"time on my hands... could be time spent with you"

for as long as i can remember, i've hardly enjoyed weekends off.

i always worked 2 jobs... mostly as a favor, and naturally with my shopping addiction; the extra cash was nice.

i thought i hit the jackpot when a mon-fri 8-5 job fell in my lap, paying me more to do [essentially] less then the news station ever did in 3 years. Even AFTER i put in my two weeks at the station, i worked a month straight with no days off at both jobs to help out anchoring the show i left behind. I can't say no. There was no breaks and no time to really enjoy having weekends off, because shortly after that i started helping out 4 days a week at a friend's restaurant. Most times, i loved "playing waitress." I adored my regulars, most of my co-workers, and my bosses who became family.

tomorrow will be the first day i don't work both jobs. I am no longer going to "play waitress" and this both breaks my heart and yet.... maybe finally i can stop and enjoy life. I've worked it away sometimes, it seems.

In fact, i stayed so long at the restaurant because i felt guilty thinking about how hard my bosses work day in and day out (it's opened 7 days a week 11-11. Can you imagine? it's a mom and pop place, so just two bosses. that's it.) and i wanted to ease their work load as much as possible. More than that, we had fun. Like when Robert brought us lasagna and made it for us. It was a slow night and we all sat down and took a break and ate like a family. I'm going to miss the burrito breakfasts on Saturdays before we opened... the shared groans when that one crazy regular walked in... This year's Superbowl: the 3D glasses we passed out to the kiddies & the pause of silence as everyone took in the commercial... I'm going to miss all that.

i would have never met Travis, had he not walked into our restaurant.

I got to see him and his friends graduate from their training at the Air Force Base here.

below: me and Robert at Falls Fest where I decorated our booth

It's the end of an era.

soon, i hope my guilt and sadness (isn't that weird? to be sad about leaving "manual labor?") will be replaced with early morning coffee out on the porch/Actually catching a live band hit the stage/Not worrying about asking off for said sporting event on the weekend/time with my family/time with love, my love.

*pic via Ink of my fingers.