked if I wanted the kid's meal or snack meal?

Heck! I didn't have a clue.

She looked at my tag, letting her know I was using my meal voucher and said "You new? I no see you before! If you get snack there no drink, you go over and have to pay money. You get kid meal you get drink too."

I said give me the kid meal please and handed her my employee card. She pointed to a basket of bananas and said "You want banana too? Get one and you still not pay!"

Heck yeah I said!

I had two pretty nice sized chicken fingers, waffle fries, a drink and a banana to boot for free.

After my deliciously free lunch and clocking back in asked my general manager about picking up my Marta card?

I drive to the Marta station directly across from the airport, park for free and am in the airport in less than three minutes. Parking at the airport is I believe sixteen or seventeen dollars a day, Marta is free parking and five bucks round trip.

The corporation I work for offers unlimited Marta usage for ninety bucks a month and pay half the cost. I've been paying twenty five dollars a week. I signed up for it during orientation. They deduct your part once a month on the first from your paycheck and was scheduled to pick up my card today from HR.

He told me to go get my card and I headed back domestic side. For Pete's sake it's a long way back to domestic but saving forty five bucks a month made it well worth it. My glasses fell out of my pocket going up the escalator and broke in two.

Great! Now I was blind with a full belly of food.

After trying the door we used for training was alerted by a code that I didn't have access and had to go back downstairs and walk five more gates down to take another elevator up to Human Resources.


Over an hour later, had my new Marta card and headed back to the edge of the earth on concourse F.

Lucky for me they let me leave shortly afterward.

I left the airport a little after four and got home around five or so. I stripped out of work clothes and put on my shorts and tank top. I cranked up Johnny Dear and putted up to the front of our subdivision to cut the entrance insuring I would get paid tomorrow for the cut.  That will be sixty more bucks and help pay the Verizon giants who seemingly always be short of my cash to pay their own bills.

I got back to the house after eight and cut our side yard. The rest can wait. My last day off was May 24th and my next day off will most certainly be several months from now.

I don't like change. I don't like having to take a new job but after the past few days of adjusting my timing and having lots of help from new co workers decided it has been a wise decision for not only me but my entire family.

Thank The Lord I don't have to be in tomorrow until one thirty.  I'm crashing on the couch after wiping off all the grass clippings from my legs and face and ruffling them out of my hair.

I have a few more days of training and nervous about every one of them but comfortably feel confident enough to actually say "I THINK I got this!"

Old dogs don't like learning new tricks but if know there's a reward will learn it.

Let's hope it's Easy Peasy!

Who am I kidding? It's gonna be tough but as my daughter always tells me "You got this Momma!"

I talked with her briefly tonight. She's at the camp where she is working this summer. Lucky for me she said she's coming home this weekend. I need my Massey fix.

This is me holding her the day after she was born.

This is her holding me almost eighteen years later.

I love my husband and love my boys too but NOTHING feels better than having some extra estrogen pumped into this house of balls I live in.

Three more days of chaos at the airport and training for a job I feel freaked about. Then two more days of double shifts at the old digs where I feel comfortable.

Then Massey goes back to camp and I move forward.

Easy Peasy? We'll see...

Til next time...COTTON

Another Day Done

My nice hubby cooked me breakfast and wrapped it to go this morning. I leave for work with zero time to spare but have plenty of time to eat once I clock in. Yesterday at work I finally found the thermostat for the A/C. There was a poster taped up over it. I turned it on around noon and set it for 83 degrees. Eighty three I can take, especially when I'm not doing anything but sitting in front of a fan reading a book. When I have to load mattresses,  that's another story.

A cute couple came in around noon and after about fifteen minutes of showing them around settled on a nice mattress set for $649. They got a great deal, it had been marked down from $899. They paid for it, said  they were going to borrow a truck and come back to pick it up.

