It's an effort sometimes. I'm not certain how it came to be. I'm not certain when it came to be but I'm sort of expected to make an appearance. They will call into each other to find out who shows up and who doesn't. I think it's kind of like a competition.

Friday I showed up to try to even out my visits. I stayed around awhile to catch the shift change. At one point, I bought a reciprocal round for the guys around me.

I asked for my bill and watched as Jen walked to the cash register and pushed some buttons. She walked back empty handed.

"Timmy, you're all set."

I smiled because I knew the guys next to me heard it. I smiled because I like being a favorite.

"Gee, can I be on his tab?" one guy said. He was ignored.

I thanked her and walked out after I shook the hands of the guys that were near me.

I walked half a block away to Godiva; they were about to close.

"Can I help you?" I was asked as I had just started looking about. They had changed the shelves once again so I was having trouble seeing what I wanted.

"You have an assorted box of truffles..."

He pointed to the display. "We have these."

I didn't see the size I wanted, "You have a box for about thirty one dollars..."

He pointed to the top shelf which displayed an opened box of the assorted box of truffles I wanted, and closed boxes behind it, "We have this box for thirty two."

I smiled as I said "I'll take it." I smiled because I was going to be a smartass. I smiled because I couldn't find chocolates that were close to right in front of me. I smiled because I thought of the scene I must have been at that moment. I smiled because I had had a few.

I walked back and went to the opposite end of the bar than I was at just moments before.

"Hey, thanks for showing us up with the chocolates," a regular said. I just shrugged my shoulders. "You know I love you, man. I'm just joking," and then the guy hugged me.

"They just picked up my bill. I had to do something," I said as I maneuvered around him, thinking how that hug was longer than I had wished.

I passed the gold bag over the bar to where all four of the bartenders had congregated before two of them had to go upstairs.

...


"I know you think I'm crazy. I know you say that you like to get out of the office but you get dumped on a lot."

Last Friday, I was asked to meet a crew out in the street. Some changes needed to be made and they wanted to make certain they would be done right. I was available. I was able. I was sent.

"That's part of my job. That's what we do. You can't say we're needed just sometimes for these things because then someone will say 'Well, you weren't needed there. Why do we need you here?' It's an all or nothing type of thing."

"Still, you get dumped on."

A boss needed a job done correctly and he asked me to do it, a job that fell into my job description. The job required me to get away from my desk out into the bright sunshine were for the most part I was just standing about. I don't call that getting dumped on.

And although I do complain about it sometimes, I don't call being the go-to-guy getting dumped on either.

....

"Do you want a shot?"

"I was thinking about it but I was waiting until Lori gets back."

I was there after working some overtime hours. I was there because I don't get to see the bartender that was there too often.

Lori wasn't having a good day. She was hung over from the night before. She had asked me if I wanted to do a shot with her at lunch time but I was still on the clock so I had to refuse. But after work, I had only myself to answer to; I could do a shot.

Lori came back from a smoke break and the bartender poured three shots of flavored vodka. I ended up staying for awhile.

"Can I get my bill so I can see how off it is?"

"Timmy, there is one thing you need to know, and that is that I'm perfect. So, the bill is the bill."

The bill was for $10.50. It had three beers and one vodka shot on it. I put twenty five dollars under my empty pint glass.

"I'm not taking that."

"How much did I drink?"

"I'm not taking that."

"Did you ring those in?"

She gave me a look that indicated she knew I knew the answer to my question. I knew she rang most of what I requested under her name. "Yes. I rang them in."

"Well, then. I don't care whether it hits the drawer or the tip bucket."

"How about this? I take this and call it a compromise," she said as she overtly place the five into her tip bucket.

"It already was a compromise. If you don't take it then it will be there for the bartender coming in."

"Timmy, I get half off my bill and I have a comp tab, and you already tipped me today."

"I'm leaving it."

"Don't!"

My life is high stress sometimes.