And just like that, he's gone. Finally, after months of searching, Tuck was offered & accepted a job in Atlanta! Today was his last day in our office. It was a bittersweet day for sure. On one hand, I was happy for him, he and his wife have been living in separate cities since May. But on the other, I was losing the heart and soul of my team.
I often told him he reminded me of Bristol Peyton. Yes, he was just like my ADD beagle. I'm going to miss those random "OMG did I ever tell you I can make a noise with my mouth that sounds just like a weedeater" outbursts and even the singing that would come from his cube on an almost daily basis. Did you know the first CD he ever owned was Celine Dion? He would sing Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga on demand.
We picked on him pretty good, but he was always a good sport about it. Sports was our semi-common bond. Everyone wondered how this Louisiana born, LSU, Saints & Kyle Busch fan would fit on my team. I think he fit in quite well.
We had a chance to win a team breakfast if we picked the winning team & score for the Super Bowl. Seven out of eight on the team picked the Colts. Tuck was out voted, my team chose the Colts and we all know how that turned out. But being the nice guy he is, he offered to buy the team breakfast anyway, to show there were no hard feelings. But there was a catch, we had to put on his Saints gear for a photo first. It was the funniest team picture ever & he kept that as his desktop wallpaper till he left.
He talked a lot of trash before last week's LSU game, but after the second ending, I got a text from him saying that he would not be talking any trash, as LSU did not deserve to win the game. To his credit, he kept his word.
Tuck had only lived in Knoxville for a few years, so he hadn't really experienced a lot of it's local flavor. Tuck being Tuck, wanted to cram everything into his last week. Chandler's Deli was the last stop on his "Goodbye Knoxville Food Tour".
I think we saved the best for last. If you enjoy some good ole Southern cooking, you've come to the right place. A buddy suggested I get the meat & 3...I'm so glad I listened to him. I ended up with fried chicken, mashed taters and gravy, mac and cheese and corn. They give you huge portions and it's almost impossible to finish it all. I was already thinking about what I would get on my next visit.
So, I'm going to miss Tuck & all his quirkiness, but my belly & waistline will not! For the record, "Tuck" is not his real name. I started calling him "Tuck" after he walking into the office with his Saints jersey tucked into his pants. It just looked weird and the name stuck.
Good luck in the ATL Tuck, we really will miss you!!
I'm sorry Smokey, I still love you, but I wanted a Mike the Tiger shirt to remember Tuck
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