"Another work night with Ziggy"

There I was, lying in bed with the covers pulled up to my noise and my toes sticking out the end of the bed. I knew it was about time to get up, as I could feel the small breeze coming through my window, filling my bedroom with a relaxing yet still cozy and irresistible feeling. That was, simply stay in bed. Just as I was starting to contemplate the idea of calling off work and staying tucked in tight with my blanket, I heard him. That flapping of the wings that, I find to be so gracious, however most people think it sounds like rubber being smacked together. As I was about to open my eyes and try to Peake around and catch a glimpse of my exotically handsome and charming best friend, I felt a tug on my hair from behind. Ziggy, Ziggy, Zig!! I called out as I rolled over just in time to see him lift off circling the ceiling light. I laid there for a minute watching and listening as he chirped and took steep, swift, graceful plunges around the room.

           "What a character" I thought to myself as I rolled out of bed and glancing at the clock located on the dresser reading 5:30pm. Perfect!! Plenty of time to get a few things done around the apartment before heading off to work. I called out to Ziggy beckoning him to follow along as I headed for the fridge. Opening the fridge, I grabbed the milk and the cereal. However, All my bowls were dirty, go figure, so I grabbed a plastic cup and a spoon. Ziggy, who was now standing on the counter let out a few of his chirps. One would think that he was laughing at my sad, but quite common bowl situation. Had I not known, my Best Bat babe better than anyone else, I would have thought just that, but instead I grabbed the plastic bowl of mashed up grapes and gave him a smile as we both headed for the couch. I placed the bowl of mushy grapes on the coffee table and it was no big surprise when Ziggy went to town. He has always had a taste for grapes after I dropped one on the floor without noticing a few years back. That was when I had just rescued Ziggy as a wee little Bat. He was so small that the grape was not working out for poor Zig. I then mashed it up and he guzzled it down no problem letting out his first chirp, as if to say thank you. If I would have known then that I would be going through two bags of mashed up grapes a week, I might not have been so fast to do that. However, I cannot resist the cuteness, even now years later as a wise old Bat he still tickles my heart.

           After putting my dishes on top of my other dishes in the sink, I went and turned on some modern rock music and headed for the shower. I left the door open because Ziggy likes to fly into the steamed-up bathroom, then very quickly fly back out. I like to imagine its his way of steam bathing. Now that would be relaxing. As I am washing my hair getting ready for the night, I hear my favorite classic rock and roll song "Fly like and Eagle" come on the radio. This is just one of the many times when I am amazed, tickled, and appreciative of just how smart and talented Ziggy is. I pulled the shower curtain back and yelled out "Ziggy, turn it up" and not even a minute later the volume rocketed through the entire apartment. As I found myself dancing to the music, I let my mind drift back to the day I taught old Ziggy how to work the Stereo nobs. We were in the living room one night riding out a nasty thunderstorm, and I was trying to do a 500-piece puzzle, even though! I despise Puzzles, mind you. I noticed how the lighting was just flashing like crazy and the Thunder was so loud one could have sworn it was right in the room. Myself, well I have never been too fond of storms, so I crawled over and turned on my stereo to drawn out the storm. As I was about to turn the volume up, it hit me! The coolest idea!! I was going to teach Ziggy how turn up the Volume. Ha-ha, could one imagine it. He would be the Stereo guy at all the college parties. Anyway, I picked Ziggy up and showed him where the largest nob was located, directly in the middle of the stereo. At first, I cannot even lie, I think we were both a little confused because I had not the slightest idea on how to teach a Bat tricks, and well he had no idea what the big silver box projecting loud bass was either. After a few minutes of brainstorming on my part and Ziggy ceiling diving, it hit me. Just like that, I knew how to show him. How well he picked up on it, well that was up to him. Turns out Bats are intelligent creatures, because it only took a handful of what I like to consider positive attempts and He got it. All I had to do was show him that the nob stuck out enough for his little Bat feet to, well, slap onto. Of course, there was not hardly enough room for him to stand on the nob, but he could make good, solid contact, and move it. Granted, it took a while before he caught on to the fact the Loud, empowering, magical music coming out of the box would go way up when he flew onto the nob and kicked and scratched at it, just to move one direction. Then the complete opposite when he flew in and landed coming from a different direction. Now at this point I had done completely forgot about the Puzzle, or even that nasty storm I was just so excited about my little baby learning his first trick. Of course, now a few interesting things took place after that night. First was Ziggy loved turning the music up and down that it turned into an all-night event for an exceptionally long time. Thank goodness I am a night dweller myself. Now! The second thing is my living room set has been re-arranged and moved in every way, but that stereo has never moved from that spot. I figured out later as I absorbed Ziggy flying around doing his chirp, that he had mastered two different points of tactical air approach to work the Volume. He knew that if he came swooping in from the right, the Volume went down, and if he came in from the left the volume went up. The stereo is a permanent fixture.

