Tales From An Airport Bar
Tales From An Airport Bar
Ep 15.1: Johnny Be Goode Part Deux
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Music's Emotional Connection
Speaker 1it's like one time at Ling and Louie's. What is that? That foreigner song comes on and it's packed in there. The foreigner song comes on. I want to know what love is. I put up my lighter and I start singing it and all of a sudden and I start moving my hand the whole restaurant, the whole restaurant's like moving their arms and freaking singing. Get out of here, I swear to.
Speaker 2God. But music it just has such an emotional connection to people. That's another thing. Definitely, you know what. We're close now. We're all connected in this. I don't know how.
Speaker 1We just are. We talk about it all the time. Blake, that's part of what we do. When you walk in the bar with us, is we? The first thing we do is, you know, we let you sit down and get comfortable, we take your order and then we ask you what your name is.
Speaker 2OK, you know, just get on the personal side.
Speaker 1But again, we just treat people like people, when we actually are feeling the vibe and reading the room and everybody's on the same page and we can do the name game and go around. It puts this we do it all the time. I do the name game and then at the end, after naming 23 people, I'm like hey, you guys want to act like a real bar? Maybe take some shots, interact with each other. That's awesome. And everybody just erupts and starts interacting with each other and it does Well.
Speaker 2even the tables get in and they start clapping.
Speaker 1I want to be at the bar and people get up and move from tables People are like. I want to be a part of this, they'll get up and move from the table.
Speaker 2They're like we're up in the rafters man. I had one of our regulars come in yesterday and he's like dude. It's been a few months since I've even been able to find a seat at this bar. He's like I'm so glad that I was able to get in. I was like it's a Friday.
Speaker 1It's a popular place.
Speaker 2It's like I just always have to sit at a table. I'm like, well, I'm so glad you did, but it's just funny, it's like floor seats at the Lakers. I wish we did more of that back in the day. Just on that personal touch. That's awesome that you know y'all have that part. You know it is, you know we didn't do that with everybody. I think you got to talk a lot. Hey man, I'm John, you know whatever it only took me 20 years to figure it out, but it sucks, now more than ever.
Speaker 2I feel like that just means so much to people where I don't know, especially with the cancellations and the delays and just well, that's crazy, yet like I can't even imagine what y'all all went through during covid. I mean because that's a whole different deal.
Speaker 2Like I was there for got a story about all that uh, for 9-11 or not, I was there, yeah, so I'm a pre-9-11 guy and you know we didn't walk in dude, we had family come in, people come into the airport. They just come see you like a street side. Family would come to the airport Friends would come to the airport. Yeah, you just walk in and so Taking a drink.
Speaker 1Get you, get you Scott. Are we good, scott Sit, get you.
Speaker 2Scott, are we good? Scott, sit break, are we good? Can we keep on rolling? Is it still going?
Speaker 1Chris, yeah, it's still rolling. You want me to?
Speaker 2keep rolling, baby. Yeah, okay, here we go. We haven't even done the first intermission, I'm just joking.
Speaker 1So John, do you need a break?
Speaker 2No, I don't need a break. Okay, I'm just joking. You want me to go into a little 9-11 stuff. I got a story about it. It has to do with Chris Brown.
Speaker 1Oh well, maybe not your host. Maybe we should save this for another time. Joe, no, go ahead.
Speaker 2I met this guy right before 9-11. You started. What a week or two.
Speaker 1I started August 29th of 2001. So, and your birthday just so happens to be September 11th, yeah yeah, yeah, I'm born on.
Speaker 2Yeah, my mom's birthday is September 11th. No shit, holy crap, that's crazy. So yeah, that was crazy waking up for a birthday so 2001,. I was in. That was the Delta terminal. Delta was hopping. Back then they were a major hub, yeah, Um and it was all, I think after a while terminal B it just Delta went down to so many gates, probably about, I think it's 04. But dude, that was a major hub back in the day, and then now they're an ATL.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah so.
Speaker 2Atlanta was their main. I think that was the headquarters. Yeah, yeah, always been headquarters. So, and that actually my ex-girlfriend she was actually was a flight attendant for Delta. So, after you know, after you know college and stuff, but yeah, that was cool, companion flight pass and you know, whatever, it wasn't just about your best. But when are we going this weekend? Yeah, so that was pretty cool. Went up to New York quite a bit, yeah, so I actually had my dude. I was in New York on. I was actually in the world trade center April 2001. I walked in. I walked in I think it was the frequent world trade center one, I don't know, I think they both looked the same in time. But I went in, I took a piss, you know. But, dude, that really hit big time when that happened, because I was like, you know, when that happened I was just fucking what the hell? Dude, that hit hard. You're like what, if this is four, this is five?
Speaker 1So oh, I just that was crazy, thinking about that. Just a few months back in october I went to new york for the first time and I saw the memorial.
Speaker 2You went there.
The Name Game at the Bar
Speaker 1Oh god, that was emotional oh yeah, man, uh, we, my me and my son we toured all over, took the subway all over here, wow, and yeah we did. We kept just moving and seeing all these things because there's so much we wanted to see and we only had just the one day. Oh yeah, you need a lot of time there. It's so hard to and um, I, actually, we, we both just kind of stopped, and he'd seen it before, but I kind of stopped in my tracks and we just checked it out for a good five minutes. We didn't even say a word to each other and then, oh no, yeah, you're right, I mean we even say a word to each other, and then, oh yeah, you're right.
Speaker 1I mean, we just had to look at each other like all right time to go on to the next one. But, like normally, one of us was like all right, let's go. You know everything we came to that we wanted to see, like Times Square, this that got to the memorial we stopped for a little bit and really kind of took it in. Yeah, that's a big area. There's a lot of names that go around those memorials. Man, unreal, unreal.
Speaker 2The last time I was there they were doing the cleanup, so I was there in April of 01. I ended up going back out there and we visited that same area and it was in may of 02, so they were in the process. It was just two big holes around but they had like tractors and they were still doing the cleanup and they we walked up.
Speaker 2We were able to walk up to this little thing and just sort of look over, there's people around and they had just boards around all day. I mean, there's all other buildings like destroy the windows. Well, yeah, yeah. So you saw, we were in the area where I mean, the building was there and I was like sitting here. I was like this is like where we walked in when we were here a year ago and there was boards all around all these buildings and there was just freaking pictures of all the people and people. It was like a memorial.
Speaker 2And, dude, I'll never forget this kid. He had a drawing. Oh God, it kills me every time I'm talking about it. This kid had said Dad, you said you were going to come play football with me tonight and you know, I'm just waiting for you to come home. I'm just like, oh God, dude, that was not a drive, that place. But yeah, I do want to, hopefully sometime. It's been a long time, but yeah, I'd love to go back and see the memorial. That was insane. So, speaking of 9-11, right before it happened that week, before you started, that week, you started. So I haven't met Chris, yet I guess he met a couple of other guys in our place.
