Announcing.....

So the year is almost over and I have been rather silent lately here.  Too much to think about and too little to write about....it makes sense to me, buuuuut probably not everyone else.  There is something, though, that I need to say.

This year my goal at my job was to receive General Manager of the Year.  I did not accomplish this goal.  There are those who think that I deserve it over the other guy, but to be fair, he did a great job at the store he is running......but it was still a stinging sensation when I found out.  I kept thinking about all the time, effort, sacrifice and energy that I gave to this company for this year.  It is honestly the hardest I have worked for them ever.  I was angry.  I was sad.  I felt betrayed.  But then I put it in perspective a little.  I did all those things (plus more) that I just said for his company, but there is someone who has sacrificed much more than me or the other guy.  So I am proud to announce that my GM of the Year goes to Parker.

He has come to work with me nearly everyday (except when we tried the Nanny-BIG mistake) since he was the age of 3.  He has learned how to help me in the morning.  There are days that he has complained but for the most part, he has loved being a part of what I do.  He knows that you don't push the wheat bread all the way back in the proofer because it could stick to the side.  He knows where all the utensils go on the line.  He actually could set up the line completely by himself.  He is proud of this knowledge and loves to buzz around in the morning.  When I train new people in the morning, he becomes part of the training process.  If he hears that I forgot to say something about something he knows....he will add it in.  Parker has told me on more than one occasion that he can't wait to work at JJ when he grows up too.  While I want his life aspirations to be a bit higher than that.....you know like winning a Nobel Peace Prize, I know that he could easily grow up to do a better job than me....at JJ or any other restaurant or any other management type job.  I never had the experience that he has as a child....and because it kills me that he has to come with me, I kinda need it to mean that he will pull from this experience to benefit him later in life.

First day he has worn his own JJ shirt....needless to say, he loves that shirt.

Thumbs Up!

Doing the cheesy thumbs up again

Parker has no idea that he is making a sacrifice by coming with me in the morning.  For him, it just adds an extra hour that we see each other each day.  But because he is doing so well with it and always has been....he gets and deserves that title much more than me or the other guy.

Some day he will not be with me every morning and....honestly......that will be a sad day for me.