I have a deer rifle...

......and I know where I can find a bell tower!

Wow. What an auspicious morning, so far... This is Amanda's last day. She's a marine biology student, and got an internship somewhere in South Florida. I'm going to miss her, as she makes me laugh. She constantly "bows up" on me, flexing her muscles, as though I should quake in fear. I don't know what started it, but it has become a routine, and I laugh every time... She is also a dependable employee, which is a rarity, these days.

I worked at the bar last night, so I didn't get much sleep (about 2 hours), and I wasn't able to get a nap beforehand, so I'm pretty tired.Then I show up to the coffee shop and see that Amanda is all by herself, as opposed to having the normal two staff on, and she is slammed. Mornings require three people on, as they tend to be very busy. I jump in right away to help, and, as I'm frantically making drinks, call Stephanie (one of my least fav's, but that's another story), as she overslept. She starts muttering excuses and I interupt, "I really don't care why. We need you, so just get in here!"

It seems that it is extra busy this morning... A regular informed us that the new Lowe's just opened this morning, so that explains it. We've been anticipating this for a while, as it should mean a noticible rise in business. Just this morning was the greatest timing....

In the midst of all this, I find out that Amanda tried to burn the building down. We pre-grind coffee in the morning, to have filters ready to brew, as we blow through a lot of coffee in the morn. We keep them in a little tupperware bin, to keep them fresh. Or did. Either Amanda turned it on this morning, or the night crew left it on last night, but someone left the top warming burner on on the coffee maker. You guessed it, she set the tupperware on the burner... Smells like burnt plastic in here....

The line in the drive-thru is backed up, and there are a few customers waiting at the front counter as well. Things are a little frantic, but we doing the best we can. A car pulls up to the speaker and, without any pause, whatsoever, a lady says "good morning...?" This is one of my biggest pet peeves - people who can't wait 15 seconds for someone to get to the speaker... I happen to be near, making a drink, and push the button and politely inform her "I'll be with you in one moment." "That's NOT what I said!" Let the steam pouring out of the ears subside and reply, "Good morning. I'll be with you in a moment." The people in the lobby are standing with mouths agape. "I can't believe she just said that!" was the general response.

It turns out that it was a regular, but not one of the "how're you doing today" kind of regulars. She's nasty, picky and particular. I've, on more than one occassion, suppressed the urge to give her directions to Charbucks... I did manage to keep my mouth shut, and may have actually even given her a smile, or at least gritted my teeth so that it appeared I was smiling....

Well, Steph finally showed up, we get the morning rush handled, and I am able to sit down and relax for a few moments, before having to run out like a mad man and get things done. The owners are on their way to the annual coffee conference, in Ohio, so I need to pick up the slack. This is horrible timing, as I'm supposed to go to an event his weekend, but will have to make a late afternoon appearance on Saturday. Gotta run, have to get AC filters, make a Sam's run, get out to FL Food Svc to pick up supplies, and have a bell tower to climb.....

Pressure... bum bum bum da da dumm dumm

Sheeps is healing nicely, ahead of schedule, actually. This is all good. She is still in the back brace, but only for a couple more weeks. She'll still have to take it easy, but it is one more step in the healing process, and she won't have to wear the hot, sweaty, uncomfortable "turtle-shell" any more... I'm still waiting on her birthday present. It isn't ready yet. The factory is custom making it, so it is taking a while. Meanwhile, she keeps prodding me for hints. What it is.... HAH! I'm not telling! Just have to wait, dear!

People. I look at some people out there, and have to shake my head. I pity them. Honestly; pity. Sad, sad, sad... I truly hope they find the help that they truly need. I know that's all a bit obscure, but that's all you get.

I found a truly hilarious site: http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/attent.htm You really need to check this out. It is supposedly a "serious" psychological website dedicated to helping others... What it is is a joke. It gives analysis, diagnostics, and advice for mental disorders. Theoretically. Is the author a Psychiatrist? Nooooooo. Psychologist? Noooooo. Sociologist? Nooooo. Trained therapist? Noooooo. Some type, any type of clinician whatsoever?? Nooooooo! He's a computer programmer! Yes! He has a degree in computer programming! WTF?? What makes this guy an expert? He was bullied at work. Yes, that's his qualification. The sad part is that some people actually read this drivel and take it seriously, and actually take advice from this goob. How sad is that? You really, really need to give it a quick perusal, though, strictly to get a good laugh. You'll find all of your friends in the descriptions, not to mention yourself. Pretty much every aspect of human character is covered, so we're all psychopathic attention-seeking bullies. Well, according to a computer programmer, anyway..... LOL!

The bar has kind of sucked, lately. It is summer, so business is down a bit. That means less tips, which is less incentive to be there in the first place... ATF has been after us, as well. They've been sending in underage kids to see if we'd serve them. We really do need to watch whom we serve, but occassionally one slips past. We've had a couple of bartenders get arrested over this. They send the kid in, and then a troop of ATF officers come in and arrest the "offending" bartener. I was lucky. I caught the one they sent in after me. It was before the doormen came on duty, and I was setting up my bar for the night's business. This kid looked too young, but then again, they all are starting to look that way. Sucks to be getting old... But I digress. He asked for a drink, I asked for an ID. Wasn't old enough, so I sent him packing. The officers came in shortly after, and congratulated the manager. Oh, well.... Now we have a meeting with them tomorrow. No one knows what it is all about. They'll probably just chew us out for a while, and "teach us how to spot fake IDs. I'm going to have to miss the SCA meeting, but that's okay. Maybe I can make it in time for dinner with the gang...

Time to call it a night. C'ya!

Long time coming....

Yeah, I've been a slacker. Haven 't posted in a while. Long while. Things have been... on the low side, and I just haven't felt like exploring my feelings.

Let's see... What's new? The bosses are arguing, severely, which puts me in the middle. Not a nice place to be. My Sheeps is recovering from the back surgery, but it is a very slow process, and it hurts to see her suffering, and know that I can't do a damn thing about it. The truck has been on the fritz, so that was a worry, especially since I need to drive to Tampa every weekend. There's a lot of fixing up around the house that needs to get done, but nothing is getting done. Bills continue to pour in, and they seem to be getting bigger and bigger, but the income isn't increasing any... Don't these people have anything better to do than to bug me for money? Okay, so that's their job.... But as the months roll by, there is less and less left over for fun stuff, when fun stuff is what is needed most.

On top of all that, I have been contemplating Scout's passing. He was younger than I am. I really haven't had any "closure" over it. It's had me worried about my own fate, and that of my friends. We're not "old", but we are getting older. And then I get a double whammy over the weekend. I find out another friend, my age, died of a heart attack. Just dropped in the kitchen while cooking dinner. Shortly after hearing this news, and long before I am able to assimilate and cope, I get another phone call telling me that another friend, also my age, has had a heart attack. It is, supposedly, mild, and he should be fine, but it was a heart attack, nonetheless.

I'm just tired, and worried. I guess this is my mid-life crisis. I've been focusing on my own mortality, and that of my friends. I want to go back to worrying about what to do over the weekend. Useless thoughts. I like 'em....

Just.... take care of yourselves, okay? All of you. Eat better. Give up bad habits. Get a checkup. No more deaths. No more dying. Not for a while. Long while...