Ready For a Day Off..But Only One !

The last week has passed in a blur. Starting with the sudden death of my cousin and the memorial... right into a huge family reunion and continuing with Massey's birthday and Zach's driving quiz (I mean exam.)

Tim and I had a falling out last week which ended up with him not speaking to me for almost a week (not that he talks much anyway so it was hard to notice.)

We have been using my checking account since he lost his job and sometimes we get our wires crossed. Not that I am that good of a banker, but DO pride myself on my kiting abilities and skills. He had mailed a check to the power company and I wasn't exactly aware of when and stopped by Kroger with my debit card to get $6.00 of gas. I am also very proficient with my gas gauge and know that six bucks can get me back and forth to the high school three times and back and forth to work for two days.

Needless to say the check hit before I stopped at Kroger and I ended up paying $42.00 for six bucks worth of gas. He was madder than I have seen him in a while and even HIS old standby quote "I can't change the past" didn't work. I guess I'll have to come up with my OWN standby quote... I think it will be "My Bad."

Tim said they probably have a framed picture of me on the wall of Bank of Coweta touting me as their most profitable customer, enabling them to open yet another new branch location where I can easily help them expand their business even more. I am hoping they will call the new branch "Bank of Cottoneta."

So it was a terrible goof...totally my fault. No one felt worse than me. It wasn't like I was buying a six pack, it was GAS! Anyhoo, another lesson learned.

Tim opened his own bank account on Saturday, so I'll just let myself think I helped him move on. A wife's gotta do what a wife's gotta do. Isn't Tim lucky to have a wife that encourages him to strike out on his own? That Tim's a lucky man to have a wife that will waste $36 just to say "You can do it yourself, baby!"

Now that our money is separate it will be much easier and I won't have to second guess what bills he paid. He finally came around yesterday and started talking to me via the dogs. He would say "There's your momma, y'all love her don't ya?" That's as good as an apology gets when you are in the boat we've been in for the past year. It's come down to us talking through our mutts. I'll say when I leave "Tell your daddy to feed y'all and give you fresh water...I'm going to work a double shift."

I feel like saying "Tell your daddy the last year has sucked like a tootsie pop but maybe the next year will be all gravy train." Or "Be nice to daddy, he's still mad at momma...tell him I love him after I leave, but wait til he gives you fresh water with ice cubes in it."

I am not, amazingly enough.. . ashamed of our current circumstances. It isn't because we were lazy or deadbeat. It is because we had some tough things happen that we had no control over and have done the best we can. By the grace of God and many friends and family we are on the right track. It's just that life didn't stop because our income took a severe hit. We still have kids and a mortgage and bills to be paid.

The mortgage company is still bouncing back and forth.."Foreclose/work with you." I have taken the stance "Come TRY to take my house." They have cashed my check (which clears, sometimes on the second try) for the past three months and for the life of me can't imagine they would want another vacant house to sit unoccupied and unattended only to fall into despair and neglect.

I have a GREAT job now ; Granted it is the slowest season for the restaurant industry but it is picking up every week and I will be back on top in a month. Tim has a new job where they are already training him to be a supervisor. Massey has guard moms helping us out with rides to and from practice. Zach has entered the workforce (Whooda thunk it) and all seems to be working out in our favor.

"HANG ON...HANG ON...HANG ON." Maybe THAT should be my new standby quote!

At least I am a COTTON...sometimes Cotton shrinks, but it is a durable and tough fiber to be made of. Add to it I am originally a Leach...maybe one letter off, but can suck the life out of any situation and keep myself alive from the lifeblood of others and the love that seems to flow into my family from so many directions.

Til next time..."Durable Cotton."

BTW...check out my restaurant website... www.Mama-lucias.net

Welcome to the REAL World

Zach looks good doesn't he? Thank goodness he never reads my blog!

He came in at 3PM and is still there (I think.) It was hard to see behind the six foot pile of dirty saute pans and stock pots that were stacked around the dish area.

I think today was an eye opening experience for him.

Dishwashers are highly underpaid in my opinion. I had a two hour break between shifts and ran a few errands. Tim dropped him off at the restaurant and he began his new job.

Thank goodness it was relatively a slow shift. The other dishwasher called out so it was the "Zach Solo" show. I came back to work at five and the first question he asked me was "What time is it?"

I'll have to hand it to him, he hung in there...only broke two dishes. When the first bowl hit the kitchen floor, Barbara appeared in the doorway and calmly said "That sounded like a $20 bowl." When the second smaller dish hit the floor Len calmly (believe it or not) said "Slow down and take your time, we have all night."

Around seven Barbara got one of the cooks to make Zach some Chicken Marsala and let him stop and eat in the back of the kitchen. He ate like he hadn't had food in a week. Once fortified he headed back to the dish area and kept on going. We close at 8:30 on Sundays and around 8:30 the dishwasher he was working for came in and helped Zach out. He's a great Latino kid that goes to school with Zach. I think one of the cooks called him and said Zach was a little behind (maybe not a little.)

When Zach saw Noe walk in, a look of HUGE relief flooded his face and he thanked Noe at least three times for coming in to help. Before Noe got there the owner asked me if Zach had to be at school at nine in the morning. I told him yes and he said "I'll just lock him in tonight and Eva can let him out when she gets here at 8:30 in the morning."

Dishwashing seems to be an easy job to every person who has never washed dishes in a restaurant. When you wash dishes in a restaurant, especially one where each and every dish is prepared and cooked to order the number of pots, pans and utensils is outrageous. Not to mention all the dishes the food is plated on and the glassware, teas urns, coffee pots and bar items.

I could tell Zach was totally overwhelmed. I could tell he was wondering how he was ever going to get caught up. I could also tell he was determined to do the job.

We closed at 8:30 and he will be lucky to get out by 11:30. If Noe hadn't come in to help...he may HAVE still been there when Eva came in at 8:30 tomorrow morning.

I know he will be exhausted but he's a youngster and can handle it. The first shift is always the hardest. He will find his groove and learn how to pick up the pace. Trial by fire is a good thing. Hope he doesn't have too much scarring from tonight's experience.

Barbara is considering making him a table buser now that he looks presentable and after tonight I bet he will want a hair cut every two weeks. Busing tables is a cake walk compared to washing dishes. She even mentioned what clothes I needed to buy for him to bus tables. I haven't told Zach yet. Let him see how hard it is to do THIS job before he moves up.

I am impressed with his dedication and it is nice to see that hounding him relentlessly for eighteen years has paid off.

