The Goodbye

This is it fellow classmates. The final blog.

First off, I want to say that blogging all year has greatly developed me into a better writer than what I was before. I realized that there is much more to writing than just using proper grammar; one must write with emotion and passion, it is far more important than spelling. I would also like to mention how much I enjoyed this AP Language class. Although it was an AP class, it didn't always seem like one (I mean that in the best way possible Ms. Gunter). Something about the atmosphere was relaxing, and it enabled me to actually enjoy the time I spent in the room.

Secondly, I want to thank everyone for making the class, and the whole school year, a blast. I may seem like a meanie at times, and maybe even come off as arrogant to some. But I assure you, I don't mean to be. I'll deeply miss all of you next year.

James Shockley is such an inspiration. Let's face it, we all love DC. Sure, Mr. Constant would have been nice, and a win in Halls and Walls would have been too, but regardless, we love it. We are madly in love with the four years we spent here, and the people we spent them with. How could you not be? I would like for you to read a passage from a book called Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller.

And I could not have known then that if I had been born here, I would have left here, gone someplace south to deal with horses, to get on some open land where you can see tomorrow's storm brewing over a high desert. I could not have known then that everybody, every person, has to leave, has to change like seasons; they have to or they die. The seasons remind me that I must keep changing, and I want to change because it is God's way. All my life I have been changing. I changed from a baby to a child, from soft toys to play daggers. I changed into a teenager to drive a car, into a worker to spend some money. I will change into a husband to love a woman, into a father to love a child, change houses so we are near water, and again so we are near mountains, and again so we are near friends, keep changing with my wife, getting our love so it dies and gets born again and again, like a garden, fed by four seasons, a cycle of change. Everybody has to change, or they expire. Everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons.

With that, I want to say goodbye. Much love. Mucho grande.

The Memories

It's came to my attention that I still have two more blogs to write, so I apologize if they are in no way about Chic-Fil-A. I'm sure you won't mind that much.

Tonight was senior awards night. At first I was skeptical about how it was gonna' go, I really didn't know how many people were going to attend, or how serious it would be taken in general. I have to say, I was impressed. The auditorium was full kids and parents, most of which were adorned in nice outfits. If you didn't already know, I won the "Best Ninja" award. You may have seen me sprint to the stage and tumble across and receive my award. It was no big deal.

As soon as I got home I got on Facebook of course. I chuckled to myself as I saw numerous statuses about the end of senior year, and how no one was ready for it to be over. I'm sorry to do this, but I told you so people. The same people who had been ready to move on for so long are laying in their beds tonight lying wide awake with so many things on their minds. Things concerning the activities of their senior year of high school. They're probably thinking about all the things they missed, or the things they were just "too cool" to do. I really only have a small hint of advice for them.

Stop.

Sure, we all made mistakes as a teenager. We all at one point have done something we wish we hadn't. Or not done something we wish we had. Come one though, we have a couple weeks left. Stop fumbling through your regrets; start making up for them. I know 12 days isn't that many, but you would be surprised about how much you can do in that short amount of time, especially considering our situation. Do everything you can these next days, do a lot of things you won't regret.

I know I will.

The Memories

Recently, there has been tragedy at Chic-Fil-A. Ever since I have worked there, we have always had three good and hardworking managers. And when I say "good", I mean that they let the employees do pretty much whatever we want (to an extent). Just the other day, one of these managers was fired. Rumors and speculations quickly spread around about the reason(s) why. I really didn't believe any of them, but due to the fact that the information of why he was fired was not released to us, I have to assume that it was pretty bad.

There has been utter chaos this past week in dealing with this tragic blow. Our boss has been struggling to find another worker who is responsible enough/has enough time to take up the reigns as team manager. I have a looming feeling that whoever he appoints, will definitely not be as cool and acceptable as the old manager was. I have discussed my thoughts with other employees, and many of them share my same fears. Pray for me please, this is my future we're talking about here!

As most of you know, this past Saturday was prom, and being a senior, the night was HUGE for me. Some of you may have seen me there, I had the privilege of escorting the beautiful Mallory Osborne around and about. I would just like to say, the whole night was amazing, I enjoyed every moment and wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world. It always amazes me how much fun a person can have when they live put everything behind them, forget about what's in front of them, and live in the moment. And of course, put themselves around the right people. :)

You're probably wondering how these two tales connect.

