What one day can do.... sigh of relief!!!!

This morning after giving me a pep talk about finding a job. Maybe that little smile is what gave
me the extra spunk in my step today.

Today is the day I was going in for my interview at the hospital for the food service department. The day started off with Carlie smiles... although G tried to leave with her without letting her say good bye. That sort of thing really hurts my feelings. I am going to miss taking her to preschool. I liked that part of the morning with her after I would feed her a light breakfast. She would sing to me in the car and we would talk. Man that girl can talk... like her mama.

Anyhow... interview went really well. I found out though that it would be to fill in for only a few shifts here and there... and maybe not even a full shift... but to help the hospital keep labor costs down by paying no overtime. She was very nice and said I would do perfectly in the job and I would be hearing from Don. She also told me to keep an eye out for a barista position that would be full time in the hospital as it will be opening soon. It is nights and would be getting off at like 3a etc. It would be 40 hours.... so benefits. It would be good... but the job would start at 3p to midnight some nights and 7p to 3a some nights. That would give me no time to be with the kids. Amanda gets home at 5:30 now... but her new shift will be at 3p. I want to be able to keep up with her and my grandbaby (Bella) as she grows in her tummy! Taylor gets home from school at 3:30p, so I wouldn't even be able to talk to him much and I would not get to see Carlie... so... even though benefits are great... uh.... my kids are more important to me right now. WELL... EVER!

I thought since I was out and in slacks and somewhat presentable, I could go ahead and go to a few all night restaurants... Denny's, Ihop, Elmers, and Shari's. I could do the loop as I was coming home. With that in mind... Denny's was the first stop. I was planning on just getting the applications, coming home to fill them out and returning them on another day. However, the cashier told me to fill it out right away as they are hiring and it will go quickly. (the economy in our town stinks!) So I sat at the counter and started to fill it out. CRAP.... I left my phone in the car... and it had some numbers of references. A man walked out of the back and was in street clothes, but wiping up tables, etc. He went behind the counter and said... you are filling that out for a waitressing position... right? I said yes. He kept walking. He came back around later and said... got experience? (HA... I LAUGH IN YOUR FACE... Blue Water Cafe cocktailing, KFC and Hsalt in Alaska working with food... the woolworths counter in Hawaii *DON'T THINK I AM JOKING!!!*, Swackhammer's in the restaurant and the bar cocktailing, Marriott waiting tables, Perkins at several locations, Tomato Street, Burger basket co managing, Izzys... experience... I got it. Yes, I do know that got is not proper terminology but it fits here.) Instead I say sure... tons! He tells me not to go before he can talk to me. I finish what I can of the application as I don't have addresses of employment etc. I tell him I can get them but I hadn't planned on filling it out there immediately. He tells me he is the OWNER OF THE RESTAURANT. I tell him I need to know the color of shoes I need to get, as I am the girl. HA... being assertive. He asks me about how I handle stress.... (Does he realize my whole life is stress at times and there I sat and he thought I was calm and collected.... HA) Well I said... that was a better answer... owners don't like when you say HA to them... He really talks to me a lot. We chit chat about Hawaii as he was wearing a Maui Polo shirt... schmoozin him. I tell him that I am stealing the menus from him to take them home to study so I am ready to go. He tells me... training usually takes two weeks... how long will it take you? I say two days. (If he only knew it will only take one... I just didn't want to seem likea show off or a snob... GRIN!) He tells me that he is going to get his General manager to come and do the second interview if I had a few minutes. OF COURSE... I haven't had a paycheck in almost a year... bring him out. He kept stressing to me... I need someone that will catch on quick... and is eager to get on the floor. HELLO.... I LOVE TIPS... I want on there more than you know. He then tells me I have the job but to come in and talk to the night manager at 6p. I do so. The lady as I walk in says... are you here for pick up order. I tell her politely no... I interviewed twice today and was there for the grave position. She runs and gets the manager for me. He is doing what he acts like is an interview... but I knew I had the job already. During our interview... hostess lady that got the manager for me comes and throws a note at him and says... I gotta get out of here... and she leaves. SHE QUIT. Apparently that is who I was replacing. Now if that wasn't special! I don't know what is!? He sits the paper on the table and excuses himself to go talk to her... but she is long gone. DANG.... but on the little yellow sticky tab on the paper, it says... tell Wendy to be here at 9a on Thursday morning for training. I played stupid to make him feel better.

So, here I am 40 (under my breath 3) and I am going back to waiting tables. There is something exciting about it actually. I love one on one with clients and seeing them face to face. I like being on my feet and not behind a desk. I am not sure. Maybe it is that I haven't worked for so long that anything would be exciting. Last year in sales at a bank... today... working at Dennys. I will be working graves... so this way I can see the kids and keep Tay's doctors appointments with his house and get to feed Carlie and put her to bed and read to her and play barbies and beauty parlor. I will sleep while she is at daycare. This just helps empower me to the things that are happening around me. I am excited.... I really am.

I stopped at preschool to tell Carlie so she would be the first to know. She had told me this morning that I shouldn't worry as a job was going to come along. With that in mind... I wanted it to be a fun day for her and for her to be excited as well. She ended up crying when I had to leave. I should have brought her home with me to have a celebration day... yet I knew he would get mad... and I don't want the tension around her... so I let it go. It broke my heart to drive away without her. She is my girl. ANYHOW... today I can breathe a little bit easier.