Perpetual Ruminations

Saturday

Nineteen days ago! It's been that long, almost three weeks, since I had an entry in here. That's not doing very well at all, considering I like to try and write a little bit in here daily. I may miss a day here and there, or even a few if I'm out camping or doing something that has me indisposed, but nineteen days without an entry is just inexcusable. I can't even claim to have kept up my journal entries someplace else, although I have written a couple while at work. I do not have Internet when at work, so I write in Word and then, at least in theory, copy and post it here. But, I haven't even been here for a week.

It's been the same old thing, over and over -- Work! We have been hiring and training, as well as having issues with one of the guards. Once again I ponder whether he will come to work today or not. It's a holiday weekend, it's payday today, so deposits came in yesterday, and this person tends to miss at least one day around payday. He also called on Wednesday, my day off. I was out mowing the grass so I missed his call, but I did try and call him back on Thursday.

Actually, Rhonda returned his call, but there was no answer. Minutes later, however, he sent a text stating he was out of the area visiting his children. Upon receiving his text, I tried to call him to see why he had called on Wednesday, but again, he did not answer. This alone raises my suspicions that something is up with him. Also, the message of being out of the area visiting his children has me wondering what is going on.

For one thing, he does not drive, and can't even find a ride to and from work. Even more interesting is that he informed me he only has a step-son by his ex-wife. She lives close by, and he visits there often. Of course, he did use his daughter as an excuse to miss work a while back. In hiring, he listed no children, and even if conversation, he never mentioned a daughter at all -- only the step-son who lives with his ex-wife in the same apartment building. Then, out of the blue he has a daughter and is going to Sioux Falls with her, to the hospital. By the next day all was well and not another word has been said of her.

Now, when talking with this person earlier this spring, he told me that his only relatives, other than his ex-wife, were in Montana. No children, just his parents and sibling lived back in Montana. His only contact with them was by phone, and he was broke and didn't have any minutes on his phone. I was nice and loaned him enough to get a phone card so he could stay in touch, and so I could contact him if needed, for work.

Since then, it has become very clear that this person is not a very honest person. Most of what flows from his mouth is all bull s***, and he doesn't even attempt to keep his stories straight. In fact, he will give me one version and my wife another, within an hours time. But I am digressing from my topic. Let's just say this person is just not cutting it as a security guard, and is also failing as an employee. I have cut him several breaks, and would have terminated him two weeks ago if it was just my call. But the corporate office wanted me to give him one last opportunity, while I get someone hired to replace him.

This is what has been taking place and what has been consuming most of my time. Between interviews, training, and everything else I just have had very little time. Now, we have an extra person hired, and we are prepared for this other person to miss a day, and in the end, lose his job. Of course, this will mean a lot of rescheduling, again, the only writing I seem to get in anymore.

But, everything is set in place, and starting next week, our week starts Sunday -- so tomorrow, I no longer work mornings, and have dropped down to three days a week. I likely will have to pick up some hours purring double coverage when this other person loses his job, but I will not be working mornings. Of course, things seldom work out according to the plan with my job, so I suppose this person I speak of won't miss work and mess up, but that's all right, too. He's not doing a very good job, so come Labor Day, he will be let go anyway.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that I have been swamped with things tht need doing at home, most of my time is burned up with my job, and now, starting tomorrow, I am reducing my hours and moving to an evening shift so I can have time to get work done at home and time to spend in here. I don't know how it will work, but it's a start in the right direction back to writing.

Happy Independence Day   

"Reading soothes the soul, writing sets it free."