Prom is over now (in saying that, I'm also going to mention that the end of the school year is drawing to an end) , and as I woke up from my long nap today, the depression set in. People have always said to enjoy your senior year of high school, or just high school in general. Not until this moment have I realized the complete truth in their advice. Lately I have been thinking about my future in college. The saying of "turning over a new leaf" really doesn't fit me too well. Although I am slightly excited about experiencing new things and meeting new people, I really do not want to turn my leaf over. My life is great how it is right now; I am completely content, as I always have been. I have so many decisions in front of me. Decisions that will define who I am as a person, and who I want to be for the rest of my life. Am I ready to make them? Pray for me please, this is my future we're talking about here!

In closing, I would like to say one last thing. I oftentimes notice people talking about how they absolutely hate high school, and cannot think of anything but moving to college. I have even been guilty of the thought at times. Prom turned my opinion around though, strangely enough. I now believe that no one should want life to speed up, but slow down. We all take many things for granted in our everyday lives, from a cool manager to our senior year. Starting now, my plan is to stop taking these things for granted. I realize that our number of days left as high school students are limited, and I plan on enjoying every last bit of them. Take pictures, take chances, laugh, enjoy yourself, and enjoy the time spent with the people that mean the most to you. STOP wishing you were somewhere else. Soon it will all just be memories.

John Mayer - Stop This Train. Listen to it.

The Break

I have to apologize, but I'm going to stray away from the usual here, I hope that' alright. I would like to just write my thoughts I have on my spring break experience. I'll try to keep it PG.

I went to Panama City Beach, Florida, and stayed in the Holiday Inn (definitely the hot spot). I have to say, those seven days were the best of my life. Each day and night brought something new and exciting. I was totally care-free while meeting tons of new people and chilling with friends from Owensboro. Waking up, going to the beach, getting tan, beach/pool parties all day long, barely clothed and beautiful women everywhere. I don't even know how to describe the amount of fun I had while there.

Let's get serious here. Looking back on Spring Break 10' as a whole, I realized that it seriously got me ready for college. I met so many cool people who are attending UK next year, where I will be as well. The fun and excitement behind meeting new people and developing new friendships (in a week even) is truly overwhelming, at least to me.

The week will be greatly missed, I can tell you that. Before I leave you, I would like to say one more thing. You'll most likely not understand, but just take it in anyways.

ROOM 802, WHAT IT DOOOOO??!??!

The Wiggers

I'll admit it, I was slacking last week and forgot to post, so because of that, and in light of recent events, I decided I would post twice this week.

Before I get into the story, I need to describe one of the people I work with. I doubt anyone knows him, so I am going to go into some detail here. He probably weighs around 270 pounds, and he's only like 6' tall. He's from Cyprus, which I think is an island outside of Greece. Just picture this kid in your mind, pretty funny looking huh? Well on top of all that, he thinks he's about 6'5 and weighs 180 pounds (of pure muscle). Now I'm no gladiator, but I consider myself fit. There have been numerous times where he has told me he could beat me up (worded differently), and he's been totally truthful about it. He always tells me about different times he's been to jail and whatnot, and honestly, it's really annoying. Also, with his altered vision of himself, he attempts to hit on every girl that works with us. It's obvious they are extremely turned off by him, but he can't take a clue. And that's just where the problems started on Friday night.

Apparently, one of the girls who works up front has a wigger as a brother. She supposedly went home one night and informed her brother about this guy a described, and how he always hits on her and is a total d-bag. Her brother gets all mad, and is quoted for saying "He can be like that towards errbody' else, but he aint gonna' be like dat' towards you." Anyways, this trailer-trash wigger of a brother comes into the restaurant on Friday night, yelling for this dude to come out to the parking lot, and fight him. This was happening as I was getting off of work, around 9:00. As I walked into the lobby, our manager was trying to calm the ruckus down. The tattoo-stricken wigger looked at me, crazy eyed. "Hey yo, you know dat' dude back there? Heyyo' tell dat' little rat that ima' break his neck, and if you're his friend ima' break yo' neck too. Believe dat'."

