Perpetual Ruminations

Wednesday

When does it end? It's been one of those times when it seems like it just goes on and on. "What," you ask?

No, not what, what's. As in more than one. Seriously, wouldn't a group of more than one what become whats? Maybe not, but it does relay the idea. And, if I may add, it also is used in the phrase, 'Whats up?"

That could be, "What is up?" or it could be, "Whats (like maybe more than one thing) up?"

For me, it's multiple. First of all, this weather. It's cold again, overcast, and just not looking nice. The snow is almost gone, but there is rain in the forecast. If the temperatures stay in the upper forties during the day and upper thirties at night, we would get rain, too. But, if today is a sample of what's to come, it's not going to happen.

It is suppose to be near fifty today, we are at 37. The next few days are suppose to be even cooler, so if it rains, it will likely be a snowy mix. Of course, that's during the day. Night time temperatures are suppose to hold in the upper thirties, so if the trend holds, we will be in the upper twenties instead, and that means snow.

I have seen some late season snow, all the way into May. The worst I seen for South Dakota was at the end of April, 1984. I looked a bit online to see if I could find anything, but it's pretty vague. I think I may have a newspaper clipping about the storm, but I don't know for sure where. I do remember having the little plastic pool out for the kids already. We had come out of a mild winter, and been enjoying a very warm and wonderful spring.

Then, one day when I took my puppy for a walk, it turned colder as the day went on. By noon, it was freezing rain and slippery. The Air Base had put the snow/ice removal equipment away for the year, and since it was just the one day, they just closed out most of the duty rosters instead of bringing things out again.

The next day it was nicer again, but cooler than before. It was too rain in the afternoon, so I took Princess out for another walk before it hit. I ended up walking home in freezing rain. The temperatures dropped fast, and I had not needed a coat when I left. Again, the base called and said don't come in.

I don't remember now for sure if it was that evening, or the next, but some friends came over and I was home. I assume it was the second day. It was Doug, and his pretty wife, Deb. We got along great, and when the evening came to an end and it was time for them to go home, it was cold, icy, and nasty. Instead of seeing them drive in it, we had them stay over.

By morning it was clear, they were staying longer. We could barely get the door open, it was near white out conditions, and everything was shut down or shutting down. It snowed like that all day. We cleaned up the area by the front door, so we could at least get it open, but we did not dare go any further than that for fear of losing our way in the snow. It had become full whiteout conditions.

Again, I don't know how long, if it was the first day or not but we lost power and had to use candles and lanterns. We were set pretty good, we had two heating units that did not require electricity. We also had a gas stove, and used a spare room that was unheated now for a walk in fridge. We opened the window just a bit and closed the door, it worked fine to keep things about forty degrees by the doorway, and frozen by the window.

It continued to snow for a few days, the wind had picked up and it was difficult to say if it was snowing, blowing, or both. It was three days before we had power again, the phones had also gone out, and we had snow drifts from the second story windows. We had continued to shovel out the front, but only as far as we could move without losing contact with the building.

Some Security Police came by at one point to see if we needed anything. They had a rope strung up that people could use to move around a little, if needed, and were evacuating anyone who needed. We were set pretty good, so we stayed and left more room for those who needed it most.

The snow let up on the fourth day, and by mid afternoon, it had stopped altogether. So had the wind, or at least it had dropped down enough it didn't blow the snow anymore. It was wet, heavy snow, and it was deep. I found my car, it was in a drift with a few others. We all worked together to shovel out to the parking area, and once the first car was out the rest went pretty good.

I was warmer again, too. I was in long pants and short sleeves, shoveling snow that weighed as much as lead. Once the cars were shoveled out, we worked on the street behind them. Of course, the road was drifted in and no one was going anyplace, but at least we were ready when the plows came by.

I think it was the following day they finally had the Air Base housing dug out. We could not get anyplace else yet, but we could at least drive around the base area. Doug and Deb headed home to see how bad things were at their apartment, and I drove around just to see how much snow we had gotten. I found a field that had stayed windblown free of snow, and was able to drive across that to get to a main road that took me to the highway, so we loaded up and took a trip into Rapid City.

The snow was like tunnels on the highway, only one lane open each direction, and the tops of some of the electrical poles were visible sticking out of the snow, like fence posts. All in all, we had someplace between 66 and 77 inches, depending on what area. I don't remember for sure, but I do recall some people died in the storm, I think it was nine. I would like to find the articles that were out in the Rapid City paper and the base paper on that one.

This year it's been kind of like that, only the individual storms have not been as bad. Still, it's like a storm a week or at the least, every two weeks. When it's not storming and nasty, the wind is blowing and it's been cold. It just does not want to end this spring. We did have a few nice days back a bit, and a few more nice days this last week. But, they come right after a storm, then it cools down and another hits.

Besides the weather being a real downer, man -- so too has been work. I have a couple of workers who just don't want to do things right. The one has come right out and said she likes to get herself in trouble, and the other is having some kind of trouble of her own. I should start right at the top and work down. The top being the first person on the schedule.

