It only took 14 months for the General Manager to acknowledge, accept, appreciate, and laugh at my sense of humor. It's like all of a sudden something clicked and he was like, "wow, Tommy's pretty clever..." or something. He told me a couple of weeks ago that he was impressed by the little one liner I offered at the daily meeting... (my thought was, dude I do it all the time, where have you been...) made note and just kept it moving.
Yesterday, he talked to me a bit more which still makes me paranoid...yes, I'm one of "those people." But this morning, this morning was icing on the cake. I'm out on the floor (yes working on a saturday, eww) and he comes up to me and is like "hey, are those the two girls from yesterday that were spotted just chillin' after pretending to be sick and leaving work?" I explained they were and that my boss and his ops manager had decided that a final warning was acceptable simply because they need bodies here to work with the volume as high as it is. I assured him that my boss was working on getting more quality people in here so that we wouldn't have to tolerate such things in the future. He wasn't amused.
He wanted to know why we were wasting time on them and just hadn't fired them. I explained it to him again, but using different verbage and added how on a personal note I'm trying to not get frustrated by the fact that we can't hire dependable people that come to work on the regular and want to be here.... I said a few other things and he stopped. ( I assumed I had said something wrong) He looks at me and says, "Tommy don't lose that passion... when you lose that passion, that's when you begin to accept mediocrity." It was deep, but weird. Did I just have a philosophical moment with the GM, a dude who has kept communication with me to a bare minimum since my start here over 14 months ago? Wow...breakthrough or twilight zone? I'm not sure.
To top it off I had continued on my "rounds" and was helping some of my ladies reticket some items and build a pallet when he walks by and is like "Tommy can I talk to you." Okay sure... the convo went something like this:
Me: Yes sir, what's up
Him: I thought you were going out of town this weekend
Me: (chuckled) I was, but we had to work today...and no one could cover my shift (meaning I didn't bother asking my boss because I knew she wouldn't be interested), so I had plans of being gone, but it didn't work out
Him: Oh, I'm sorry about that, so you're saving the trip for another time?
Me; Well it worked out that I was broke this weekend anyway and couldn't afford to go, plus I was out sick on tuesday and since I don't get sick time, I need the few extra hours to make up for it....
Him: Oh Okay, I just new we had talked about it earlier this week...I was confused. I'm glad to see you're not in a bad mood though... "Grumpy Tommy" has the potential for fifty pissed off people from the start (in reference to my contractors)...
He continued laughing about how he uses the "Grumpy Tommy" metaphor as a management strategy in meetings or something...okay weirdo. I mean yeah, sort of funny, but I'm more concerned by why this guy is talking to me all of a sudden. I'm freaking out.
I'm kind of in GM overload. People totally switching it up on me like that freaks me the hell out. It would be one thing if he were bipolar or something and constantly up and down...but this is a total change from how things normally are. I'm paranoid.
There are rumors of more cuts within the client company happening by February...I don't see my job lasting into the new year... I don't see the presence of the staffing company I work for being out here period by that time... I'm being realistic. In order for the client to survive (despite the numerous cuts they've already made) they are going to have to operate bare bones to make up for the labor involved in peak "production"... I just hope that my resume catches someone's attention by that point so that I can leave voluntarily rather than being escorted out. Blah.
I've thought about looking for work in new cities or areas, but I don't know where to begin...or where I'd want to work. I love new england, never been and they have shitty cold winters but I've always been drawn there...Maine especially. Oregon has always caught my eye, so has Washington State... I don't see myself in a Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi place or the surrounding area....
Georgia maybe, South Carolina, North Carolina dependent upon the area.... Texas, not really but I dunno, Oklahoma, Kansas or Tornado anywhere, fuck no.... Arizona and New Mexico sure... but the freaky snakes and spiders rule it out... California, nah... Nevada, Utah, Nah.... Idaho, what the fuck, no, Colorado, maybe... Minnesota, South/North Dakota, Alaska.... negative... I'm not trying to be in Virginia forever but I definitely have to research before actually following through on such a drastic thought. Ohio, no... I think a good portion of Ohio is now living in Virginia simply for the military bases around here... there and Kansas seem to have folks that join the military just to get the hell up out of there, haha.... why would I go sprinting that route... Michigan...Wisconsin...I dunno...
