17 May 2001 ~ Stand by your...?

I love my new job. It's exhausting, it's draining, and I'm totally incapacitated afterwards, but it's NICE! The woman I work for, whose name is not Norma, although I keep calling her that by accident is freaking fabulous. It's so nice to be working for a woman again. Women bosses seem to have a certain compassion that male bosses don't usually have. They tend to snuggle up closer, to be your sister rather than your employer. It's nice to feel liked -- REALLY liked -- and competent. I have this weird feeling that we've bonded in a certain way already. And that's definitely a good thing; after all, now I have a well-paying job five days a week, six or seven hours a day.

Helena Thomas, Food Service Professional.

It's kind of cool, to start my fourth food-service job, because I actually know how to do mostly everything... All dishwashers are pretty much the same. All closing routines are pretty similar. All salads pretty much have lettuce and vegetables in them. All customers pretty much like you if you smile at them and don't act like a bitch. It's really cool that I'd never waited a table in my life until yesterday, and nobody's complained, whined, or left me less than 15 percent... The same cannot be said for the other waitress... I think I'm doing a pretty damned good job. Yay!

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Was thinking about you last night before I fell asleep... Am not sure why... Am not sure of a lot of things... Like why "Stand by your man" is running through my head right now. ["It's Tammy Wynette time, darlin'" --Big Ed Hurley, Twin Peaks] Am feeling quite disconnected from you, and it's not really such a bad feeling... I like being around people who don't ask me about you, who have never seen you before in their lives, who won't compare me to you... Living in your shadow is okay, and nothing to complain about; but living in my own sunshine is nice too... I think you'd be proud of me if you could see me now. That's nice too...

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Am going to check my email and take a nap now.

Love,
~Helena*