cunninglinquist

Tonight I went out for dinner at Big Dogs which is a bar with video poker. They brew their own beers and I am told they are quite good. I ususally go there for breakfast during the week once or twice and know the one barmaid quite well, she is one of my buddies. There is a waitress there I see on occasion when she is coming in to work I am leaving for work. She is a nice woman, single parent around 30 who always has a smile on her face.
I chatted with her on Thursday morning on the way out and she was not smiling. Here at the holidays her ex husband has decided that he can't afford child support again this month, and with Christmas coming and a six year old who wants everything she is not a happy camper. She does well at her job but when a huge portion of your extra money comes from support and it has not been paid in a few months that puts a financial strain on her.
She is not my type of woman, not at all, but she is a good person and attractive. I normally do not go there for dinner, and something told me that I should today. I called my friend the barmaid to be sure the other person would still be there when I got there, as I specifically wanted to have her wait on me and talk to her for a few minutes.
The food was good, and I went overboard giving her a tip as she can use the money for her son and I would just gamble my token $20 away on the machines anyway.
She was a delight, she never saw what I gave her but gave me a big hug as she knew I never go there for dinner and that I specifically came to see her. Previously I had not seen her do that at all with anyone, so I was surprised and delighted.
When she tips out she will see that I am just trying to help out a deserving mother and friend. She could go to court and get her ex thrown in jail if he does not come up with some cash, but she will wait until after the holidays hoping upon hope that he will have a change of heart and help his son have a better Christmas. Out here in Vegas they are quick to act on non payment of support, that I think is a good thing, as sometimes it is used as a bargaining chip, punishment for past deeds, or reward which is not what it was meant for. It is meant for the support and upbringing of a child that he helped bring into the world and he should be a man about it and take care of his son even if he hates his exwife.
Sorry to get on a soapbox on that one but I see it too often, especially out here in Vegas, single mothers busting their asses to keep their head above water and too afraid to do the right thing by taking the guy back to court for fear of getting nothing at all if he is in jail. But the beauty of it is, that if he is in jail she can get some assisantance from the state while he is there, and his child support does not stop, it only gets bigger and bigger.