Perpetual Ruminations

Saturday

Saturday morning, been up since a little after three. I'm waiting for the phone to ring, and hoping it doesn't. That probably doesn't make much sense to anyone other than me.

I have a person quitting, she put in her notice two weeks ago today, and today is her last day. She already called in once and missed a day she was scheduled to work, right before Thanksgiving. She has also indicated she doesn't really want to work, and I'm sure that has a lot to do with her resignation.

Today is very cold, -17 degrees and a 5 mph west wind, so not the nicest day to be working, especially outside. Therefore, with all things considered, I'm apprehensive about her calling in today. That and the fact that it would mess things up for me, since my day is already planned out.

Rhonda worked for me this morning, so I could take the day off. I've been having a difficult time grieving the loss of a wonderful friend, our Golden Retriever Klarissa. I'm also not feeling the best, may have put my shoulder out of place, and am suffering with my asthma some. I suppose stress is part of it, the rest is the bitter cold.

This morning I got up with Rhonda, around three, as I said. I took her to work, since we are down to one vehicle again, then came back home and plugged it in, just in case I get that call. Later this morning, I will drive back in and pick Rhonda up, then do a little shopping with her before returning back home. We enjoy shopping together, but don't get many opportunities, and will have even less now that we are short a person, again.

So, I'm hoping I don't get called at all, but anticipating it; better to prepare for the worst and not need to, than to not prepare at all, and get the worst. Did that make sense? Anyway, it's time for me to get busy, maybe I'll write a bit more later.

I made it back in for a little while before I start working on dinner. I did not get a call from her saying she would not be able to work, so I drove in to pick up Rhonda and do some shopping. I waited for twenty minutes, then went back to the guardhouse to see what was up; sometimes if it's busy, the exiting guard stays on until traffic slows.

But this was not the case, Rhonda was still working, the other guard did not show up to relieve her. It's warmed to a negative seven degrees and the wind is blowing, and she decided to not show up for work, and to not call in, just leave another person cover for her. Ungrateful, that's all I can say. It's not just the no show, it's the fact that both Rhonda and I have gone out of our way to help this person, given her rides to and from work, supplied her with snacks and water, and this is how she repays our generosity.

Of course, she would have thought I was working, but even if I had been there, Rhonda would have been called in to take over. I was already there, but not in uniform, so I could not relieve Rhonda. I did go buy her a hot lunch and offered to run home, change and come back in so she could leave. But, she said it would be dumb to run all the way home, change, then run all the way back to work for about an hour, hour and a half. She's right, of course, it wouldn't make sense.

Well, since I'm back home and Rhonda told me not to come back until it's time to pick her up this afternoon, I'm planning on making her a nice dinner. I won't be able to finish it until we get back, but I can start the beef tips and gravy now, so they can slow cook and be ready when we get back.