11/08/2021
To my dear friends, OC guests, to those I never got to really know and who supported the saloon, and to the most amazing OC staff that I could have ever been blessed with in my sixteen + years. It was an incredible privilege serving you and allowing me to be your General Manager of Operations/bartender.
My journey led me to Clements, CA in 2006, thinking at first…. Oh My God this is rural, country America, what the hell am I doing here of all places? Well, It didn’t take all but a week, and I knew I’d never move back to town, any town. I later realized this was a miracle, that the Good Lord placed me here for a reason.
Todd had just bought the saloon, I arrived six months later after he first took over. It was kind of crazy at the saloon when I first started as bartender, telling myself that I would give it a week and I’d be outta here! Boy, was I mistaken! I took a liking to Todd, and felt he needed my help, that his newly purchased, wreck of a saloon he recently bought looked like a challenge, and I like a good challenge.
I’m not a quitter. My former employer in Sacramento kept me on his payroll as bartender/manager for eighteen years collectively. I keep my jobs along time, particularly The Old Corner and Vagabond Saloon in Sacramento, CA. The time working for both saloons was 34 years collectively, half the years of my actual age of 68 years old. To you youngsters… that’s an eternity, and being a dinosaur. But thank you youngsters for keeping me young at heart and energetic. making it all worthwhile for me at the OC saloon for all these years.
I have to say that my night crowd over the years at the saloon developed into the most wonderful, caring, respectful, kind, and congenial group of young adults who I could have ever dreamed of serving and befriending.
I remember so many times pulling Todd aside and telling him… Boss, take a good look around: it doesn’t get any better than this…. everyone acting friendly and getting along, spending money, seemingly happy and having a positive experience, not breaking things up, and our bartenders, karaoke and door personnel all doing a great job and professionally. I don’t really think Todd understood the mechanics behind the positive persona of the bar, don’t know if he really cared or realized the magic of the personalities behind it all.
I didn’t want you to feel I abandoned you, for I’m not planning on abandoning you or The Old Corner Saloon. Come January of 2022 there will be a new owner/operator to take the saloon over, I am unable to go into any further in detail about this, so please be patient and let this play out.
On a not-so-positive note, I was diagnosed with COVID19 Tuesday 11/02/2021 and will be quarantining for another nine days. I’m in the age group the virus affects worst, and unvaccinated, but think I’m gonna get through this just fine. I guess my going away present from Todd was COVID19, undoubtedly contacting it at the saloon.
Ironically, I was terminated by Todd two hours after I texted him that I would be missing another night at work, which was Saturday night before last, and that I had made an appointment to be tested for COVID19 in Stockton’s Sutter Urgent Care.
Please do not believe the gossip and lies you may hear or are hearing because it isn’t being told honestly. Todd, unfortunate for him, will be facing civil legal challenges from me in the very near future. His reasoning for slandering me and defaming my character will most backfire on him ,as did his fake COVID19 card scheme.
And why would these vicious rumors just begin to surface at the time of my dismissal, two days before the liquor license suspension, and minutes away from my COVID19 screening? I was technically being laid off, so what was he really up to? Well, I do know, and his agenda and timing is everything. I gave Mr. Anderson sixteen years of all I had, then to be met with this? Anyways… please keep an open mind.
I want you to know that I’ll never forget you, always remembering the good will, courtesy extended, and respect given to me being, OCdave the old guy behind the bar, though you never treated me like the old guy. I felt accepted and it was my honor to serve and befriend you.
May all of you be blessed with goodness during the holidays ahead, hoping to see you all again in January 2022.
Respectfully.
OCdave
