Nineteen Days

Insane as it sounds, this year will be over and done with in nineteen days. I haven't bought the first present and probably won't until crunch time aka December 23. It'll be a slim Christmas for us but is the least of my worries. For the past two years while rolling Phat at the airport spoiled everyone as much as I could. This year they'll just have to remember the two past. They'll be fine with that, I have good peeps for family.

The past few months have been a very hard transition for me. I looked very much forward to moving to Florida but thought would have a job waiting for me with all benefits and seniority still in tact.

That was the first blow.

After three weeks of deep depression and total loss of confidence I battled back with help from my family here and family back in Georgia.

I have a great job with even greater management which will only get better as the surrounding area builds up and continues to grow. The owner of our restaurant has a net worth of 5.3 billion so think he's a pretty smart dude and knows what he's doing.

I think my biggest complaint about moving is the water. When I was a kid Florida water was even worse. We'd go on vacation and even in the 1970's would buy bottled water to drink. They didn't have single water bottles back then but my momma would buy it in jugs.

My hair, my forte', my trademark style does terrible with this water. My hair seems to have an erectile dysfunction. I hate the way it smells in the shower while bathing and actually can't believe my three dogs lap it up like it's actually okay... because it ain't. 

I know this sounds crazy but has also ruined my sniffer. I can smell it in my nose twenty four seven now. You can't soap up in the shower, trust me I've tried. I don't even think it's real water!

After buying about ten cases of bottled water the first month finally got smart and bought a Brita water filter pitcher and trust me... nobody let's it run dry.

The water comes out all fizzy out of the spigot with bubbles and just seems to be mixed with something if you ask me.

When I went back to Georgia with my brother for Thanksgiving, felt like filling up a fifty gallon tank of water and hauling it back just to brush my teeth with.

Here's my question?

Orlando can manage to build a Magic Kingdom but can't figure out how to make water not stink?

That just sounds silly and lazy to me.

Sounds like Disney and Brita water filters are in collusion.

So guess if my biggest gripe is stinky water, I'll be okay. I'll just have to change my hair style.

Here's the real deal.

I met a handsome man in 1988, recently divorced who had a two year old kid. He wanted to marry me after one month of dating. I held out two years but he turned out to be an excellent provider and for over twenty years we sailed along and up, had two more kids and lived the American dream.

It went down hill quick during the recession and took us over ten years to battle back. Tim lost his Mojo and devastated him. 

He finally got a break and after living apart from all of us for almost two years has done amazingly well.

I lived my dream, working at the airport raking in money like leaves while he moved up (and away).

It's his turn now.

If stinky water is the worst to put up with, I'll put up with it.

When you marry, you commit. 

We cut that cake together, raised three kids together and will grow old together.

It's Tim's time and has earned it.

So if stinky water and bad hair is the worst to happen, who am I to complain?

Life is a journey.

My life is deep and wide.

Til next time...COTTON

Weary But Feeling Cheery

So was an opener today at work. I had to be there at two, we open at three. Pretty slow start. It was like watching paint day for three hours. I ran the report for my checkout around nine thirty, we close at ten.

Here's the thing.

I'm old school.

I can't just stand around when it's slow and do nothing. If I'm clocked in, means they are paying me to do something. I folded napkins, rolled silver, stocked up every item we'd need if  a Greyhound bus dropped fifty peeps off at the front door and cleaned everything I could find to be cleaned.

We got a little pop around eight but by that time was ready to take my toys and go home.

I'm a go getter but for Pete's sake, I'm old too.

I was  more than pleasantly surprised after running my checkout to see I'd made over $180.00. (the easy way)

I was simply having a senior moment.

I was tired. I'd been there a long time (by senior standards) and spent much of the shift doing everything I could think of to do.

The last thirty minutes seemed to last three hours but was actually only fifteen minutes.

Am I making the same money I did at the airport?

Hell to the No.

Is my new job easier to navigate to and from, less hours, stress free with no twelve dollar a day parking and one minute from clocking in when I leave my car in a free parking space?

Yes.

I paid over three grand a year for parking, for almost two years at the airport in Atlanta.

Do I need to make that Phat money now for us to survive?

No.

Would I like to?

Sure!

"You can't always get what you want...but if you try sometime,  you get what you need."

I'm getting what I need.

I have a great new job with possibilities of even more.

When Slight White visited this past week, said something I need (and will) remember.

Totally paraphrasing...

"You'll never have a job like the one you did at the airport in Atlanta. Lucky for you, don't need it anymore. Embrace your new life and be grateful you made it to the dance."

I'm here. We're here.

We made it.

I left some family and lots of friends behind.

You have to believe...and I choose to  believe.

Anything less would be quitting.

My Momma didn't raise a quitter.

Til next time...Cotton

Last of The Mo"Leach"ans

The oldest member of our family tree, Tillie died this past week after  suffering a stroke.

That's  my Aunt Tillie on the left and her husband behind the sofa. That's my own two parents on the right side. My dad and his brother almost look like twins in this picture. That's my paternal grandparents in the middle. Never met either of them but have heard many a story about them both.

