Perpetual Ruminations

Monday

9:30 on a Monday night, and I'm just getting in here to get my entry written. But, this time it's not a bad thing to be in here late. See, I worked the last four days, and they were some long days. I also did not get nearly enough sleep, and was getting pretty run down. Today, traffic was slow except from about ten thirty to eleven thirty, then it just kind of died right out. So, I actually got out of work an hour early and was able to spend a couple hours with Rhonda before she had to go in to work. Normally on Mondays, I open and work until two in the afternoon, Rhonda comes in at two so I can go home, and stays to close up. That means I'm there by quarter to five in the morning and she's not done until around ten thirty at night.

The only time we see each other is a little while in the morning before I leave, a few minutes at work, and late at night when she gets home. Of course, we are both very tired by then, so it's just a few minutes of talking and then off to bed. Saturday and Sunday are also like this, but on Saturday she is done an hour earlier, and on Sunday I don't have to be to work until eight in the morning and she is done at eight thirty at night. Also, we work together for about six hours on Saturday and Sunday, so we do get some time together, even if it is working. But Mondays just don't give us any time, normally.

Today was different. It started out the same, I was up around three thirty this morning, got a cup of coffee, checked the weather, got ready and left for work. We spent about a little while together drinking a cup of coffee before I had to leave. But, it was slow at work all morning. I had another guard coming in at eleven for double coverage, and knew that if traffic did not pick up, we would not need two guards at work. I started to get my hopes up, but at ten thirty I got a big return in the yard, while I was assisting the guest with the return paperwork, I got a swarm of yard traffic entering the yard, and another return.

More traffic and more returns continued. Normally, the heavier traffic would not have been too bad, but with all the returns coming in, I was quickly getting backed up. We start out with twenty return slips for the day, and very seldom need to get more. Today, I used up fourteen of them before half the day was done, and twelve of the fourteen in less than one hour.

I was working up quite a sweat, and thinking my chances of having Rhonda come in late and me leave early had been dashed to pieces. The other guard showed up, he had car problems and needed to talk to me for a couple of minutes, and I barely had time to talk to him. He did have a ride to work and clocked in a little bit early, which was great since it was so busy now. He also had to drop off his bicycle to ride home after work.

He helped me get caught back up, and by noon, it was pretty quiet in the yard again. the yard traffic was steady, and we both kept busy, but it was just at the point of being too light for two guards, and yet enough to keep one guard running pretty steady. By twelve thirty, it had died right down. There was still some yard traffic, but it was slow and not enough to keep us both on the clock. I stuck around until one, just in case, but it didn't pick up at all; it may have gotten even slower. So, one hour early, I clocked out and called Rhonda, telling her not to come in yet.

Mondays tend to be like this, never sure if we will need both guards for the afternoon or not. So, it's only fair to switch back and forth with who stays and who gets a couple of hours off. Last week Rhonda stayed, so this week she was her turn to get to come in a couple hours later. I was surprised that I actually to cut out an hour early, too. It was especially nice since it gave Rhonda and I a little time together this afternoon, and to talk, have a nice lunch.

Now, another hour or so and she should be home, we will have a fire and enjoy a nice evening, since she went back to bed and slept in most of the morning, and I got a nice three hour nap this afternoon. For a Monday, it turned out to be a pretty good day. What makes it even better is that we get three days off now, together. I'm not sure what we will do for the three days, stay home and work or maybe go someplace just to get away for a while.

We want to tear up the patio and redo it, and it's sounding like a nice three days to work on that project. At the same time, it's nice to take a day and just get away from everything. If the weather cooperates and things work well, we may just get the chance to work on the patio and still take one day to make a road trip -- somewhere, maybe a picnic, or just off to the lake. We'll see.

I know, it sounds like way to much time for a husband and wife to spend together, working together and off work together. For some, it would end in disaster, for others, it would be rough. But I know there are other couples out there that are best friends as well as husband and wife, and that's how it is with Rhonda and I. It does get a bit difficult at times, since I tend to be an introvert, and it's my self time I need to refresh and recharge, as well as to write. But she's a great friend and understands, and even though she tends to be more the opposite and refuels on time spent together, she gives me my time. Of course, I also have to give her our us time, and we maintain a balance that works great.

Now, I have a little more to wrap up before she get's home, then it's time to relax and enjoy a fire...