The noose is looser

It's been a harrowing few months but we are getting very close to paying all our debts and actually making money. The days of sitting on the edge of my bed with my eyes wide open digging my fingernails into my forehead seem like a distant memory. On the other hand, you never know what's going to happen next and I can't count my chickens. They aren't hatched.

I took a day off

Actually 2, 3 if you count Sunday. I went to Las Vegas. I've never been there before. My friend Karen arranged it all. I just showed up at my front door and off we went. We stayed at the Palazzo which was very nice and went to see Louis Black, who wasn't. I learned to play craps and lost a little money but it was fun. Eating in restaurants is no longer the same for me. I was VERY conscious of bad service in a really expensive steak place we ate in. Aware of food temperature, saltiness, graininess in the "mac 'n cheese" that cost $14. On the other hand, I no longer feel any need to complain about it. Bad food and good service still gets a tip. Good food and bad service doesn't. The cooks don't get tips.

It's a party

It's a party and everyone's invited. Just not me. From appearances only, it seems I am having a good time going from table to table, talking and laughing (mostly). People don't seem to realize though, it's work. A friend in the design business commented this week, well, at least you're having a constant party. I'm not. It's a job. What they can't see is that the ice machine is broken, the vent over the stove is clogged, the convection in the oven isn't working, the cooler's down, the walk in cooler is frosted up. The list goes on. They also don't see that there's a french fry on the floor that's going to get stepped on and there's no busser around (probably out in the alley smoking, is my guess) to pick it up before it gets ground into the carpeting so I will have to do it. I'm also seeing that someone is looking for their waiter (in the server room texting someone making plans for later that evening) and that there are 3 people at the door and there's no hostess. Unfortunately, when this kind of thing is happening, my family and friends get short shrift. I have no problem being distracted when I'm with them. When it's a customer though, they get my full attention. Hey, it why we have family and friends.

Here's a few of my friends having fun without me.