I HAVE been hard on Zach...But Zach has been hard on me. I think I can finally see light at the end of a four year tunnel. And standing in that light is a fine young man with a nice hair cut and a new found respect for the working world. It ain't easy out here in the real world. It ain't easy making a buck. It ain't easy if you don't work hard unless you are born into wealth and fed with a silver spoon.

Now my man/boy knows how to WASH that silver spoon!

Til next time...A Momma so proud she could POP!

COTTON

Who CAN'T Get a Driving Permit?

Zachary's appointment for his driving test finally rolled around. I was hoping they would call to make him reschedule...preferably sometime year after next. He hasn't been driving much lately...he let his learner's permit expire and didn't want to get it renewed. Guess I can't blame him, why pay for a learner's permit only to have to turn around and pay for a license as well?



I was a little nervous because he's just not that comfortable behind the wheel of a car and I am VERY nervous in the passenger seat next to him.If anyone needs my fingerprints all they have to do is dust my dashboard...there are PLENTY of prints on them.

When we arrived at the DVM I went to the far side of the lot to teach him 'last minute' how to parallel park. He had insisted he didn't need help, even though he has never parallel parked in his life. I was driving (since he didn't even have a learner's permit) and took him through it twice. "I Got It, Mom" was his curt self confident reply.

I drove over to the DMV and parked. Zach , before I had even cut the car off said "How do you turn the headlights on?" That didn't give me much reassurance since every time he went to use the blinker turned the wipers on.

I didn't say anything sarcastic (believe it or not) but simply gave him a run through of the control panel.

When he got in line he had to ask me for his social security number. I have known mine since I was 14...of course I started working when I was 14.

When his number came up on the screen and the woman started to go get in MY car with Zach for his test I bowed my head in prayer. Massey asked me what I was doing and I told her I was just sending up a prayer. I told her I sent up two...one that Zach would pass his driving test and a second that he wouldn't wreck my car.

Massey put it all into perspective when she replied "Look at it this way, if he wrecks your car he probably won't pass his test." I don't know if that made me feel better or worse.

They were gone for what seemed like two hours. I listened for sirens, even peeked out the front windows of the DMV to see if I could see anything.

Maybe ten minutes went by when I saw Zach pulling back into the lot. I told Massey not to look at them when they walked back in..if he had failed it was really going to be blow to him and I wanted to hide my relief.

Can you believe it? They took his picture (after four tries because his greasy stringy hair was in his eyes and obviously they all knew they needed a picture to accurately identify him by at a possible later date.)

As Zach waited for his permit to be printed out, I felt like going up to the woman who had ridden with him and say "You'll give a permit to ANYONE, won't you?"

They should have a huge neon sign out front saying "Stevie Wonder got his license here.!!"

I'll have to admit since he got that little card his attitude and demeanor have totally changed. He is happier than I have seen him in over a year.

One of the dishwashers at work wanted Zach to fill in for him on Sunday and I asked the owners if it was okay. They said for Zach to come in on Saturday night around 8:30, after the dinner crush and learn how to do the job . I told Zach that if he wanted to work in a restaurant...long stringy hair was not an option. The owner's wife told him when we went to eat for Massey's birthday that she had a hair net with his name on it.

I had to go into work at 5 on Saturday and had called Zach all day (he had been with his buddies since school got out on Friday) to tell him to go get a haircut. He balked at my suggestion and I finally told him "Barbara doesn't hire people that look like you do."

He called me back as I was driving to work and said "My friend is going to cut my hair for me, I'll see you at 8:30."

I don't know if that made me feel better or worse...but I just left it in God's hands.

We got POUNDED at work and I was so busy that I didn't realize when 8:30 arrived. The owner Len, came up to me and said "Who's the new kid?" His wife came up to me two minutes later and said she was impressed. I went into the kitchen to see a handsome young man with a short hair cut who resembled the child I had given birth to. Clean shaved, hair one inch shorter than mine and dressed in jeans that weren't low enough to give him a suppository on the fly.

Just when you are ready to give up on your teen...just when you think you can't take anymore of their crap...they suddenly make you proud. They make you realize all your 'supposed' bitching and complaining was really heard and that the mesage finally got through.

You want to join the REAL world? Then GET REAL.

I got off around 11:30 and knew that Zach would be there til well after midnight. Leon, the owner's son said he would give Zach a ride home.

Zach came home and said that Leon had let him drive. I am glad that Leon didn't know Zach got his license from the "Stevie Wonder School of Driving."

My boy made me proud. It's things like that...little things that make it all worth while. You have the good, the bad and the ugly in your life but you have to take it all into it's proper perspective and hope the good wins out.

Tonight it DEFINITELY did !

Til next time...COTTON

What A Week..."So Far"

I would say tomorrow is my little girl's birthday but it is past midnight...so "Happy Birthday, Massey!"



I am so ticked...I have been trying all day to download my cousin's memorial video and it is obvious to me now that I am either an idiot or maybe possibly just DVD challenged. I bought a stack of DVD's and I am on my sixth disc with no results. There is something I am missing or overlooking but I am so exasperated with the whole thing that I finally waved the white flag (so it was just a few sheets of toilet paper) and decided to try again tomorrow (later today.)

I can be like my bull dog...stubborn and stupid but never give up.



My cousin's memorial was such a happy occasion...I know that sounds bizarre but it was one of the most uplifting memorials I have ever been to and sealed the deal concerning my decision about when my own demise rolls around and the guy in a black cape holding a sickle comes to give Tim a break from the manic idiot he married. My memorial will be a "HOOT" if I have any say about it...and I will...(small pun)... it's all on my computer for Mary Anne Salter to come over and decode for Tim. (inside joke...let's just say Tim has a hard time opening an email.)

Massey turned 15 about 50 minutes ago. My girl is upstairs snoozing in her ' hovel' of a room surrounded by dirty clothes...clean clothes...notebook paper and empty drink cups. The only reason I see those is because THEY are on top of three OTHER layers of a fifteen year old girl's room. It's like a land fill in her room. If I have to actually walk in there it's like a "Land Mine."

You never know what you are going to step on or discover if you look closely enough.

She has an appointment with her doctor tomorrow for a physical exam...maybe I can squeeze in a psychological exam as well to see how she can live in such a dump of a room and still seem to be the happiest girl on the planet. It depresses ME to just walk BY her room when her bedroom door is open.

After the exam we are headed to physical therapy for her knee if our insurance (PeachCare) approves ...another blog altogether.

Then we are headed to dinner at Massey's favorite restaurant...MY restaurant...I mean the one I work for. The owner is treating my family to dinner for Massey's birthday.