I'm amused about the thought of just picking up and starting fresh, but in reality I could do that with a move out of grandma's house you know, I don't have to leave the state... Canada would be a thought... but not the french side... lol. I guess I've kind of narrowed it down a bit, I mean shit, what's left really, lol. Oh West Virginia--NEGATIVE...i Have family there...which means I'm already related to probably the whole state somehow or another...
I digress...spreadsheets to do... gotta get ready for Monday.
Showing posts with label small town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small town. Show all posts
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Cotton, movies, beer, and fire....
It's about that time. They are plowing the fields and busting ass trying to get everything harvested in time. The cotton is blossoming as well:
What a week. What a week. I survived though. I decided to go see a movie at Jen's theatre...I took mom, Uncle John, and Aunt Melissa with me. I wanted to see how Jen would react, so I played up the femme in me. I showed up at her theatre where she was hustlin' because it was a busy Friday night....(she looked great as always and I have to admit, seeing her in that take charge environment is always a turn on, lol) This is what I opted for femme wise...
We watched Couples Retreat with Vince Vaughn, which was freaking hilarious, but didn't beat out The Hangover as my favorite movie this year... afterwards we headed to a sports bar and grille for a beer. I had talked the fam into this prior to leaving the house and they were game. Uncle John is always game (he used to go with me to the Lipstick Lounge, a lesbian bar in Nashville, TN for drinks on the weekend)... so a sports bar doesn't even phase him. He likes getting out. Mom and aunt melissa aren't old bitties but have their moments.
Aunt Melissa agreed to be the DD for the evening.... we started drinking, we stuck to a pitcher of Michelob Ultra, nothing too crazy, plus lower in carbs and did our first toast to me graduating, which was cool. Jen stopped by for a minute (she couldn't stay because she had to pick up lil man from the sitter).... well three pitchers later we were feeling fabulous. I'm going to have schedule a celebration evening where Jen can participate and drink too ;)... I walked Jen to her car and didn't realize how buzzed I was until I yanked her hair to pull her face to me for a kiss and did it a lil too rough and totally caught Jen off guard. But I digress.
We decided to head out to my brothers house--he was having a bon fire. By this time I had a nice buzz and mom and John were toasted, lol. The fire wasn't really burning because the wood he was using was entirely too green... piss poor planning, lol... that didn't keep me from taking pics and drinking a few more beers... My mom like NEVER drinks.... she took my camera and took a pic of herself and I almost pissed my pants when I was flipping through my camera looking at the pics I took and found this one:
What a week. What a week. I survived though. I decided to go see a movie at Jen's theatre...I took mom, Uncle John, and Aunt Melissa with me. I wanted to see how Jen would react, so I played up the femme in me. I showed up at her theatre where she was hustlin' because it was a busy Friday night....(she looked great as always and I have to admit, seeing her in that take charge environment is always a turn on, lol) This is what I opted for femme wise...
My hair is long enough in the front and on top to actually use a straightening iron on...crazy.
We watched Couples Retreat with Vince Vaughn, which was freaking hilarious, but didn't beat out The Hangover as my favorite movie this year... afterwards we headed to a sports bar and grille for a beer. I had talked the fam into this prior to leaving the house and they were game. Uncle John is always game (he used to go with me to the Lipstick Lounge, a lesbian bar in Nashville, TN for drinks on the weekend)... so a sports bar doesn't even phase him. He likes getting out. Mom and aunt melissa aren't old bitties but have their moments.