Speaker 2So I'm sitting there and you're like okay, who the hell is Chris? So he's manager bartender at E12. We're at E31, we're coming off a freaking, huge like Delta was pumping, freaking. This was busy as shit this year and they had a lot of vouchers, extra vouchers. We knew all the Delta people we had hooked up Freaking the shoe shine guy. They need the shoe shine guy.
Speaker 1I mean it was money.
Speaker 2It was money, money, Like starting from back then. And dude, so we go into September. I don't know if it's still this way, but and so we go in in September. I don't know if it's still this way.
Speaker 2But you know, school starts, it seems like business traveling is the only thing going on and it seems like it's a low. But every time I was there in that terminal September was one of the slowest times already. So right after summer, back to school. Back to school is a big thing. Nobody's staying home for a month probably. So we're just. You know God, I'll never forget. So I'm working, we're dead. Shit. September 10th, I'm working that Monday You're used to full speed. And then it goes to. You're like your skin is crawling. You're just like ah, yeah, we have that little. Yeah, yeah, so I remember me, jason. We're sitting in there and we're just slow, just hanging out. It's like we don't even have money.
Speaker 2We don't even have any money to do any shit. So here comes this dude. Here's Chris Chris coming in. He's like hey, mcgee, you holding that wall up. And you know, I'm sort of like lulled him. I'm like who the fuck's this motherfucker, who the fuck's this? Oh, good, fellow shit. Who the fuck's this guy coming in, coming in and out? Who the fuck are you? I'm like who's this? I'm the dude guy. Yeah, how's this guy talking shit? What's happening? Shit, yeah, it's slowing making money. And I was like and he's just like, hey, chris Brown fucking met him September 10, 2001, crazy.
Pre-9/11 Airport Memories
Speaker 2And so I go hang out with some buddies. You know he hadn't sort of like the family, all this stuff that we can before. You know, my 28th birthday, dude. So I go into the football game and I just Giants-Broncos First game. Ed McCaffrey, fucking homeboy, cmc's dad Receiver for the Broncos, breaks his leg in that game, monday night game. And I think the quarterbacks it was. I've got to say Greasy, yep, john Greasy, brian Greasy or Brian Greasy, forget that. Bob Greasy's the dad from the Dolphins back then, and I think Kerry Collins.
Speaker 2So, it was a big football game Monday night football game. I forget who, I just remember the freaking and it was in New York and I think it was New York, how like. And it was in New York and I think it was New York. I don't even remember, but I just remember Ed McCaffrey breaking his leg, whatever, got drunk that night. I was like hey, birthday's tomorrow, dude. I sleep in, I miss everything, and me and my roommate Lee when he passed away, but we're freaking, he wakes up. He worked the night shift with his job and I remember waking up and I had all these texts on my phone like 13. I was like, man, that's my birthday, all right, everybody's wishing you a happy birthday.
Speaker 2John, yeah, I was just like holy shit.
Speaker 1So that was sort of crazy.
Speaker 2It was just crazy. It's tied into. Thank you, matt man.
Speaker 1I remember, I guess, that very next day after I met you.
Speaker 1All I remember is we were house-sitting. My ex-parents-in-law, my ex-wife, was still pregnant with our son. She was about eight, nine months, she was about eight months pregnant. She had him in October. So seven months pregnant, anyways, she was big, oh dude. Anyways, I remember waking yeah, seven months pregnant, anyways, she's big, oh dude. Anyways, I remember waking up that morning and she's like hey, wake up. Uh, a plane hit a building in north in new york and I was like, oh no, that kind of stuff happens randomly, no big deal and I went back to sleep.
Speaker 1She wakes me up probably 15-20 minutes later and she goes. Another plane hit the other World Trade Center tower and I sprung up out of bed. I remember that like it happened yesterday, john, but wow, the day before that I met you.
Speaker 2It's nuts. I was in seventh grade. Oh wow, we're playing wall ball before school, Like we did every day I had. No, I mean, we're just we. We get to school early. You're either playing basketball, you're playing wall ball.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Just for school to start Exactly, and you know what a World Trade Center is. I'm like, what does that even mean? And I hear the teachers kind of like talking about, because it was starting to happen right before, like the bell, I was like and I just I'm like I don't know what that is we're just playing wall ball hanging out, yeah, and then we go into class and we're all sitting at our desk and the teacher turns on the well, we're just like that's scary and terrifying.
Speaker 1I was like all I know is it's my mom's birthday when I woke up, yeah, yeah, then I'd be like they let you out of school.
Speaker 2They sent everybody home early they did. Parents came and picked everybody up.
Speaker 1Holy shit, I couldn't remember they shut it down.
Speaker 2Yeah Well, because it's like dude, that was nuts, it was crazy. The next I lived there, right in Bedford Planes, right, you know, right by the airport.
Speaker 1Yeah, right by the airport.
Speaker 2You didn't see a fucking plane in the sky for three days and that's what's weird, just thinking being at the airport and that's your job and you're like what's happening. And I'm sure y'all thought that COVID was probably even more, because that lasted for a long time.
Speaker 1COVID was weird because I got kept on, so I had just started at Magia. I had moved from working at the wine bar at Lovefield at the Dallas airport to DFW, working at a new bar at Magia.
Speaker 2That's where I met Dion.
Speaker 1And Jesse was bartending there.
Speaker 2Jesse was bartending there, dick Ritchie was bartending there. They hired me to bartend, but then they let.
Speaker 1Dick Ritchie, keep going Back with all the crew.
Speaker 2They're like you're going to be a server. I'm like it's fine, I'll get behind them.
Speaker 1It was weird, I started in February.
Speaker 2Mind you, everything shut down in March.
Speaker 1I started in February. I already got cocktail.
Speaker 2I got the best section. It would always be. They liked me so much. One of the managers was like you're going to stay late tonight. I know you came at 11. You're going to stay late. You're going to take over cocktail. You're going to close the restaurant. Sometimes, when you want to go home, you're like why do I have to be so good?
Speaker 1I would like to.
Speaker 2So they furloughed and laid off 50 servers and bartenders and kept me and I've been there for like two weeks and so we're down to us. But it was so weird cuz we're down to a skeleton crew. There were like five of us that stayed on, out of like 60 it was so weird. And then finally, like two weeks later, like our, we're all done, and that was so. How long were y'all off from the airport?
Speaker 1good, you month, and then they brought us back. And then they shut us down, shit.
Speaker 2Because I didn't work at the bar that we work now, which kind of opened back up yeah.
Speaker 2I wasn't working. They just, you know, they just throw us. I never heard from them again and it was like two years. Dude, I remember one of the Joe, one of the Joes, he was like two years. I remember one of the Joes. He was like he stayed on and he was just like. He was like man, you have to do it with the mask. I was like talking to different people, you got through like 23. I don't know how y'all did it. Are you serious?
Speaker 1Because federal mandate is different from Did y'all get to take them off?
Speaker 2when the flight attendants, or was that the same time? Once the federal mandate, it was like 23,.
Speaker 1August. Yeah, are you serious? It was like fall of 23,. I think yeah, because we're on federal property so the restrictions are just so much heavier.