I think I'll call Len (the owner) tomorrow morning from the doctor's office and say "My family is SO excited about dinner...my sister was able to get buddy passes for my Dad's cousins in Texas and Tennessee and my other cousins are driving up from LaGrange and meeting our OTHER cousins driving down from Rabun and Lake Lanier. If they can pick up the cousins in Douglasville and swing by Sharpsburg to pick up the others before they pick up Frances in Digby, we should all be there by seven o'clock. Reserve a table for thirty just in case my two nephews show up."

Funny to write about (at least to me)...but in a couple of years when we get back on our feet and can feel some solid ground beneath them I would LOVE to do just that...Have ALL my family come eat at the wonderful restaurant I have been blessed enough to land in and enjoy the marvelous food that this "Family"...not "Corporation" puts on the table every day and pours their heart into 24/7.

Once again...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MESSY...I mean "MASSEY." Your Mom loves you beyond the beyond and then some... Proud of you girl, and more proud that you love ME.

PLEASE click on this pic...she was so beautiful at this age... and a lot neater (and quieter)

How Much Fun Can a Memorial Be?

I have had so many emails and comments about Shad's service. It was hands down one of the best memorials I have ever attended. Lots of family, friends... laughter and tears. My father's memorial was much the same and I wish I had been in the frame of mind to think to tape it and kick myself about not doing it.

It is such a small world we live in...getting smaller every day. I was in the restroom before the service with Massey and was complaining about how cold it was in the funeral home. Another woman was in the restroom and commented that she thought it was a bit nippy too. I told her that I was fifty, so in five minutes I would probably be screaming "Who turned the heat on?" Then in five more minutes I would be looking around for someone to borrow a sweater from. I told her "There is no happy medium when you are a fifty year old woman." She agreed totally and we all laughed as we left the restroom together (with Massey rolling her eyes at us both.) Massey and I went one way and she another.

When we got back into the standing room only visitation area a man came up to me and said that he had seen me a million times and asked where did he know me from? I told him (begrudgingly) that I had worked for Longhorn in PTC for 13 years and he said "Maybe that's it." I quickly added "Now I work at Mama Lucia's in Newnan." His face lit up and he exclaimed "That's it!"

He said they were there all the time and that's where he knew me from. Turns out his daughter is Leon's girlfriend (the owner's son.) I knew their daughter, she had done a short stint at Longhorn and I had trained her. What a small world, I thought...when it occurred to me what in the world were they doing at Shad's service? They said they worked in the small community theatre Shad's girlfriend ran. Shad was the set designer. I said that I guess they were there because they knew Norma, Shad's girlfriend. Then they looked at me with the same question on THEIR minds..."Why is SHE here?" I told them that I was Shad's cousin. About the same time, the woman from the restroom (hot flashes talk) came up to the couple I was talking to and said to them "I was just fixing to tell you about a really funny person I ran into but I guess you already met her." I told them all..."If you think I'm funny now, wait til you hear me speak at the service."

It's so strange how coincidences bring you together...intertwine worlds and lives and connections.

I had to go straight to work after the service and told Barb and Len about meeting their son's girlfriend's parents at my cousin's memorial service...now that is a mouthful (even for me.)

I had several people come up to me after the service wanting my blog website. I told Len at work that and he immediately said "Tell them to come in and mention your blog to me or Barb and they can have a free appetizer or dessert."

That my friends is called "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

This family...the "Mama Lucia" family gave me a great blessing when they brought me into their restaurant and renewed my faith in myself as a server.

Now if you 'peeps' come in and mention my blog to one of them (Len or Barb) you get a free appetizer or free dessert!

What a day of ironic coincidences...what a day of tributes. What a day of learning that the world is a heck of a lot smaller than you'd imagine and that if you persevere and give life your best...it will all come back around to your advantage.

Once again I have to say "Karma is a wonderful friend to have."

What a Wonderful Tribute...

What a wonderful, uplifting emotional and often hilarious tribute to my cousin. I talked in my blog about him picking me up in his Porsche on my way to school and when I got to the visitation...low and behold, there was the steering wheel from a Porsche displayed by the hundreds of photos and pieces of artwork by Shad.


The place was packed. What's ironic is MANY of his friends couldn't even make it to the memorial service today.





I was milling around talking to people when the minister officiating the service came up to me and asked if I was speaking at the service. I replied "Yes" and as he stood talking to me but staring at my spiked hairdo... he said "I have a comb in my pocket." I said "I'm good." He was totally kidding, I have known him all my life and he has a sense of humor similar to my own (only cleaner.)


Massey agreed to sit upstairs and tape the service for me. I knew it would be a "keeper" of a service but was blown away by the entire thing. Shad's close friend, Jerry spoke as well and had the room rolling in laughter, fighting back tears and often had the tears flowing freely...even down his own cheeks. It was touching...on the mark and a tribute fit for a King.


Funerals are usually such solemn and excruciating experiences. Memorial services like Shad's are MUCH more my 'cup of tea.'



I have all the instructions for my own service in my will saved on my computer. The only problem is hoping someone can help Tim learn how to open a file. He struggles with email issues, finding and opening a file will definitely require a 'Geek' squad .


Life is over the halfway mark for me...if I live to be a hundred, it won't be called a memorial but a miracle.


You have to live every day as if it's your last. You have to make the best of every thing life throws your way and learn what is important and what is trivial. What really matters and what really counts. What makes you happy and what makes you a good person. If you live your life that way, I am a firm believer that everything else will fall into place and into the proper perspective .


Another person gone from my life. Another person showing me the way.


"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."




You will be missed, Shad.

Tell my parents hello and hope to see you later ( than sooner)

But you never really know, do you?

A Reunion... Remembrance, Reality and Mortality All Come Together

The family reunion that had been planned for months went ahead. Losing a relative two days before didn't exactly fit into the scheme of "A Happy Time" but Shad would have wanted us to go ahead....so we did.

Overcast and drizzling when we got there. Guess God had to shed a few tears of His own on Shad's behalf.

I walked into a house filled with so many relatives I have never met. It is amazing how social net working and family web sites bring so many other people into your life.

I used to wonder how my mother raised three kids without a cell phone. Now I wonder how ANY of us survived without cell phones or this new age of technology.

My oldest son was a no show. My younger son was a "No Go."

Of course my daughter was the first one ready this morning and renews my faith in kids on a daily basis.

We had a TON of food. Pulled pork and about 50 other side dishes to choose from. Frances was there (you know, from previous blogs) with her two nieces.

All the cousins I grew up with now have children and grand children of their own and it took me at least two hours to figure out "Who belonged to who." Massey was joined to my hip from the time we walked in until she hooked up with a cousin who was in the band program at her high school and they had so much in common it wasn't funny.