He was moving when I started. He wasn't sure when, but he was set to go back down south. This winter he began saying it would be in spring. Then, when spring came, it was to be in April or May. When April came, it was in May. A date was set and we talked about it. A week later, he again confirmed the date and we went over it again. Then he put in for his last two days off, to burn them up and pack. It was all said and done, but not in writing. He tends to put things off, and I wasn't going to hold his hand to make sure he did this part.

To get to the point, he changed his mind. About the time he should have given me his written notice, he called and had changed his mind. Since he had not actually left employment, I seen no reason to have him do anything to secure his job, it was still his. However, I was set to take his shift, which would make my job as supervisor better and more efficient. He wants to hold his same shift. I say wants, because it's still not settled; it's likely he will, but I don't know for sure, that depends on a few other things.

Next we can go to the weekend person. He works full time someplace else and only works mornings on the weekends. He knows the job well enough, but likes to break the rules, too. He has confessed that his policy is, "What they don't know won't hurt them."

That's in reference to the company, of course. He was the supervisor, and it's kind of difficult to think of the boss as being this way. It does explain why the workers he hired and trained are also like this. He even has told them and me, that it's OK to do some things that I know are not. I've had to write someone up for one of them. He also has a way of cheating on the counts that are used to determine how efficient we are. Of course, I have not witnessed this, and heard it from another, so not much can be put into it, yet.

Next we have trouble. I shall call her Tiny because it goes well with trouble and it fits her. She insists on doing things her way and the wrong way. She questions everything she is told, and refuses to follow the line. She prides herself in being outspoken, even though it almost got her fired, and doing things wrong. She is also very lazy, and not very dependable.

She has a tendency to miss work after a drunk weekend, but of course it's always a good excuse. She couldn't get a message to me and got talked to about it, when she missed. She had another persons number instead of mine. I told her to make sure she had both my cell and my home numbers. Again, she called the other gal at work instead, to switch shifts when she could not make it in after the weekend. I warned her that if it happened again, I would have to write her up for it. Make sure you have the two numbers to reach me.

Well, she did not show up one day. I thought it was grounds for firing her, but my boss wouldn't let me. I had to wait till I heard from her, listen to her excuse, and then give her a written warning. She had my number, well the home phone. She had sent a text to my land-line, which doesn't take text messages. Seriously, a text message saying I can't work today. She did show me, but I would still have liked to fire her. Or at the least, send her packing for a week without pay.

The other gal, we shall call her Missy, likes to miss work. She has missed work since the day I started. I was mostly messed up on my schedule since her and I are the two night people and work opposite each other. I would set up for my days off, and she would take time off. This meant I would have to fill her shift, and miss my days off. I almost quit. I was ready too, and confronted the boss and told him to knock it the hell off or I was giving my notice right then and their.

The next thing I know, I'm the boss. He is still there, and hasn't moved yet, so it worked out some. I now could control the schedule some, but since I had to fire another gal right off, it kind of meant there wasn't no time to take off. This gal was a piece of work, but she is gone and we won't go there. This left me and Missy still working opposites, and since we are also the lowest on hours, we are the fill ins. This meant we now had to pick up four days a week more.

This resulted in me having two days off one week, and one day off the next. She, of course had the same, but opposite weeks. I managed to survive the summer and early fall, and we covered the shifts alright, but there were a few times it was only one day off a week. When Missy did take time off, it had to be mid week since we had to provide double coverage on Friday through Monday. So she would need a day here, or there, and we would switch so that I could still get a day off.

With winter, it calmed down some, but by the first of the year, Missy was missing again, and it was getting worse. Almost every schedule, and she was talking about medical need for at least a month or more off in June. Then it changed to August, then back to June. Of course, she also does not keep my up to date on anything. I don't think she even thinks I'm actually a supervisor. So it would always be at the lat minute and make a mess of things.

I finally had enough and told her so. I told her I needed two weeks notice for anyone to take time off unless it was an emergency. She did not heed it at all and posted a request on this battered and scribbled on form with less than two weeks. I left her a reply that I could not give her the day off, since it was less than two weeks notice, but since it was for medical reasons, I altered the schedule so she was off the day she wanted. This didn't make her happy, it made her mad. How dare I change the schedule on her? Even if it was to give her the time off she wanted.

Well, it got worse and worse, and she did not even try to make it work. I again made a change to the schedule, in hopes that it would provide her with ample time to do what ever it was she needed, and not have to miss work and mess up my days off. I even was nice about it and talked to her to see if it was acceptable. She was pleased with it, but had to look at the calendar right away. She was studying the weekend coming up, but had not said anything. I slipped out and made my get-a-way before she could say, "I can't work this day."

