A glimpse - Sammy's Pizza

Right down the street from the office there is a pizza place called Sammy's. I had passed by the establishment so often it had become a blur, blending in with everything around it as I went by. I had eaten lunch at literally every place in this town within an easy drive from the shop and was burnt out on it all. One day several months ago I found myself fairly hungry around one or two and started thinking of where to go.

I ran the check list down, mentally marking through each selection as I went, with a resounding "Naaahhhh". So I decided to just start driving toward the eateries, hoping something would jump out at me. Just a half mile or so later I noticed Sammy's... So I turned in without hesitation and went in.

I was met by Amanda, the owner. I picked up a menu as she began talking to me. I was pleasantly surprised by her demeanor as I read through what they had. I'm not a big fan of pizza, well not since having been treated to real deep dish pizza in Chicago by my wife.. she spoiled me when it comes to local pizza on that one... So I settled on a meatball sub and salad, When I got back to the shop to eat I was very impressed with the sandwich, the ingredients were amazingly fresh and the bread was very good, perfect in fact. The salad was so fresh it was a pleasure to eat.

I spent the next few weeks getting lunch from the place every couple of days, working my way through the menu. Then it happened... I had tried everything but the pizza. So I decided to give it a whirl. The selection was varied and interesting but one in particular kept popping out at me... The chicken choker... So I ordered a small one waited ten minutes and went to get it. The smell circulating through the car from the box was divine on the way back. Upon opening the box I cocked an eyebrow in the best Belushi imitation I could muster, then tore into what turned out to be the best pizza I have ever eaten. The sauce is made of artichoke hearts and spinach, it's loaded with grilled chicken, onions, bacon, and freshly diced tomatoes... I was hooked.

I went home raving to my wife about the pizza and we decided that we would get their take out for dinner the next Friday. I called them up and ordered what they call the family meal deal. You get three large pizzas, an order of cheese bread and a two liter drink for thirty bucks. Each pizza on the deal gets three toppings, so I ordered one with three extra toppings of cheese, one pepperoni and sausage and extra cheese, and Amanda let me add a chicken choker at no extra charge...

The first thing that struck me when I picked the order up was the size of the pizzas, dear god they're huge! They don't suffer from the usual situation of not looking like the picture you may see on a commercial, these beasts were piled high with toppings. Hot, fresh and perfectly done, cooked just right. We spent nearly the entire weekend eating these things. Friday night is movie night, when we take turns letting each person pick a movie that we all watch. We had such a blast that night, trying each pizza and then the cheese bread.. The kids loved it and so did my wife... Now.. the Chicago stuffed pizza sits in a category all its own and simply can't be touched... It's like not getting truly great seafood unless you're on the coast... But for an amazingly fresh, superb pizza you just can't beat Sammy's, give them a call at 678-715-7355.... The odd thing is that when I was in there once picking up a Friday order and talking to Amanda I mentioned how it was strange that the pizzas stayed hot all the way back home. She asked where I lived and I told her, she then said, "I have an uncle that owns a garage out there somewhere"... Yep, Amanda turned out to be the niece of Greg that runs Hopson's... The place I featured in the first post of this series... it seems knowing how to treat customers and run a good business is a family trait...

"A little nonsense now and then.....

...is cherished by the wisest man".....

I have a customer that comes by occasionally to pick up parts for the printing equipment he works on. His name is Jerry. I have known Jerry for... let's see... I guess it's been fourteen years or so now. The first time I can recall meeting him was when I was the regional parts manager for the AB Dick Co. They sold printing presses, copiers and accessories and I handled parts for the southeast.

Jerry came in one day with some parts he had bought, I had never met him before. He was trying to explain that he wanted to return some of the parts because he couldn't use them, or didn't need them.. I can't remember which exactly. After listening to him stammer on for a while, I said, "You want to return these." He said, "yes." I acted put off because I enjoyed screwing around with customers and had gotten a kick out listening to him trying to be diplomatic about the return, almost like he was afraid that he would be met with the usual corporate attitude . After a few "hmmphs" and stalking around I said "Sure, no problem." I was amused by how grateful he was. At that moment he became a preferred customer. I liked him, he was nice, funny and reasonably smart....

