Earth, Wind and Pumpkins
Lil’ Fidel is with me all this week. This is the new nickname bestowed on the kid by R. I’m glad I have Fidel the littlest Dictator now, the week before I start my new job because it has been forcing me to get up early to take him to school. Not quite as early as I will need to, but close enough. Ya see, in order to have those short Fridays the M-Th workdays are from 7:30 to 5:30. It’s going to take some getting used to, for sure. Not so much the longer hours cause once I’m up, I’m up - but that 7:30 gives me a headache right now looking at it.
*Yawn* I’m on my 2nd 3rd cup of coffee as I type. I bartend the afternoon shift today and I’m kinda worried. Thursdays get busy. I just know I’ll get all these orders for shit like Colorado Bulldogs that I don’t know how to make and I’ll go, “Umm… miiiiiiiiilk. Umm… Kahluaaa… At least, I think its Kahlua. Oh God, what else-what else-what ellllllse?!”
I hate looking stupid, that’s the problem. What I really need to be worried about is if I’m not busy. See, on Monday we had absolutely no patrons for the entire first hour of my shift. I was there all by my lonesome watching the news on one of the TVs with the emergency necklace firmly in my grasp. It’s this buzzer thing we have to wear when we’re at the bar alone and if we hit the button, the police come. Or, they’re supposed to come. I’ve never tried it so maybe it doesn’t really do anything. Regardless, I was clutching that thing like I was about to fall and wouldn’t be able to get up.
Picture it: A very dark cocktail lounge. Dimly lit decorative Jack-o’-lanterns strewn about the empty tables are casting an ominous glow. It’s been raining all day with thunder so loud you can hear it over the old school R n’ B thumping on the sound system. Who knew September could sound so sinister?
Ba de ya
Say do you remember
Ba de ya
Dancing in September
Ba de ya
Never was a cloudy day
You’re trying very hard to hold it together even though every little noise is making you jump out of your skin. Ba-du, ba-du, ba-du, ba-du, ba-du - You can hear the rain getting louder and louder, pounding mercilessly on the metal roof when suddenly! The CLAP of lightning! All the lit pumpkins are flickering - off, on, off, on, off, on.
It went on like that for well over 30 minutes - all the way through Love Come Down, Early in the Morning and right on past I Need Your Lovin’. Finally, someone in need of an after-work cocktail made his way through the front door. I have never been so happy to see a day-drinker in all of my life and dude is definitely lucky he came in when he did. I was thisclose to racing out of there, hopping in my car and coming straight home - never to return. Bring on the Bulldogs, shit. I ain’t scared of no bulldogs! It’s the plastic pumpkins and EW&F that give me the willies!
I really want one of these. Will someone be so kind to get me one? No? Just thought I’d ask. I’m trying to decide whether I want one bad enough that it would be okay if R got it for me. Not that he said he would but he knows I want one real bad. I think boyfriends/husbands are banned from getting their women such items, aren’t they? Cause, you know, R may hand that to me on the wrong day at the wrong time of the month and my head is likely to spin around while I hiss, “So, what? My apartment is not cleeeeeeean enough for you, assssshole?!” I think I’ll just go get it myself. Heh. Happy Thursday, y’all!
Edit: I ended up working a double shift Thursday. There won’t be any more talk about being nervous or not knowing how to make stuff, I can tell you that. I guess, a double will do it! It was a lot of work and I’m sore as hell. My feet, R, MY FEET! Not only that, but I’ve now convinced myself and one of the managers there is a ghost that resides in the bar. See, the place I work at has been around for over 40 years and is somewhat of a Phoenix landmark, to give you some background on how freaking old and creepy the place can be.
Yesterday, the female manager met me up at work to help me open. I asked her where the switch for those damn pumpkin lights was at and she directs me over to the back wall. All the pumpkins are connected to a dimmer and I turned up the dial and went back behind the bar. Why - about an hour later - when I’ve been by myself save for one chatty lady drinking a beer, I look up and ALL the pumpkins have gone dark? There is a ghost, I tell you, A GHOST!!!!!! I can’t wait til Halloween is over! Thanks to Uncle J for kicking it with the kid last night! You rock! Manhattans are on me! I need a nap! And a heating pad! Bye all!