11/10/2026
Welcome back to Sunday stories: Volume 1 - Edition 8.
I’ve been journaling since March of 1981.
Like eating, breathing, sleeping, and praying, it has been a constant in my life. I’m guessing I’ve penned millions of words, but I have no way to quantify that and don’t need to take the time to find out. It is not that important.
Remembering and honoring the journey is what matters most….
Last year, I was running my dogs one morning and on the last leg of the route that day, we ran through the parking lot of Washington High School. As we ran next to the tennis courts, I had very fond memories of my youngest daughter Chloe and her Warrior Women’s Tennis team going undefeated, 21-0 and winning the state title.
I thought to myself, this is one of my “happy places.” That phrase was at the forefront of my mind because just the day before, I met a customer who enthusiastically flagged me down in the dining room to marvel at her newfound favorite food, The Alfalfa’s Experience Deli Sandwich.
She said Salsa Guy Cafe is my HAPPY PLACE! THANK YOU FOR THIS!
Only moments later, with theme “happy places” still fresh on my brain, I ran past the fine arts wing of the school, which back in the day, housed the yearbook office. (Monument).
I spent hours upon hours in the darkroom, developing the pictures used in the creation of the yearbook. Ironically, in the busy-ness of my day, always looking for ways to save time, I would drive out to Lindale Mall, ride the escalator down to the lower level next to the Strawberry Starship (sound familiar to anyone?) and buy my usual order of 2 Alfalfa Deli Sandwiches with extra spread. Instead of sitting in the dining room to eat, I would take my lunch treasure back to the school and eat in the darkroom while waiting for the newest rolls of film to finish developing. It was almost a daily ritual.
Sadly, remodeling has completely removed the old “Happy Place” that I spent so much time in and today, it houses public restrooms just across from the Auditorium.
Here is where the story gets interesting or might I even say, ironic and unbelievable.
That evening, at days end, I wrote a journal entry about “my happy place.” That darkroom where I ate a lot of delicious sandwiches and spent so much time. I wrote in my journal entry how ironic it was that during high school, I took thousands of pictures of my classmates and yet, at the end of the day, had almost zero pictures of myself to memorialize my high school experience.
The very next day…I had just returned to the café after delivering a catering order and one of my team members said “you just missed someone” who was here to give you a picture!
I had NO IDEA who it was, they said she would stop back another time.
And then, a few days later she returned. Guess what picture she had for me?
Her name is Kathy Ulch. She was the staff yearbook advisor my junior year and she put the picture on the front of a thoughtful card, along with a check she wrote asking me to use it towards one of the many meals we serve at Mission of Hope. How thoughtful and generous to say the least!
THE PICTURE! NO POSSIBLE WAY!!
It was exactly the memory I had journaled about just days earlier. Here I am sitting at the Beseler 23-C enlarger in that very darkroom where I devoured so many of these sandwiches!!
YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP!!
Then, I must confess, I misplaced the card and the picture! I was horrified!
Months, yes, MONTHS later I found it tucked in a book I had been reading at the time, and it had been returned to a slot on the bookshelf. Thankfully, I went to continue reading this biography and was reunited with this precious memory!
Since then, I can’t keep track of the number of you who I have enjoyed visiting with in my dining room who have told me that Salsa Guy Café IS YOUR HAPPY PLACE!
This is the ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT, and we work hard every single day to have more of you walk through our doors and say those very words.
It is my passion and we want to share it with you too!
Kathy, THANK YOU for re-connecting me to my overwhelming sense of GRATITUDE and my HAPPY PLACE!
In my heart of hearts, I am still this young man!!