Tillie was drop dead gorgeous and my Uncle Pont was always crazy about her just like my own parents were crazy about each other... all deeply in love. We lost my own mother when I was just seventeen and was quite a blow to the entire family. Pont went next, having a sudden heart attack while playing tennis with with his son, Shad and his friends one summer afternoon.

Shad went next and way too early, probably in his fifties. He was as handsome as his mother Tillie was gorgeous and both were extremely talented artists. Shad took a nap on his sofa one day and died in his sleep.

My brother is quite correct when he says "Our family takes the express checkout."

My own mother died suddenly, unexpectedly and in less than one minute. Shad never even saw it coming. Pont died with  his tennis racket handle still warm.

My own father went from perfectly healthy to being taken off life support in less than ten days after simply being bit by a mosquito carrying West Nile virus.

Yep, we take the express checkout and hope the lane is still open when my  own time comes.

Tillie lingered longer than most. She was healthy enough but lost her eye sight a few years back. What a travesty for an artist.

When I was a little girl, she one time gave me a calligraphy set. I was over the moon and that gift started me to love the written word as I still do today. I love writing in longhand. I have seven journals full from cover to cover and a freak about how neatly I write something. If I have to scratch something out, I start over instead.

My own mother was pretty artistic, handy and could do anything but Tillie was an artist.

She gave my mother this pastel she'd done (probably in the sixties) and still have it. It hung in my dining room back in Georgia and hangs in my living room now in Florida.

She did this ink of our family crest and is hanging on the wall I'm facing while writing this blog on my computer.

Here's a fun fact. Tillie painted every megaphone every cheerleader used at our high school for as long as I can remember. My own was donated to the East Point Historical Society and is still on display.

Yep, that's my 'Kelly' megaphone (like I ever needed one) on the top right shelf.


Tillie lived with her daughter for the past decade or so, maybe more. She still sent out hand crafted Christmas cards each Christmas and were always beautiful. She had more talent than life.

She may be gone now but her creations will live forever and be passed down from generation to generation.

I can remember Sunday School (back in the sixties) at the church, her having all the youth sit and watch her create a beautiful painting in less than five minutes while we all stared in disbelief at her incredible talent.

My uncle Pont, her husband would play music while she created her drawing on stage. I still remember the song he loved best.  He played it often.

It was also played at his own funeral.

I feel proud to be from such an eclectic, loving and accepting family. They are my bridge over troubled water.

They lay me down.

They are beside me.

Tillie was one of the most eclectic. Tillie lived the longest.

Tillie was the most talented person I've ever been  fortunate enough to love, and be related to.

This is a picture I saw of Tillie on her daughter's  FB wall during a visit to the butterfly house at Calloway Gardens.

Even when an artist is blind they sense where beauty is.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

We may fall like swatted flies when hit by destiny but when we soar we make a difference.

That's all you have to do for a successful life in my book.

Make a difference.

Til next time...COTTON

I'm Dreaming of a (Slight) White Christmas

All our Christmas decorations are still in the attic of our old house. Almost thirty year's worth and sure wasn't going to buy new ones for one Christmas in our temp house.

We bought one small strand of lights for $3.99 and spent another two bucks on tiny ornaments for the large plant in our tiny living room.

BAM!

I had another strand in a box with us here and Massey strung them around our screened in back porch and suddenly it was Christmas at the Clampetts.

Jed (Tim) worked out of town all week and our former manager from Ecco came down for a two day visit with his girls, Massey and me.

We spent the early afternoon at my brother's lake house on his dock on a fabulous, warm sunny day. We showed him all around our side of Orlando and took him by the house we wanted to buy in a few short months.

He agreed, it's perfect for us.

While we were at my brother's, raided his wine cabinet and went home to consume two bottles in our tiny Temp house.

We all showered and changed. He ordered (and paid for) us an Uber to go to Chroma for dinner.

He bought the first round of cocktails and the party started again.

I won a contest at work a couple of weeks ago and the prize was a fifty dollar gift card for the restaurant. I get fifty percent off so we had a hundred bucks worth of food for free.

We started with house made flat bread with guava, goat cheese, crushed marcona almonds, speck ham and micro greens. Then we had wild Tuna Poke with sesame, avocado puree and served with fried Won ton crisps. We enjoyed smoked wings from the Josper with a bleu cheese mousse, topped with pickled celery and celery leaf. We shared a skirt steak with a wedge salad. Bleu cheese crumbles and buttermilk dressing, heirloom tomatoes and fried shallots. Parsnip mash was delectable, General Tso Cape Canaveral shrimp was sweet and a little spicy and even had the awesome Chroma sliders, house ground short rib burgers with white cheddar, bourbon onions and bacon jam.

All the pork is local from Okeechobee. The chef buys the entire pig and makes all of our bacon, salami, speck ham, sausage and pulled pork in house.

We were stuffed and  more than satisfied.

We Ubered back home (once again compliments of Slight) and popped three more bottles of wine.