Aunt Melissa agreed to be the DD for the evening.... we started drinking, we stuck to a pitcher of Michelob Ultra, nothing too crazy, plus lower in carbs and did our first toast to me graduating, which was cool. Jen stopped by for a minute (she couldn't stay because she had to pick up lil man from the sitter).... well three pitchers later we were feeling fabulous. I'm going to have schedule a celebration evening where Jen can participate and drink too ;)... I walked Jen to her car and didn't realize how buzzed I was until I yanked her hair to pull her face to me for a kiss and did it a lil too rough and totally caught Jen off guard. But I digress.
We decided to head out to my brothers house--he was having a bon fire. By this time I had a nice buzz and mom and John were toasted, lol. The fire wasn't really burning because the wood he was using was entirely too green... piss poor planning, lol... that didn't keep me from taking pics and drinking a few more beers... My mom like NEVER drinks.... she took my camera and took a pic of herself and I almost pissed my pants when I was flipping through my camera looking at the pics I took and found this one:
How could I not love this lady.
Uncle John's drunk ass... my goofy ass, and my lil brother Jeff.
For us to have been drinking, this pic turned out pretty good.
Me and Uncle John...
Needless to say, mom slept hard (aka passed out) last night...
Me and Karen (Jeffrey's Girlfriend) I like her best in very small amounts :)
Can we discuss the fact that my brother is drinking out of a freaking Mason Jar... seriously dude... does it get anymore country than that????
Tomorrow is a trip to the Peanut Fest...if it's not raining.... for now... more sleep is on the agenda.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
I'm special
I from time to time have to force myself to remember just how fabulous and special I am. Today was one of those days where I made "fabulous happen." I got off of work and headed to the nail salon...there is very little as wonderful as a pedicure (my last pedicure was in February--I maintain things the best I can in the shower to save money). My feet hurt all the time these days...I'm still searching for the perfect pair of comfortable shoes to counteract the 1.7 million square feet of warehouse floor I walk daily... add my weight (which is my next project to work on... if I can survive the last couple of weeks of school) it equals aches and pains...
While my feet were soaking I got a wild hair up my ass and decided that in addition to the pedicure, I needed a manicure as well...Yes folks, My name is Tommy and today I have matching finger and toenails, lol. It's so cute seeing my lil nubby nails painted (I'm a nail biter...but hello the short nails are a necessity for the "fun factor" in my life)...
I opted for a coral color (an OPI shade called something like Conga-line Coral or something)... totally out of character but dammit if felt good. While my nails were drying I got cornered by an older woman who was like isn't your last name such and such....um, yeah... I thought I knew you she said. Turns out she remembers me from church. She then proceeded in asking about Gma and the family and this and that and invited me back to church. Mind you I haven't been to this church in a LONG LONG LONG time.
(side note: This is a very uptight Southern Baptist Church. I was one of the founders of their youth group, did the missions trips, the works...well in 1999 my mom's youngest brother, my uncle charley (who my sister's baby is to be named after) killed himself. He had a history of psychological issues, he was paranoid schizophrenic, wrote a suicide note, hid it, robbed a cab at gunpoint and lead police on a high speed chase...it ultimately ended with him shooting himself...it was tragic and we all took it really hard, especially my mom. He was only 4 years older than me and one of the coolest people in the world....(there is a point to all of this) So we are sitting as a family in church one Sunday shortly following his death... I was already getting pissed at the people in the church because they'd give my mom a hard time for letting me paint my nails crazy color...(she'd always tell the blue haired old ladies to "bite her" saying that you know, it's not like she's doing crack)..and they figured I was going to burst into flames upon walking through the threshold of the church after getting my first tattoo... anyway... on this particular sunday the preacher stood in front of the congregation and announced that the churches thoughts and prayers were with my family, for our recent loss of Charley, (are you ready for it?) WHO IS NOW ROASTING IN HELL AFTER TAKING HIS OWN LIFE.
Um, are you fucking kidding me. So needless to say the whole "gay" thing (which in their minds is just a phase that they pray I'll get bored with) I don't waste my time going there. I have my own thoughts on religion and my own relationship with a higher power...I don't need to go to a physical church to have it. But I digress. The moral of the story is I smiled and made conversation with the lady but I decided a long time ago that it didn't matter who the preacher was at the time, the congregation was still there and I can do something better than be judged on my damn day off, lol. On a scale of 1 to 10 of the likelihood of me voluntarily ever attending that church again is like a -5.