That was also typical, but I was gone and it came to pass. She did not call or say anything, she did not leave any notes, and I had no idea that it was going to come right back and hit me in the face. Again, it was not how I desired to have the schedule, but it would, hopefully, make it better for her. It had been suggested by another person, and I agreed, so I did it.

It was not to bee, however. Missy was off till the weekend. Friday night, her daughter calls and tells me Missy is in the hospital. Saturday I get the message, and call her. No idea what, but she is in the hospital. I filled in the schedule and on Sunday found out she had possibly had a stroke, had gone into a seizure, and was already back home.

"What?"

Yes, that is what the daughter told me. I explained that I would need something from Missy's doctor confirming that she had missed do to a medical problem, and I would also need something that stated what restrictions Missy may have, a return to work slip. She understood and said she would have the hospital fax them. I do not have a fax, so I knew she was saying they would fax the info to the office. But since that is out of state and would take some time to get back to me, I explained I needed to see it to put Missy back to work on Wednesday, and would fax it to the office from work.

Nothing came to pass. On Monday, I talked to Missy herself, and she did not have anything for a return to work form. I explained it again, I told her why I needed it, and she was going to call the doctor to find out what she could get. I asked her to call me right away and let me know what she found out. I also told her I would come back in to get the form or she could drop it off at work. I would be there Monday night and Tuesday night. I was off Wednesday and Thursday.

Not a word did I hear, but Rhonda worked Wednesday. She brought the note home, but it was late and I did not even look at it close. Missy was suppose to work, but no note, no work. So I get the note the same day Missy is suppose to work, but when I won't be there to even get it. Thursday, I look at the note and it's not anything at all that really says anything. At most it states Missy can return to work on Wednesday if she feels up to it. At the worst, it was not even from her doctor. The hand written note looked a lot like Missy's writing.

Missy calls shortly after, and wants to know if she is working that night. I tell her no, I just got the note and have not even sent it in yet. The schedule is set, you should have gotten back to me sooner. She asks if she is fired. I say no, your on for next week, on the same schedule as before. I told her I would send the note and let my boss determine if he needed anything else. She asked if she worked next Thursday, and Isaid yes, unless something else changes.

I then added that when she seen the other doctor, to have him write up the information, correctly, so that we would know of any restrictions or special needs she would have. I added that we would do what we could to keep her working, but it would depend on her doctor. Friday, she stopped by to get her check. I asked if she had an appointment for next week yet. No she did not. I asked her to keep me posted on it so i could make sure she was off the day of her appointment. I began to ask that she also make sure the doctor filled out any restrictions she may have.

She went berserk! I'm serious, she started cussing and flailing around in the car -- thank goodness she was in the car when it hit -- and just swinging her arms wildly. her daughter had driven her, and I would have thought, after a stroke and seizure, that she would have been alarmed and tried to calm Missy, but she just sat and looked straight ahead like it was normal.

I backed away, filed a report and filled in the managers. I talked to my boss about it after work, and he said he would look into it. I didn't know when I would hear anything back, but figured on Monday. Well, Monday came and there were no checks for the two who refuse direct deposit. I had to call, since they should have come in Friday. I found out that the checks now went to the persons home, I would not have to mess with them anymore. Good.

I also asked about any information on Missy. Yep, there was some. She had called my boss and gone off on him over me wanting the information I asked for. He did get her calmed down, but also told me, to take her off the schedule completely until he tells me otherwise. She is suppose to get something from the doctor for him, like I told her right from the start, for the same reasons I told her right from the start, and then and only then will they let her come back to work.

I also informed my boss that the place we worked did not want Missy working by herself at night anymore. One, because of the medical problems, and two, because of the way she went off and out of control. So, my boss agreed and when or if Missy gets back, she will work some double coverage and the schedule will be completely changed again. Not that I mind, I want it back more like it was anyway.

This leaves us stretched out pretty thin, now though. We are short one person, and then another one calls in today. Yep the troublesome one. She had a shit-eating grin yesterday, so I knew something was up; I just didn't know what. I'm sure it has to do with her check not being here, or maybe it was delivered overnight delivery and she wants to go shopping. I don't know, but it still puts us over on hours. On top of that, I have the mover who's staying needing a couple of days off. he wants to switch, not miss, so I sent him to talk to Tiny.

But, Tiny doesn't want to work with this person, and does't want to work any shift other than her own. So she told him no, which I figured from the start. I knew she would not, but wanted to give her an opportunity to show if she would or not. So, now I have her gone today and then have to work around him gone in a couple of weeks. Perhaps Missy will be back by then, but who knows.

Anyway, this is how things have been going. No time, no energy, no sunshine, just problems, stress, and trying to hold it all together. I'm about burned out. I have to work tonight, but then I should get tomorrow off. That now depends on if Tiny decides to work or not. If she calls in again, it will be overtime, but if she works the double like she said, it will be a day off for me and my lady. I hope it's the latter, since time off together is pretty scarce right now.

And now it's time to head  off to work. Well not quite, but it's getting close; time to get ready.

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