I've been a bit of a slacker and poop head lately. As I re-read my last entry, I wonder what kind of mind frame I was in when I posted. I know I was frustrated and downright pissy, for reasons of my own doing and things out of my control, though I will leave my thoughts as they will always be a testament to my faults. I don't like what I posted, but since it's not anything that will make or break a circumstance, it will remain as a personal reminder.
My favorite commenter left a remark, which I initially missed (Sorry again, Christy), though writing a reply did give me a nice refreshment in actualization and perspective.
I have a week or a bit more before I have to leave the internet. It's really comical when you think about it. I can remember when the internet didn't exist and the first time, roundabout, I logged on with my sweet 56k modem...=) I'll be without it for a couple of months from my new home, but actually welcome it. Every where you go in a city has some open access unsecure wireless signal so it's rarely a problem to find, though, that's the point of this story.
I was referred to look at a place of residence from a city board member because the area where I'm going into business is barren for rental property. I've tried everywhere within the city and had no luck. That really put a damper on my whole venture and was quite capable of squashing any plans I put into place. And then I took a view of likely my only available place, as I mentioned above.
It was a beautiful farmstead/homestead roughly 10 miles outside of city limits. The thing that I've seemed to forget driving on the interstate and highways, is that there are fields. When you're in a state like mine, you get used to it. Nothing but flat lands with things growing. I mean, it's really plain, pun intended. When you actually have to pay attention to the mundane, hmmm, that's where it gets interesting. I had to find this house out in the country, but have always been a "city boy" if you will. The only time I've been countryside is with my buddy from posts earlier, and that's after many trips. Even a few miles in the rural will get most people lost, if they have no reason to be there or are lacking a very good GPS or map. I don't travel with either. Yeah, I know, what a dummy. =)
Anyways, I find the location and it's a huge piece of property. Surrounded by basically a forest on 2 sides, the other a field of tilled land, grain bins, trucks, some garages, and just a whole shit load of land. I follow the driveway up to where I finally see some other vehicles and the house. I see outside, roughly 15 people of basically all ages. I'm really hoping I didn't disturb these nice people as I pull up, you know, in case this is the wrong location, which it may very well be, as I was still unsure.
I jump out of my vehicle, and every person I witnessed while driving to my inevitable parking spot, is making a beeline toward me. My inner being thought, "Crap, wrong place...", plus my anxiety level was quite high from traveling unknown roads alone. I just waved and smiled as I walked to them and said, "...". I was cut off before my brain could translate the message I wanted to relay by a woman's voice. It was hard to tell where this sound came from because there were so many individuals approaching me at the same time. I was a bit uneasy also because I didn't expect the whole crowd to swarm me like they were doing.
I just stopped dead in my tracks, and reiterated my happy expression and hand signal. I couldn't understand what that voice said to me...
What happened next is still in my brain. Sorry, I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I'm so tired after today's antics, though I'm glad I got a chance to tell this much of a, not-so-long-ago story, thanks to Christy. I'll get to my perspective next post (or maybe I already have ;)), but this sparked my memory into telling this odd and crazy, to me at least, story which I guarantee will be told. I'm just so tired right now. I need sleep.
Take care all, in another day in the life of a line cook.
Sneaky edit incoming.
So I was still pondering what the voice said as I waited for the mob to consume me. The first person leading the march was a big ass ol farm boy. Yeah, the kind you hear about all the time. This dude was a monster and what was worse, he had an obvious alcoholic beverage in his hand. From my experiences, alcohol makes people way nicer initially, but if there's too much involved after the fact, just the opposite, and there was no way I wanted any piece of this dude.
I'm becoming more and more paranoid as they approach and this guy finally calmly yells out, if that makes any sense, "Are you (my name here)?" I reply, "Yes, I must be at the right place, huh?" He exclaims back to his crew, "This is (my name here)!" He slams his drink like it was an ounce of water as the others rush up to me.
With basically no hesitation, I am grabbed and hugged by multiple women, hands are extended by the men in friendship, with everyone smiling like I was a long lost relative. WOW! This is extremely odd to me. This doesn't happen ever from my background, at least not to this extent with a casual stranger like myself.
I'm blown away by the hospitality. I'm getting embraced by everyone with, "It's so nice to finally meet you!" and "We're so glad you finally made it here!" It's crazy. These people were actually waiting for me to arrive at the farm to greet and entertain me for the evening. I mean, seriously...I was so beside myself with awe. That big farm boy then picked me up, he fucking grabbed me in a bear hug and lifted me off the ground like I was a piece of paper and said to my face, which was way too close to his at this moment, "It's great to have you here.", as he smiled.
I started laughing, mostly out of relief, and he placed me back onto the gravel beneath me. Let me tell you all something. I'm not a small man by any means. Even though I'm still in my "mid-ish" 30's, I take very good care of myself as far as my physical appearance goes. I work out regularly to compensate for my diminished metabolism and generally poor eating habits and really am satisfied with how I appear to myself and others. This guy was like nothing I've ever seen before in real life, maybe on television, and what was most intimidating, is that I could tell he was easily in his early 20's. I like to talk shit and size up others all the time, but, oh my God, I was humbled.
I'm sorry, yet again, I do need to get some more sleep though will keep "ninja" editing this post as there is so much more to tell of that evening. Most other aspects of my venture are moving forward decently as of today. Progress, finally, for sure. And that woman's voice is the heart of the whole tale. See you all again, in another edit in the day in the life of a line cook.