The humorous part of my day was the fact that the refrigerator in my office died a few months ago. I was tired of looking at this table top monstrosity so I loaded in my car to take to the dump after work and my pedicure. In the process of getting it in the trunk I SCRATCHED MY FUCKING BUMPER. Fuck. Then the damn trunk wouldn't close so I had to put it in the passenger seat. Fucking a.
Well after my pedicure, the dude made me leave on those disposable flip flops they give you because I had come in with sneakers from work and they didn't want me to jack up my toenails. So I Get to the dump and all dainty like (which just makes me laugh BECAUSE THIS IS SOOOOO NOT ME) I prance to the passenger side, carefully opening the door to not chip my nail polish, pick up the fridge, and carefully glide across the pavement with my pink faux flip flops trying to not drop a fridge on my freshly painted toes...I successfully put it in the correct disposal area and prance back to the car swaying uncharacteristically while swishing my hands about as if if the air touched them they'd smudge.
I mean damn, I know I'm special and all, but when the hell did I become such a fucking girl?
I'm glad tomorrow is Friday.
While my feet were soaking I got a wild hair up my ass and decided that in addition to the pedicure, I needed a manicure as well...Yes folks, My name is Tommy and today I have matching finger and toenails, lol. It's so cute seeing my lil nubby nails painted (I'm a nail biter...but hello the short nails are a necessity for the "fun factor" in my life)...
I opted for a coral color (an OPI shade called something like Conga-line Coral or something)... totally out of character but dammit if felt good. While my nails were drying I got cornered by an older woman who was like isn't your last name such and such....um, yeah... I thought I knew you she said. Turns out she remembers me from church. She then proceeded in asking about Gma and the family and this and that and invited me back to church. Mind you I haven't been to this church in a LONG LONG LONG time.
(side note: This is a very uptight Southern Baptist Church. I was one of the founders of their youth group, did the missions trips, the works...well in 1999 my mom's youngest brother, my uncle charley (who my sister's baby is to be named after) killed himself. He had a history of psychological issues, he was paranoid schizophrenic, wrote a suicide note, hid it, robbed a cab at gunpoint and lead police on a high speed chase...it ultimately ended with him shooting himself...it was tragic and we all took it really hard, especially my mom. He was only 4 years older than me and one of the coolest people in the world....(there is a point to all of this) So we are sitting as a family in church one Sunday shortly following his death... I was already getting pissed at the people in the church because they'd give my mom a hard time for letting me paint my nails crazy color...(she'd always tell the blue haired old ladies to "bite her" saying that you know, it's not like she's doing crack)..and they figured I was going to burst into flames upon walking through the threshold of the church after getting my first tattoo... anyway... on this particular sunday the preacher stood in front of the congregation and announced that the churches thoughts and prayers were with my family, for our recent loss of Charley, (are you ready for it?) WHO IS NOW ROASTING IN HELL AFTER TAKING HIS OWN LIFE.
Um, are you fucking kidding me. So needless to say the whole "gay" thing (which in their minds is just a phase that they pray I'll get bored with) I don't waste my time going there. I have my own thoughts on religion and my own relationship with a higher power...I don't need to go to a physical church to have it. But I digress. The moral of the story is I smiled and made conversation with the lady but I decided a long time ago that it didn't matter who the preacher was at the time, the congregation was still there and I can do something better than be judged on my damn day off, lol. On a scale of 1 to 10 of the likelihood of me voluntarily ever attending that church again is like a -5.
The humorous part of my day was the fact that the refrigerator in my office died a few months ago. I was tired of looking at this table top monstrosity so I loaded in my car to take to the dump after work and my pedicure. In the process of getting it in the trunk I SCRATCHED MY FUCKING BUMPER. Fuck. Then the damn trunk wouldn't close so I had to put it in the passenger seat. Fucking a.