Speaker 2I couldn't have done that, but everybody had to do it. I that, but everybody has to do it. You know, I get it if I just had a job there you get used to it.
Speaker 1It just is what, and everybody's doing it. You want to keep your job put a mask on exactly.
Speaker 2But again, it was so weird because it was always like all right, once you sit down at the bar as a guest, now you can take it and chris is like no, it's fine.
Speaker 1The really cool thing is, once you sit down, the virus deactivates like a really cool thing about it Actually everybody would pull their mask off as soon as they sit down at the bar, cause it's the mask. We're just super annoying and I'm like that was okay. Yeah, you can't now that you're sitting down and you take your mask off, you can't spread it anymore.
Speaker 2Good job Is that like free, was that like a great day? When you're like, oh, was that a great day? When you're like, oh, let the mask go, it was so nice Because they're so hot, oh dude. I couldn't even imagine.
Speaker 1And it was so weird because Texas is the opposite. You would go street side just outside, no one has been wearing them for two years. Yeah, because no one in Texas wore them Almost no one.
Speaker 2And at the airport, like we were just in a different world Inside. The airport was just a different world. Yeah, it's just, I can't even explain it. It was just so weird Because it was just like, oh okay, man, that's one thing. My wife and I because she was at the airport for a while too we were just like again, if we were working there, yeah, we wouldn't have a choice. But you know, not working there, I was just like I couldn't do this shit.
Speaker 2I had a problem. I did not have a problem political-wise. I gave two shits about it. I tried to go by everybody's rules. That shit bugged me. It was just like ah. I just couldn't take it. Some people could, I was just like ah.
Speaker 2Wearing glasses and having a mask too. Oh yeah, you're different. Shit fog up, walk around. So I had to get like the N95 that has the actual piece that will shape to your nose, because that was the only way. I could not have foggy glasses, because there's no way I was going to bartend all day like I was opening a dishwasher with fog it's like when you get out of your car you have like the rainbow six mask and stuff see, I don't even mask and stuff, I just had a fucking mask.
Speaker 2I mowed lawn then but that would drop. Yeah, you said it right there, because I have glasses too and the level of clean that you would have to do things to like literally have to clean, you have to sanitize every so many extra. You are anyways, but it was just like different and you had to have the disposable wipes.
Speaker 1It was a whole thing. They put these stupid plastic shields in front of our registers.
Speaker 2I remember a lot of that.
Speaker 1It was just a crazy time.
Speaker 2Now, looking back, it's a crazy thing. It was five years ago, but y'all still had the After Effects. The weirdest thing to me was I remember the day I was sitting at home. I was at David's house, I was sitting at home and I see on SportsCenter the NBA season has been canceled. I was like what the fuck?
Speaker 1I was like.
Speaker 2the playoffs are in a month Spring break.
Speaker 1It was around March 15.
Speaker 2I was like the playoffs are in a month Spring break of yeah, that was nice Because it was around March 15th was the day they sent me home, wow. But yeah, it was like a week later like all right, the NBA. And that's when I was like what the fuck? Yeah, I'm going to say no, march Madness, I'm like fucking. Oh, I'm sober. And then the NBA bubble watching the playoffs with nobody in the stands.
Speaker 1It was bubble watching the playoffs with nobody in the stands.
Speaker 2It was so weird, that was little, little way in the background like and then miclobe ultra would like do the thing they're sponsoring people at home on zoom. All that.
Speaker 1It was just so weird I know that's what I'm talking about. They had little way. You see him lean over and take a bong, rip and then blow smoke back in the camera as well as all the scrubs from Zoom just doing the same thing to their babe for their beer or whatever.
Speaker 2It's just nuts. You know thinking about two major things. You know like 9-11 and all this while back, but there wasn't any major after. Well, I mean yeah, there was a lot from that obviously. I mean that I mean I don't know what to say. I mean I don't know what to say. I mean it's horrible. But you know, like with the airport working there, you know, we off for like a week and then we went you had to go get a badge and do that. I remember going. So they made you do a badge. Was it directly after boom? You have to go get a badge. Oh, you couldn't even get in the airport. Go get a badge.
Speaker 1So we had to go wait.
Speaker 2I went up to the bat and they're like go to this office, you need to get a bat, Dude there was a whole airport was in there. You're just like the line. It was like a mile long.
Speaker 1Yeah, it was. It was the most, and you'd have to get fingerprinted background checks.
Speaker 2And there's some people that didn't pass background checks. That was it. Some people are like, oh, this guy's Well, you can't have the streets, I guess yeah.
Speaker 1All right, not going to work here anymore.
Speaker 2Yeah, so there was a lot of that. So that was a crazy time. But man, I always thought like dude, I couldn't believe, because I left five years before COVID and just thinking of, oh my God, just what that was, but hang on, I got some more. You God, just what that was, but hang on, I got some more. You want to Cool? Oh, we're going to keep rolling. Yeah, well, we had a really good GM, dennis Gordon.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2He took care of people. At our Vintage Texas concept and then Chris and I had together over at Sgames man. Does that make things better when you have someone who supports you?
Speaker 1Definitely.
Speaker 2He was definitely on your side and you know he. So my wife did a lot of office work for him with her and claudia, yeah, and she waited there too and she was like you know what, that guy, he would come in and this, uh, he would come in and freaking like, bring her a coffee, get a breakfast sandwich for her, make sure she was taken care of.
Speaker 2She was like he cared about every minute he cared about you as a person not just like hey, did you get he made sure all the numbers overall were right because sometimes you know I made this story, watch this, you know, you know what I'm getting to.
Speaker 1He knew how to play the numbers.
Speaker 2Yeah, so another E31 vintage Texas story. I was a waiter, dennis, and Randy Pitts or the Randy Pitts was AGM cool guy. So, oh, super cool, he was good, he tried to make everybody happy. That's fine, denison. So this was Okay.
Speaker 2Jason and Victoria just started that's a whole other story Worked together. My buddy was just in love with Victoria forever. She had a boyfriend and finally he was was leaving for LA. And there's a lot more to this story. I go in this there's a whole other free. Now they're married with kids. Now they're married with kids. But Victoria's where she's out. How I met my wife, christie, but Jason, victoria, they were. It was like God, god, things was probably about cause they. We closed in July 2003 that store Because they were doing the construction. Eventually, yeah, that's what they came upon. Yeah, reconcept, you're in all the old history. You know, you're just like I know everything. Now, over the episodes, hearing all the different people, it's like, oh, I know what this place is. Oh, I know what this place is. I know Dennis. I know Dennis and everything. I can give a TED talk. I know Dennis and everything I can give a TED talk. Yeah, so this is like. I think it was March, just say March 03. They were going to New Orleans.
Speaker 2Well, there was only so many waiters that worked there and I'm just like, hey, the doubles there, it wasn't really a double. You open A close an A, so sometimes you know the way their shifts ran. So they're like, hey, could you cover this? So I would work. Not a big deal, so I'd work four days.
