Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Chapter 26…1982-83

I mentioned earlier about a panic attack I had in Virginia with the thunder storms, and again in CT. Well I had more. I was driving to Coupeville and realized I was petrified of driving the car!! I would pull over to the side of the road when a car would come at me the other way. My palms would get really sweaty, my heart pounding out of my chest, and I would feel really shaky and petrified!! I spent almost three years not driving the car in CT and drinking a lot!!

Papillion’s was a restaurant at the Keystone Ferry terminal 12 miles from home. The ferry went across Puget Sound to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. The view is fantastic!! It had a coffee shop and a dining room and in the back of the dining room was the bar. When the food portion closed down I would open up the sliding partition and we would have the panoramic view of the sound. Wally said I could close the bar when I closed the restaurant, but I had friends that came out there, and booze is a better profit margin than food is, and since I was the only bartender, there was literally no extra cost to keep the bar open, so I usually kept the bar open to at least midnight every night, 2:00 am on the weekends. Wally was amazed at the money I made for him. I guess the other managers really stole a lot from him. I only ate my meals and drank scotch. I was so honest that I even charged my husband for his drinks.
Larry (a jailer now) was booking a person at the jail one night and the guy had threatened him and me. So Larry got me a 38 Smith & Wesson special to carry to and from the restaurant. The Sheriff told him it was a good idea as I was out there alone at night carrying $5,00.00 in cash to the bank for night deposits. There also was a rapist on the loose and a murderer. A little old lady was murdered in her house in Coupeville three miles away. So I went out to the shooting range and learned how to shoot the gun. So here is Phyllis, a neurotic drunk carrying a loaded gun!! Heaven help the person that threatens me!!
One night after closing I was all alone in the restaurant and in the back office drinking my scotch and counting the money and preparing the deposit. I heard a noise out in the dining room and the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up!! I grabbed my gun and like they do in the movies, I held the pistol straight up with both hands about face level and my back to the wall by the door I inched slowly around the door and peeked into the dining room. As I peeked my head around the corner I saw a movement so I darted back in the office. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I was scared, but pissed if someone was gonna rob me!! So I yelled out “I have a gun!!” then peeked again. Again I saw a movement!! Again I darted back into the office. Well now I was gonna make the big move. I yelled again then peeked again then realized it was my reflection in the dining room window!! The noise was the air vent blowing in the wind!! Well DUH!!! That would've been cute!! Shooting out the dining room window! Hello, Prudential?

We had a fun group out there. One of my favorite customers was a 74 year old bachelor that was from Saskatoon, Canada and had an English accent. George retired from Boeing in Everett, and lived here on the Island. Friday nights was a ritual for him. He would go to the gentlemen’s club for a spa in Everett, then have a steak dinneer then come to Papillion’s for 7&7’s. He found the bar by the neon sign I hung in the bar window. He lived about 10 miles away but could see that red glowing light, and that drew him to the bar. He said it was the smartest thing that happened to the place!!
We had about 10 regulars that would sit around the bar telling tall tales and arguing about hand guns etc. (Little did he know I was packin)!! George turned 75 March 8th 1983. I decided to have a belly dancer come to the bar and dance for him. I told the entire town but kept it secret from him. When he came to the bar the place was packed and I had a chair out in the middle of the dining room and made him sit there after he had a few drinks. Then the music came on and the gal came dancing out and did a great dance around him and put scarves on him and made him blush!! He was so mad at me for doing that!! HAHAHAHA but he never forgot it either!! He is gone now.

Wally came in town and was out at the bar. We were all drunk when I got a call from Larry from the jail. He told me there was a stress patrol going on and to be careful driving home. A stress patrol is when State Troopers put up road blocks checking for drinking drivers. Now why would Larry call me??? I told him I was going to sleep at the restaurant and not to worry. He knew Wally was in town, so about ½ hour later I heard a knock on the back door. It was a deputy. He said he was going to drive me home. I argued all the way home, but he got me there. (The poor guy)!!
Once I drove all the way home and I dropped my keys trying to get in the house and I couldn’t find them (That’s what you call blind drunk)!! I slept on the steps until Larry got home from work at 8:30 am. Sunday morning and I am drunk on my front steps!! I’m sure the neighbors could write a book about us!!
The restaurant sold in June and I was without a job for a month.
Tomorrow……change of careers, 1983.

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