Friday, March 07, 2008

Dancing, Groceries, Birthday Cards and the "Semi-Christ"

Oh, the work hours lately. I guess I shouldn't complain, since the folks I'm working with have been working short-staffed for some time before I came along. But they barely got me trained before one of our managers went in for back surgery! So they are still working six days a week and very long days. And now I'm in it with them. I had it soooo easy at the other restaurant in comparison. But at least there is little or no personal stress between staff members at the new place.

That first paragraph is by way of explanation of my recent absence and a thanks for your patience. I cringe when I find myself writing the tired old post that starts with, "Sorry I haven't updated in a while!"

So today these three guys and I,

Micah's promotion


after I spent way too much money and time trying to save a penny or two on groceries, and then completely misplacing some birthday cards I bought, went to visit this guy (the silver-haired handsome one who coincidentally looks a lot like me):

Christmas 2006


to which him a happy 75th birthday. His actual birthday was three days ago on March 3rd (which made it almost a compliment when Jonathan told him he didn't look a day over 75). Yes, folks, 3/3/33' that's the magic date, and the reason why we call him the Semi-Christ. Interesting pseudonym for a former baptist missionary. But I suppose I'm not your everyday former theology student either.

We had a wonderful time, and ate grandma out of house and home. Josiah and his brothers razzed me about leaving and forgetting to take Dad's birthday cards. We had to stop in this tiny little town and find some new ones at this tiny country store where the poor guy in front of me in line had to keep asking to put another article back on the shelf since he didn't have enough money. Makes me see my own budget crunch in a better light.

Micah was hyper today and kept telling the punch lines to jokes totally out of context, which cracked his confused grandparents up repeatedly. When Esther asked him what he was talking about once, he replied quoting my previous admonishment, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm telling jokes out of context again!"

Oh, and he got in trouble today in school. For dancing at lunch. Yes. Dancing.

I am pleased. It could have been drugs or violence, right? I can handle a discipline report over dancing at lunch. Hell, I was always too depressed at lunch to even tap a toe. So they must be feeding him well.

Looking at Dad and how happy and healthy he is out on that farm with his cows and freezer full of venison, looking at the guy buying bread and milk in the country store, and reading about the serious infraction in the lunch room... Well, it's no wonder I am sitting back tonight, soaking my feet, sipping a little brandy and thinking about how sometimes it's all about perspective.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey, thanks Shaney!

Darla said...

David, thanks for stopping by my blog recently. As for the bread recipe... I don't know of a version with cheese/etc but I'm sure if you just tossed a handful of chopped herbs into the basic recipe it wouldn't hurt a thing. The tricky part is finding empty coffee cans to bake it in. Obviously it can be put in regular bread pans but those round cans are so much more fun.

Did you check out the cheesecake? the lemon bars? the red pepper soup?

Come by anytime!

Darla

Unknown said...

ooh, red pepper soup sounds awesome; I'll be back to check that out!

Thomas Tharayil LCSW, BCD said...

I enjoyed reading your blog. I recently met a gay father and he suggested checking out your site.

When I read about your budget concious habits, it made me laugh. Because this weekend, there was a garage sale in our community. And I thought it was humorous that as people were looking for great deals, they were driving around paying $4.00 a gallon for gas!

David, Son of Walt said...

You make a very good point there. And you remind me, I need to update WAY more often here.