Well after my pedicure, the dude made me leave on those disposable flip flops they give you because I had come in with sneakers from work and they didn't want me to jack up my toenails. So I Get to the dump and all dainty like (which just makes me laugh BECAUSE THIS IS SOOOOO NOT ME) I prance to the passenger side, carefully opening the door to not chip my nail polish, pick up the fridge, and carefully glide across the pavement with my pink faux flip flops trying to not drop a fridge on my freshly painted toes...I successfully put it in the correct disposal area and prance back to the car swaying uncharacteristically while swishing my hands about as if if the air touched them they'd smudge.
I mean damn, I know I'm special and all, but when the hell did I become such a fucking girl?
I'm glad tomorrow is Friday.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Weekend Recap
Jen and I...me, looking all crazy eyed, haSaturday I was going to sleep in. Grandma had other plans for me however. She called me at 8:06 am (I had planned to sleep until about 10) and said she needed help getting her stockings on and then tried to act like I had said that I said that I was going to get up early to start cleaning (NO...actually she has selective hearing and just likes to piss me off)...So I go downstairs, put her stockings and shoes on for her and think to myself...still plenty of time to go back to bed. Nope. Gma had other plans for me (I did something to piss her off apparently because she was just being spiteful at this point.) She said she had some mail that just HAD to be mailed, but no not from our mailbox, it had to be dropped in town at the post office....and then she says...and while you are out you can get us breakfast from Dairy Queen. I'm livid by this point and no sausage biscuit is going to cure that.
I get back home, eat with her and go back to bed (officially behind schedule now, but in desperate need of sleep still). I wake up and get started on the cleaning of the downstairs (grandmas part of the house and our shared area)...it had to be presentable for the baby shower the following day. A job that would have taken me three hours tops took me five because grandma kept holding me up, stopping me to ask me dumb shit or trying to fry eggplant in the kitchen right as I was at the point to do that area....FOR FUCKS SAKE LADY.
I finally finish...Lil man is with me by this point so that Jen could go to work. I get in the shower and agree to take him to see GI Joe...a movie I had no interest in seeing but he wanted to see it and I just wanted to be out of the house. Fifteen minutes before the end of what turned out to be a pretty bad ass movie, lil man decides he's ready to go home. It's not transformers, or animated so his attention span has held out as long as it could...we bounce.
Off to Wally-world for groceries...Finally back home at ten. By this point I'm still frazzled because my part of the house, the upstairs has still yet to be cleaned. Ugh. I'm frustrated and just want to scream. I put lil man in the shower, but am way behind schedule as it is...I was supposed to have him bed earlier than he got in it and feed him better than fast food...neither of which I succeeded at...my bad. Jen gets there and helps me set up lil man's bed the rest of the way as I vent and freak out over virtually nothing and everything all at the same time. She's looking at me like, whoa....
Sunday morning I voluntarily got up way before the alarm and went downstairs to wrap all of the packages for the shower. I am in the middle of cleaning upstairs when Jen asks me to cut lil man's hair...she mentioned she was willing to take him into town to get it done, but I told her there was no need since Im technically a pro (technically being the fact that I have my license but just hate doing hair fulltime) and have scissors right in the closet. He gets in the shower afterwards and I make Jen sit down for her haircut...she was getting pretty bushy...so I trimmed her up (her head hair not the other, lol)...
Finally, people start arriving and I'm still cleaning. Not guests mind you, just people that are helping mom set up...Jen helps me finish everything up, I get in the shower and try to get myself ready. My sister shows up--she wanted me to do her make up and hair for this shin dig...so that held me up some more...then my mom's friend asks me to wax her and her daughters eyebrows after the shower.....OKAY MAYBE ONE MORE PERSON CAN ASK ME TO DO SOMETHING THAT I REALLY JUST DONT WANNA DO....My sister's baby daddy comes up the stairs and I hear mention of him needing a haircut....FUCK ME IN THE ASS SIDEWAYS
Jen mentions I need to be able to say no and I understand that... I mean it's great in theory but it's just easier to do and bitch about than deal with the guilt trips that come along.
