Thanks(for)giving

Last week I was leaving work after my shift when one of the servers told  me to wait, the closing server needed to talk to me. She went over and spoke with the closing server and came back over where I was clocking out and told me never mind...I could leave.

I kinda thought that was strange but let it go, and left. I thought about it on the drive home, wondering if maybe I hadn't done something they had asked me to do. I thought about it some more and decided I'd finished all my side work and cleaned my section.

Maybe it was a mix up...but made a mental note to ask that server what it was about next time I saw her.

A week went by before I worked with the server again and asked her what that had all been about?

Her answer:

"I can't tell you now."

That kinda made me nervous. I felt like they knew something about me that I didn't know and gave me a queasy feeling...like maybe I needed to start looking for another job.

Yeah, I'm a worrier.

Especially when it comes to my kids or my job.

Nothing else was said or happened so  decided I was once again simply worrying too much and let it pass.

Another week passed...and remained gainfully employed.

Just in case, I stepped up my game and tried even harder each and every shift...and I'm no slacker to begin with.

If you only knew how much I intensely hate starting over at a new job, you'd probably laugh at me.



I'd say I'm a pretty good wife. Maybe an eight out of ten.

 I'm not the best wife but have been completely and totally faithful to Tim for almost thirty years and in his defense, hasn't tried to kill me once. If you know me and know Tim...that's close to being an amazing feat in its self.

As a mother I'd say I was about a nine out of ten, through much trial and error. At least they are all doing pretty well as adults.


As a server would give myself a solid ten.

It's a profession which suits me to a Tee. I enjoy it, constantly try and grow as as a server, always striving to learn more and gain knowledge which helps not only my customers' experience but my paycheck as well.

It's a win-win job, if done right and feels very rewarding to be (for the most part) in control of what you make.


Anyway, back to my story...


So I go into work last night. I walked in the back of the kitchen and the locker area to store my trusty lunch box full of treats and goodies to share with everyone and a cook passed me, saying "Happy Birthday, Kelly!"

I didn't say anything, thought maybe I'd misunderstood him.

Another cook passed me as I walked out to the front of the restaurant and said the same thing.

What?!

I told him it wasn't my birthday...and that my birthday was in July.


Five minutes later the manager called all us servers to gather for the usual pre shift meeting.

As it started, the manager said another server had something to say first.

Another  server, who was hired right after me stepped forward and handed me a card with my name written on the front. She simply said "For all you do for us."

I opened it, pretty puzzled to begin with.

When I read it and saw the very generous gift card for Publix...I was stunned.

The cooks (who shouted out HBD) assumed they were giving me the gift card because it was my birthday.

The server who had asked me to stay around before leaving that night a couple of weeks ago thought they were giving it to me then.

Instead they continued to collect money from other employees for another week.

Trust me, I know how hard it is to get money out of other people when you're collecting for a cause.

Been there done that.

I couldn't believe it ... not only the servers, but food runners, bussers, hosts, bartenders, cooks and even utility workers had donated for this awesome gift for me!





You know, I've been a server a pretty long time.

    I've met and made a lot of good friends along the way. Bosses, customers and coworkers.


I moved to Orlando a little over a year ago, feeling like a frightened deer in headlights...for more months than I care to discuss.

Luckily I listened to my brother, who has lived here for quite a while. He gave me this advice:

                                             "Chroma is the place where you need to work."

It took me forever, but finally feel at home with my new job and think my new job feels at home with me.

I've come to love them, just like I loved my last restaurant family and the one before that, and the one before that.

What makes it even greater is they love me now too at Chroma.



It was a shocking wake up call and reminder to myself... it was one of those Oprah 'Aha' moments.



May sound crazy...but am anyway.

 What other woman in her late fifties wears a  dog's cone of shame and poses in their bed just to make herself laugh?

I had to beg Massey to take this picture of me. I thought it was hilarious...still do.

Her, not so much...but that's okay too. I'd probably be mortified as well to have me as a mother at the age of twenty two.


But here's the thing...

Life gives you one shot... no do overs. (unless you're Shirley MacLaine)


Make your shot count.

Do you want to put happiness out to the universe as your offering or unhappiness, envy and jealousy?

I'm a simple person with a simple plan in life.

Live by the Golden Rule and allow the Golden Rule to rule you.


The generous gift I received from  my coworkers surprised, shocked and humbled me.

I've always kinda been the 'restaurant mom' and enjoy the title very much. I do things for them because I want to, not because I have to. I always cook too much food anyway and they are always so excited when I bring in something to share.

