The Old Omni International

There’s a new local documentary on YouTube about the old snow defunct World of Sid & Marty Croft, that used to be in the old Omni International. Can’t temember if I ever rode that escalator but I never visited that “amusement park”. Even after it closed I think you could see it still up there, the merry go round and such.

I worked at the Omni International Chickfila from the first day it opened. I think it was January 1980. I had just flunked out of GT and needed something to do the three months before I could re-enroll. I was living at the GT BSU where I worked nights and weekends. That first day back at GT someone came in and stuck a notice on the GT BSU bulletin board that CFA was hiring. I walked the mile downtown and applied. They hired me, but told me to shave my beard and come back and start that afternoon. I went back and shaved the left  half of my face, then walked out and surprised everyone. After finishing my shave, I went back to start work.

That afternoon my good friend Don Lott walked into the CFA. Don and I had been best friends in high school, working at Baskin Robbins together. Don was the one who got me going to the BSU, and to Weiuca Road before I switched to SPdL. Somehow I knew Don wasn’t there looking for a meal. He had flunked out of GT as well, and was looking for a job. We were reunited!

At CFA I worked from 7 am – 4 pm. I would walk to work, cook breakfast (sausage & biscuits and donuts) and eat some for breakfast. At lunch I would eat something from CFA. At 4 pm I would walk home. On my way out the door I would grab two CFA sandwiches to eat for supper on the way home. So Monday-Friday I had zero expenses, and had all my meals covered! 

I always remember the week of the Bill Gothard Institute Conference met next door at the Omni. A sellout crowd. All those Christians wanted to eat at CFA. Our store set the all-time CFA record for the most sales in one week. Busy busy busy.

After three months I enrolled at Dekalb Community College in Clarkston. Made straight A’s – it was easy compared to GT. I’d see Debra Head out there from time to time. After class I would ride the MARTA from Decatur in to the Omni Station to work at CFA. Summer 1980 was the first time I didn’t go home to Macon. I re-enrolled at Tech. I only worked the six months at CFA, from Jan-June 1980. Good times.

I am able to get up every morning to go to the gym. I do need to get up earlier in order to have time to do my business and have plenty of time at the gym. The past two weeks I missed one gym visit once each week, but it wasn’t for not waking up early.

This morning I woke up at 5:15 and went to play golf. Arrived at the course by 6:40 and could’ve teed off earlier. Finished at 8:05. I had worked past 6 pm the past two nights (and today) so I gave myself a break this morning.

Yesterday I left work at 6:10. On Wednesdays C is always worn out from school, so we went to Pappasitos. On the way I called and they said they we’re busy. I asked C to make a reservation but she didn’t. We arrived and people were waiting outside. They said it was an hour wait. It was 7:35. We sat down to the bar and I went to the bar to get us something to drink. Before we knew it they were calling us to the table. It was 8:10.

The waitress was there when we arrived at the table. We knew what we wanted, so we ordered the chicken fajitas immediately. The food arrived only 5 minutes later. By 9 pm we were driving home. Best waitress we’d ever had, though most of the others are good too. She looked like the TV host in You’ve Got Mail, who Greg Kinnear fell for.

WALTER ALSTON   [SABR Bio] holds the record for being the manager of the most All-Star Game victories. Alston managed the NL AS team to wins in 1956, 1959, 1960(1), 1960(2), 1964, 1966, 1967 & 1975 – eight in all. The one game he lost was in 1957. Signed to play for STL by Branch Rickey’s brother, Frank W. Rickey, on the very day Alston graduated from Miami of Ohio. Alston ended his playing career with a 50% fielding average. He replaced Johnny Mize at 1B in the top of the 8th on 27-Sep-1936 and dropped the first throw made to him.