It feels good to feel good.


Man, anymore it seems harder and harder to just find a thing to smile about.

The weight of the world is crushing, and more often than not just making it to bed time without losing my mind has proven to be a challenge.

Thankfully I recently came across a story that if I were in power, would be the internet’s final bow;
https://youtu.be/RhEM9qJl6Vs
I adore absolutely everything about this, not the least of which is the serendipity of it all.

The universe certainly works in mysterious ways, and the fact that Dean and Nala happened to find one another proves to me that as chaotic as it sometimes seems, there is a rhyme and rhythm to everything.

If you’d like to follow their exploits on the Instantgrahams, then do.

In other corners of the world where one might find things to feel ok about- it was just a few days ago when I opened up the mail box and pulled out a small plain white parcel. “Hm“, I thought… “My monthly Baywatch fan fiction digest isn’t supposed to arrive for another two weeks. I wonder what this could be?” I tore it open like a child on Christmas, and what to my surprise should I find but a published work by none other than FBM’s own Steven Barrett Crandall and Matt Coplon;


To be honest, in the couple of days the book has been in my possession, I’ve only begun reading Steve’s forward so I can’t offer an opinion one way or another on its contents.

Having said that, I can at least guarantee that Steve is about as sharp witted a fella as they come, stories from the road never suck, and I have no doubt that the book will be a compelling read.

And some folks might remember back in 2015 when I had finished reading Matt’s book ‘Collapsing Into The Whatever’, and had offered a couple of thoughts on his effort.

Being the fan of story telling that I am, I quite look forward to getting through this, just as soon as I get a second to sit down, which at this stage looks like I might find to do on or around the eleventeenth of never.

If you’d perhaps like a copy for your own bad self, all you have to do is go here, and make that magic.

In the meantime, perhaps you’d like to revisit this edit of Matt, just to get a clue as to what he does beyond write them fancy words;

Let’s see… What else do I have on deck for the day? Ah, yes. It was through Jon that I discovered this little mini documentary about the unsung hero of the kitchen;

I spent years at the sink primarily because in my hometown, it was the only job a young fella couple get. The girls got the counter, or bussing tables, and the boys got the shitty kitchen jobs.

Cleaning grease traps, getting locked in the walk-in, being berated, and generally abused as the low man on the totem pole by coke head cooks, bartenders, and waitstaff alike, the fact that I didn’t emerge from those years with a raging drug addiction myself is a miracle.

I remember my friend Mike got a job in the kitchen at Village Inn (kinda like a Colorado Denny’s) at the same I started working at Evergreen Inn (lotta Inns back then I guess), and on his first night actually ran a knife across his arm so he could bail because it was such an absolute nightmare of a place to work.

He needed the job however, so his injury at least gave him a reprieve so he could potentially get lighter shifts before getting thrown to the sharks.

The upshot of his story is he ended up going to culinary school in New York, spent several years working in super high end kitchens, eventually becoming the executive chef at some place in Vail, and then bailing on the whole shitshow to become a fireman.

Obviously my eventual career wasn’t as illustrious, and upon exiting my last kitchen job nearly thirty years ago, I vowed to never again work in the food industry.

I’ve stuck to that commitment with a greater level of dedication than anything in my life, and the most profound take away is to give folks in that particular line of work unwavering respect.

And as far as me never again working in a kitchen as long as I live goes? That’s the best kind of self hug I can give.

Spread this like it's sick

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8 Responses to “It feels good to feel good.”

  1. Christian April 4, 2019 at 6:10 am #

    Kitchens are an insane, often drug fueled, place to work, that often is a traumatic place for people to work. I don’t think the general public understands that. They just want their goddamned avocado toast in a timely fashion. If they did understand, they might think twice about going out to eat.

  2. Raymond Epstein April 4, 2019 at 6:36 am #

    The kitty clip was about the only good news I’ve come across on the interwebs in quite awhile. Also I am in total accord with you as well on the kitchen reality. I worked one summer at age fourteen as a dishwasher and then busser. I did have my first experience with seeing someone die. A patron at one of the restaurants I worked at had a heart attack and was dragged out by emergency services. I remember it was all a flurry of activity, but myself and the other busser were pleased in our own callous way that a. most people left at that point making our schedule lighter and b. lotsa uneaten food for us. I know that sounds awful, but the owner at that restaurant would not let anyone have anything without paying full price for it. As such, we’d eat the untouched stuff. The deceased patron had ordered the surf and turf so it was quite the score. I decided after that summer that I’d never work in a restaurant ever again despite the lessons that made me the cold-hearted ghoul I am today.

  3. brado April 4, 2019 at 8:12 am #

    Feels Good, To Feel Yourself -true story

  4. Reb April 4, 2019 at 12:35 pm #

    I worked in restaurants as a kid 14-17 and loved it. It was a wild introduction to adulthood. Two important take ways from that experience: show some patience and understanding with restaurant staff, it’s a tough job especially when it’s busy. Second, never berate or otherwise treat poorly someone that has access to your food when you can’t see it!

    I’m not a big fan of cats but I loved that video, enough to bring a tear to your eye.

    • Stevil April 4, 2019 at 8:53 pm #

      But you like bikes, and animals, and empathy.

  5. Devin Curran April 4, 2019 at 2:46 pm #

    my boy has been in the pit for the past year,, its making a man out of him… Hard Work !!!!

  6. eb April 5, 2019 at 10:28 am #

    I’ve always had respect for, and treated well, restaurant staff because I’d never had the courage to do it myself. I’m grateful that I’ve always had the fortune to get to work in cornfields, digging ditches, at bike shops, an office (it’s own type of hell), or hospitals.

  7. Cush April 5, 2019 at 6:51 pm #

    Is is ok for a grown man to watch Dean and Nala and tear up?