The candy I bring in is nothing...what's two or three dollars every other day? It's sure not going to bankrupt me (been there done that) and know for a fact it's something they all look forward to.

If I had to stand hunched over in a hot, humid, wet, dish pit for eight plus hours and wash plates and silver which servers and bussers almost constantly sling at you, I'd want someone to bring me some candy every once in a while as well.

With all my many, many faults...still think I'm pretty much a decent person, striving to be a good person. on that scale would give myself about a seven out of ten.

On the scale of being a blessed person, I'd give myself a solid ten plus.

If you ever want to learn about how people truly are, try being in the service industry for almost forty years. I've met some doozies (customers and coworkers) over the years but more often than not have met some really wonderful people.

If I see a table that looks miserable from the time they walk to it and sit down, make it my own personal mission to make sure they all get up from that same table happy, and eager to return. It's actually a pretty satisfying feeling.

It's like I'm a psychologist without the degree...who also makes tips!

This Thanksgiving I have so very much to be grateful for, and my wonderful coworkers simply added to my ever growing list of blessings.

True fact.

Till next time, COTTON

Five More Months

It was hard to move from this...

to this.

It's clean and tidy, just tiny. Our landlord has been great, I'm just ready to move into a bigger, permanent house and get the other three quarters of our furniture and things out of storage...and lounge by our own pool.

After living here for over a year, know now we'll never find a back yard like we had in Georgia but look forward to at least having some room for the pups to run in a straight line instead of around in circles.

We had some awesome next door neighbors but they moved a couple of months ago. We still stay in touch but sure miss them being steps away. The one other neighbor across the street is an okay old dude and we're on the same side of detesting all the other idiots living on this street. People park their cars wherever they want, including RV's, campers, car trailers and big ass boats.

Dang, and to think I thought we had some red necks in Georgia.

We finally got the payoff deed back to our old house and are set to go with financing for our new one. Then we have to make one more trip back to Newnan and pick up my Johnny Dear, all our tools, dining room hutch and china cabinet, large hammock and huge computer desk...along with all my Christmas decorations in the attic.

Will it ever end?

Speaking of that (huge segue) ...

When will this (my) country end all its bickering and moaning, not to mention finger pointing?

I'm simply curious as to why people think all their negative and demeaning comments, rants and posts will do any good for anything that is wrong...or concieved to be wrong with this nation... or world, for that matter?

       My Momma used to always tell me "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar."


Maybe we need to change our line of thinking... or maybe think more like The O'Jays did.

I'm not a fan of Trump, didn't vote for him and often find it hard to support him as my President, but will. The most negative thing I publicly have to say about the man is that he has horrible hair and desperately needs serious oratory coaching.

The thing which so many (most) don't seem to understand or grasp is just because you have a different view doesn't make another other persons' wrong.

It makes it theirs.

Not yours.

It's simply their view.

It's their opinion.

It's their right to have it, just like you have the right to have yours.

We need to grow up and realize not everyone in this country is going to agree about everything.

We need to learn and agree to disagree, in an adult and responsible way.

The entire world looks to us as a power house leader...they always have, with (formerly) good reason.

It would be a shame to let not only us down, but the rest of the planet as well.

Trust me, it's okay to have your own opinion but never dis someone else's. We simply need to find the common ground for a common good.

Imagine that.

Maybe I am a dreamer, but am certainly not the only one.

Love speaks volumes, hate silences us all.

Just saying.

Till next time...COTTON

Neighborhood Nazi...That's Me!

Our garage door opener is on the fritz and I'm too tiny to use the red cord pull handle. The landlord is sending someone over to fix it in the next day or two, so have just been parking on the street behind Tim's car. We let Massey park in the driveway because she is driving my brother's Mercedes while he puts a new convertible top on her Mustang.

The people in this neighborhood are parking idiots...true fact.

Nothing like a huge trailer and boat to make a home look all cozy and inviting. There's usually more cars than these at this particular house. Thank The Lord he lives about ten houses down from us and only have to drive by it instead of look at it out my living room window. It drives me nuts!

Our wonderful next door neighbors recently moved so the house next door to us is vacant, for now. The clowns who live next door to the vacant house are a household of three. Only two of them drive, but  have seven cars they park all over the place. Four in the driveway, squeezed together like sardines in a can and totally blocking the entire sidewalk. They park two others on the grass between the curb and sidewalk in front of their house and have been parking yet another behind Tims' car in front of our house.

When I had to start parking on the street, they didn't even leave me enough room to pull in behind Tim...and my car is ultra tiny. The first day I actually did manage to parallel park behind Tim and was about four inches away from the car behind me, thinking that would give the dude a hint to move.