I don't make commission til it's out the door so "Out the door" is my mantra. It's just me there so as soon as they left I got busy. They bought the floor model which meant I had to pull  the mattress off the frame, wrap it up and do  the same with the box springs. It was, as we say in the south "Like wraslin' a bar."

I had to maneuver the mattress back into it's original yet now ripped open bag and do the same with the box springs. I sweated for over an hour like a ninety five pound Archie Bunker at The Apollo Theater trying to get  the queen size mattress back into the bag and finally called Tim at  the house and asked him to come help me. Lucky for me we only live eight minutes away and by  the time he got there I weighed ninety three pounds. It took us a while but we got it done. I would have never gotten it done alone, it was a huge thick pillow top mattress. He helped me roll them both to the back door for pick up and I fainted back into my chair in front of my fans. I had several more people come in browsing and asking questions.

I was very apprehensive about this move to the mattress store but seem to really connect with peeps.  I find out their needs  then I find out their story.  Divorced, bitter, broke, moving to town, starting a new job or moving into a new house. I like talking so it works out well for me.

A woman walked in a little while later who was in yesterday. (a good sign)  She looked familiar for some reason  but then again as Massey says "You know everybody momma." She wanted a king size mattress and box springs, said they were down to the wire and would bring her husband back in after he  got off work.

My buddy  came back to pick up the mattress Tim had helped me wrasle into a bag. He borrowed a truck from a friend of his and the tailgate didn't open so we had to lift it over the back. Not easy!

Down to ninety two pounds, I heated up some left over frozen pizza in the microwave and popped a cold Co-Cola.

Had several other peeps drop in  and think that two out of the three will come back tomorrow.

Then five minutes before closing, the woman came back with her husband and within the matter of five minutes decided on a $900 mattress set.  The husband said  "Ring us up, we're taking it." They wanted to pay with two different cards, splitting the cost. Never done that before but willing to try! I'm not really tech savvy, at best I am a hunt and peck girl by  trial and error. I was worried about it because the first transaction seemed to not go  through and was scared to  run the card again. If someone ran my card twice for a twenty dollar purchase I would be in the red. To be sure I called my buddy  at  corporate, at  eight 'clock. I bet his wife was thrilled!

We figured it out, after he logged into my computer and watched me process both cards. Huge shout out to Robert!

Then we loaded a giant mattress into the back of a pickup with one of those lift top covers. We wedged, we shifted and we moved but we got it in there! I was talking with them after we hoisted, shoved and crammed  the set into  their truck. I was telling them about the woman who came in yesterday wanting to borrow gas money and telling them about my boss from  my other job who asked if I gave the woman money? The customer looked at me and asked if I worked at the Italian restaurant across  the street? She perked up and said "You waited on us when we went there!"

Networking is the way to go!

So  the first week I did pretty much nothing but had a couple of sales. The second week I doubled my sales, and this third week I have already doubled my sales again and have one more day to go.

I'm thinking I may be good at this! I'm not techno savvy but know how to connect with people and for  some strange reason they seem to like me. I don't buy a lot of things but when I do it's always from someone I trust.

If tomorrow proves as good  as today, I may have found my niche.

Keeping my fingers crossed and putting on extra deodorant in the morning. I'm a tiny person but think I may be able to accomplish grand things.

Til next time...COTTON

Til next  time COTTON

Yep, It's LABOR Day Weekend

What a weekend so far. I went into work this morning at eleven for a brunch shift and clocked out around six tonight. I'm not complaining, I mean it in a good way. Came home changed clothes, went to the front of the subdivision and finished the weed eating. Came back home changed clothes again and took Massey to get  a rain jacket. She walks to class every day at Georgia State and the last one I bought her was in elementary school. Swung by Kroger for my daily visit and came home and cooked dinner, if  you  call frying hot dogs in a pan dinner. At least we had chips too.

Between loading mattresses, slinging plates and running a weed eater, this little body is just about worn out. It beats the alternative though, sitting at  home with nothing to do or no job.

