My "Vida Loca"

I was thinking yesterday about how neat and crazy my life is. I meet some of the craziest people out there. I mean crazy-interesting, not crazy-certifiable.

In any given week, I can buy home-made tamales, home-made pickles, bootleg videos, very good cheese and sausage, or designer knock-off purses, right there in a bar. I can (and have) bought t-shirts, thongs, and even a jacket out of the trunk of a car. I can't tell you how much holiday shopping I do from those guys who come into the bar selling stuff. It is an art form to finish the business transaction and get the guy out of the bar before I get busted for doing it!

I know guys that will fix my car, sell me windows, or do drywall work for me, all at a substantial discount.

I meet people with some amazing jobs, too. I happen to know a tugboat captain who has a boot fetish and who gave me the best advice on caring for my brass stripper pole. (Tugboats have a lot of brass fittings). I used to have a regular who was a farrier (the guy who puts the shoes on racehorses, which is what I once wanted to be when I grew up) and another who is a race car driver. I have had long discussions with a private detective, who told me his job was almost nothing like what you read about in in P. I. novels. I know all about the landfill closing in Bellwood, Illinois because I have had drinks with the guys who are working on it. I met the statistician for the Chicago Bulls, back when Jordan and Pippin were big names. I used to know a tragically depressed comedian and his midget side kick.

This is the stuff that makes me love my job. The hours and the flexibility make it a logical choice (and that is what I always say when I have to defend my position) but the people are the good stuff! The best part is, I never know, when I go in to work, who I will meet. Going into a familiar bar is like going to a party at a friend's house: I will see some people I already know and like, and I will be happy to see again. Then I will meet some more people, and maybe hit it off and make a new friend. It's always crazy and exciting and fun.