As Autumn Draws Near...

Now that the official summer tourist season has come to an end I imagined things would slow down; a time to catch my breath and maybe take a day (or two) off. No such luck.

The restaurant was pretty damned busy serving families of all sizes last week. They seem to have discovered that after Labor Day the ocean is at it's warmest, room and rental rates are lower, and eating out is less expensive. Soooo... The initial plan was to return to the two-server, one host setup of the spring, but Tuesday after Labor Day got busy and remained so throughout the day and evening. We had to call in 3 more servers while the manager helped serve meals and we both were pressed into service busing tables. Wednesday was about the same, but the extra servers that day were faster on their feet.

Meanwhile, with the looming demise of the jewelry store, the special big sale is bringing in customers from all over the mid-Atlantic states to snap up bargains at huge discounts. Remember, there is no sales tax in Delaware. The owner isn't losing money, but he's not cleaning up either. Since there is usually one person on each shift this is good and bad news. Good because all the commissions go to one person; bad because sometimes customers arrive in herds demanding to know the story behind the closing as the store continues to fill up with new people; all that talk cuts into possible sales. We have wonderfully loyal customers, so we deal with it.

With extra bucks coming in from the 2 jobs these past 6 months (at least until the end of this month) I've been making higher payments to bring down the medical bills quicker and that eases my mind, somewhat. I began actively seeking another job, as well, I cannot stick around hoping all will turn out well and the store (and my job) will be saved at the 11th hour. They're not happy with that choice, but that's where I have to go. This time it's about ME!

I won't see a day off until next Saturday - the 19th - at which time I plan to get out with a few friends and cavort at the Parrot, or Cloud 9, maybe even Dos Locos (job #2).

I really need to ditch this hermit persona and become socially active again. I am too used to the privacy and security of the apartment and this so-called life that it scares me a little to think about being "out there" again after such a long time. 2006 seems like a lifetime ago, but I ain't gettin' any younger just sitting here looking stoopid every evening. Yesterday morning my fave bartender at the Parrot stopped by the restaurant and said, "hey, why don't you stop by Sunday after work and have a martini while we have a long overdue chat about life." Now, he's straight, but I've known him for a dozen years and he was sincere. After selling baubles tomorrow, I will head into town for a few hours at the Parrot catching up and maybe meeting new people.

I have done my duty today, enjoyed a few sales, wrote this post, and will now treat myself to a Sazerac as a reward. I'm worth it, goddamit!

And so it goes.
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