Speaker 2Four more hours. You're like whatever Exactly. So I worked four days. Three of them were like eight to eight, eight to close, so it's not like a five to ten at night, you know not a true freaking long ass, shit double. So I ended up working four days straight. Doubles say Well, that I go in for that fourth day and you know my fucking horror stories. And, oh boy, have we had the just say it, the monkey butt crotch-rotch stories. Holy shit, it can get painful.
Speaker 1Wait. So how many hours a day are we talking about on these doubles?
Speaker 2So it was putting in 12 hours, no big deal, but I did 12 in a row, slamming busy. You know balls to the wall. Busy made a lot of money. It was great picking up these. At a certain point you're just going to be burnt out, but yeah, so. So, admittedly, I'm okay, I'm fucking gonna do the doubles. I love them, but uh, physically I was in some pain, okay.
Speaker 2So this, this was rough, so I had some crotch rot crotch rot and this is a story and I'm bringing people probably be like why are you talking about this shit? Hey, it happens. Everybody's dealt with it at the airport. It's a nightmare. Sometimes it's some things that don't matter. How you know, personal hygiene, whatever.
Speaker 1So so it's a common thing in in a lot of concepts. Waiters and waitresses are called dubs w and w dub dubs. So uh, it's, it's a very common thing and people call it dub rub, which is basically chafing of the uh yeah, taint and ass, so sorry to get into all this.
Speaker 2but uh, our local little place around corner store. They're out of powder and my dumb ass didn't bring anything or even hey, just so you know, the speed stick, the talc, that's the best thing. But I didn't know that then I was learning so vintage, they had this. You know you'd have shit in store and shit that would just sit around. You're like, have we even touched that? There was a lot of cornstarch. Okay, so I was sitting there. We're not using this. We don't use this in the kitchen. Juan Puga, jesus' brother, remember Juan Puga.
Speaker 1Yes, kitchen man. He's like hey man.
Speaker 2Dude, just let my car start. So I think I used that on that third day and I was like, oh, you know what? I made it through the rest of the day. Well, that last day hey, I don't want to give you the details it was bad. It was like so I go in the office and I think I was working with Brent and Davey I don't know who was there that day so I'm in the office and we had, remember, the office over there.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2So I shut the door.
Speaker 1This is the same office that my brother passed out in. This is the same office that Kevin found Muhammad drunk in.
Speaker 2So E31. So I'm sitting there.
Speaker 1I shut this door, oh, excuse me, e31.
Speaker 2Oh, I thought this was A16.
Speaker 1No, no, no, no. Another different office too. Excuse me, this is E31. So E31. Office you can't even see because it's off to the side.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, yeah, in the kitchen. That's true, because that one you sort of see off to the left. So I'm in the office, freaking, I'm doing you know, we, we had, we had a khakis and freaking a black long sleeve shirt. Yeah, so I had that out. I had bad sinuses. It's march, it's freaking. I'm just like you know. Well, I had this freaking cornstarch in a big bag because I think I stuck it in there yesterday and I brought it up to work, yeah, so.
Speaker 2I had this big cornstarch and there's shit over the floor.
Speaker 2I'm, like you know, doing all this stuff taking care of myself looking like LeBron James, fucking hear it knock on the door and it's like police, fucking Brent, do that because we shut door for other things back in the day. And I was like, oh, brent, open the door, like what's up? And I was like holy shit, it's fucking Dennis and Randy and I'm like and Dennis is like, um, what are you doing? And I was like you're freaking white shit on the floor. I got powder, I got freaking. I wore contacts, I didn't wear glasses and I'm like, hey, man, what's up? Don't worry about my nose.
Speaker 2Randy is just like you know, he's sort of like you know, sort of just like you want to, sort of just good old guy. I mean, he's a good guy. He meant well, but he wasn't really exposed to all these things. He was just like what the fuck is he doing? I was like Dennis, hey, he's like. What's going on? Dennis had this big grin on his face. I was like dude, listen, I've been working, I just fucking lay it out. I've been working to double. It's bad down there. This is cornstarch. You can fucking just smell it. It's cornstarch. It's not going to react the way you think it will. He's like okay, I totally understand. And Randy's just like I can't believe it. I was like what do you think? It's cocaine all over the goddamn ground. I was like dude. I'm sorry it's been bad. This is my fourth day, so Dennis was like hey, that's cool.
Speaker 2Oh my God, I heard that story about every week For the rest of the work. Remember he'd be like hey, john, you got quarter, so he'd still talk about it. So we worked with him later about shit, I don't know.
Speaker 1Years later, yeah, about almost 10 years.
Speaker 2You know, I don't know, was that 2003? So you know, we started working together, Both of us, like in 08. So when we worked with Dennis from like 08 to about 2011,.
Speaker 1he would bring up.
Speaker 2Hey, we got cornstarch in today. Oh, he'd bring it up, freaking cornstarch, cornstarch.
Speaker 1But hey, it helped me that last day I was off like three days.
Management Philosophy and Support
Speaker 2Oh, bro, we all had those times, but that was the most severe case.
Speaker 1You made a couple thousand dollars thanks to porn stars.
Speaker 2I will not be back tomorrow. Guys, you know we talk about the money was great and it was like one thing we would talk about. All of us had worked there for a long time. It was like we called it the black hole. It was like you get sucked in, you cannot. It's like I've tried. I always had side jobs. I had side something, something going on. I did real estate, I did this. I had my little, you know, ebay business, which eventually I ended up moving on with that. And now what I do now.
Speaker 2But, dude, I just, I didn't think I was ever, you know, not that I wanted to, I loved it. Not that I wanted to, I loved it. I mean, that's one thing about the airport, dude. Dude, it's like I already said, you know, you get this. It's like a fraternity, a brotherhood, it's like a camaraderie of people. And, dude, I'll say this, I tell this I talk to Scott Heat. We named Brandon. Everybody I've talked to over the years after I's like some of the best people I know now, and there's a lot of people I know there's so many people that had degrees, that got out there and they can't make it.
Speaker 2I mean I make better money doing this. You know, and there's a lot of great people that I'm still friends with today, I still keep in touch with. And one of the best things, and I heard it this last fantasy football draft we were. And one of the best things, and I heard it this last fantasy football draft we were on our year 23. Chuck, you know Joe says it. You know Jason Davey always says we're always talking all the time anyway, but you know Chuck's like hey man, you know what this is so cool. He's like. I know you know everybody's. You know everybody. You know Chuck's won a couple of titles and you know everybody's got some.
Speaker 2You some and we, you know it's like the bragging award don't matter about the money in that, it's just like the, you know the bragging rights and all that. But you know, we're all into it, we're still into it. But one of the main things is sort of brings everybody together.
Speaker 1Still from that 27 years later? Yeah, fantasy football, everybody looks forward to it, absolutely so, and I try to you know well, shit me and some of my, some of us aren't even in the league. I'll be there.