           It is now pushing 8:30pm and I am throwing on cloths for work. I Grabbed my jeans from the hallway with patches sewed all over them, and the first shirt on the pile of cloths at the foot of my bed. Lucky me its favorite Metallica shirt. That means it is going to be a good night. As I am slipping on my leather boots, I hear Ziggy, Chirp, Chirp, chirping like crazy, and flying full speed all different directions looking like he was tripping out. However, that’s when Lizard came knocking on the door. Yep! right on time. See Lizard, or well Liz is her real name, but I have always called her Lizard because ever since we met, she has had a pet Lizard, but never gave the poor thing a name. So being the good friend I am, I creatively took her name and his reptile name, thus combining the two to one. A single name for two individuals. Lizard came right on in and instantly started talking about the band that was going to be playing tonight at the Bar we both work at. I do not think some small-town mommas’ boys are worth even calling themselves a band, but the bar is cheap, the drinks are warm, and the boss man is a real ass, but we both just love working here. So does Ziggy and lizard. I would put money on it, that, that place is still only open because Liz and I bring our babies to work every night with us. Lizard and Ziggy are good friends as well, hence the sporadic, flying around seeming crazy, turned out he was just excited when he realized Lizard was here. As I finished getting around for the night Liz just kept going on about the "band" and I knew it was bad when I noticed Lizard standing in the doorway with Ziggy perched up on his back, both just staring at Liz. I almost felt bad for Lizard, bet this is all he has heard all day. Poor little fellow.

           "Liz, could you grab the carry-on for Ziggy out of the closet, while I start shutting down the house? It’s Almost that time!" Few minutes later we were piled in Liz little Red Mazda with the kids in the back seat, and the Rolling Stones coming out the speakers. Windows down, just socking up this warm night air. I have always loved the ride to work. It's got the feeling of an action movie as if we were headed to some big-time street race in an off limits part of town. About a half hour later we pull into the "The Nest" and Liz parks in the same spot by the dumpster leaving me just enough room to squeeze out my door. I love her anyway for it. we head on inside to start getting set up for the night. I let Ziggy out of his carry-on and he takes off fast as lighting swooshing through the rafters doing all kinds of dips and spins. Liz takes Lizard over by the stage where there is a decent sized green habitat set up for him. I say green, because the Boss went overboard with the fake figs when he put it in. You think one would know Lizard like dead thick tree branches to perch on, not twenty ugly figs or whatever. I go and turn the Juke box on then head over to help Liz set up the lights for band tonight. "Crappy little stage set-up for a crappy little band, I imagine". Liz did not seem to share in my idea of humor because she just glared at me for a solid minute. Once we got that done, I headed behind the bar to attend to a few arriving customers, just as the boss man came out from the back. He proceeded to tell me how I would be managing the bar by myself tonight because the waitress Mandy called off work. At that point I started to block out whatever he said next and made my way to the cooler for some beer. No way I wanted to be there when Liz found out she was going to be working the floor. Just as I open the cooler, Ziggy come flying in and lands right on my shoulder. I try to rub noise on him, but he was not having it. I grabbed a case a beer and with Zig on my shoulder headed back out to the Bar. We were starting to get a little crowded and I noticed the band had shown up as well. I watched and kind of laughed as I seen Liz right smack dab in the middle of the band trying to decide who was the lead, and possibly catch his eye without coming off too strong. She had always had a small problem with over killing it when it comes to boys, where I preferably enjoy them about six feet away from me. the night took off bringing the "The Nest" to life with its approximately twenty-five guests, O and the Boy band. Believe it or not that is good for this old bar. I enjoy myself as the night goes by getting a beer for this person, and a shot for that one. My favorite thing about every night at work is how so many people get to experience how amazing Ziggy is. Every customer is simply tickled to death at the opportunity to interact with a Bat. People get a real big kick out of Ziggy’s other well mastered trick, of collecting my tips. I place this big old empty pickle jar up on the shelf between the Patron and Crown Royal. Then I advise the customers to simply set any tips out in front of them on the bar and just sit back and watch Ziggy work. That bat sees a dollar laying on the bar from his air show in the rafters, and woosh, so fast you almost miss it as he swoops down and scoops up the money. Then he flies back up gracefully turning around and flies directly over the pickle jar dropping the money and not missing a beat. Hell! I think some nights I do so good in tips simply because people enjoy seeing him in action. Works out for me and Ziggy all the way around, the bills get paid and he gets more grapes.

           Well finally the night is coming to an end as we lock up at 3:00am and head home. The ride home is nothing like the ride to work. We got No music playing, the windows are up, and we are tired. I can really appreciate the term "over worked and under paid". Hell, even Ziggy is just silently riding. We pull in and I get my jacket and grab Ziggy, wishing Liz and Lizard a good night. We head inside and I let Ziggy out so he can do some chirping and whooshing around for a little while. I change out of my work cloths throwing them almost exactly where I had found them, Then I hope up on the bed and start counting out my tips. Ziggy comes whooshing into the room dipping down and circling directly around my head. Then he settles down beside me as I tally our nightly earning to a grand total of $186.46. "Not a bad not zig, maybe if you upped your flight moves and I smiled more we could break $250.00". I giggled at my own remake and settle myself into the blankets, pulling them up to my chin with my feet hanging out the bottom. I notice that the sun is starting to come up over the horizon as I glance over at my best friend. "Sleep tight my little Bat! We goanna do it all over again in a few hours."