Oh, What a Beautiful Morning?

Today's number is 40250. Or 405251. A different angle makes it 18223, but
this is a count-down, not an add up. Why is it so tough to get you folks to
figure it out? Yesterday, I could also have said 6250, but nobody would
understand that.

I awoke this morning to a cool, damp day. Cloudy, no chance of doing what I
hope to do.
I need to go down to the Co-op, get some stuff (And I have to take a
freaking detour -- bridge out!)

It's shortly after noon when I get to the co-op, and get the stuff that's
been set out. A quick fill -- the day is looking nice, now. It might just
be a nice day.

I have to drop off the stuff I got. So, I go deliver it, and I am on the
way home. I turn onto the paved road...and the truck starts acting up. The
speedometer is jumping around, and I think it may be that I've turned the
key too far. I don't want to take chances on the highway, I want to get
home. That's great. I'm on the home street now. I stop, turn off the
engine. I figure it will clear the problem.

I start up, the truck is doing the same freaking thing. This is NOT good.
Zero to 50 to 20 to 50 back to zero and up to 40 again. Fortunately just a
mile home., and I'll check things out there.
Pull in, stop. Look under the hood. No apparent problems. Back to start
and check again. OOPS. It's not starting! Not even the slightest turnover
No clicks. Nothing. I find a bad fuse, but don't have a proper
replacement. I find something else. Nope. That truck is as dead as a 3000
year old mummy.

Just when the day starts looking good, things go wrong. I let the truck
cool, go and check under it. Muffler damaged. No help. Looking under hood,
trying to find trouble. No sign. Belts ok, Oil ok, gas OK, coolant ok.
Except for the one fuse, there shouldn't be a problem. But the truck just
won't start.

I'm under the truck, and it starts to rain. It clouded up in a very short
time. And what do we have to show for the day? A truck that doesn't work.
No way to fix it until Monday, at earliest AND we need to have it towed in.
That's another hundred we can't afford. I tell ya, I must be cursed.

I fear we'll find it is going to cost more to repair that truck than it's
worth. After 2 tires, and a brake job last month, we get hit again, this
time by an unknown problem which with the symptom is "It won't start! "

I'd just bury the beast. But what can we do without transport? I know
where I can get a car for a grand...but I don't HAVE a grand!

Will someone turn off the bad luck machine, please?

As I see it: The consquences of Transportation or its lack

Some people live close enough to work to walk to work. Others live near enough to a bus line to catch a bus. Some people have skateboards, some horses, roller skates -- all useable forms of transportation.

What happens when its too far to walk? First, define "Too far" and you can start making suggestions. Let's say -- 5 miles. Bus route, cab? Both are possible. Bicycle? Half-hour ride. No problem there. Cable would be about $15.00, bus would be less. Hitch-hike, or grab a ride from a neighbor? Good options. But what if it's more than 5 miles? say, 10?
Bike is still possible. Cab becomes prohibitively expensive. Neighbors don't want to go that far. Bus or car -- best bets. Bus or car, about same price if you don't have to pay for parking.

Oops. Now what if you live where there is no bus service, or you have a night shift? Your options become more limited. Bike, Taxi, or Drive. If it's cold, or wet -- one option if price is a factor.

Now, what if you don't have a car? You can get a ride? Sure. Some of these things are still possible.

Now, what if -- you have even more distance to travel? Say, 35 miles?
They won't let you stay overnight, you have no bike, no car...no way to get home. Or to work, if that's the case. What happens THEN?

They tell you to WALK home. 35 freaking miles... you've got health problems, perhaps a heart condition, or maybe you've developed the flu...or possibly asthma.

And the lying SOBs decide to write you up if you stay. They "understand" but they do not care. "Your health is no excuse." What a filthy bit of shit that is!

If you drive, you could have an accident, or get stopped by the power-hungry cops. Or have a flat, or have the motor go out.

If you ride a bike, you can still get stopped -- for bullshit. Or have an asthma attack. Or worse.

And walking? What if you have a hernia, asthma, heart condition? Do they CARE about that? NOOOOO.

What's the best you can do? Nothing is possible anymore. What's the best you can do?

Try to find a legitimate work-at-home business. Good luck. They're scams. Almost all of them are SCAMS. And you are, at best, at the mercy of a pigheaded boss who is more bent on getting your ass out of there than he is with you. What a piece of shit.

There's one in every workplace

In every work place, and I mean every workplace,there is an idiot, someone who will hate you without cause. There is someone who will
twist your words, lie, cheat, and attempt to drive you out, but you can fight back. Yet, what happens when it's a member of management? Let me tell you a little story.

At Zayre, it was RICK. At Country Club, it was Cindy. At Musicland, it was Fred, and I think her name was Anne. At the Florist (Which I refuse to mention by name) it was Ed, and it was Mike. Toward the End, it was John, Vince, and Tim joining 'em. Damn fools!

Currently, I suspect it's -- well, let's call her Wendy. It is not her name...I'm using it to protect myself.

One of the major tenets of our company is RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL. But she has NO RESPECT FOR ANYONE. If the founder of this business were still alive, I'd go right to him and talk to him about her.

I have to handle more than 25 locations for sorting purposes. Nobody else has more than 10. And yet, I get "GBA'd" (Griped and Bitched at) for being "Too slow." But I handle more than 2x the locations!

My wife and I have one usable vehicle between us. She starts work at 11 PM, I start at 4PM. I get off at 12:30 AM, to 1AM (Generally), and she gets done around 7. The distance from her work to home is 40 miles. My distance is 35.

I've been requested to avoid trying to walk home, and I don't have another ride. Now they're grouching at me for "Loitering," even though I work -- and they tell me to go home. I ask HOW? I can't afford a cab, certainly can't afford another car, don't have a bike, and my ride doesn't get to me until 8:30. I have to spend 8 hours beyond my work schedule because I can't get a ride home.

Who's been complaining? Probably Wendy. I try to ask her a question and she shoos me away like an annoying fly. She's been trying to drive me out since she became our super -- now she's somewhere else. But still at the store, she complains to the new super, and he tells me I have to go home when done. "HOW?" I ask. Walk?

One of these days! I'll have my proof. I'll go right to the TOP. And I will have the last laugh.

I COULD be wrong. It COULD be someone else. But it's a suspicion, and my suspicions usually are accurate. And That's the facts AS I SEE IT.