rock and roll musings by Tim Byrnes

Keep Reading, It Get's Better

     Don't know if the photo I tried to upload uploaded, but if it did Sammy's on the left and that's Buster on the right. If it didn't, well Buster looks like Benjy and Sammy looks like a Black Buster. The reason I attempted to put said photo here is that I fear Sammy is not long for this world. He had what I guess was a stroke last night and has since been having difficulty getting to his feet. Once I prop him up though he can walk in and out of the house and is still eating. He's 14 years old going on 15 and I can only try to keep him comfortable for as long as I can. I need to call my Aunt but think I'll wait until the end. Tell her it was sudden.

     Speaking of sudden, the convenience store where I work closed down three days ago. Neither our  manager Marla or Shela, who we just hired August 1st, nor I had any warning. Just boom! Marla had been there 3 years, I was there just shy of 11 months and the best any of us has gotten regarding our final pay checks (in my case only like $70 for the 1 st 3 days of September) was - and I quote - "I don't know when I'll be able to get them to you." Something about paperwork. Rumors, of course, are flying: the owner's declared bankruptcy, no just the business, it's gonna be auctioned off, hey, why don't YOU buy it (like any of us can have that kind of money), now I gotta walk 2 blocks to get cigarettes etc. Turns out the previous manager who left 2 months ago after being there 14 years knew what was gonna happen. So did the guy who drove the oil delivery truck. So the front line troops, the minimum wage backbone of this industry were smiled at and nodded at and told what a great job they were doing while the usual suspects covered their asses and gave themselves time to prepare to have the ladder pulled out from under them.

    While Marla, Shela and I are left to do the Wiley Coyote hang time boogie, which believe me, is a lot funnier on television.

     But don't despair, dear reader, we didn't! The good thing, one of the many good things about a small town is that news travels fast and in the court of popular opinion (my favorite) we workers came off great. As a matter of fact a local business, Fat Willie's Diner - best burgers in the world, btw, and I'm from New York - hired Shela right away as she had worked there before and, within 2 days offerred both Marla and I jobs. The town took care of it's own, that's what it feels  like, and the town has declared me one of it's own and, for all my bitching about the place, feels real good.

     So, I'm now a frycook/dishwasher ( a noble profession for a poet) at Fat willie's and am considering getting a 'mother' tatoo and changing my name to Smokey.

Posted by: timbyrnes at 17:34 | link | comments (2)

Comments:

#1  08 September 2006 - 19:54

 

Isn't this how Alex Chilton got his start? (Actually, it sounds more like his "lost" period, but who else is paying attention here anyway?) :P

Sooner or later I'll have to come down to Fat Willie for one of those burgers. Or you can crash up here in the land of plenty. I'll even show you the controversial statue that's been repeatedly making the Mormons and The New York Times look like idiots (albeit for totally polarly opposite reasons).

burninglight

#2  09 September 2006 - 03:15

 

That is great! The Middleman is good.

I remember my experience of working at a restaurant. Free New England Clam Chowder, hamburger or a club, and fries, before every shift, and all the Cokes you could drink in between.

I also remember a bartender who idolized Keith Richards and would talk about him every day as the ultimate "everyday guy". I remember too many cutie waitresses to count, never getting invited to any parties due to my tactless religious and political zeal ( at least I have learned my lesson since, as we all know ) , driving home black dishwashers ( who were not even allowed to APPEAR outside the kitchen, to the boondocks for a buck or two for gas) . Birmingham, Michigan is a rich white town, only about 7 miles down the road from Detroit, and I was told that the owner said once that he would shut down the business before he let a black guy out on the floor. Hard to admit that stuff still exists, but it sure did there.

Anyhow, all that good food's got me thinkin': somebody get me a cheeseburger. Do do de doo do do do , livin' in The USA...

Sorry, your blog not mine, didn't mean to talk too long and pull a Simm..., ... nevermind. ( Just messin' ) .

Anonymous

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