My Tenth Summer

It is hot. I mean really hot. As in H.O.T. It’s not the heat I dislike, it’s the people that come out in this heat and make me work. It’s my tenth summer of selling juices and other cold drinks at this little beach side store and it’ll be my last. I like the girls with small bikinis, but when the old women come in I wish they would wear a skirt or something. And the old men. Whew. They think their 20 again. Who wants to watch a white haired, wrinkled old man in shorts and a tank top? Not me. And they don’t buy much anyway. Their too busy watching the young girls I guess. Now talking to the girls is something else. Most of them are college snips down from the east coast and think their only good enough for Ivy League guys. I got education, just not the big league kind. I got street smarts as they call it. That’s experience you know, not book learning. Ten summers of learning. Here comes the boss, closing for now.

There’s a hot breeze coming off the sand dunes and that makes the weather really intolerable. The people are getting worse too. The heat cooks out all the good in people. I mean, the tip can is almost empty. I usually get 20-30 a day. It’s got 4.75 in it now. Pisses me off. I work hard and deserve tips. I smile when I don’t want too. I make pretty talk with the snips when I really just want to get them into bed. I tell the old women how good their summer dresses look. I earn my money. Folks, tip your server’s.

I’ve had it. Some old man came in this morning and wanted some kind of drink we didn’t carry. He was from Jersey he said and expected his brand of drink to be available down here. Lots of luck buddy. Ain’t got it. It made me smile when I told him no. Pissed him off. These old geezers think they can get anything they want. Anyways he chews me out and calls the boss who chews me out again. Ain’t my fault we don’t carry everything. Not mine at all. I am tired of all this. It just ain’t fair.

To celebrate my last summer here I made a special drink. Yep it’s all of my own making. I call it the ‘Cool Dude‘. It’s a mix of ice, sugar and anti-freeze. I save it for the next guy who wants a Jersey drink.