Nope.

I got home from work the other night and he was back behind Tim with no space left for me.

You know me...

I put a note on his windshield "Please park in front of your own house". The next day he moved the car into the driveway of the vacant house between our two houses.

The owner of the vacant house came over to pressure wash the (his) driveway, so the car was moved back onto the street behind Tim again when I got home from work the very next night.

I came home from the post office today and noticed one of the three clowns in the opened garage working on a gas grill. There's so much crap in their garage you couldn't even fit one person standing up in it, much less one car.

I went in our house and Tim was working on his lap top in the living room. I asked him if he thought there was anything wrong with me asking the dude to move his car back a few feet so I could park in front of my own house?

You know Jed (Tim)...

"I reckon you could."



So I did.

I was very polite about it. I simply told him our garage remote wasn't working and until we got it fixed needed to park on the street and would he mind moving his vehicle back a few feet so I could park behind my husband...in front of our house?

He asked if I was the one who had left the unsigned note on his car?

"Yes, that would be me."

I was kinda surprised he even had to ask; I mean he was parked in front of our house, two houses down from his own.

He said he'd have to go inside and wash his hands first before moving it, if that was okay.

I told him to take all the time he needed.

I went back inside our house feeling like a champ! I told Tim what had transpired.

He never even looked up at me, but said to our dog beside him on the couch, "Momma's probably gonna have four flat tires in the morning."


To add fuel to the fire, I also called code enforcement and reported the vehicles blocking the sidewalk.

When we first moved here, I was backed into our driveway to unload some things and left it there overnight, barely blocking the sidewalk. The next morning I had a ticket on my car.

This clown had the entire sidewalk blocked with two cars and had two more on the grass...another violation.

I guess I won't win neighbor of the month now.


The way these people park in this neighborhood is borderline redunkulous.

One guy down the street has a full size RV plugged in, running electricity, water and parked in his front yard. That guy lives next door to the guy who has a boat and car trailer in his own driveway.


Shoot me now...

 
                                       What in the world is wrong with these people??


Lucky for us, we'll be moving in about four months. I'm sure they'll all have a big ole street party after I'm gone...complete with huge fireworks on a school night, when it isn't a holiday even remotely associated with shooting fireworks. (remembering the huge fireworks on Halloween night being shot off in our hood while little kids Trick or Treated)


Our land lord has been good to us and the house was all we needed to get settled into town... temporarily.

Trust me, I'll scope out the next area where we move first.

We plan on it being home until we retire and move to the beach, in our wheel chairs.




I know its GOTTA drive at least some of the other neighbors nuts the way these people plop down crap in their front yards which are meant to be in a lake or on a camp ground.

To prove my point, will take pics tomorrow while Massey drives me through the hood and will post it here, updating this blog.

That is...if my car still has inflated tires.

Till next time...the Neighborhood Nazi aka COTTON

Ain't No Stopping Me Now

It took me (felt like) forever to get this new job down but can say with (pretty much) complete confidence, am pretty much knocking it out of the park these days.

The restaurant is fairly new but catching on quickly...in a good way!

My sales and salary have steadily climbed each and every week. Every once in a while you have an off day as a server...it goes with the job title.

Since moving to Orlando I miss quite a few things. I miss my younger son who turned around after  living here just three days and headed back to the only home he'd ever known. I miss my sister, my touchstone. I miss all the friends I met and had there.

And I missed my old job.

Not too many servers make the kind of money I made at the airport, and  sure missed making it. I had a bankroll when we moved here but was depleted quickly when my work transfer didn't go through.

In hindsight, was the greatest thing to ever happen to me.

I've made new friends, I've found a new wonderful job and am making it happen, for me and my family.

Tim has done the same, and between us both have found ourselves (almost) back on top.

With all the turmoil in this crazy world, we have both learned a very important lesson.

There are really (to us) no Democrats or Republicans. There are no Christians, Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists or Atheists. There's no Hollywood elite or  even illegals trying to ruin our country...or the world.

There are good people and bad people in this world we all live in, and can't be (shouldn't be) more simply stated....or believed.

Go ahead and take a head count... trust me, there are more of us good people in this world than bad.

Majority rules.

And while of course Dems, Repubs and all religions, races, nationalities, factions and sexual identities do exist in this world, what matters most in the long run is the core of your very being and existence on this planet.

What kind of person, what kind of human will you choose to be?

Our one common bond is humanity and is way too often overlooked.

Get on the Love Train.

Yeah I'm getting old, but still think I've got it right.

Love is all you need.

Till next time...COTTON