Now, what in the hell could that title possibly mean? Especially regarding Andrew? I hear you ask. Well, believe it or not it has to do with my job, and yes, Andrew is involved too, and in a way you would never imagine. Don’t believe me? Read on.
For those that may not know, I have a dragon around me. Yes, dragons do exist, just not on this dimension, as do unicorns, leprechauns, faeries, etc. My dragon’s name is “Puff” as named by Michael Wise back in 2002. If you are clairvoyant you will see her. She is lovely AND protective of me. People that know me will attest to the fact that I indeed do have dragon energy, even if they can’t see Puff. What can I say? I ain’t a redheaded, Wise One, Leo for nothing! *grins* Now to set the scene.
I was at work on Monday at Olive Garden. I went in at 11:00a.m. so I figured I’d be OUT by 4:00p.m. Boy was I wrong! When I go to work, I time everything, right down to going to the bathroom. I go right before I leave for work & don’t go to the bathroom again until I get home. If you saw the employee bathroom you’d understand. We can use the public bathroom but to take off the apron and make sure you place it where no one can see it, don’t ask me why that is, but it is an OG rule. Well, as you can see, it’s just easier to wait until I get home. When I serve I call it putting on my full metal jacket. I have to make sure I have my pens, my change purse w/proper bank, my wine key, my order book, blah blah blah. If I have to take off my apron, I want to make sure I can keep it off! Not only do I time my bathroom breaks, I time my eating. I try to eat enough to carry me through till I get home around 4:15p.m. Ok, I may nibble on some stray cheese crumbs, or eat what’s left in the chicken gnoki container as I take it back to the dishwasher area, but no real meals.
On Monday I didn’t get to leave at my normal time. I was still being sat tables at 4:30p.m.! I was tired, hungry, my feet and body ached, AND I had to pee! I was feelin my dragon energy rise. I went to the host stand and asked why I was still being sat, and I was told that the manager hasn’t given the word to cut me yet. I was ready to cut somebody alright! Well, the dragon energy was rising more in me. Oooo I was getting more angry. Especially when I learned later that one of the dinner servers was sitting there with no tables for 45 minutes! SERIOUSLY?!
I go to my table and take their order and they inform me that they want soup & salad before they even decide what they want. SERIOUSLY!? I know what this means! I have SITTERS! I wanted to punch them in the neck! Well, by this time forget about it, the dragon is loose! I am livid and spittin fire now! I get them their effin soup and salad, then go to my car to get my phone. I leave it in my car because we are not allowed to use our phones at work. Hahahahaha that’s funny because I’m about the only one that doesn’t use my phone at work!
I call Martin while in the parking lot to rant and tell him I was stuck at work for about another hour. I had grocery shopping I needed to do for Thanksgiving and I was NOT going to feel up to it after this! I am a wiped out for hours after I get home from work. I told Martin I wanted to quit! I was so over it! I was so tired, I literally couldn’t see or think straight by this point!
Then Elatia texts me as I’m walking back in and she asks what was I doing. I tell her I was STILL at work. She texts me back WTF? Well, that only fuels my fire explaining to her that I was STILL stuck at work. I was blatantly texting out in the kitchen in front of the managers office and in the 3rd dining room where the servers hang when not busy. I was waiting for someone, including a manager to say something about me using my phone, cause I was ready to shove my phone up someone’s ass! I hate it anyway, so no great loss! I was throwing dishes in the dish area. A bread basket whizzed by another server’s head and skimmed him. On my way out of the kitchen after finally checking out, I saw a manager and told them that I can NOT be kept here this long! He said he didn’t know I was still on. I told him I was going to be giving my notice. He said, “No don’t do that” as I walked away.
Everyone was feelin the wrath of Con if they were in my vicinity that day! When I finally got to leave I slammed the door out of there & broke my sunglasses and just threw the rest of what was left of them in the parking lot. I am always in a good mood, dancing or singing, so this is a side of me no one has seen before. My dragon was out in force! Fire balls were flying outta me! To paint the picture, Andrew gave Martin this scenario today for this situation…
Andrew showed Martin that he was riding my dragon as she was flying all around the Olive Garden kitchen, spitting fire balls everywhere, her tail knocking over dishes and food in the window. Andrew was hanging on for dear life while being flung all about as he was yelling, “Yeehaw! I got 8 seconds!” Apparently that is the goal time when riding a bucking bronco, and a dragon, to last 8 seconds. Martin notices that Andrew was wearing a pair of chaps and he said to Martin, “But they aren’t ass-less chaps Daddy.” Martin looks at him with an eye brow raised and replies, “Yes they are!” Andrew says meekly, “yeah, you’re right, they are.” Yup! That’s a picture of my son that I needed in my head! Thanks guys!
Once again, Martin tells me all of this as I’m driving. The 3 of us were laughing pretty hard at this whole scene, which was really making fun of me losing it. Feelin the love from my boys, so I was!
Anyway, what’s the lesson here kiddies? It’s time for me to move on. I have needed to leave Olive Garden for a little while now and move forward with our mediumship gigs. But after everything we have been through since Andrew left, like nearly losing our house, and electric almost shut off, I have been nervous to leave there. It took me so long to find a job, it’s hard to leave one once you find one. Especially in this economy, and to do something that isn’t guaranteed. It’s not like I haven’t been down this road before, trying to get us out there and booking gigs. But as they say, you can’t steal 2nd base with your foot on 1st. I have to feel the fear and do it anyway. AND Martin’s fav saying, “In order to hang on, you have to let go.” So I’m letting go and trusting that all is in Divine order. Isn’t that the lesson for all of us, like ALL of the time? Letting go and trusting? Because if I think I can stay at Olive Garden until I feel secure enough to leave, well that just ain’t gonna happen.
The fact that I snapped at work is a clue that my time there may be done, and I need to move on to bigger and better things, no matter how scared I may be about doing it. I am waiting until after Thanksgiving so I can be completely calm when giving my notice. After all, I am so grateful that I got this job. I love the people I work with, and Olive Garden has been very good to me and I want to leave on a high note. I have been there 20 months, my longest job at one place EVER! I want to leave knowing that if I ever need a job again, I can go back. AND there’s nothing wrong in not wanting to burn any bridges, especially with people who have always been supportive of me and my needs. Well, except for Monday. Moving on and change is never easy, but it is a part of life!
IT’S ALL GOOD! AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING!