Morning Coffee

        Today, I had a great day at work.  I don’t know why it was such a wonderful day, because, honestly, I am completely exhausted.  I work way too hard and don’t get paid nearly enough, but that’s beside the point.  I had an awesome day.  I’m all smiles.  I came home, opened the door to my bathroom (because Curtis had dropped her off before he went to work, and we don’t want her roaming the entire apartment), and I find this…

        Now, surprisingly, I’m not mad that the rug is nearly mutilated.  I couldn’t care less about the stupid rug.  It’s just the fact that she always has to be chewing on something.  Again, I should have gotten mad at this, and this could have ruined my day.  But instead of getting furious, I just threw my head back and laughed at my ridiculous life.  HaHa  It is so completely, and totally, 100% crazy right now.  1) I’m a college drop-out who is working as a waitress and living on her own 2) I’m losing my job 3) I haven’t found a new one to replace it 4) My boss doesn’t do anything anymore and so I end up picking up her slack 5) I have 8 animals that I’m taking care of 6) One of those animals is Satan 7) Another one of those animals is an “anything you could possibly get your mouth on” shredder Five of those animals are baby kittens that need a lot of attention, and 9) I have two litter boxes that need cleaned twice a day or else my apartment smells like a dumpster filled with feces.

        It’s not THAT entirely crazy, I know.  Things could be a lot worse.  My point is, is that sometimes I just get so frustrated trying to keep up with everything, answering the same questions day after day: You guys are leaving?  When’s your last day?  Why are you moving?  Where are you moving to?  Do you have a place yet?  Are you looking for another job?  I have the same conversation with about 15 different people each and every day.  It’s getting annoying, and I just want it to be done and over with.  

I had two iced coffees this morning…maybe that has something to do with why nothing that happened today bothered me as badly as most days…

        I am ashamed to say that this post has been waiting to be written since Tuesday.  Unfortunately, I just haven’t had the ambition to just sit down and write it. 

        Today…that ambition is in me…

        Everywhere I go, I seem to naturally surround myself with people.  Whether they be infants, adults, or the elderly, I never cease to find myself among them.  Previous to working at the restaurant where I am working now, I was employed at a nursing home not too far from where I live.  I think a lot of you may understand why when I say that out of the three groups (infants, adults, and elderly), I’m fairly certain that the elderly are my favorite. 

        So, back to Tuesday…

        Tuesday, the day back from our three day weekend due to Labor Day.  It was a day just like any other except for one tiny difference.  Starting around nine o’clock in the morning, a little old man walked in.  And let me just say, he was the cutest little old man I’ve ever laid my eyes on.  He walked in the doorway and slowly, but surely, lightly shuffled his feet towards the nearest booth he could find, using his wooden cane for a little extra support for his tiny, frail body.  He finally sat down and we got him his order.  Shortly thereafter, another man, slightly younger, but not so much that they’d be a part of separate generations, walks in.  Unlike the first, he was a regular of ours and was in for his morning breakfast as he usually is around this time.  His name?  Leonard.  He has a quiet voice and I practically read his lips to generate most of the words that he’s saying.  He has just a couple different breakfasts that he gets.  So, as soon as he starts muttering part of it, I can usually stop listening, because I know what he wants.  He, also, instead of taking a seat before he orders, he kindly comes to the counter and carries his coffee back to his booth with him.  His usual booth is table 3, but on this particular day, another older gentlman had walked in while Leonard was ordering at the counter and had made himself comfortable at table 3.  I mentioned this problem to Leonard as a joke.  He laughed and whispered that he’d settle for booth 2 instead. 

        Teddy, the third elderly man, was the one who had taken Leonard’s usual spot.  Coincidentally, booth 3 is also Teddy’s usual choice of seating.  He is also in a younger generation compared to Leonard and “Old Man.”  I’d guess he’s probably somewhere around 60 years of age.  Soon after writing Teddy’s order down and handing it to the cook, yet another old man walks in.  By this time, all four booths held just one little old man, who were all facing towards the kitchen and all were sitting on the outside of the booth with their noses in some form of reading material.  They were the only four customers who occupied the restaurant and it stayed that way until, one by one, they each came up to the register to pay for their meals.  Leonard, however, always pays before he eats and just quietly exits, and Teddy sits his money on the table and we walk the money back and forth from him, to the register, then to him again.  

        I suppose the title of this post has absolutely nothing to do with grumpy old men, just old men.  However, I just figured I’d share my appreciation for our elderly customers and their cups of morning coffee.

…and no one to give them to.

        Granted, my aunt and uncle own our local pet store, and I know I could just drop them off there, but I kind of want to find them homes myself.  I want to know that they’re going to a good home.