I say reasonably because the poor old hippie is just plain wrong about middle east policies.... Yes Jerry, you are... give it up.. As you can tell we have a multi year debate going on about foreign policy and the United States.

Jerry is well known in the industry as a hard working guy who gives his customers a fair deal. He is always ready with a story or magic trick. He's very talented with slight of hand, and has a great gift of gab with people. These things lead his customers to treat him more like a favored family member stopping by for a long awaited visit than a service tech there to work on their printing press. Besides that I have a great deal of respect for him, he served his country during the Vietnam war, he didn't want to of course, but he did.. and he doesn't bitch about it. He's the guy who talked me into becoming an ordained minister, yep, he and I are both ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church... we can do weddings, funerals, couples counseling.. and even have I.D. cards and bumper stickers... Who could turn that down right?

You can be assured that when Jerry stops by, unless he's in a hurry, he'll have plenty of opinions to share with you on anything from current politics to alien visitation... he's always good for a laugh and is a true friend as well as valued customer...

But then, don't we all need a break from the usual b.s. that we deal with each day? Joking around and laughing is as important as corporate responsibility... maybe just a tad more important in the long run..

The quiet art of survival

Sometimes it seems that things change on a daily basis. Yet most of the time the twists and turns of everyday life are so subtle they escape your notice. Over the last few years there has been a change taking place in the area that I work in near Atlanta. It all began with a new subdivision going in down the street. I passed the place while it was undergoing construction for months and watched as the houses flew up in typical cookie cutter fashion, just a few yards from each other. The place was huge, the developers chose to lay complete waste to the landscape, removing all living things so the construction crews would have an easier time getting to each site.

A year or so after the behemoth was started people began moving in. Several months went by... The ups driver was doing his daily pick up when he commented that he was running late and needed to quickly finish his route in the subdivision because he wouldn't go there after dark. I looked at him in a puzzled fashion and asked why, the place seemed calm enough when I passed it each day... he told me that the nice houses were all toward the main road, but when you got down into the community they became smaller and less ornate. "Down by the pool is the worst." "Sleazy looking guys hang around there all the time, we've had two trucks get ripped off this month in there"

I was surprised. That afternoon when everyone was back in the shop we started talking about what the guy had told me. They all quickly agreed and told me that there had been a marked increase in crime in the area, due to the scummy people that were moving in all over. One of the guys is in good with the local police department and he began talking about how the developers of the subdivision got to the point where they couldn't sell anymore of the homes, so they sold out to HUD. Then the government came in handing out guaranteed loans with all sorts of great benefits, and the remaining houses were snapped up quick. He said that the police were in there almost everyday now. Indeed they ran over to the computer and went to the scanner site for cops, and we listened only for a few minutes and heard all sorts shenanigans going on, all around us. We were all stunned to say the least. Within the span of thirty minutes we heard about a chase taking place, on foot involving three units in an apartment complex, an ongoing home invasion investigation, a call for a rape unit to be dispatched (we didn't know there was such a thing), an active arson , and a shooting call come in. All of this was less than two miles from where we were in different directions.

From that day on I began to look at the surroundings as I drove through on my commute. I thought about the quiet nature of this place when I first started working there. I noticed that all the gas stations had gone to pre-pay, that there was an inordinate amount of garbage on the sides of the roads, that the foot traffic was at least ten times what is was just a few years ago, and everyone seemed just to be walking back and forth from their homes to the convenience stores. I had been buying gas at a local store closer to home for a long time, so I stopped in at a place I used to frequent for gas all the time to get a peach slushy... the place is well known for them. There was a woman I used to deal with behind the counter and I asked her why the gas was all pre-pay now and she said, "Because everybody drives off without paying now". I began to notice that the once happy, relaxed woman now looked old and haggard.

I stopped eating lunch around there a couple of years ago and go only to the book keeper and the bank, both just a couple of miles from the office. The other day I had to go to the other side of town to meet a customer and was surprised by the state of everything I saw. Dirty parking lots, worn dirt paths on the sides of the roads with fat women walking, tugging multiple children along behind them, all the kids had on pants that said "juicy" across the ass..... Some of the places we used to eat lunch at even had bars on the windows...