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Was this guy really trying to talk trash to me? I just replied with an "Ok, buddy" as he walked out the door backwards, eying me the whole way out. His sister repeatedly tried to apologize to me, clearly embarrassed by her brother's actions. I really didn't care that much anyways. People are fools.

The best part about this whole situation, is that if you guys want proof this actually happened, ask Michael Gaddis. He was there when it was all going down.

The Children

Every day, I see too many people go through their lives with a heap of worries. These people worry about sports, school, clubs, and a variety of other things, and all the worries occur on a daily basis. I'm sure you all can point out two or three people in this room that are like this, but that's not the point. I have always taken pride in the fact that I am a laid back person, very few things can happen to me that I end up thinking about for more than a couple of days. I strongly believe that this is truly the best way to live your life; if you want to argue about it, we can.

This past Tuesday at Chic-Fil-A was kid's night. I was given the honor or working the 4-8 shift. I knew the place was going to be chaotic, but I had no idea, I wasn't ready. Probably the most exciting part about kid's night was the fact that we had Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomatoe off of Veggie Tales come. I got pictures with both of them by the way, but I have no idea how to upload them, or I would. Anyways, I was assigned the task to take a break from my normal nightly cooking routine to venture into the playplace and assist the children. This was neeccesarry due to the large number of them all trying to clamour through the place at the same time. At first I felt really morbid about doing this, I mean I like kids and all, but not 30 of them at the same time. Several kids got stuck at the top of the slide, too scared to go down. One kid even got so scared he peed all over the place. Despite all of these hardships though, I got over the fact that I was pretty much the babysitter for a large number of parents' children, and I began to enjoy myself. I had conversations with a couple of kids about sports and school, and I even played tag with a group of little girls.

I have always believe the quote that states that all humans 'live and learn'. Going by that, I try and learn something from every event that takes place in my life, no matter how small the lesson may be. Tuesday night, I took notice on the kids' behavior. They all seemed so happy. No matter what was going on around them, whether they had just lost at tic-tac-to, or they couldnt find anyone in hide-and-go-seek. Like I mentioned before, I see too many people these days with an overabudance of worries on their minds. Lighten up people! I challenge you all, some more than others, to take a couple days out of your worry-stricken lives and live like a child would.

You may be thinking that this idea is absurd, but try it, odds are you will enjoy yourselves. Maybe even enjoy yourselves enough to continue the new lifestyle for a couple more days, and maybe even a month. You will be reminded of how it feels to be young again, and gain that adolescent vigor you once possesed. Something I know many of you wish you had back.

I tried this once, and I've been living like a todler ever since.

This tale starts out Tuesday night. I was working from 4-9:00, which was a little unusual for a weeknight, and made me a tad uneasy due to the fact I had a heap of homework awaiting me when I got home. Although I know that working at Chic-Fil-A may seem like a dream job to some of you, I am here to tell you, it has it's ups and downs. In the end though, I'm glad I worked the night I did. It enabled me to witness something that definitely changed my whole outlook on the people I work with, and perhaps people in general.

Ok, so there's this woman (I'm going to keep her name confidential.) She is crazy. I really don't even know where to start with this lady. Every time I see her, she calls me "babe", "hun", or "cutie", and I'm really not sure how I should take it. There have been several instances where it has been very obvious that she has came to work high. I know this because she seems even more loopy as usual, and she wears sunglasses, even when she works. I don't know if any of you have ever seen her, but I warn you, do not let her take your order. These things, along with many others, as you can probably guess, have made her quite unpopular at work. We all just think she is plain creepy, and don't want to deal with her.

Anyways, on Tuesday night she came into work a little late. As she walked to the back I got a quick glance in at her face. She looked like she had been crying. Later on, as I was listening in on two drive-through girls' conversation, I caught the info that the crazy lady's cat had gone missing. Up to this point, I had had serious questions about whether or not she was homeless. Every time I saw her the rest of the night, she didn't say a word to me. She was clearly not herself. In fact, I kind of felt sorry for her.

The next day I had a slightly shorter shift. I was loving life as I walked into the break room in the back of the kitchen to get my apron on. As I was leaving, I noticed a flier posted on the wall. It was about the missing cat. I asked a girl who was on her break about it, and she informed me that one of our managers had made copies, and put them up all around the restaurant. The girls up front were even giving them away to drive-through customers. The night went on, and eventually I was off work.