The shower was successful...my paintings and the note I wrote on the back of one of them to my unborn niece Charlie made her cry....then when read aloud made a lot of people's eyes water.
For today...I'm tired, my head hurts and it's a typical Monday. I brought a lean cuisine to eat at lunch but have been debating like four feet of sub instead I'M EFFING HUNGRY....I need to get back to really giving a shit and making an effort as far as diet and exercise go, but for now stress, school, family, and work are easier excuses and/or cop outs as to not having to exercise...i'm just getting fatter....blah
I've decided I'm not going to walk in the commencement services following me completely the classes. I'm going to borrow my sister's cap and gown and pose for fake pictures instead....FUCK IT. just mail me the diploma/degree and call it a day...I'm done. Fucking burned out.
On the plus side, I'm leaving with Jen and lil man on Wednesday night to go down to Hatteras for a few days...I just have to make it through wednesday I just have to make it through wednesday.....AHAHAAHAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Hitchhiking 101
I had to stop after work yesterday to pick up some groceries and then go to the gas station (since my gas light had been on for a hot minute)...on my way I see this hitchhiker next to the gas station, thumb up headed in the direction I was going.
I filled my car up with gas and thought...you know I don't have any hitchhiking stories. I want to have at least one "yeah I picked up a hitchhiker" story...in my mind it was a risk, but a fun and exciting thing to try as well. I mean it's one of those if you survive moments that you can talk about whenever. I figured if I ever found myself in an awkward silence I could just switch it up with, "you know I picked up a hitchhiker once...."
In my mind it seemed like a good idea AND it would be a good deed. No good deed goes unrewarded grandma always says. (I had done a good deed earlier in the day when a Lexus with four chicks in it were trying to take pictures of my license plate but were having troubles....I got to the stop light and told them I'm going to pull up enough for you to get the pic so do it quick while I'm sitting still...they were excited, got the pic and sped off past me....) Look, everyone has their own concept of good deeds--heh heh.
So anyway back to Mr. Hitchhiker....He was an old white man. White hair, tanned, white tube socks that came up mid-calf, shorts, a t-shirt, sneakers...he didn't look scary, just unkempt. I figured I could take him if he tried to do anything stupid...FUCK IT I'M GOING TO DO IT. I put the gas cap on and drive over near where he was and flag him over. I tell him I'll take him to Zuni which is five miles in the direction of where he is going. (I live in Zuni but off the main road and actually already going 2 miles out of my way to do this....) he looks at me and says, "how much would you charge me to get to Waverly? Waverly is 25 miles past Zuni...You see on the stretch of 460 in between fields of peanuts, cotton, corn, and soybeans lies Windsor (where we were), then Zuni, then Ivor, then something else, then Waverly....
I told him I was only going as far as Zuni because I had things to do and if he wanted to be 5 miles closer to Waverly he could take it, otherwise I was peacin' out. He told me that I was the second girl to offer to take him to this Zuni (pronounced Zoo nye) place and that he was going to tell me the same thing he told the other girl....
"I've got some killer weed in my pocket and if you take me to Waverly, I'll blow your mind." ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME. Did he just say killer weed and blow my mind in the same sentence....I told him, that I wasn't interested in pot because I couldn't smoke it anyway, do you want a ride to Zuni or not...
He asked if I'd come back after dinner to take him...yeah...probably not. He said thank you and went back to his thumb up in the air.
This my friends is whats wrong with the world today. Too many people fail to realize that sometimes you have to take a tiny step in the direction you are headed...you aren't guaranteed to just get there. If the hitchhiker had taken the ride the first time someone offered it, he'd be 5 miles close to his destination AND increased his chances of finding someone that would take him the rest of the way...but instead he stood there for hours in the heat waiting for the straight shot.
This applies in the workplace as well. Sometimes you have to accept a job you don't really want, just to pay bills and get your foot in the door and then transition into something "better" when it becomes available...