We played spades, listened to great music, had a slumber party on our new king size memory foam adjustable mattress. Massey and Slight held hands while we all cracked each other up over the memories of our times and travesties while working together at the world's busiest Crazy House aka Hartsfield.

Mark said he'd never been on a more comfortable bed.

 And this was from a guy with serious back issues.

I told him to skip our guest bedroom and enjoy the goodness which is a great, adjustable matress. He said maybe my husband who was out of town would feel differently.

My response.

Have you changed teams since I moved from Atlanta?

His answer...

"No."

Well baby, get ready for the best night of sleep you've had in quite a while!

Ziggy was our chaperone, sleeping and snoring between us.

Mark woke this morning about the same time as me, when Massey let one of the dogs out and considerately started a pot of coffee for us all.


It was a "bitch Please" moment.

I'm a crazy woman, and kinda like it that way.

Mark had a great time (I think) and Massey and I had a most awesome time. Mark said it was the first time in years he had slept through the night without ever turning or moving once.

Guess I have that effect on men.

Dang, is that a good thing or bad  thing?

I'm a goof ball but I'm okay with that.

What's even better is when my husband got home this afternoon from his week long road trip actually smiled when Massey and I told him about our visit with Slight White and said would be happy to help him get the same mattress at a significant discount.

Life happens for a reason. Sometimes you realize it right off the bat, somtimes it takes years but there is a reason to Life's madness.

Never give up.

Never.

We've had more hard knocks in the past ten years than a knock knock joke but you know what?

As hard as it's been, somehow seems so much sweeter now.

You have to work for what you want. You have to earn what you deserve and be a good person along the way and in my mind is the biggest factor of all. And even when you don't get what you deserve when you think you should, keep on keeping on. Be a fighter.

Resiliency is everything.

Never be a quitter.

Quitters never win.

I'm no quitter, just an old person who is lucky enough  to finally be a winner again and wants to inspire others.

Pay It Forward.

It's a concept which could change the world.

Literally.

Incoming!

Here's the thing.

When you move from your home state of fifty six years to another and start all over again, is kind of a lonely feeling even though was the right thing to do and in the long run will be awesome.

Tim works a lot and travels out of town every other week. If I didn't have Massey down here with me would have lost my mind by now.

Instead am making her lose hers!

Lucky for me is doing her senior year online and spends the rest of her time helping an old woman survive.

I cannot say enough about what a wonderful daughter I have.

 She was uprooted and moved away from every person she'd known from nursery to elementary to high school, college and even her church.

She hasn't complained once.

Of course I leave her with little free time to complain.

I need help with everything from navigating the highways to navigating the employee app the restaurant uses. Sun Pass...need help there too.

Got a new bank card in the mail with a chip... needed help there. Who knew they also changed the three digit security code on the back when the card number on the front remained the same?

Obviously not me... and prevented me from being able to pay my bills online. It took her to figure out why I couldn't.

I know she goes into her room, closes the door and rolls her eyes wondering how I made it to almost fifty seven without a grown daughter the entire time.

So of course everyone insisted they would come visit, sooner than later.

I guess they intend on later when selfish me needs it sooner.

So got a text the other day from my former manager who was more of a best friend, asking if he could come visit on December eighth?

Hallelujah!

He does love me!!

This sounds awful to say, but is also a week when Tim will be out of town working. Massey and I will have him all to ourselves! Massey felt really close to him when she worked at the airport with me and they became more friends than boss and employee.

I'm not real cash rich right now but wanted to take him to my new place of work.

Lucky for me just won a contest at work getting the most email sign ups and my prize was a fifty dollar gift card to use at the restaurant. Bonus points get fifty percent off when dining there so basically have a hundred bucks to treat him and Massey to dinner!

I can't say enough awesome things about this man, my former boss and now forever friend. After working with him for well over two years figured out why I love him so much.

He's a person you aspire to be like.

He's accepting, hard working and always tries to remain positive...even in controlled chaos.

Plus he taught me the word "ShitShow." Best word ever when you work in the restaurant industry and trust me, we often worked side by side in one.

I managed to pick up a shift tonight at five on my day off thanks to the app they have which Massey helped me figure out. A hundred twenty two extra bucks after waiting on five tables and back home before ten.

I called my brother last night and told him my friend was coming Thursday to spend the night. My brother said he'd take off early on Friday and could all come to his lake house for steaks on the grill and a nice ride on the boat. He has a twenty five foot cruiser.

Oh what joy. I have a friend coming!

Massey's bestie came last weekend for a three day visit and she had so much fun. I think they both did.

It's hard when you move away from the one's you love.

It's awesome when love follows you for a visit.

I've been terrible about it lately but promise to take and post pics.

Still seems weird hearing Christmas music when it's eighty nine degrees outside but must say I love the heat and sunshine.

So guess another one of Massey's besties is visiting us and couldn't be happier about it. For me and her.

Guess it's a good thing I have Massey...and a good thing she has me!

Til next time...COTTON