The next day I didn't have to work, but I went after school to get a bite to eat. You would think I would get tired of the food, but I don't. At the time, the creepy lady was the only one taking orders at the front counter. I asked her how the search was going with finding her cat, and her face immediately lit up. She told me her cat had been found.

This struck me as an odd occurrence. Here's this creepy lady, who no one really likes, but yet in a time of distress, the good people of Chic-Fil-A came together and helped her out. For what reason? I couldn't really think of any. All I could really muster, was the fact that here is a bunch of good people helping another person, just because it was the right thing to do.

Look for the good in people, and most importantly, in yourself. Even when you don't think it exists, most of the time it does. Bad things happen to good people, the saying is true. Lately I've been jamming out to John Mayer though, so I leave you with this. Overall, I think the heart of life is good.

The Boring Stage

I regret to inform you that this week was very uneventful at Chic-Fil-A. I do not have much to write about. Just think of it as an episode of Days of Our Lives that is merely a build-up episode of what is to come in the near future episodes. This is not neccesarily a bad thing, in fact, I feel something grand coming my way.

Life can be boring, but life also has it's rebounds. One day can be totally different from the next. This, is what gives life it's beauty.

Life goes on, kapeesh?

The Newb

Before I begin, I would like to let everyone know the different between a "noob", and a "newb". Apart from their spelling, the words are different. Being a "noob" means that you are, for some reason or another, bad at what you do. This word is oftentimes used to attach a negative correlation to another person. Being a "newb" means that you are simply new at a certain activity. For example, a boy who has just begun to ride a bike and who is not very good is considered a "newb". If 10 years later, that same boy is still not very good at riding a bike, he can be considered a "noob". This is something not many people know, so I thought I would share it with all of you. This weekend Chic-Fil-A had two new employees; one in the kitchen, and one at the counter. Ever since I began working, I looked forward to the day a new recruit would step his foot inside the door. This guy, was a perfect example of a "newb".

Now I am not a naturally mean person, but when I get really bored I tend to do things to try and entertain myself, which sometimes entails being mean. As soon as this kid introduced himself to me I could tell the whole situation of training him would be a great time. He shyly shook my hand and smirked, as a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead. "It's not really that hot back here man.."

As you could probably guess, I spent the night hassling this kid in any way I could, and occasionally the other workers joined in as well. We made him take out the trash three times, when we usually only take it out once a night. This, along with many other tasks and adventures we set him on, made the kid very regretful of his choice of a job I'm sure.

As we were leaving I shook the kid's hand and told him it was all fun and games. He gave me a weak smile and laugh. In a way I kind of felt sorry for the poor boy, but not really. In a couple of days the fun will probably rub off, and he will become a part of the Chic-Fil-A team.

The Fight

Why do people watch reality TV? When you take a step back and look at it, it's actually kind os pointless. I'll admit that even I have been known to occasionally watch MTV on weekends spent bored at my homestead. The truth is, I kind of like them. Not because of the steamy kisses, emotional deaths, or the weird people. I've realized that every great reality TV show has it's fair share of drama, betrayals, and fights, and that's why I think I enjoy watching them. They make me laugh more than anything else can. This week I would like to compare Chic-Fil-A to a reality TV show.

It all started Friday night, as things were winding down. It was around 9:00, and everyone was getting things ready to close. This is always a stressful time, everyone is clamoring around with rags and water is being slung on the floors for cleaning. I think is what finally pushed this girl over the edge. I didn't see how it started, all I know is that one second I was washing dishes, and another second I was back in the break room, watching a fight between two girls develop. It began with yelling, the way only two girls can yell, then a push, then another. By this time we had a crowd of workers huddled around. The other girls kept trying to mediate things, but it wasn't working. The guys just stood around, with dumbfounded looks on their faces. I was near the front, gaining access to most of the action, and I'm not going to lie, it was hilarious. After a while, the manager came rushing back and grabbed one of the girls. She struggled and cussed in his arms as he pulled her away.

The guys and I took the rest of the night to discuss how funny the whole situation was. It was almost exactly like a reality TV show, and I loved it. Don't get me wrong though, I'm a lover, not a fighter (even though I do have large muscles.)

