well-nigh.

adverb

1. very nearly; almost.

I have well-nigh decided that an evening serving job is my calling in life. I do not set an alarm for the morning. I open my eyes early anyway and think about the mountains surrounding me outside saying, “Come dance with me” (My favorite Banner Days song).

So I get up and make enough coffee for Randy as well and head out on another dance. There are multiple mountain ranges in the area and even if I’m here for a year, I don’t think I’ll be able to see everything. I take my morning coffee with me and stroll. I smile at the trees, some them have leaves that have turned yellow, welcoming Autumn. I smile at all of them, so the slower, all-green ones do not feel left out. When the trail steepens, I find a log in the sunshine and sip more coffee. I feel alive and thankful and refreshed.

Then I go to my favorite coffee house and read and write a bit before my shift at the saloon. It is well-nigh the most exciting place I’ve worked. I meet exceptional people daily. I get free coffee from the bar and five lemons in my iced tea if I so desire. Customers can’t get over how little I am, most likely because the two close-by lady cocktail servers are over 5’9”. Some have called me “Gidget” because of the old TV series with a petite gal in it. They love my boots and tell me about who I remind them of. Some people take photos. They squeeze my waist and touch my hair. Some people would hate this, but it’s done so sweetly, I don’t mind it a single iota. They give me nicknames, for instance, the Muscle Hamster (because a Boise State alum is now with the Buccaneers, and I’m from the Tampa area…I guess that’s a good enough reason?)

Another group of gals said, upon hearing my name, “Beth isn’t quite…BIG enough for you.”

“Oh yeah? I’ve thought about going by Eliza,” I said.

They shrieked. “No…Liza! You better fully be Liza by the next time we’re in!”

A regular named Sam stated, “Beth is a classic name. But I will call you Eli from here on out.”

I feel like I’m not just well-nigh being welcomed to this mountain town, I am fully accepted. Does that mean I have a long list of friends to call to eat brunch with me? Neh. But bacon by myself is better than no bacon at all.

Muscle Hamster out.