Speaker 2You know, chris make his interest. There's other guys that will, you know, come and stop by. But you know, chuck, it is just a really good comment.
Speaker 2He's like hey, man, this is cool that you still do this, because it still it brings us together and this is a really only time like these are some special people and I think chuck posted something about three, four years ago when you came there's, a lot of us were there, you know, and this is yeah, it's maybe three years ago. He put he's like hey, he's like hey, these group, there's my brothers right here, a lot of great stories here. He posted on facebook and I was like, yeah, dude, it is that's why you know, it's cool. You know I like talking to people. It's cool, like me and you. I just met you now but you know you have all this stories and stuff and everybody you know, you know, your next generation, all these people. It's crazy and I think it's cool. Listen to your podcast here and you know, you know we have old people talking about it. I've made a million dollars.
Speaker 1These kids don't even know what they're doing.
Speaker 2I think it's cool listening to these new you know new people because you know hearing the COVID stories, hearing what it's like now, I'm like I can't even fucking hang anymore. I mean, I hang with what I do now, but I was like dude. If I got up and working I'd be like I need a week off, John.
Speaker 1It's called compression socks, but that would be so freaking crazy For you viewers out there. Blake just pulled his pant leg up and has these really sweet compression socks.
Speaker 2I didn't think of this in my 20s, but I got it in my 30s In. When I got in my 30s, early 40s, before I left I was like shoes matter. This was the worst advice I've ever gotten. Whenever I did the interview, I had no idea what I was doing. I'd never worked at a bar before. I just bullshitted my way into a bartending job at the airport. I was like, okay, so as far as shoe goes and the GM who was opening the rest of it goes, just get in shoes at Walmart.
Speaker 2That was the worst advice I've ever gotten in my fucking life.
Speaker 1God damn did I not, and I was 25, and god damn did I not have the biggest fucking knots and shit in my after two weeks.
Speaker 2I was like my legs were numb. I was like I can't feel my legs anymore.
Speaker 1You better take your ass to the Red Wing store or something man, and then I've worn Skechers or a nice one. That's the worst.
Speaker 2Who would say that? Because now you know you see those shows or something they get home. They're like oh, you know, you see those shows or someone they get home. They're like oh you know, kick off their feet. That's the airport when you kicked off those shoes. When you get home, you're just like your eyes roll back and you're just like okay, I mean that's why you drink a lot, or you did back then.
Speaker 1You know? It says you've walked 16 miles today. That is insane what the hell.
Speaker 2My days are typically 20,000 plus steps I wish. That's why sometimes I'm like I wish I had an Apple Watch back then, because I was like easy 20,000 steps someday. It's only on those doubles. They're doing a double at Chili's back in the day. Oh yeah, speaking of it, you are on your own. I don't need Okay. Okay, I do have a story and if you just sort of how, my whole little career at the airport is just a full circle.
Speaker 2Talk to me, john, tell it so it sort of goes back to when I talked about earlier about that table praying, which is crazy, I'm not trying to be all the biggest you know, religious person you know.
Speaker 1I do have faith.
Speaker 2I believe in God, but I'm not like oh crazy let's pray here together.
Speaker 1You know, it was the family that lost their son.
Speaker 2Family lost their son, speed back up to so, you know, to gains great times there. All that me and you. Yeah, one of my sad days there was January of 2013. When he walked out, he ended up leaving. He was and I was like and I was a stress ball back then I freaking, was just like you know, and I was like trying to, I was going to be a GM and this dude I ain't trying to brag I would have been a great GM for those people, for I would have been a great GM for any people that I worked with. I was a team manager. When you say, yeah, I was a team manager. When you say I was for the people, oh, definitely.
Speaker 2That's what they call a player's coach. Yeah, blake keeps on coming with the right words. That's what you know. He's just like pleasure, energy, this, that. So every time he says a word, it's like you just summed it up. You're damn right.
Speaker 1Yeah, good right here, so players go. No, you're right, but that's not what companies want.
Speaker 2And we know that they don't want that. And I knew that. And I know and I look back I was like dude, I would have been a great GM for them, but they knew I was a. You know I bust my ass. I did what they said to the most part, but you know, like Dennis is like hey, you know, here's the flagpole, it bends, but don't break it. Well, I've been with that motherfucker a lot. Sometimes it breaks, but he's going to go out and put it back together. But yeah, so one thing to touch on real quick before we get into it Great compliment.
Speaker 2I heard and I think I heard a couple people I've talked to over the years since I've been gone Chris and I left again as managers and you left again as managers and you left in January 2013. And I was pretty much like it ain't going to work here. I know I ain't going to be a GM. We had a whole new GM over us. He had his own personal shit. I don't want to be mean and personal. He was sort of an ass. I mean, I get it. He sort of wanted to do things a certain way, but I was like I ain't going to be here anymore.
Speaker 1Well, but I think and that's why I had to exit is because everybody looked to us for everything in that restaurant because we had been doing it for so long. And they wouldn't go to him with anything. They would run to us with it and he had control issues.
Speaker 2He had major control issues. He also had some personal things, things going on and it carried on into there well, he didn't last long after I left. No, no, he didn't. I mean, yeah, will you guys come back? Yeah, no, he couldn't. He couldn't swallow his right, he couldn't. He was just all serious. And then he'd be like oh, you want to go out and have a drink.
Speaker 2I'm like fuck you dude, you've been a dick all day and now you want to hang out. Yeah, we were trying to help him. Besides that, one of the great compliments you left in January 2013. I followed behind, I gave him my two weeks notice and then I was going to stay. Then it was a good walkout story. He sent me some personal text and this and that some bullshit. I did payroll and I followed up. I was like, hey, am I going to get paid here? I already had a job lined up with Kilaria, with hosts through Lupe. Going back, kilaria was that old E12 in the Delta terminal Now Delta, was shortened.
Speaker 2The amount of people that I know that have mentioned working at the team. I loved it. It was insane. Jesse worked there One of my favorite people Holy shit, I worked with that guy. That's our boy.
Speaker 1Jesse's a great dude.
Speaker 2I worked with his mom at E31 back in the day. Nishant, fuck yeah, nishant. Nishant, fuck yeah Nishant. Dude, nishant and Jesse are great people. Me, joe, nishant, yeah.
Speaker 1I didn't even know those guys. Yeah, I worked with him.
Speaker 2I went over with Joe and Damien and when I went over there, so that was June of 13. I took like two, three weeks off. I worked it out. So when I left, I left it was May 30th. I'll never forget. Thursday I walked in we were actually Christy, me and the kids and our dog. We were house-sitting John Maloney, teresa Maloney's house. They actually were renting freaking Jamie Shepard's house.
Speaker 1Oh, wow, yeah great guy man. We talked about him a few episodes back. Rest in peace.
Speaker 2Yes, Another guy. I mean it's sad because there's a lot of people we've lost, you know, over the years. So they were it's crazy bringing up all these names. So they went off to Vermont, which they live in Vermont now. They went and got the best bartenders I ever met.