The clouds relented and all the activity moved down to the dock. The boats fired up and the ski's came out. The tuber's behind one boat and the skiers behind another.

It was a great day. Everyone had stories about Shad or memories to share. It was like he was with us in spirit and I am sure he was.

This is a pic of Ronnie and Lynn...our hosts (and my cousins.)

This is another cousin with my cousin's husband's brother...Now I'm just sounding like a Jerry Springer show!

Here is sweet Frances with another one of my cousins, Neal.

This is Neal with his daughter Kim.

Here is Massey with her new BFF and new found cousin, Emma. They hit it off immediately and it amazes me how blood relation brings two young souls together so quickly.

They got on the "Tube" with my cousin's husband slinging them all over the lake with his boat, having the time of their lives and learning in a few short hours how important and special family can be and how precious and vital it is to know, love and be loved by a family member.




It was a bittersweet reunion. Missing a part of our family that stayed home mourning, but carrying on and letting all the "Newer Cousins" get to know each other and teach them how fabulous it is to be part of a great family.




I took this short video of Massey and Emma on the tube together. Two precious girls, not only cousins but now good friends. To see life move on, see kids connect and feel a family bond is a great feeling...not only for them but for me as well.

The day started gloomy...felt weird having a reunion when a relative had just passed. The gloomy part spread into a mellow remembrance and that spread into a connection of cousins that have never really known each other before but who left the reunion knowing they had just made a new friend and had bonded totally.

There are a lot of 15 year old girls that would have balked at having to come to a "Stupid Family Reunion." I am lucky enough to have a daughter that fell in love with her new found cousin and lucky that my OWN cousin raised a daughter just as delightful and it all naturally fell into place.

That, my friends is "FAMILY."

I am a blessed person. I am blessed with amazing family and a God that hears and provides.

Not looking forward to Monday when we say good bye to yet another family member but feeling better about how fortunate I am to have been plopped down into this particular family. Out of the billions and billions of places I could have landed in, God chose THIS family for me.

Count your blessings...name them one by one. And you WILL see what the Lord has done.




One life has left our family. One new friendship and kinship has been formed. Life moves on, I feel good that new bonds and friendships have been made. The "Circle of Life" has been passed on. The circle has grown bigger and these young girls have learned their first important lesson..."Family Matters."


Enjoy the video...they certainly enjoyed the ride!

Only the Good Die Young...

The world lost a great person and I lost another relative. My cousin, Shad died suddenly from a heart attack and shocked us all by leaving WAY too soon. He was a talented artist and all round good guy. I never met anyone who didn't like Shad. In high school he was a great athlete and as handsome as they came.

I remember as a little girl him being a lifeguard at the huge public pool where EVERYONE in East Point hung out. All the lifeguard's were bigger than life to little kids like me. It was like swimming with Donny Osmond and David Cassidy watching over you while you swam around their elite "Lifeguard Stand" just hoping they would notice you. I was lucky. Shad was my cousin so he actually DID notice me and would actually speak to me. When I was a kid, you could send off for a Muscular Dystrophy carnival packet. They would mail you a kit telling you how to set up different booths and games in your back yard to raise money for MD. My older sister was dating the "Head" lifeguard and he and Shad and all the other life guards came over to our house to my stupid little carnival and gave me the dream afternoon of a lifetime for a nine year old little girl. I raised quite a bit of money considering it was 1969 and it was one of the stand out days of my childhood. He used to see me trudging up Jefferson Ave. to the elementary school lugging my French Horn and would stop in his Porsche to give me a ride to Harris Street School. Now THAT was "Cool" even by MY pre pubescent standards.

They lived not too far from us..a five minute car ride. His father and my father were brothers and looked so much alike it was no wonder that my sister and Shad looked more like brother and sister than cousins. They were both even blessed with the same buck teeth that had to be corrected with braces. Both had blond hair and blue eyes and both were incredibly popular and well liked by everyone.

If I had to classify Shad as an adult it would be " a hippie"...a really COOL hippie. Always down to earth and an amazingly talented artist. His mother is an artist as well and the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Shad was laid back, never high strung but even keeled and always easy to talk to. My husband really liked Shad and said he reminded him of a "Good looking Greg Allman." He has two amazing kids to carry on his legacy. They should feel proud to have been blessed with such a wonderful father and I know they will both do him proud.

He followed the path of art direction and did REALLY well for himself. He was always low key and modest but had tremendous talent. These pictures are from a garden in his yard and sum him up perfectly... "Peaceful, tranquil and beautifully designed."

I have an eclectic extended family. There are all shapes and kinds. There are professionals and artists. There are ones I see and talk to often and some I see every decade or so. I saw Shad every few years...he and his girlfriend came to a Christmas party at my house a couple of years ago and it was a delight to be around him again.

My Mom died when I was seventeen...suddenly and quickly. My Dad died in 2002...in ten days he went from perfectly healthy to being taken off life support. Shad's Dad did it the same way...he was on the tennis court one minute with Shad's friend and gone the next.

My brother summed up our family and it's history perfectly one day when he said to me "Our family takes the express check out."

If you have to go that's the way...no lingering illness, no years of slow demise. You are here one minute and the next minute you are gone.

Shad was one in a million. I never knew anyone that didn't love Shad. I never knew anyone that Shad didn't love.

I guess there may be exceptions but as far back as I can remember, when our family wants to go...they do just that.

I know my grandparents lingered and I am sure that was horrible for my parent's , Aunt's and Uncle's.

You are never guaranteed ANYTHING in life. When you inhale...you may not exhale. When you go to sleep at night you may not wake up in the morning. When you are here today...it is no guarantee that you will see tomorrow much less the next hour...minute or second.

Life is constantly an instant. Life is what you are living the second you blink your eye or have a thought. It can all be gone before you blink again.

Life is to be treasured, enjoyed and lived to it's fullest.

I think that is what Shad did... what MY parent's did and what Shad's Dad did. We will miss Shad, I miss all of the relatives that have passed on and left my life. What "IS" important is how you are going to live your next minute...your next second. You can think ahead to tomorrow, but always be prepared to say to the Maker today "I think I did good."

I am fortunate...extremely fortunate. I come from a long line of wonderful people that have done their time...made their mark on the world and been embedded into my mind, memory and soul. They are all gone now... Big mama, Big daddy, Mama, Diddy, Uncle Chuck, Uncle Billy, Aunt Lurline, Aunt Virginia, Uncle Pont, Cousins Mike, Patrick, and now Shad.

