New Year's Eve 2005

I had just finished my shift at Starbucks smelling like sweat, sugar and old coffee. My black tennis shoes had dry splatters of milk on them and my white collard shirt was sprinkled with dark chocolate sauce. (The mocha pump spit right out on to me while I was making a drink.) I was barely thinking about the new year's eve celebrations going on every where else then where I worked in the mall. My regular customers who were also working came on their break time to wish me a Happy new year and I would return with the same wishes only to swing back around to work with a broom or stack dirty dishes in the deep soapy sink. I was going to be wiped out by midnight I sense it and all I wanted was my bed the instant I get home, or so I thought.... My husband Tony was home that early evening packing a suit case, ordering take out and excitedly stocking up on champagne. I was in awe when he picked me up that late night to share about his surprise get away! (this was before we had any pets and getting away was very easy) So we drove to pick-up the food to go, I was in a such happy delighted mood that even stinking of stale coffee didn't keep me from going in with my hubby hand in hand. Tony had made hotel reservation with a big hot tube over looking the city of Boise, The fun part about that room was the huge hot tube setting right in front of the big screen TV. We never left the water even after all the bubbles dissipated and our skin wrinkled good and deep. We had all that TV in front of us with flutes of endless cooling bubbles in our hot tube....and it was truly a good new year's eve! But back to when we picked up our food....the hostess sighed out at us barely making eye contact saying "That's 22.50." I could tell the place was super busy and she was clearly wiped out also. My husband hand her a fifty dollar bill and says "Keep the change." I smiled big right at her stunned face like he does this sort of thing all the time. Now Tony never saw her reaction as he reached for the bag of food to leave, I was in awe and extremely proud of the kindness my husband had shown but I thought to myself "He hates to condone the whole tipping issue that whole "scam on society", where the owners rises prices on their food but keep the hired help at a low low wage in hopes that they perform good or at least polite to the customers so that their tips will help the lack of respect the restaurant has for their employees....?" I always argued with him saying "Do you not know how much work it is to serve? To do all the cleaning, setups, stocking and side work only to take a table that will have you bringing refills after refills for a few hours and then give you a couple of bucks?!? It's insane! So just tip and don't make some poor college student who is running on 2 hours of sleep the one to suffer while you try to change the system." I was thinking over these many conversations Tone and I have had...How amazing that on this night he really sees what I have been trying to show him, have compassion for the hard working people, who deserve their tips and most importantly respect. "WOW Babe that was so amazing! I am speechless and very very proud of you! What a wonderful night this has turned out to be..really after all the horrid customers I had today with things breaking down and that worn out feeling in trying to smile...who would have thought I would be smiling this big so much later on because you created such a surprise!" I gushed in such glory of this great moment of the hero my husband is and then he starts the car up asking "What are you talking about....?" I smiled softly at him while waving my hand back to the restaurant. "You really are a true hero in there tonight, talk about "pay it forward" that was AWESOME!" My husband now looks even more confused then alarmed as he drove us towards our hotel I noticed this quickly even in my giddy sleepy state of mind. I am truly very happy right now by everything in my life I thought to myself, even the whole crazy coffee world of stressfulness was rolling off my shoulders minuet by minuet and now I had THE HUSBAND of all husbands who gave that worn out grumpy hostess a tip more then that actually order! I thought to myself again How often does that happen? Sooooo when my husband asked again frowning now deeper "I only gave her like a 4 dollar tip?....it's not like you to go on and on over just 4 dollars...?" He now watched me closely as we were at a red light in the car. I burst out a huge laugh and choked back "No Honey, NO you gave her a 28 dollar tip a few dollars MORE then this food." I smiled a bit confused myself as Tony went off hysterically alarmed then I realized he wasn't trying to be some hero but he honestly misheard her say the price so he thought that he better just give the fifty and not make her bring the few dollars in change back. Once I realized all of this much I laughed so deep and so hard till tears rolled down my neck. Oh my Husband, my sweet loving clumsy husband! Who always makes me laugh for moments like these all the time! By the time Tony had worked over how to go back for the money to explain his mistake in overly tipping I still giggling told him it was a done deal and he quickly agreed then we both laughed again for awhile...

Oooooh What a New year's eve THAT is to remember!