There is Hope.....

Everyone should know that the parking lot of The Cachagua Store is now paved........

Ours Christian Landlord fell for an old-school scam......and we are now paved.

No more stepping out of your ride and sinking over your ankle into mud and piss......

Or, no more sun wretched dust blown horror of summer......

Kids can skate.......

Of course, since this is Cachagua.....people bitched.

"You have taken the "Country" out of the "Cachagua Country Store".

For three days, locals refused to even park on the asphalt.

My response......

"No.....we took the "Count" out of "Country".......

This morning we arrived for a full day of catering and building raised beds for herbs and crap......and dealing with the backwash of the asphalt project.

Two cute kind kids were waiting by the door at 8:30 am.

"Do you have any work for us?"

They are twelve......

One of the kids Amanda calls "Jesus" because he is so sweet and kind and connected on levels of which we know not.....

Well, sure! We have work!

Meanwhile.....the "Jesus" kid's mom is the ex-wife of one of my fellow soccer coaching guys.....and the daughter-in-law of one of the partners in my old restaurant, Silver Jones.

I actually at one point in my Dive Rescue Mode.....saved this kid's mom from drowning in Blue Fish Cove at Point Lobos during a storm. She was with her sister-in-law, and I saved them both....and the sister-in-law commissioned a nice sculpture that I still have next to my TV....

So...arguably.....the kid would not be here if I had not saved the Mom.....

The kid is many years younger than my sculpture.....and the years do not reflect the many, many bad choices his mom has made.....other than the choice to conceive him. She is definitely in the top five worst moms ever.....to the point that often I have almost regretted having saved her life.

Anyway....we found work for these boys. They shoveled compost....they raked rocks.....they raked leaves....they filled in shitholes.

After two hours good work they came into The Store.....in the middle of a pogrom of asswipes who had not made reservations for Sunday Brunch.

I made scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes and organic blackberry pancakes with organic maple syrup for the two kids before I even contemplated the older, rich, white folks needs......

I paid the kids minimum wage.....$8 per hour in California. Two hours.....$16 each.

Breakfast was on me.

Two hours later, the kids swaggered into The Store with their friends......and were buying rounds. Some red licorice, some gummy bears, some sodas......

And....for this one new kid, seriously skinny, no one knows what his story is....they bought him a cheeseburger that the kid devoured in a heartbeat.

Watching the smiles on their faces.......

Hard work.....friendship. Investment in hope that the new guy will turn out OK.....

Pride in accomplishment......

Willingness to invest your share of hard work in a new kid who might turn out....

Stay tuned.

Or come by on Sunday morning and meet the crew.