Speaker 2I know that dude fucking made a lot of money back then, making over six figures. That was crazy back then because he had all the prime shifts at Tegene's, all the prime shifts at freaking Friday's TGI yeah. So that dude was making some money. It was insane For back then.
Speaker 1I know you guys might be like you're fucking insane now, yeah, we don't do quite as well, so, but All our regulars that are listening, tip, tip, tip, yeah, so, yeah, so we were house sitting the Wednesday night.
Speaker 2me and Christy were, you know, over there. We're house sitting. You know the dogs watching. We had our you know, swimming in their pool. Kids were having fun. It was at the end of school for kids and I remember that was just sitting there. Of course, I'd been stressed out forever. I'd already gone to the doctor. My blood pressure was at an all-time high. I was like 38 at the time, something like that, 39, because I've got to turn 40.
Speaker 2So, and you know that stuff, when you're getting near 40 and you're, in certain ages, near 50, you know you're not. Yeah, I was like what's going on? What am I doing? I've got to watch my cholesterol. There was some sign. They had some like you know, like some inspirational photo, something, and it just I was sitting there looking at it said something about you know you. And it said something about you know you need to go make yourself. Forget the actual wording to it. Like you know you know. Like you said, whatever you need to go, you know, find peace in your life, whatever. And I was like I'm quitting tomorrow. I was sitting there thinking that and I wake up that morning the next morning, thursday, wake up to a text.
The Infamous Cornstarch Story
Speaker 2Chris Creed is just like sort of bitching at me about stupid shit. I call the Mingo, annette Mingo. I called all the freaking corporate people and I said, hey, I just want to make sure I'm good with this. I'm good with that. Cool, if I leave today, I'll get paid here, I get paid there and then I get my vacation. Cool, I'm good for a month on that. Oh, other shit, cool, you know the management actually, cool, Okay, awesome, hey, if I leave here, I just want to let you know what they're like? Yeah, we know. Okay, we just make sure you get that letter in. I'm fucking sent that morning, christy course new and that was a sad day, but I went uh cause dude hard. After that, I know I drove Chris crazy.
Speaker 2We drove each other crazy, but dude, we were there Sometimes we grew up. That's family. I have my brotherhood and my close friends. I have several close friends that grew up in the early 80s. I had good, solid friends. Now I have lifelong friends from the airport. But, dude, sometimes I didn't talk to him about everything. Me and Chris fucking relied on each other. Yeah, dude I mean we were like, and it's not like I was saying I mean John, you were there through my divorce.
Speaker 1Oh my God, I wouldn't say I don't. You were there through both of my kids being born.
Speaker 2It was like the closest I could find it, and shit, because we were there fucking in each other's ass 24-7.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah and dude you know.
Speaker 2so you don't think about that until you know. Things happen and you go through things and I'm like, damn, dude, chris is really. I miss this guy. You know what I'm trying to say. I love you man, but you know what you think of these things. You don't think of how close somebody was for you. So he left, it did sort of change and I didn't think that Chris is. I was like, well, I've known Chris for a while. But damn, this sucks, dude, and I wasn't happy. And then I really wasn't happy. And then dealing with Chris Creeden and all that bullshit.
Speaker 1Our new GM at the time.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, management program, this, that, whatever. So I remember waking up that morning I lined everything up. I told Chris, hey, I'm doing it, I'm doing it, I'm going to be good getting all this. I'll start tequila. This is May 30th 2013. I'm going to be starting tequila. I already had it lined up. I'll be starting about two, three weeks. Good to go. Lupe's going to get me lined up over there. I'm going to be. It was we really make fucking shit. I didn't want to talk about the pain. We worked too many hours, too many hours, too much stress. It was stupid. My work ethic there. I was just like go, go, go. I put too much on my shoulders and it was just stupid. It was like why can't I just be a bartender? And that's what I did.
Speaker 1Why can't I?
Speaker 2just make tips.
Speaker 1Yes, when I walked away from the Irish pub, I went straight back to bartending and it was the best thing I ever did.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, and he was just like dude. He was like you're everybody, I didn't you know, you were so into the moment. My wife was like dude, you were. So you were a stress ball and I'll never forget something. So I walked in that day.
Speaker 2I was sad. I was sad, but I walked in. I'll never forget Chris Creedon sitting there and that little door stopped and I go, let that door shut. Hey man, he's like what's up? Man, I was like first off, you know, talked about the email. I was like, in the grand scheme of things, that doesn't really matter. I was like in the grand scheme of things, that doesn't really matter. I was like some of those personal things I'm not even really going to take them personal, but you can think you're right. But you're not right, you're wrong. That's, besides, the point. I was like hey man, I've already lined everything up, I'm done today. It's just he's like okay. I was like he's like, on that, I ain't going to get tit for tat, you're wrong.
Speaker 2Because I'd go balls to the wall, even when I said I didn't lose when I said I was going to be on my two-week notice and then you wanted me to give another two weeks and then I was going to stay, and it just went into. I gave two weeks notice, like six weeks before that and then I was like you know. So I was like so it was a good, like cool, I got to leave on a good note. And he was like okay, I didn't tell him to go, fuck off, but I was just like, hey, man, all right, I was like appreciate, all you did Try to be here for you to help you out, Whatever. And I was like he's like okay, man, Well, cool. And he started asking questions. I was like I got, take care of me. I've already talked to all the people, I've handled it. I don't need your help. I know what the fuck to do. I'm just letting you know. So I walked out of that place and I shook everybody's hands. Dude Dion was fucking crying.
Speaker 1Dion was like brother.
Speaker 2I was like hey, sorry, I didn't tell you, it just sort of came to naught. Darius came up to me. He's like hey, man. I was like like hey, dude, you're an artist working up here. Man Went and said bye. Everybody's just like, oh God, I'm going to log the coast because I had to batch for so many things. They were just like oh fuck, dude. I went downstairs and that was hard, john Maloney. He said I'll never forget you leaving. He's like I was so proud of you. I was like fuck you, dude. I had people call me. I had so many texts that night. Rich Andy's called me hard, like I just had, and it made me feel so good. But one of the best compliments I heard, jd a couple years later said Dude, you know what? I've never had two managers care so much as you and Chris. I was like Well, you know, and I had a lot of people tell us that they're like well, you know, and I had a lot of people tell us that they're like no, no, no.
Speaker 1I know y'all had just crazy times.
Speaker 2I know you're great. You know sometimes Chris was like whatever, you're like whatever and you fucking run around with your head. Chris is outside smoking.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Y'all went to bat for us All. Some managers get a bad name. There's some piece of shit out there. There's people that will do you wrong. My daughter will tell you about this, me and Chris. I'm trying to brag, but, dude, if anybody hears this, go vouch for us. I don't need anybody to vouch for us. I fucking know we went to vouch for so many people, but people knew we always had and that was it.
Speaker 1It's because we gave a damn about the people that worked for us At the end of the day they knew they could count on you, they could rely on you.
Speaker 2We saved a lot of jobs for people getting bullshit. Shots that I don't know, people that I was just like.
