I guess I did a little Santa work today.
The Mrs. hasn't been seeming like she is in the Christmas mood yet, and when asked about the tree and decorating the other night I got a shrug.
She's been working her butt off and she's just tired. Never really caught her breath yet from the hurricanes (she works for the local power co-op).
The other half of this story is a young waitress I know, but not very well.
I knew she was a single mom, but not the circumstances.
I knew she lost a sister in a car crash last Summer.
I knew she had a 3 year old son with some health issues.
I knew she worked at a seasonal bar and grill on the lake, and this time of year that ain't much work.
I knew she was driving almost an hour one way to get whatever she could out of that job.
I knew she was selling a bunch of stuff online in what appeared to be an effort to get some Christmas money, or survival money, together.
So I got ahold of the kid yesterday and asked if she was looking to make a few extra bucks, because I could use some help putting this tree together and getting Mrs. T jump started on decorating. We discussed our schedules and found that today was a good match to get it done.
She arrived at the house around 9:30 am and we got started. Got the tree and decorations out of the attic, which she said was the most awesome attic she'd ever seen, ever.
I helped her get the tree setup (not decorated) and gave her a few general guidelines, along with a picture from last year.
By the time we got that done it was lunchtime, so we went to the local cafe and had lunch. We talked.
Her sperm donor is in jail for just not getting it the first couple of times on drugs and guns.
He's out of her life and the kid's, but his family supports her and the kid some.
She's in the middle of moving her household, because the one she was in had mold that was making the boy sick.
A couple of months ago she fell asleep on the drive home from pulling a double at the bar and grill and messed up her already shitty car.
She wants to go back to school and get certified as a pharmacy tech or assistant or whatever. She was close before when the sperm donor fucked up.
Done with lunch and back to the house.
I leave her to finish her assignment and get outside on the mower and blower and start leaf rodeo 2018 - round two. It's supposed to rain the next few days, so today was the shot.
I left her with some light music of her liking and of my tolerance playing on the home theatre and told her that if she needed anything to step outside and throw a rock at me as I whizzed by on the Ferris.
Gave her a couple of hours and let her do her thing.
She did it well. I'd promised her $100 in our discussion previous. I tipped the bill and made it two.
Merry Christmas, Emily and young Mason!
Thanks for helping out!