Massey leaves tomorrow to go back to school but between yard work and real work got to spend some nice quality time together. She is loving university life and I am loving HER loving university life. Working at  the restaurant again tomorrow and praying for rain. Cancelled cookouts mean going out to eat instead.

Took Ziggy on a walk a few minutes ago. I walked into  two different spider webs and they freaked me out. I hate that feeling...is the spider on me?  Ziggy didn't answer me but at least he  took a dump.

Tim and Massey  got all the laundry caught up this weekend, all the yards are cut and I'm tumbling into bed after eating one more hot dog.

Tuesday I start my second week at the mattress store. Last Thursday was hotter than blue blazes in there and pretty slow...  first  time they had been open on a Thursday. At  the furniture store I had all kind of recliners, sofas and loveseats  to choose from  to sit and read when business was slow.  Now I have a desk chair and a room full of  beds. I helped load up a queen size mattress and two box springs out the door and came back into  the sauna.  My back was killing me so marched my little self over to a thousand dollar memory  foam mattress by  the open front door, put a box fan on the dresser beside the bed and opened my book. It felt wonderful and  highly recommend the "Opulence" memory  foam king size mattress. It felt so wonderful  and I was so stinking tired. My last day off had been when we moved Massey into her fifth floor dorm room on a hot sweltering Atlanta day, so it wasn't  really even a day off. Closed my eyes and promised myself I would just rest my eyes for one minute. I jolted awake when I heard a man cough. He was just walking past me when patting on  the bed next  to me  said "Try this one out, it's awesome!"

Note to self: Never lay down on the Opulence mattress again with a book.

He ended up spending thirty minutes in the store with me and even worked him up a quote for a queen size mattress and box springs.

Crisis diverted and lesson learned.

I went in the back room and found  small pillow to put under my butt while I sat upright in my office chair.

I have the best of both worlds. I love working at  the restaurant and the peeps I work for. I love having three days of down time and utilizing my selling skills in a different way. It's made my life much more bearable  and feel much more rested.

So if you  ever want the best food south of Atlanta or a good deal on a mattress or bedroom suit, come see me...I promise not to be snoozing!

Til next  time...COTTON

Day One Done

Just got home from my first day at  the new job. I moved from the furniture store to the mattress store.  It's the first day they've been open seven days so I  knew it wouldn't be terribly busy. The main difference is  that at the furniture store a lot of people just came in to pass time. When you go to a mattress store, you pretty much are looking for something specific to purchase. I had a few people come in and all seemed interested in buying. Granted they didn't but I think at least  three of them were serious and may come back later on this week and buy.

It was much easier than when I started at  the furniture store. At least I am familiar with the computer system and they have a lot of the mattresses we had. They also have some bedroom furniture I've sold before and got in a new shipment of mattresses today that are really top of the line. I'm not banking on the young woman who came in wearing a tube top, booty shorts and bedroom slippers but all the other customers seemed genuinely interested.

I never met the guy who worked there before me but talked with him on the phone a couple of times when we didn't have a specific mattress at the furniture store a customer wanted. Just like him, I work alone. I got tickled today when by  the front door and noticed a sign he had made to hang on the glass door of the store.

 Well, at least it gets the point across, but don't think I'll be using it. Then I flipped it over and laughed out loud.

Underneath the post it note he had written thirty minutes, then scratched that out and added another message. Then I guess he needed to be gone longer and a whole new sign seemed unnecessary so he just edited with a post it note... only a man.

Not meaning to diss the guy but these look like "will work for food" signs guys stand on downtown street corners with.

On another note, talked to Massey a couple of  times today and she seems to be loving university life. It hasn't been as painful as I  thought it would be, thanks to cell phones and social media. She seems to be making friends and settling right in.

It's been a long day. Started another new job, broke two nails and my lower back is aching like crazy thanks to my much unwanted visitor, Aunt Flow.

