Are You Ready?

So as the first real entry for this blog, I decided that it only seems appropriate to start at the beginning; the beginning of mine and Joey’s life together. I hope you enjoy!

I had just started a new job at potentially the most horrible restaurant in Augusta, Stool Pigeons. An old friend from high school, Amber, “hooked” myself and best friend, Debra, up with this job (remember Debra … because she will come up again!). This was my first real experience with being a waitress, and I really and truly HATED it! But I still don’t regret that I worked there, because that is where I met Joey.

Well, my first time meeting Joey just happened to be on my very first night working. The place was really, really busy. I don’t remember very much from that night, except I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, and my friend, who was showing me the ropes, introduced me to the “regulars”. The regulars were a group of young guys that frequented the sports bar establishment; especially on Tuesday nights for karaoke; coincidently, it was Tuesday night and in that group of “regulars” was of course, Joey. This first meeting was very quick and to the point. A small hello may have been exchanged, but that would have been all, like I said, chicken with my head cut off, lol.

Over the next few Tuesdays, I was all on my own, and I had things down pretty well. On a random Tuesday night, the karaoke crew was all there, and it was blaring as usual. Unfortunately for me though, I had an ear infection, which did not pair well with the intoxicated versions of “Tipsy” blaring out of the microphone. However, shortly thereafter I would forget about the terrible pain and ringing in my ear, because I was soon offered some drugs. Now before you jump to conclusions, let me explain. I actually was Joey’s waitress this night: of course I wasn’t up to par, so when he asked what was up, I let him know that my ear was bothering me, and it was getting worse as more and more people began to scream (I mean sing). At that point, Joey’s gentleman side kicked in and he asked if I had been to a doctor yet. Well of course I had not, because I had no insurance, so doctors were not a priority for me. Later on that night, he stopped me and told me that his aunt worked for a doctor’s office and that he could get me some antibiotics if I needed them (see those types of drugs, lol, not real drugs!). Now remember, this is a guy that I had only seen like one time before, and had barely said hello to him. He was now offering to get medication for me? I think back and wonder why I never thought this was weird? I can pretty much bet that any other guy, any other time in my life, I would have given that “eat you know what look and die” if he had offered something like that, simply because I didn’t know him from any other stranger. But this was not the case at all! For whatever reason, I thought his gesture was simply him being a good caring person (as he is). However, I didn’t mention this to anyone, and just went on working. But, this did plant something in my mind, and by the next Tuesday, I was actually looking forward to working!

This time I was not Joey’s waitress. Debra (remember her?) was his waitress. Although Debra was his waitress, I tried to look out for their food and drinks to be ready, because I couldn’t resist going by their table to try and flirt with, I mean, talk to Joey. And it worked! Because to my surprise, Debra (again) came up to me and said “Joey wants to know if he asks you for your number, will you give it to him?” Excitement flowed through me and I couldn’t help but yell out YES! So Debra proceeded to say “Awww yall are gonna get married.” Even though I somehow felt that way deep inside, I didn’t let it show, I just responded with “That’s crazy, I don’t even know his last name!” Also, at this time in both of our lives, we were both pretty content with living the single life; neither of us were on the prowl in this sports bar hoping to find “love” or anything close to it (since I was solely there to work, and he was just hanging out with friends). I think we were both actually at a time in our life that we thought we had years before we would find that special someone, and if we would have been told what was about to suddenly hit us, we may have got the you know what out of dodge!!!

But the wonderful thing about it was that God had a plan for us that only he could have set up. We may not have thought that simply being at this crazy place would have ended up the way it did, but God knew all the time. He knew that we were ready, even though if anyone had told us that we would have never believed it. Eventually, at some point that night, Joey got the courage to ask for my number (not that I think he was really all that nervous). And, of course I gave it to him, and then I made sure to ask for his last name….







“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare, not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11


Also for anyone wondering…
Definition of a Stool Pigeon: Slang. A person acting as a decoy or as an informer, especially one who is a spy for the police.