Burton's Restaurant and Bar, Havelock, NC

 After my four years were up, got my honorable discharge, I decided to stay in North Carolina. I tried a few jobs, like a toy store clerk before I gave in to waitressing and bartending at Burton's Restaurant and Bar. This was one of those decisions that literally changed the course of my life...in a good way. Life is full of choices. I started out taking care of lunches, got to know the people in this small town. The mayor, Tom Mylett, was a regular and four years later, becoming my boss but that's a different story for later. I remember watching the Challenger Explosion, just as lunch was getting started. It's one of the moments in history when you remember where you were when you heard or saw it. The man who owned the bar, Burton J Branch, was one of the best people I have ever worked for. Hard worker, loved his family and treated everyone with respect and a smile. His family treated you like family. Good people.

I soon worked nights, getting all those Marines their beers. The place was less than a mile from the front gate of Cherry Point. We only served beer and wine. And Marines don't drink much wine. There was a DJ, dance floor, and a 3 table pool room. Back then, the place was always packed. I had a blast working there. I would start at five and work until 3am. Sometimes we would party after, sometimes we would take a nap, get up early and make our way to the beach and sleep the day away until it was time to go get ready for work again. Life was good.

Over 25 years later, I'm still friends with people I met during this time.Unfortunately, there is only a few stories that I will be sharing in cyberspace. Most will have to keep private, to amuse me and keep me company in my old age. The most important thing to happen to me during my time was that I met the man who would a few years later father my amazing daughter. The grandson of the founder of the city became her Godfather.

It was a sad day for all of us when BJ wanted to retire and sell the business. By this time, I had moved on. Many years, a few owners, a few bars later...a fire one night consumed the building. It was heartbreaking to see all the ashes that used to be a building that meant so much to me and the course of my life. This burnt out piece of wood may not be "geology" but I value it as much as my other rocks and shells.