We have a family reunion planned for tomorrow...it's still on. I wish I could peek in on the reunion upstairs in the "Big Guy's Mansion." Not sure which one would be better...but you never know which one you will be attending, do ya?

Friday the 13th ? Can't Scare Me...

I have been living Friday the 13th for a year now...one "real" Friday the 13th can't scare me.

Somehow, someway I have landed somewhat on my feet. We have a long way to go and are so behind it isn't funny but we have survived. Thanks be to God, family and friends we are still in our house and we are both working again.

I lucked out in the job department. I am employed by two people that have taken me under their wing and treated me like family from the first day they hired me.

They let me "BE me" and seem to appreciate me just being an employee of theirs.

I never dread going to work, never worry about being fired and enjoy every shift. When I worked for a corporate restaurant the food was "Okay" but nothing like the product I am selling now. It's nice to be proud of the food you are selling and know how much hard work and dedication goes into each and every recipe.

All the chefs are encouraged to come up with their own recipes for nightly specials and I have tasted some of the most amazing dishes since working there. I never knew Shrimp with stone ground grits could be so delicious!

I waited on three couples at a table tonight. They were maybe ten or fifteen years older than me but were really nice and a lot of fun. One of the men joked that they didn't "Get out of the Home much" and I assured them they would all be back in time for Bingo. I offered one of the women a frozen drink and she said "I don't know, I'm driving." I retorted "I thought they sent a van to pick you up." OH...they ALL cracked up at THAT one. It is so nice to be able to once again use my sense of humor and feel relaxed. I had totally lost my confidence AND my sense of humor at my old job...I was just barely hanging on when they cut the last tiny thread holding me there. Geez, if it was one tiny thread, why'd they have to use an Atom bomb and machete to cut me loose? Talk about "Overkill."

Anyhoo...I really enjoyed waiting on these folks tonight...most all of my customers are such nice people and a huge cut above what I was used to at my last "Cookie Cutter Corporate" job.

They left me a $35.00 tip on a $140.00 tab and were an absolute pleasure to wait on. After paying they all sat talking for a few minutes at the table. I was in the back doing some cleaning and helping out. I came back into the dining area they were sitting in and casually said "The van is here to pick you up, Bingo starts in fifteen minutes." They all cracked up and it feels good to be myself again and not be worried.

The other night I had another party of six. It was the Dad's birthday and he was totally taking advantage of it being "HIS" night. He was drinking red wine . Everyone else ordered dinner but he just ordered a bowl of the Lobster Bisque for an entree. They had started out with two orders of "Baked Brie" which is AMAZING and Pops was on his third glass of wine when I cleared the salad plates. Once I had the table cleared he asked/ announced "Who wants coffee or an after dinner drink?"

His wife calmly but matter of factly said "We haven't had dinner yet." His reply was "We haven't?"

I quickly came to his defense and said "That happpens to me all the time...that hamster falls asleep in his little wheel."

After the ACTUAL dinner I brought him out a Creme Brulee with a birthday candle in it and told him I was sorry but " The Stripper is off on Wednesdays..Prayer meeting. You know how those Southern Baptist's are."

After the Creme Brulee and VSOP was cleared away and the table was bare again, I cheerfully said "So who's ready to order dinner?"

The son cracked up...

They treated me great. The son left me a 25% tip on a $300 tab. They had been gone from the table about three minutes when the birthday boy /man came back into the dining room and told me what a great time he had. I hugged his neck and told him "Happy Birthday" and he shook my hand leaving fifteen more dollars in my palm.

The relief I feel working there takes the edge off of the stress I am still under. But "This too shall pass."

As a "PS" I thought I would include a picture of one of my "Cartoon" fellow employees. This is our "John Belushi." He is an excellent chef...one of the best. He is dry witted and always quick with a come back. When I took this picture I told him not to smile. He said matter of factly, "I wasn't going to."

Thank you to Barb and Len for giving me chance to regain my confidence and be the server I know I can be. Thank you to family and friends for supporting me and rooting me on every step of the faltering way.

Thank you God, for staying by my side. You brought it to me, but you you saw me through it.

Til next time...COTTON

What a Honeymoon !

Number one...you HAVE to click on the photo before I go any further. Can you EVEN believe some woman had a "John Deere" wedding...complete with wading boots?

Number two, although that IS my face it was photo shopped by a dear friend for my fiftieth birthday.

Number three...I wish I had known Johnny when I married Tim...he would have DEFINITELY been the best man (possibly the groom.)

After almost two weeks without Johnny, my yard looked like a really bad trailer park and the front of the subdivision seemed to welcome you to one .

My brother in law performed the surgery after I bought a new blade and a new pulley. The front of my subdivision is COVERED with hidden rocks and has been so rough on my mower that I am tempted to call the Home-Asses...I mean "Home owner's Association" and tell them I am not cutting the front three times a month for $40.00 anymore.

It cost me $100.00 to just get the parts and luckily my brother in law performed the surgery for free.

On Johnny's first day out of surgery I took it easy and just cut my yard and the ole geezer's next door. You never know how long it takes for that anesthesia to wear off!

He ran like a "Dear" and there were no mishaps.

I ventured to the front today...very apprehensive and very wary (of rocks.) I ended up using the weed eater more than I did my lawn mower. Thirty minutes on my mower and two and a half hours swinging a weed eater. So basically they are paying me LESS than minumim wage for doing this three times a month. I am going to call the "Treasurer" tomorrow and say "You let me know when you want the front cut and I'll do it for $40.00."

It was so hot out today that it made my hot flashes feel like a welcome breeze. I am beginning to feel my fifty years and beginning to realize the "Homeowner's ASS" is taking advantage of me and my baby..."Johnny D."

So I get lots of honks and cat calls...I also get cars screaming right by me so close I could slap their passenger in the face.

I am thinking about just cruising my "hood" and offering the older folks and lazy young folks a cut and trim for $25.00.

How much do you bet once the front grows above the subdivision sign...they call and re negotiaite?

I may end up sneaking up at night to keep it at least respectable...but this pittance they pay me (often two weeks after the cutting) is ridiculous.

Gotta take care of my "Man" first...not Tim..."Johnny." Tim knows I am having an affair...he is only jealous of the 32" blade and the fact that Johnny is deaf...Tim often wishes he was deaf being married to me.

Til next time..."Mower" to come...COTTON

A Comedy of Errors...

I went into work this morning at 10:30...had a two hour break and went right back to "Bidness."

Lunch went smooth, it was just me and two other solid servers.

