Life in the Kitchen

I look at my son and I am reminded I have spent, very nearly, his entire life as a restaurant owner. When he was just a few months old, he sat in the baby swing as I wrote the business proposal. I toted my newborn around to banks and credit unions and told the bank managers "I could do it." I was sleep deprived then and I am sleep deprived now.

What HAS changed is the role he plays. Today, my sweet 6 year-old toted cases of Coca Cola into the shop, asked for "the usual" for lunch and asked if I had the script ready yet for his latest radio commercial for the restaurant. Funny how life progresses in the blink of an eye!

He's voicing another radio ad for the restaurant tomorrow because some of our regular customers mentioned they had heard our recent commercial and were disappointed not to hear CJ in it. It made me realize another two years had flown by. Last time he did our ads he was four. He couldn't even READ the scripts. The one-take wonder did it all by memory. This time, he can actually read the script! (I just hope he approves and doesn't want to make a whole bunch of changes now!) 

When I bought the restaurant it was old, tired and overlooked. But of course, like any entrepreneur, I thought it had POTENTIAL. Potential. What a word! It's the kind of word that makes us jump off cliffs, buy ratty old houses and antique chevrolet trucks. Ok, maybe not everyone buys old Chevrolet trucks, like I did, but so what! 

It's the same spirit in me that rescues animals and rehabilitates them. It's the spirt that pumps life into my blood and says "c'mon, I know you can make a difference." 

I've been too busy lately to stop and look around and admire how far the restaurant has come. (Completely critical & telling sentence. Busy is a good thing!)  I let our anniversary slip by again unnoticed. Six years in "restaurant years" is like 20 in the real world! I'm sure of it! It's hard. It's hard to keep the hungry people walking in the door and the satisfied people walking out. 6 years is a big deal. I should be shouting it from the rooftops.... but who has the time, or the energy to climb up on the roof. LOL.  It's hard, but it's an amazing (& fulfilling) thing. And just when I feel like the little burro pulling the cart up a steep mountain something fantastic & spontaneous happens and I feel like a successful human being again. Like today.... 

A regular customer phoned for take-out. I personally prepared and handed him the meal at the counter. We joked about how tired I looked and felt, but even so I GUARANTEED that it was one of the best meals I'd ever made for him. I promised it was going to be spectacular. 20 minutes or so later, he called back and I was summoned to the phone.  He wanted to give me "heck". He declared that "even though there was INSUFFICIENT KETCHUP provided, that it was indeed, one of the best dinners ever!" I burst out laughing. Insufficient ketchup for his dietary requirements? Oh puleeeeeze! But what a character! Totally perked me right up and made my day.  I needed the compliment. It will keep me going. 

Six years eh? Huh.  Bartender... cut me off please.... I must be drunk. I want to do six more. I think I see potential.

@cdntripseeker