I dunno...I'm still skeeved out by a dirty old man offering to "blow my mind" whether it was the killer weed he was referring to or not, those are just not words I want muttered out of an old man with no teeth mouth.
I've decided that having a hitchhiker story isn't all that important...I'll just start the conversation that "I offered a ride to a hitchhiker once but he offered me some killer weed instead" story...
I filled my car up with gas and thought...you know I don't have any hitchhiking stories. I want to have at least one "yeah I picked up a hitchhiker" story...in my mind it was a risk, but a fun and exciting thing to try as well. I mean it's one of those if you survive moments that you can talk about whenever. I figured if I ever found myself in an awkward silence I could just switch it up with, "you know I picked up a hitchhiker once...."
In my mind it seemed like a good idea AND it would be a good deed. No good deed goes unrewarded grandma always says. (I had done a good deed earlier in the day when a Lexus with four chicks in it were trying to take pictures of my license plate but were having troubles....I got to the stop light and told them I'm going to pull up enough for you to get the pic so do it quick while I'm sitting still...they were excited, got the pic and sped off past me....) Look, everyone has their own concept of good deeds--heh heh.
So anyway back to Mr. Hitchhiker....He was an old white man. White hair, tanned, white tube socks that came up mid-calf, shorts, a t-shirt, sneakers...he didn't look scary, just unkempt. I figured I could take him if he tried to do anything stupid...FUCK IT I'M GOING TO DO IT. I put the gas cap on and drive over near where he was and flag him over. I tell him I'll take him to Zuni which is five miles in the direction of where he is going. (I live in Zuni but off the main road and actually already going 2 miles out of my way to do this....) he looks at me and says, "how much would you charge me to get to Waverly? Waverly is 25 miles past Zuni...You see on the stretch of 460 in between fields of peanuts, cotton, corn, and soybeans lies Windsor (where we were), then Zuni, then Ivor, then something else, then Waverly....
I told him I was only going as far as Zuni because I had things to do and if he wanted to be 5 miles closer to Waverly he could take it, otherwise I was peacin' out. He told me that I was the second girl to offer to take him to this Zuni (pronounced Zoo nye) place and that he was going to tell me the same thing he told the other girl....
"I've got some killer weed in my pocket and if you take me to Waverly, I'll blow your mind." ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME. Did he just say killer weed and blow my mind in the same sentence....I told him, that I wasn't interested in pot because I couldn't smoke it anyway, do you want a ride to Zuni or not...
He asked if I'd come back after dinner to take him...yeah...probably not. He said thank you and went back to his thumb up in the air.
This my friends is whats wrong with the world today. Too many people fail to realize that sometimes you have to take a tiny step in the direction you are headed...you aren't guaranteed to just get there. If the hitchhiker had taken the ride the first time someone offered it, he'd be 5 miles close to his destination AND increased his chances of finding someone that would take him the rest of the way...but instead he stood there for hours in the heat waiting for the straight shot.
This applies in the workplace as well. Sometimes you have to accept a job you don't really want, just to pay bills and get your foot in the door and then transition into something "better" when it becomes available...
I dunno...I'm still skeeved out by a dirty old man offering to "blow my mind" whether it was the killer weed he was referring to or not, those are just not words I want muttered out of an old man with no teeth mouth.
I've decided that having a hitchhiker story isn't all that important...I'll just start the conversation that "I offered a ride to a hitchhiker once but he offered me some killer weed instead" story...
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Small Town Charm
A great deal of my time is spent cussing the small town scene in which I live. Originally I'm from Fayetteville/Ft. Bragg, NC...lived there til the age of 4 officially (though I "summered there with family years afterward), stayed a year with my Gma (the one that I now live with and help out) while my parents house was being built in the middle of BFE (bum fucking egypt) aka the stixx--aka Zuni, VA...peanut country.