Came back at 5:30 and the wildfire started. I thought LAST night was busy...tonight was CRAZY busy. The fire spread quickly...they seated me with a six top and as I was greeting them they seated me with a four top. I went to great the four top and they seated me again...all in a five minute time span. I started to feel panicky when I saw them leading five people to another one of my tables. Somehow (with the help of others) I had it under control (Somewhat under control.)

Luckily I had tables that ordered appetizers and bottles of wine, which buys you a little more time.

Not so for another server.

Bless her heart, she is a newer server than me and if I had to sum her up in two words they would be "Train wreck." She is a really sweet woman who appears (or seems) like she has had a tough life. I know I don't look like a Spring chicken, but honestly she reminds me of our Bulldog, Charlie. She makes the biggest mess I have ever seen just making herself a cup of coffee. She slops the coffee into her cup, spilling it everywhere and THEN comes the sugar she adds. Granules surround the cup, soaking up the coffee she has already spilled. I cringe when she goes to add the creamer. Then she lays the spoon down (instead of taking it to the dish area) and picks up her cup to reveal the circle stain of her cup. All this mess just for a cup of coffee.


She gets busy and confused...I'll have to give her a point in her favor. I have been a server for almost 33 years and even I had a hard time when I first started. She, on the other hand has a hard time every shift.

I was at a computer tonight ringing in an order when she came flying around the corner from the service bar where we pick up our drinks for customers. She almost literally shoved me out of the way and flat out "RAN" into the kitchen, screeching around the corner so fast I heard "Bongo" sound effects like they used to use when Fred or Barney were scrambling to get away fast on the Flintstones.

I told the server next to me "That looked professional, didn't it?'

She went into the kitchen and accidentally knocked the printer that sends orders to the kitchen onto the floor along with the container of steak knives and pasta spoons making the owner have to leave the line and come around to our side to reassemble the printer and get the orders once again ringing through to the chefs. If my bulldog was a human and happened to be a server...this would be "His" story.

Later on I told the head server about this and we were cracking up...mainly because she happened to be standing in the alley when our "Bulldog" came screeching around the corner and got shoved out of the way as well.

Hopefully "Charlie" will catch on and learn to slow down. I mean "Really"...if you run, does it make THAT much of a difference once you've goofed up? At least wait until you are out of the guest's line of sight before you take off flat out running.

Then came MY big goof!

It was a tense night...we had a packed house. My last table had two ladies that wanted "Chicken Fiorentina " but with Parmesan encrusted chicken. I rang the order in just that way...only to hear my named being bellowed from the bowels of the kitchen.

It was the owner's son... bellowing at me that it was impossible to do that. "You either have the chicken encrusted or cooked in the Fiorentina...there's NO way to do both!" I went back to explain it to the ladies and they both demurred to the chef's discretion. I went back to the kitchen and told "Chef Cranky Pants" they would take it the regular way.

Not ten minutes later I heard the owner's son (Mr. Cranky Pants) calling me ..."Hey, Mission Impossible" , your food's up." He had cooked the Fiorentina chicken and somehow added some Parmesan crusting to the top of the dish.

This is a great restaurant that I have been lucky enough to land in. THEY do the impossible...they are in the back in 100 degree heat and pump out ANYTHING a guest wants.

The thermostat (on OUR side of the kitchen ) read 91 degrees. They are on the other side of the kitchen with twelve flaming grills, pizza ovens set at 450 degrees, boilers cooking pasta and six guys cooking their hearts out .

The women were delighted... I made more money tonight than I have ever made and I feel like "Kella Got Her Groove Back."

I told the cooks as I walked by later with a load of dishes going to the dish area "Good job tonight, kitchen." I got a "Thank You"..actually come to think of it , it sounded more like &%#@ you...but when I looked back at them in their now 110 degree station...they were smiling. It's an incredibly hard job being a chef...but these guys do an outstanding job and I have never felt more at home and at ease...even when I am getting my butt kicked...be it by customers or the chefs.

We have a long way to go here at the "Cotton Plantation." But I have been blessed with a wonderful new job and blessed by friends, family and anonymous help.

Received a letter the other day that simply read "You have blessed my family and it is now time to pay it forward." There were ten twenty dollar bills included. Received a card in the mail today that read..."A little something to go to catching up on your mortgage. Not much, but what I could spare. Wish I could send more. Wishing you many blessings for the future." "To Kelly" The richest woman in town! "Mr. Potter won't win."

It was signed "To the Cotton's from a friend"

I am totally and simply the most blessed woman on Earth ...I know that God, family, friends and anonymous people have been our saving salvation and I will be eternally grateful and promise whole heartily to pay it forward.

I am looking "Forward" to the day that I can sit back, relax and help someone else. Until that day comes... I hope that everyone who has helped us out knows that by the grace of God and the grace of friends and family us "Cottons" are unbelievably and respectfully awed by the love and support.

It is "Karma." It is Love... It is "Family"... It is "Life" in the greatest fashion.

Although times are tough and seem dark at times..I have been lifted and lifted again and again.

Just don't make me clean up after "Charlie"

What a GREAT feeling to be "Loved."

Tired, feeling old but will wake up feeling like a female "Richard Simmons" minus the Dolphin running shorts...an EXTREMELY GRATEFUL COTTON.

Thank You ALL for loving me...It has been all your love that has not only let us survive but made me realize what friendship, family and support is all about.

"Paying it forward soon"

COTTON

A "Deere John" Letter

Dear John,

I feel terrible about what I have put you through. You have stuck by me, in thick grass and thin. You crank up whenever I turn your key...you never hesitate to help me and yet I always seem to push you to the breaking point (small pun.)

I've worn out belt after belt on you but you still work like a dog for me. I take you down roads you never wanted to travel and have taken you off the beaten path so often that you are probably having an identity crisis. BTW..."No, you are NOT an ATV."

You have sat in my garage with a flat more times than I can count...patiently waiting for me to "Fix A Flat" you back to normal. I have sent you into uncharted territory, hitting rocks and giving you more dings in your blade than you have ever deserved.

This last time I thought you may leave me forever...but you didn't. You waited patiently once again. I know you don't believe it but it hurt me more than it hurt you. The yard looked like a forgotten cow pasture and I actually thought of you every time I left the house and missed your amazing work.

Thanks to Dr. Harvey...you have made a full recovery. His skills are miraculous and his hands are 14 Karat in the JD area of expertise.

I promise to be more attuned to your needs and more aware of anything that may be hazardous to your well being. (Rocks, curbs and stepping stones.)

From the bottom of my heart and from the bottom of your decking ..."I Love You."

Thanks for loving me and thanks for making my yard look good again. I know you're mad at me...but ya gotta admit the yard looks pretty darn good, thanks to you.

