We'll have a gay ol' time

My new job has the makings for a great sitcom!

There are the main characters: Kim and Helen - partners and owners of "The Cab".

Both ladies are in thier 50's. Kim is the business woman - knows how to play the price game with the vendors and it always looking for a new thing to get in customers. She deals with the money and how to keep the business afloat. She as recently been knick named "Mama Cab" buy some of the regulars. Mama Cab is quite animated and loves the kids that come in. She's quick with a baloon for the little ones or a free whip cream shot to the teenagers. Mama Cab organizes the contests: Crazy Hat Day, Silly Sock day, Knock, Knock Joke day etc.

Helen is an artist. Completely the opposite of Kim and thinks from the right side of the brain. Her art is hung on the walls of the Cab only to serve as a bitter reminder that now dough is her canvas and buttercream frosting is medium these days. Helen is a bit more serious than her partner of 9 years. She is a bit nervous about the business and is always going through a mental check list of things that need to be done. Highly organized, perhaps a bit anal and runs around like a chicken with her head cut off but she gets things done!

Then there is me - Shazza, sort of the comic relief at times, but often moody. Has been known to break out in song at the spur of the moment and dance with dough. Decorating hundreds of gingerbread people is enough to drive her absolutely freakin' nuts! I am kept in the kitchen and only occasionally amd allowed to come out and mingle with the customers. Keep her baking! Keep her baking!!!

The customers are the real gems of "The Cab". There are "the students" who come in for their lunch breaks to load themselves up on cookies, mega brownies and double layered cookie pies and then wash them down with pure cane sugar Jones Soda. The Geeks, the freaks and the jocks all co-existing together for the sugar rush and a cheap lunch.

Some of the students we actually know their names but we have given them nicknames that best describe them. Not a lot of thought has been put to these names, but they work some how: Brownie boy - buys at least 1 double dark chocolate Ghiradelli brownie a day, Root Beer boy who is addicted to our root beer flavored milk shakes, pink hair girl (she has pink hair), blue haired girl (she has blue hair), tree nut boy (cannot have anything with tree nuts) etc.

Tea lady - comes in every day for a cup of tea, reads the paper and puts on her make up.

Love birds - the work together and come in every morning for a cup of coffee and a bit of intimate conversation.

Thumbprint addict - is in 2 - 3 times a week to buy up all of our raspberry thumbprint cookies.

Bran Muffin man - he looks like he's in his 80's. Runs 5k's and comes in for the occasional "healthy harvest" bran muffin. Sometimes a cookie as well! ;)

Hot dog guy - two hot dogs with mustard and kraut, and a chocolate chip cookie as desert.

Yadda, yadda, yadda - and so on and so forth!

There is a group of out and proud gay kids who have made "The Cab" their home. Mama Cab organized a "make your own mini cookie pie" day and all of the gay kids came in and played with cookies and frosting and gummi bears and all sorts of sugary sweets. Then they hung around and played their music and a few got a bit "cuddly" with each other.

"The Cab" has become a place where they feel safe and know that they can be themselves with us.

Very cool!

Wednesday nights are Teen nights and the place gets packed with kids from all over and an impromptu karaoke and dance seems to evolve. Mama Cab lets them have their fun but at 8:00 PM it's over and "The Cab" is closed. The teens dutifully return their tables back to where they were, and clean up after themselves and say thank you as they walk out the door.

We laugh a lot at "The Cab". This has been the most fun I've had at a job in ages. I seem to be channeling my Grandmother Harrison who was actually a master baker and have made some scrumptious scones and marvelous mocha munchis as well as the freakin' gingerbread armies!

I will somehow have to find a way to put all of the shenannigans down on paper - who knows maybe I'm on to something here!