The local folks all blame it on the development of the mall that moved in a few years ago, "Once the mall got here and everybody got tired of going there things just started going down hill". I thought about the mall next to the place my wife works and how when I was in school it was a favored weekend destination for movies, video games, records, and girl watching. My wife won't even go in there now, she's too afraid of getting mugged, and she grew up in Chicago! The theaters around it are gone now, as most businesses are as well, they were replaced by adult video chains, check cashing stands, liquor stores, and churches... an odd mix to be sure.

Two things made me think of this tonight when I got home, one - I noticed all the speed limit signs within a couple miles of here have been spray painted on, something I've never noticed before, and two - the type of things I pulled out of my pocket to lay on the entertainment center... It was so damn subtle, I never even noticed it until I forced myself to pay attention....

Leave something witchy...

When in the course of human events it becomes evident that you are exhausted and worn out you must give in and sleep. I have spent a lot of time the past few days cranking out the wood carvings. Inspiration is a delicate creature... fragile, hard to hold and sharp as a razor, yet viscous as a caged tiger. It never fails that when I am at step one of a thirty step job I find myself wondering about the next project on the board.

I have many ideas that are free flowing and bubbling over the cauldron's edge, yet my two hands are full all the time. The things I want to do are being ripped away by the things I must do, we all feel this everyday. There is a project that I am dying to get started on, but I know that it will take a long time to finish. I got this piece last night and it is jumping out screaming owl or hawk, along with, "Work on me now!" I will post a picture of it when it's done, I can't wait to get started on it! Just look at the part that is separated and hanging down, that is perfect for tail feathers, isn't it?

The witch/wizard broom with the carved handle is running a close second, along with Santa ornaments, wizard wands, and walking sticks. But progress marches on and it will get done, all it takes is time...

Halloween has put several thoughts in as well, I owe my niece a carved skull, and I want to try some pumpkins also. A wooden pumpkin, never seen one of those... and a special thanks goes out to all the pagan witches who have been so nice and had so many ideas that I am dying to get to... you guys are great! I will get your orders out quick, so don't put any spells on me!

The work schedule is full and hectic, so it's business as usual...

ABSOLUTE BASTARD!

2008 is the year that just keeps giving.... We have three dogs, Dot, Red, and Quasi. We had five, but one died earlier this year of natural causes, she was older than Moses... And another was run over in the road. This morning as Patrick, my fourteen year old, was waiting on the bus a neighbor came by. Without slowing down, swerving, or even STOPPING, he ran over our dog Quasi. In front of Patrick. Patrick loves his dogs, and this was a bit much for him to deal with.

He came back inside and told me what happened, I was in the shower and told him that I would be there as soon as possible. After hopping out, doing the quick dress, and dash up the long driveway, I discovered that no one was there... No dog, no Patrick, nothing. I looked all over for the dog but couldn't find him. I ran back to the house and got James, the four year old, out of bed, dressed and on the way to school. I called my wife to tell her, then went back home to look for the dog. My wife met me there and we looked all over to no avail. I went on to work.

My wife called me later on and told me that Mr. Beavers, the local trash collector, had stopped by and told her that he witnessed what had happened...

"Your boy was waiting for the bus and the dogs were running around him, when this little white car came flyin' down the road doin' about fifty or sixty and just hit the dog.." "You could tell that man was in a bad mood already from just they way he was drivin' and the look on his face, So I waited for the bus while your boy went to get his Dad, and then after he left I just took the dog with me to the vet. When I got done there I went back to confront the guy and told them what I thought about it, but the s.o.b. just slammed the door in my face."

It turns out that the guy dragged the dog for a while resulting, of course, in lots of road rash. Luckily, that was all the damage he had. My wife went to the vet and picked him up this afternoon and paid the bill. We are aware that letting the dogs run loose is a violation of local leash laws and take full responsibility for the incident. Rest assured they will not leave our property again. My anger is that the cock wad never stopped or slowed down and did it right in front of Patrick.

As you can see Quasi is on the mend, a wee bit pitiful but still here. How I am going to handle the situation I'm still not sure, but the jerk ass is related to us somehow....

Thanks prick boy, you helped my son to have a great day!