Staying positive, hoping my peeps come back tomorrow to buy and packing a big lunch. Ten hours at work even make a skinny girl hungry. The other manager came by  this morning to help unload the truck and while he was there I walked next door to the Dollar Tree to buy a clipboard for my inventory list. They didn't have a clipboard but  bought a huge bag of Whoppers, some advil for my back and a bag of  FunYuns. I took yogurt, fruit, two sandwiches and chips to work with me but the whoppers and fake onion rings got me through. I have terrible eating habits, or do I really even need to say that?

Waking up early and taking ONLY good things to eat with me. If you live near me and need a mattress or bedroom furniture, stop by and see me,  they have some really good prices. Just be sure to come by on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday!

Til next  time...COTTON

Time For the "DAYUNCE"

I went into work tonight to see girls in prom dresses being led to one of my tables.

ALERT...DANGER...WARNING !!!

No server likes prom night. It's amateur night...people that would normally never go out to a nice restaurant but have been forced (by Mother's Day or prom) to spend money on a fancy meal when they would rather be cooking a frozen pizza or eating microwave popcorn.

The two young girls sat down at my table...perfect hair, manis and pedis freshly done and hair do's that set their parents back as much as the meal was going to cost. I went to greet them and told them they looked beautiful (which as 16 year old girls they already knew) and took their drink orders.

When I came back with their sweet tea I asked what prom they were going to? They replied with such a southern drawl that it made me sound like a Southie from Boston. They were from about an hour south of Newnan...a small town (and it showed, bless their hearts.)

I asked if they wanted to start out with something and OF COURSE they said "Just some of that bread y'all bring." The table was set for four and I asked if they were waiting on other girls or dates?

One of the girls replied that it was their dates and the other girl said "They gone to get diesel." I kept a straight face and made it away from the table without cracking up. "Gone to get diesel"...I think I would have just said they were at the gas station.

I immediately pictured them pumping diesel into a monster 4x4 trying not to spill it on their pants.

The boys arrived shortly thereafter and I began to take their order. The first girl pointed to the "Adriatica'...scallops, shrimp and Maryland blue crab meat cooked with lobster broth, sherry and marinara sauce served over pasta (excellent choice) but she ordered it this way: "I ain't got no clue how to say it but this is what I want."

On to the first young man...he ordered Chicken Alfredo. I asked him what type pasta he wanted and he said "I guess them noodles like they have at Olive Garden." I replied "Let's give your the fettuccine."

They were really sweet kids and I wish I could tell you how long one of the boys took figuring out the tip on his phone/ calculator. At least he put in 15% and that's what I got. The other guy was cheaper, probably saving money for some Sloe Gin later on if they could find someone to buy it.

The night picked up. Although it was slow I sold three bottles of wine ($120.00) to two tables and made a $20 tip on a $70 tab and made a $44 tip on a $242 tab. In my 12 years at Longhorn I NEVER sold three bottles of wine in one night.

This is the place I needed to be years ago. A place where the food is fresh, custom made...specials every night of the week and owners and staff that are like one big family. MY FAMILY now!

How about these for specials?

Steel head Trout: Fresh steel head trout lightly dredged in corn flour and pan fried in olive oil. Served with lemon tarragon aioli, smashed red bliss potatoes and asparagus with chili vinegar.

Or...Roasted Pork Tenderloin: spice rubbed pork tenderloin, roasted and served with fennel, caramelized onions, sauteed apples, walnuts and an anisette and brown sauce. Served with roasted red bliss potatoes.

Or even my daughter's favorite... Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia: Fresh Tilapia topped with herbs and Parmesan then baked with diced Roma tomatoes, lobster broth and cream sherry. Served over spinach.

Just one more...

Zach's favorite... Seafood Crepes: Crepes filled with shrimp, scallops and salmon in a sherry lobster cream sauce. Served with deep fried green beans.

I have found a new home and a job that doesn't FEEL like a job. Life is looking up, and so am I every time I thank The Lord for taking care of me and leading me once again in the right direction.

Til next time...Contented COTTON