At least I only weigh 95 pounds...you could have Mama Cass riding you!

I promise to be more attentive and more sensitive to your needs.

Just swear to never, EVER leave me.

Kelly Deere Cotton

OMG...Turning Fifty Felt GREAT!!

Geez..how amazing can turning fifty be?

My girl..my BFF..my reason for my most of my gray hair..planned it all behind my back.

Some of my best friends from high school were there.
It was incredible and it was just what I needed.

There were friends from high school...two of them drove up from Destin just to hug my neck. There was another friend from high school that came straight from her vacation to do the same.

My champion on FB and a champion that has helped us out time and time again came.

Massey's BFF and her mom came.




My in laws came.

Nurse "Becky" came...from guard camp and dragged her husband along with her.

A friend from the church I grew up in came. We haven't been in touch in over 30 years but via FB have re connected and she brought the fanciest cup cakes and gave me the profile pic of a life time.

The friends Massey and I stayed with in Destin drove up JUST for my birthday party...how can you thank friends for that type of commitment?

I knew that a party was being planned...I didn't know that so many people loved me so much.

I came home overwhelmed and grateful.

My kid's first grade teacher showed up with my partner in crime from the ASP program I used to work in...I was strictly the entertainment.

I turned fifty...I have made it to AARP status.

Just let me entertain for a few more years and I'll be "OUTTA HERE."

What a great birthday...what a blessing...what a lucky person I am.

Thanks to every one, my heart is full.

To be loved is a precious thing.

To have friends and to have champions that help you through is not only amazing but renews your faith in the human spirit and gives you inspiration for "Paying it Forward."





I intend to do just that and hope that everyone
who has helped me knows that I am focused on "Paying it Forward."

Thanks for the night off...Thanks for an amazing day...thanks for loving us!

Frances...you were a hit...EVRYONE that reads my blog (all of the people there) know who you are and were amazed at you...Keep Kickin" Franny !!!!

Band Camp Is Over..."WHEW"

What a week...what a crew of exceptional and devoted kids...what a way to turn fifty.

The heat has been brutal...even more brutal than their guard coach, Teddy...and that tells you just how hot it has been.

If it hadn't been for "Nurse Becky" (photo above to the left when she was just about to collapse at the end of a very long last day)...I truly don't think the kids would have survived. She has wrapped ankles and knees, given out medicine and handed out inhalers...charting it all in a meticulously kept log book and kept this group going. It was a hard non paying job that she did EVERY day for two weeks without one complaint or gripe.

She is an amazing woman, an amazing mother and now one of my dearest friends.

These kids worked ten hours a day for two weeks straight, in heat that even made ME sweat and if you read my blog you know how I love to be outdoors. Her own daughter collapsed tonight around 6PM. It was scary and when her girl fell onto the steaming asphalt I felt my own heart drop. Luckily "Nurse Becky" was right there and took charge.

The heat was intense today...no cloud cover, no breeze no rain. There were complaints and gripes but the kids kept going. I think I am down to 85 pounds (just kidding) but it was even tough for me and I was just refilling water bottles and picking up trash.

The dedication of these kids is amazing...the dedication of the parent volunteers is incredible and the fact that we all made it is a feat in itself.

It was good for me to have a distraction from my own worries and it was good to feel like I was a part of something else other than my own problems.

"Nurse Becky" should have been given a crown tonight for just keeping all the kids alive. She was there EVERY day from 9 in the morning til after 9 at night...two weeks of care and love that these kids wouldn't have made it through without her.

I'm an outsider...just helping when I can. She is a trooper..there every day and caring for these 140 plus teens as if they were all her own.

I love this "Guard World" and love all the people I have met while watching this group persevere and make tremendous progress.

It was the hottest day we had...it was the longest day we had. They all made it and at the end of the camp all the kids were smiling and laughing. It's a great thing to see determination and commitment from teens and that even when beaten down , sunburned and tired..they still shout out to each other "I love you" and "Great job."

Haven't had a day off in over a week...but what a great way to spend your day off...surrounded by love and devotion. Talk about inspiration...these kids give it to me every time I am with them and I feel lucky to be a part of their world.

Miracles...

"When you speak from your heart and say the words your soul has only dared to whisper...that's when miracles happen."

I woke with Massey leaving for band camp. Her being at camp for 12 hours and me being at work for twelve hours. I know she is in good hands..the guard moms are incredible to her (and me.)

Worked a hard lunch shift, got off too late to go by the school but early enough to come home and check my email and let the dogs out.

The phone rang and I almost didn't pick up. I'm not too big on toll free numbers these days...it's never good news. I decided for some reason to pick up.

"May I speak to Kelly Cotton?"

Geez...here we go again, I thought. I said "This is Kelly." It was the friendliest woman I have spoken to on our land line in almost a year. She said " This is (Blah Blah) from Wells Fargo, how are you doing today?"
I told her I've been better.

She launched right in with how she was just giving me a "Welcome" call to tell me the name of the person who had been assigned to our loan modification case and wanted to give me her number , extension and office hours.

DO WHAT? This is the same company that threatened my husband with horrible news on Monday?

I asked if we were still in consideration for a loan modification and she said cheerily "Certainly." I told her we have spoken to a different person every time we called and she said that was the reason for her call...to tell us our case had been assigned and we should directly contact that person from here on out.

After the dogs put smelling salts (I hope that's what they were) under my nose and I regained conscientiousness I told her my husband had been told a totally different story on Monday.

She happily (and still cheerily) said "Oh no, you still qualify for a loan modification and I just wanted to tell you who to contact for future reference."

I am beginning to think the loan industry is run by BP.

It was the greatest phone conversation I have ever had..hands down.

I am not sure what has happened...not sure who made it happen but know that I feel like an elephant has been lifted off my scrawny shoulders and once again I only weigh 90 pounds.

When you pray, when you are loved and when you are blessed..right before the boat sinks into the foamy waters someone throws you a life vest.

Unbelievable turn of events and I am not sure who to thank...I know God had His hand in the entire time, but I wonder who else played a part? I think I have some "Thank You" notes to buy.

After I got off work tonight I drove straight to the high school to catch the "Ms. Band Camp" pageant.

The girls dress the boys in drag and they all compete for the title of "Ms. Band Camp." It was hilarious and I am so glad I got there in time to see these kids who sweated in this ridiculous heat all day sitting in an air conditioned room laughing their heads off and having the time of their lives.

I am a lucky woman. I have taken some knocks and stumbles and quite a few tumbles . I am also loved by God and a myriad of friends and family.