From Kindergarten to high school...away to college and back again--I always come back here. Grandma moved out here a couple years after we did, my aunt and uncle across the field...(tragic) I love the summers when corn is planted in the side field (Grandma lives on a farm but sharecrops the land)...because it means they aren't all up in my shit with their disapproving everything...but I digress.
The moral of the story is I always end up here in good 'ol Zuni. In town, which is still not recognizable by most (Windsor) is a small town pharmacy. Up the road is Suffolk, further out is Chesapeake and then about 45 minutes to an hour away is Virginia Beach (which is the city that most people recognize.) Since the closest Walgreens or Walmart is in Suffolk--most people opt for the small town quaintness of Windsor Pharmacy.
Two recent incidents come to mind. A couple of months ago Jen was sick and we had stopped at the pharmacy. I was up front looking at random stuff and Jen was in the back looking for something to help with her cough. I get to the back to see her at the counter talking with Bob the pharmacist. He stops talking midsentence and says, "Hey, Tommy how are you doing...how is grandma..." and so forth...Jen turns around like what the hell. I introduce her as my girlfriend--though it turns out that she had already dropped my name and he perked up like my family was some big to do in the town (which we aren't, it's just a small town, lol)...Jen called her mom in Colorado to tell her about the experience and how Bob the pharmacist was so nice and new me and so on...she thought it was very cool and I had to smile.
Friday I rode to the pharmacy to pick up Grandmas meds and there was Bob behind the counter...(hes like over eighty mind you) he greeted mom and I with the best of hellos and immediately asked how grandma was doing. After he went through the list and all ten of her prescriptions were accounted for Bob reached in his pocket and pulled out his card...his special cards, the ones that have his HOME phone number printed on them, handing one to mom he told her to give it to grandma and if she needed ANYTHING, no matter what time it was to give him a call and he'd take care of it.
That's what's up. The epitomy of small town charm... you can't get that just anywhere. Certainly not at a Walgreens or a walmart...but definitely in Peanut country at Windsor Pharmacy...that's the shit that makes me smile.
From Kindergarten to high school...away to college and back again--I always come back here. Grandma moved out here a couple years after we did, my aunt and uncle across the field...(tragic) I love the summers when corn is planted in the side field (Grandma lives on a farm but sharecrops the land)...because it means they aren't all up in my shit with their disapproving everything...but I digress.
The moral of the story is I always end up here in good 'ol Zuni. In town, which is still not recognizable by most (Windsor) is a small town pharmacy. Up the road is Suffolk, further out is Chesapeake and then about 45 minutes to an hour away is Virginia Beach (which is the city that most people recognize.) Since the closest Walgreens or Walmart is in Suffolk--most people opt for the small town quaintness of Windsor Pharmacy.
Two recent incidents come to mind. A couple of months ago Jen was sick and we had stopped at the pharmacy. I was up front looking at random stuff and Jen was in the back looking for something to help with her cough. I get to the back to see her at the counter talking with Bob the pharmacist. He stops talking midsentence and says, "Hey, Tommy how are you doing...how is grandma..." and so forth...Jen turns around like what the hell. I introduce her as my girlfriend--though it turns out that she had already dropped my name and he perked up like my family was some big to do in the town (which we aren't, it's just a small town, lol)...Jen called her mom in Colorado to tell her about the experience and how Bob the pharmacist was so nice and new me and so on...she thought it was very cool and I had to smile.
Friday I rode to the pharmacy to pick up Grandmas meds and there was Bob behind the counter...(hes like over eighty mind you) he greeted mom and I with the best of hellos and immediately asked how grandma was doing. After he went through the list and all ten of her prescriptions were accounted for Bob reached in his pocket and pulled out his card...his special cards, the ones that have his HOME phone number printed on them, handing one to mom he told her to give it to grandma and if she needed ANYTHING, no matter what time it was to give him a call and he'd take care of it.
That's what's up. The epitomy of small town charm... you can't get that just anywhere. Certainly not at a Walgreens or a walmart...but definitely in Peanut country at Windsor Pharmacy...that's the shit that makes me smile.
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