Speaker 1Oh gosh, secret shops. That would get people shit-canned immediately. Knock on wood yeah.
Speaker 2Since COVID I have not seen a wine I haven't. I didn't want to, I sort of jumped onto that, but I'm glad I wanted to add that about me and you and our time together. I appreciate it. Jumped over to Keeleria yeah great time there. They shut that down and I knew, going into it, they were going to eventually shut it down because Terminal B, the reconstruction and all that you know, they're like hey, we're shutting it in six months, another six months you know how it's going, it's always, you never.
Speaker 2It's another three years. So finally they were shut down and I knew I was already. I had a little side gig going and I was just happy all 2013 and 14. I was like this is great, freedom.
Speaker 2People are like they're supervisors for hosts. They're like, oh, I didn't know how to deal with something. They look to me and I'm like I don't pay anymore. It's like I make $2. I don't do that. I'm like you know, when you're a manager or when you're a waiter, you're your own manager, you sort of run your own shit. I'm trying to take away anything from them. But that's what Frank Howell sort of put into me and said hey, dude, you're your own manager, man, you go, you take care of the situation.
Speaker 2But you told me that one time at Chili's and I got mad and I told a guy that we can do eggs a certain way, because Frank told me to tell that guy that. And the guy slung his freaking creamer against the wall. Dude, big dude, and I was like Chris Brown knew you can go over to Friday's. His wife was like the head honcho of all the Friday's freaking roadside and Frank pulls me aside. Hey, man, you don't tell the guy. Being husband, I was like you told me to say that you empowered me. Yeah, so whatever, that's another side story, but hey, so ended up going back to Chili's, started there right before, like it was, we shut down. Tequila area was Christmas of 2014, so you're going back to Chili's after all these years Back to Chili's.
Speaker 1It's full circle. This is what 2014?
Speaker 214 going into 15. So I started Chili's, then Vintage, then sort of to Gein, then back over to well sort of Vintage, but it was Kilaria, but same area that I'm working in 2012,.
Speaker 1Same exact spot, so I got back to Chili's.
Speaker 2So I did this whole full circle in 17 years, coming back to Chili's and in my mind I was like dude and I was. I remember I was times. I was just like Chrissy I gotta do something, I gotta change something, I gotta get out of this, I gotta change something. I'm back where I freaking started.
Speaker 1God dang 17 years ago and it did a middle on me.
Speaker 2I mean I know we've all probably gone through that, you know, it makes you think about things. I'm here again. What am I doing? I'm almost this age. I'm almost this age, you know, and whatever. That's just how I felt.
Speaker 1And I just wanted it.
Speaker 2Nothing against that Cause I admire anybody that does the business. I haven't done it for so long. So it's there working and I remember so freaked out, back with Joe Wilson. I'm like Joe Wilson's managing over there, he's my manager. I'm like, oh, you're loving January. He's like, hey, man, tell me after I move into Temple with his wife. And I'm like you asshole, god damn, I was looking forward to working back with you again. So I was sort of bummed out and then that's when he said hey, so 2014,.
Speaker 2Joe Wilson was one of the OGs of Venice, texas, of our fantasy football league. He's like, hey, man, I'm moving into. He's like don't get out of our fantasy league. I was like, whatever I saw on Facebook, the Joes, joe Luna, joe Wilson, joe Luna's like man, why wrote you just out of her fantasy league? But that's a little side story. But so work there is going good, you know, and I you know freaking, I would pick up a lot of doubles, but still pretty good money. It was cool. So June of 2015. Thursday my EC goes out and I had it and I ended up fixing it all on my own. I had to freak because I had fucking two $3,000 to pay and this was in my house. I don't you know, and you need it.
Speaker 2It's summer in Texas by the way my eBay stuff I found a, thing, a unit thing that fit into my freaking system. Found it from a warehouse warehouse in like I don't know freaking West Virginia, I don't know Freaking some part was $300. Bought it this was after the fact, but yeah, I ended up fixing my AC. Just a little side note has nothing to do with the airport. I know you're great, so yeah, that was hard, but yeah. But hey, youtube and you can learn how to fix shit when you don't have money.
Leaving the Airport Life Behind
Speaker 1Google and YouTube, you will get resourceful.
Speaker 2So I remember changing some schedules around. Father's Day was June 21st that year, so Saturday June 20th I picked up because I was like, hey, I can't work that. They're like hey, will you work a double? I was like, yeah, I'll work a Double Saturday and I'll take Father's Day off, cool, great. So our AC was still out. That's my three. So our AC is still out. So my wife and the kids they were going to her cousin's over in Fort Worth and then we were going to go to my dad's. That was the plan on Sunday. So I worked a double and I was going to go home. You know, just stay night by myself with my dog, whatever. So I work a freaking double that day. So you know, working whatever. Well, I'm trying to get. I ended up that Thursday night. The reason I brought it Thursday my mom had an AC unit. I brought it to the house. Still doesn't matter, it's freaking hot, it helps a little, but it's an old house.
Speaker 2Anything helps, but yeah, yeah, it's just like blowing more heat at you. Yes, so I went to my mom. My mom wasn't feeling good and all that, and so Saturday, I remember that morning, we had to be there like five, you know, doing the double thing. That morning I texted my mom. She wouldn't answer. Whatever, it's not going to be good. My mom was not out. She was and my mom's dead, but she was retired. She was an old school teacher. Mom was like mid 70s at this time, so she didn't.
Speaker 2I didn't think anything big about it. No big deal, because sometimes I would you know, I'd say, hey, I love you mom, I was just trying to get a hold of you but I hadn't heard from her. It was Friday morning so I hadn't heard of her. But still no big deal. Sometimes we would miss each other and she knew I was working a double and all that. So I had this table. This guy seemed a little different. He was like hey, buddy, he was real touchy. He touched my hand. He's like hey, man, and he was there for a while. And this is freaking nuts dude. That table he was at at Julie's was that same table, that same one, yeah, same table where the family prayed and the guy he was like I guess he ran like had a congregation or something, I don't know. At first he gave me some little cult vibes. I was like I don't know.
Speaker 1I don't know. I got to feel the same.
Speaker 2But he was just like hey, and so we're talking, I brought him. He's like hey, john, thank you so much. He was just very friendly Generally, just a nice guy, just a nice dude. And he was like John. He just grabbed my hand.
Speaker 2He's like can I pray for you about that thing? Back then it didn't even cross my mind at this time, didn't even to that day. It didn't really cross my mind a couple months later. So the guy's sitting there, he's like you know pretty sure, and I'm just sitting there like, yeah, it's like okay, great, can I get a new AC? You know, because that was a thing on my mind. It's all the days they say so he got, grab my handy printer, this, look, not try, see, it was weird, but I'm freaking working. He's like hey, john, you know, you know, dear lord, you know, just please, you know, you know, put your hands on. You know, god, put your hands on john, make sure you know. And I was like well, thank you, sir, that was very nice. He's like well, dude, fucking weird man. He was just like I just feel I just really need to pray for you, I need to do this. Okay, well, thanks this. I was like okay, well, thanks man.
