Twelve years ago I left the Milwaukee Fire Deptartment after working there for ten great years. Just long enough for my pension to become vested. I was also tucking away money in the department's "deferred comp" system. When I joined the department I fullfilled a dream. I didn't realize at the time it would also be the vehicle to fullfilling another dream, purchasing our first restaurant. After investing every penny to our name we opened Sebastian's on January 19th, 2000. People said we were crazy.
(They were right about me anyway.)
It's been one helluva decade. We survived 9/11, the housing and banking crisis, seven sous chefs, opening a second restaurant, closing it after five years, food TV, celebrity chefs, buying and selling four homes, moving four times and becoming an empty nester. Turning 50 was kinda big as well.
Coincidently, January 19th, 2010 not only marks our ten year anniversary but the day our daughter joins us as the Private Event Coordinator and Dining Room Manager. It will be a proud day for her father and the fullfillment of yet another dream.