So with that, I say goodnight, and peace. Literally. ;)

The Party

Ever since I could remember, I have loved walking around in public places. I have always been the observation type. The truth is, a lot of comical things can be seen if you just take the time to notice them. As you could probably guess, I've seen a lot of precarious people walk in and out of the Chic-Fil-A doors in the short period of time I have been employed there, but this weekend topped it all.

It was around 3:00 Friday afternoon, I was going through the motions back in the Chic-Fil-A kitchen, cooking fries and chatting it up. We had been relatively slow all day, and I was loving my current state of mind. I noticed that the girls up front all developed a concerned look, and began whispering to one another. I knew something had to be up so I walked to the kitchen door and peered through the circular window. A birthday party. Everyone dreaded birthday parties because it required us all to exert a little extra effort in preparing the food and blowing up the balloons. After informing the others of the bad news, I stepped out into the lobby to get the scoop on exactly what we needed to do in order to get things ready. I noticed immediately that there was something different about this party. There was no childish yelling, no stressed out parents, no children. It took me five minutes of investigation until I gave up, and I went to ask a manager what was going on. He informed me that in fact it was a birthday party, as I had expected, but it was to celebrate two fifty-year-old's birthday. This struck me as very odd, why would a fifty-year-old want to have a birthday party at a fast-food restaurant? I had to get a better look at these guys, so instead of going back into the kitchen to help everyone else out, I acted like I was cleaning tables as everyone sat down. I quickly picked out the birthdayers by their triangular party hats, and their scraggly but cool facial hair. I watched as they brought in cake and other assortments of birthday food, as well as some chicken sandwiches. These two guys were truly awesome. They yelled, laughed, and acted like two five-year-olds at Chuckee Cheese. And on top of it all, their guest list consisted of their mother and relatives. The party winded down after about an hour, and they left after thanking all of us for the food. I couldn't get those guys off my mind for the rest of the night.

When I think of being fifty years old, I see myself desiring solitude. I have most likely lived an enjoyable but difficult and tiresome life, and I will realize it is time for me to settle down a bit. It is apparent to me that these two men do not share the same ideas as me, but I have to admire them. I have often wondered about when I get older, and I look back upon my childhood; will I like it? will I want it back? will I want to re-live it? Well, the two fifty-year-old partiers sure did know what they were doing, and I think I learned a pretty powerful lesson from the two strangers.

Live your life.

The Love

Oftentimes I sit and wonder what love is. It's a strange emotion, but truly one of the few wonders of a person's life. I had mixed opinions of love until a Friday night spent out on the town in which I witnessed love in its true form, and I'll admit, it slightly touched me. You're probably wondering what all this love stuff has to do with Adventures at Chic-Fil-A, but I'm here to tell you, love can appear at any time and certainly at any place you could ever imagine. This week's blog will surprisingly be a serious one, although it may make you chuckle at times. You can't joke about love my friends.

Like every other week, I spent a large majority of my Friday night working. It didn't really bother me in the end though, the snow seemed to have it's own plans for me to go home and do absolutely nothing. I got off work around 9:00, and the roads were already painted white. I called my mother, who said I needed to come straight home; but I had other plans. I had been needing a new pair of gloves for a while, and Walmart being near, I decided to make a quick stop before I embarked on the long trek home. I walked into Walmart and immediately went and got a nice and stylish pair of black gloves. As I walked to the check-out isles, excited about my purchase, I turned to look across the store and witnessed a boy and girl who I worked with, walking together. I knew both of these people about as well as coworkers can know one another, and we usually got along pretty well. They seemed to be pushing one another, laughing, obviously having a great time flirting. Previously I had no idea about their relationship, they talked to one another, but we all do that at work. I walked out of Walmart, and being the insightful person I am, I spent a while thinking and evaluating the situation I had just witnessed. What I eventually figured out was pretty inspiring.

Both the boy and the girl from what I could tell come from a relatively low income and rough home life. They are old enough to drive, but neither have a car, and they don't own many nice articles of clothing. These two things alone can make life difficult for a teenager, and I know if this was the case with me, I would rarely be happy. Call me spoiled if you will, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here. When I witnessed them, both of these individuals seemed as if they were having the time of their lives. It could have been because they had just won the lottery, or found $100, but I don't think so. I think it was because they were together, looking into each others eyes, falling foolishly in love, and finding joy in it.