Speaker 2So I told a couple of the waiter and then this one girl was like hey, what was that? I was like, hey, I wanted to pray for him. I was like that's sweet. I was like yeah. So day went on. I get back home Late at night. It was about 11. Text my mom again. I have my phone right beside me Sleeping. My wife and the kids. They're over at her cousin's house over four, but they're over there, stayed out because we were going to go swimming over there. Hang out and they go. My dad lives over in Midburg by Haley Father's Day. That was the plan. Well, I get a text in the middle of the night for something I just remember, sort of you know where your does that.
Speaker 1Well, you're passed out.
Speaker 2Yeah, and my mom is not out and I was like oh and I just sort of woke up and I didn't even look at the text. I was like oh, that's my mom.
Speaker 2She probably was finding oh cool, thank you, and then I just sort of rolled back over. You said we I wake up at 7 that morning on Father's Day, june 21st, and I look at that text and it was some random nonsense. I was like my heart dropped. I was like I thought that was my mom. I called my mom, called my mom, called my mom. I'm like what the fuck? Well, my mom had a house. She had this other little apartment house I grew up in. But she went there. She stayed in this little apartment over in Bedford and over in Bedford and called my dad. My parents were divorced, been divorced since the early 80s, and my dad you know my dad. I sat down really close to my mom and I was like, hey, dad, I don't feel right about this, I'm going to head over there. So I go over there and I can't get in the apartment and talk about a moment where your heart freaking hits the floor. I go to a window and it was like you fall off this big ledge and I was over there, people, probably in the morning. What's this dude doing? And I call her phone and I hear it ringing in the fucking room and my heart just fucking went to my. I was just like. So I had to call the people. The apartment wasn't even open yet. It was five, six in the morning. They call the freaking the dude. It's like, yeah, I was about it's on phone.
Speaker 2It was like 7 and so, dude, the maintenance guy comes over. He couldn't get in, so I called. They had already called 911. I was like, hey, man, I think someone had my mom. So big cop fucking, just boots. I was about to break the window. But that window I was going to break down.
Speaker 2I was like my mom's bed's right there and I didn't want to last on my mom. So we go in there. She had a massive stroke and she was still freaking clean on the life. It was crazy. But, dude, she was barely hanging on. So she ended up saving her. But, dude, she was pretty bad and we ended up getting. She ended up going to the hospital, all this stuff. She was a little out of it, lost a lot of memory.
Speaker 2That was, let's see, june of 2005. Thank God, my mom saved her, but she ended up. We put her in a little home. It wasn't like a dude. We ended up. My mom didn't have Medicaid or anything. She had a good retirement. So you know, I know she wouldn't want all that money to go to us, but we ended up paying it because I was trying to do everything to keep her going and we did rehabilitation but she had a lot of little mild strokes, but you know of 2017.
Speaker 2Now the great thing is, people are like man. That's sad. Hey, dude, I got to say my goodbyes to mom. I had that extra time. I mean I could have walked in and she could have been gone. But pretty much to bring that tie that back in the airport, I stayed on with Chili's for three months but I never did work another shift. That was my last day and that in my head when I left the bed, I said I'm not, I'm not doing it. So that was pretty much how I just stopped my career at the airport, really, cause my mom and I just had no idea at the moment.
Speaker 2I did just about two, three months later I was like that fucking praying at that thing, and then I praying at that same fucking table, like, and then I could pray on that same fucking table. It's like a full circle and it's just crazy and I just tied into that my whole little career. It's just sort of nuts how that all tied in and I ain't trying to get all sad and emotional you know, but yeah, that was nuts how that ended.
Speaker 2But the good thing about my mom she ended up coming to the last two months of her life. She, freaking, was as clear as day, talked to my kids. We were Her body. She didn't really do anything. She was in a home over in Uless. We didn't get her into one of these. There's no way she would last in a nursing home, it's not enough.
Speaker 2Not there. We got her. She was in this lady's house who took care of three or four people at a time. I'd go there and he'd come the last. So many days I stayed there every night with her. I was there when she passed. People are like man. I'm so sorry. Hey, you know what? It's inevitable. I hope everybody sees their parents go.
Speaker 1I know you don't want to say that they don't want to see you go.
Speaker 2You don't want to see your kids go ever. I had a brother that passed away. I saw what my parents went through watching their son die when I was 18. I remember Now, looking back, the worst thing was seeing my parents what they went through seeing their son die. I'm like God dang. No, at the time I was hurt because of my big brother. But watching your parents, you don't want to see your kids go. So that with my mom was okay and, like I said, people say I was like hey, man, I got to say my goodbyes to her. Luckily I had to say all my goodbyes. My father passed last year. I got to say all my goodbyes to him.
The Prayer That Changed Everything
Speaker 2So not trying to get into all the personal stuff, but you know that sort of tied in and it's crazy how it tied that in with the airport and I was like dude, that guy, what the hell did this dude see? He was like I need to pray for you and I was like holy shit. It's like how did he know? They say the grace of God and all this. It's just crazy. So so, yeah, that was it. So June 20th, yeah, day before Father's Day, that was my last day at the airport. I didn't know. It's okay. I mean, I'd say, at least I didn't get fired going up, whatever you know and you never looked back until we made you today.
Speaker 1No look back what?
Speaker 2no? So but yeah, it's just crazy. And then that turned in. You know, I started doing like ebay and I was like I got a boss line and didn't make that much money, made enough to get by, and then that turned in and then our business. How it turned into that? Because we started that we wanted to start a business but sort of fell in our lap and oh yes, one of our new sponsors is foodies catering out of Roanoke.
Speaker 1Just want to get that in there for you. Yeah, thank you, man.
Speaker 2Yeah, we had some of that today If you guys need it.
Speaker 1It was incredible. The food was absolutely phenomenal.
Speaker 2I had to come and support. John bring food anytime If anybody in the Metroplex needs catering. Get up Foodies. And Roanoke, they're on 377 in Keller, texas, rono Rono, next door neighbor, just kidding. Just kidding, that's your hometown, you got to say Keller.
Speaker 1John, we'd like to thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing all these experiences about the airport with us, man, thank you, thank you, it was awesome and I know you've got more stories, but I want you to save them for another time.
Speaker 2Sorry for being so long winded, but I have a lot of details to every story you can come on and be long winded on this show anytime you want, man.
Speaker 1Thank you so so much.
Speaker 2Well, I appreciate it, guys, and I wish the best luck to you, man. This is awesome.
Speaker 1And to our listeners as always, scroll down to the bottom when you're looking at this on whatever podcast platform and look at that button at the bottom where it's like glowing at you. It says support the show, Please support the show. Click on that and send money. No, thank you, guys for supporting the show and following us and liking us, and make sure you download the episodes if you really like us, and we will be back in a few more weeks, guys. Thanks again, until next time, peace. Guys we love y'all.
Speaker 2Thank y'all Peace.