"When you speak from your heart and say the words your soul has only dared to whisper...That is when miracles happen."

You know you are a guard mom when you look forward to spending tomorrow in searing heat watching your child learn lessons of diligence, commitment and having the time of their young lives all at the same time. I wouldn't want to be any other place.

Thank You God...Thank You family and friends. I have never been more thankful than I am this day...this week... this hour. I turn fifty on Saturday...a few months ago I didn't know if I would even see the day.

God bless you all as I have been blessed!

Wait til tomorrow for the "Ms. Band Camp" photos...

Til next time....COTTON

Better Day...and There's Always Tomorrow

Woke up today to many encouraging and helpful suggestions. (God bless networking.) I am a firm believer in Karma and a believer that "All's well that ends well."

Went to spend the day with Massey out on the asphalt from 9:00 til 3:00 and just felt better being with my girl and the friends I have made in this whole new "Guard World."

It was hotter than heck but we were blessed with a few breezes and wandering cloud cover.

This video is when just Massey's section performed. I never knew "Beast" was a good thing...but obviously it is and they appeared to be "Beast" in this video.

When you are fifty, it is great to be around teens. Their exuberance and exhaustion is on a collision course in 99 degree heat index and somehow the exuberance always wins out with these kids. They are resilient beyond belief. I sweated like a pig for six hours and was just sitting watching them, refilling water bottles and making sure they didn't fall out.

My worries from yesterday were replaced by worries today for these kids in incredible heat and another 12 hour day.

It is no wonder they are such champions and so feared by other guards...

When I have a bad day...I just spend a good day with Massey's guard and it all makes sense.

Work hard...be committed...have drive and desire to be the best. Give life your best effort and keep going when you feel like giving up. The end result is amazing ...as another guard mom said to me today "Sometimes it gives you chill bumps just to watch these kids."

From the mouths of babes...I can be "BEAST" if I gotta be.

Til next time...a persevering COTTON

Self Check Out...Is It Really Worth It?

What's the deal with self check out? Why isn't it as quick as having some clerk check you out?
Is their scanner different from ours?


Every time I go through there are multiple problems. "Please remove the last item and return it to the scanner." ... "An attendant has been notified to assist you."... "Please step away from the scanner as your brain explodes."

I ALWAYS think it will be faster. I always think that doing it myself is quicker than standing in line. Guess what? I always leave saying "I'll never do THAT again" and come back in two days and try it again.

The main reason I do it is because I was forced to have to put my family on food stamps and am embarrassed that I am using an EBT card. I don't know why I am ashamed. It is a system that I have been paying into since I was fifteen years old and took until I was almost fifty to have to use it.

I will come off of government assistance next month and can return to my favorite store and once again hear "Hey Mrs. Cotton."

It's still a sticking point with me. These self check out isles are a joke. I know they are geared for catching cheaters but they are a pain in the butt.

Does anybody else think they are a pain or am I just "Self check out deficient?"
After July I won't have to worry about them. I will never have to hear "Please remove the last item and return it to the scanner."

Til next time...a moving on Cotton

Covering It All... Just A Vent

It's been a long week and I have lots to write about...let's start with some humor.

I work at the most wonderful restaurant I have EVER worked for. The owner's are crazy...but a good kind of crazy. A married couple that could easily be an entire season of "The Marriage Ref." They both work incredible, long hours seven days a week and I once commented to the husband that it's a wonder they weren't crazier with the hours they both put in. They welcomed me into their restaurant family at a time when I felt like I was going to seriously and literally lose it. I was desperate, I was broke and I was the mother of three children with a husband out of work.

They are my saving salvation...they were the answer to my prayers. My own family and tons of friends helped me survive but these folks gave me the opportunity to survive on my own and have given me the greatest blessing of working somewhere that realizes your potential...they give me free reign with my personality and trust me to realize when to tone it down or when to play it up.

The first month I was nervous wreck. The second month I felt a little better. By the third month I started to feel comfortable. I am in my fourth month and "Stella got her Groove back!"

I was fired from a company after 13 years of receiving merit pins , being made trainer...going above and beyond the call MORE than numerous times only to have it all snatched away once my personal life was in turmoil.

All the years of being a great server were forgotten as my life spiraled and I was suddenly considered a liability for the huge corporation that had bought out my company and was tossed to the wayside like a piece of trash ... stumbled in the wind and fell into a ditch, with my house going into foreclosure and scratching to make meager ends meet.

By the grace of God and with the help of many others...we survived. I had to humble myself and had to do things I never thought I would have to do but my family is still intact and we are still in our house.

The people I work for and with are just what I needed. I don't work for a corporate head far off in some distant galaxy that could care less about ME, but for two people that own a restaurant that is their life and their livelihood.

They know that I have been doing this for almost 33 years. They know that I will show up, pressed and clean. They know that I will push and sell their amazing product and be a part of the gears that make it all work....for THEM and ME.

I have been happier here than I have been in years. That's a lot of "Haves" but it is better to "Have" than to "Have not."

Some of the servers I work with are kids. They are good servers but they are just kids. Getting back to the picture I posted above..."Cat Dog."

Two girls that work with me are sweet girls but appear to be hooked together . They come in and if we aren't busy they don't seek out work...they seek out each other. They sit at the bar chatting or they stand in front of the computers we ring orders in on...chatting. For Pete's sake....I don't care what he said about your best friend and what happened after you left the gym. I don't care about the sale at Kohl's. Just don't talk about it in the part of the alley that I need to make drinks in or get bread out of.

One of the bartenders remarked to me that she thought she was on hidden camera just waiting to see how long it would be before she smacked them both into action ...a paid for action. We would say "Excuse me, I need the computer." Or we would say "I'm sorry do you need to make a drink or can I get these three drinks out of the soda tower while you talk about that great sale at American Eagle?"

I commented to the owner's son that they were driving me crazy...standing in the way when I was trying to get things done. He said to me right off the cuff... "Who, Cat Dog?"

OMG....He hit it right on the head.

Working with young people is nothing to me. I have three kids that can spend more time doing nothing than it takes me to cut two yards on a riding lawn mower.

What IS crazy is that I am SO stinking happy at my new job and believe it or not they seem to love me too.

Let Barb or Len see "Cat Dog" standing around doing nothing and they will wish they could unhook...and quickly.

That's what's best about working for owners and not corporate underlings.

When they see something wrong they fix it quickly. When they see something right they stick with it and stand by it.

So glad to be there and so glad they WANT me to be there.

Til next time..."Contented and Catching up COTTON"

PS If you've never seen a "CatDog" cartoon, just google it.