This week changed me, and I find it odd how such a small event could do it. Thinking back on this, a song comes to my mind. They say music can express people's feelings when they themselves cannot. Love can make a person happy when all else fails to. Wondrous, I know. In this case, I say The Beatles said it the best. Love is all you need.

The Absence

I would like to take the time today to tell you not of a night working at Chic-Fil-A, but rather a night I spent away from it. I apologize if this isn't what you came to this page looking for, but I feel like it's important.

It started at the beginning of the week, Monday I believe, when I first realized I was scheduled to work on the Apollo vs. Daviess County regional basketball game. This was such an unfortunate occurrence that I contemplated sulking in my room for a couple days, but nay, my instincts quickly and bravely sprang into action. I was not to miss going my last Apollo DC basketball game! My eyes scurried across the employee list as I repeatedly called phone numbers and crossed out names. At the time it seemed like every other worker had a personal vendetta against me, and I caught myself seriously thinking about what I had previously done to make so many people angry. I got to the very bottom the line of names, and cringed at the result. There was one to go, but this guy was weird. I tried to recall all the times I had worked with this boy, and if I had ever directed anything mean towards him. I just remembered him as 'the guy who took out the trash and had poor hygiene'. I attempted to call him, but no answer. Several other tries got the same result. The next day I stopped by Chic-Fil-A after school, hoping to catch him working, but I failed. I did end up checking what times everyone worked though, and he was scheduled to work with me on Thursday night. My last chance.

I slowly approached this boy, knowing that on false step could cause him to spook and skitter off, potentially ruining my life. I said "Hey man, I was wondering if you could grab my shift tomorrow night from four till nine? I've got something I have to do and it can't be missed." He looked at me for a couple seconds, and then looked towards the floor, thinking. "I would rather not, my mom said she wanted to watch some movies with me tomorrow night." This idea made me furious. I was going to be forced to come to work and miss an action-packed basketball game just so this fool could go home and watch movies with his mother who he sees every night. Suddenly an idea sparked in my head. I remembered our discussion over "Freakanomics" during this class and how Chaz had talked about the exchange of money at his workplace. "Dude, I'll give you ten dollars if you come in for me, and I'll get one of your shifts next week." I said desperately as he began to walk away. As he turned back around to look at me, I saw a difference in his eyes. "In that case, I guess I will."

I have to say, that may have been the best ten dollars I've ever spent in my entire lifetime. The game was greatness. Yeah, it was a little rough watching him take it from my hand, but after I took some time to reflect later that night, I came up with a justifying conclusion. Money is great, but freedom and senior year memories are much more valuable. And yes, you can quote me on that.

I just can't help but to wonder what the kid spent that ten dollars on though. I have no idea and can only guess what his interests are, but maybe, just maybe, he bought some soap. :)

The Beggining

Before I get started with tonight's tale, I would like to briefly describe my goals and ambitions connected to this blog. As I'm sure most of you already know, I work at Chic-Fil-A as a part-time employee who gets payed slightly over minimum wage no matter what the number of sandwiches I can produce in a minute is. Through this blog I shall try to describe to you what working at a fast-food restaurant entails, and hopefully throw in a little humor and life lessons along the way.

I busted through the door of the Chic-Fil-A kitchen around 4:00 on a Saturday night. As I walked in and back to the break room, I looked to my left and saw four of the worst workers currently employed at the restaurant. It was bad enough I had to be there on a Saturday night, but five hours spent toiling and cooking with these jokes was going to be horrible; and it was. I usually try to spark a conversation amongst the kitchen workers, at least giving me some sort of entertainment and method of wasting time, which most often ends with me getting hit on by a forty year old woman who rides a Harley. Tonight though, I merely minded my own business and did what was asked of me, and chuckled to myself as I watched these slow workers scurry around, drop food, and get multiple orders wrong. To my amazement, one guy even took five smoke breaks.

Saturday night was not an eventful night at Chic-Fil-A, but it did make me realize one thing; I don't want to work at a fast food restaurant forever, and neither do any of you. Stay in school, go to college, work hard and get an educated, high-paying job which brings joy into your life. Chic-Fil-A certainly isn't any of those things.