Piffed Off and Po.

One week's work = one week's pay. I work for a small business and sometimes money gets tight. The boss and payroll check writer is not communicative when we get into these places. Not getting paid on time is a real bummer. It causes stress, anger, anxiety, and generally makes me feel insecure about my job of fifteen years.
Don't get me wrong, I love where I work. My clients are some of the best people you will ever meet. The color, flavor, and diversity of their wishes are always refreshing. I am happy with them most of the time. It is our internal management that is unpredictable. It is seemingly impossible to plan very far into the future, both within the shop and consequently, in my personal life. Who would keep a job that left you without money for the weekend? I don't live check to check, but all of the pay I receive has been budgeted and any disruption brings my short term plans to a halt. It follows that upon returning to work after my "weekend", I have a hard time motivating to the point of excellence I expect of myself.
So, not being paid leads to a sort of depression. Even if my pay is provided three to five days late, it is demotivating. My time is all I have to sell and I feel like my time is being discounted. Feeling the need to search for a new job is a weird type in job insecurity. I don't want a different job, it's a knee-jerk reaction to this situation. I wish it would stop. The other employees ask me what they should do. We are all in it together and allowing the unknown to control your decisions is madness. And so the cycle continues until pay becomes regular again.
Sadness I define as love for something or someone that is not healthy for us or working out as promised. I consider pay the promise of work. Right now, this promise is being broken.

Of Genies and Bottles

Cleverness is a two-edged blade. Those who are sneaky and clumsy are overcome by the simple consistent application of humor. Those who use points and barbs cannot get out of their own way to be productive. Those who keep high spirits and work steadily, cannot be bothered by meanness and cheaters. I do not care for cleverness and choose to be studious. I do not care for violence and overcome it with absence or block its way with reflections.

12 1/2 hours t' Wapner

That's a big snowball pawpaw. The first quick squall moved through at about 7:15 pm. Maybe 1/3" rain and 25 mph gusts and a really dark rolling cloud that brought night with it. I don't regret the choice to stay and I appreciate everyone that left so that no mistaken identities will occur with regard to the protection of property. My neighbors across the street are staying. I wish I'd known when the stores were going to close as I would have bought some Cheerios to toast. The red dog is fine. He seems curious about the absence of usual activity. He won't be getting an evening walk for a while.

The Plan for Now.

Closed on Sunday and Monday for general boredom and in respect of the fearful and maybe wisely evacuated masses. BBQs will go on as planned. Curfews which will hopefully be few will be observed. There will be peace once again in this city. The shame is that we can only have peace during a major violent storm and/or its aftermath. Neat would be finding a new home for the ignorant, the inconsiderate, radio blasting, murderous personified monkey devils that have re-infiltrated our tree lined city. Nice will be the stars if Entergy fails to get most of the power back on within a few days. Great will be the lack of respect our trigger happy politicians receive if Gustav doesn't decimate the remaining populous. Zen is not apologizing to one's self for having patience with the litany of fear zealots on parade today. It took much restraint not to post a censorship decree banishing non-technical discussions of the "Storm". The plan is to follow the plan, until a new plan is needed.

Bloody foreigners.

In honor of the arrival (or NOT) of an uninvited guest, Gustav, a badge of info of sorts, er... political or social action, umm... just a badge. Click for the spiel!!!

Making time biscuits

I was burnt. Reduced to reacting and sloppy work habits, I took the week off. I must say I miss work a bit. The customers with their endless lists of problems to solve and the occasional educational challenge from the educationally challenged. With a wee bit of reflection and an overwhelming sense of re-dedication, I will be spending the next three days being free, playing with the dog, and cooking good food.

Think?

I don't know why I slip away from Zen from time to time. I'm leaving the shop the other day and see a bar patron outside of the bar, on the cell, and with her drink glass on my truck. To elicit a response, I say, "Get your drink off my bar". She exits her call, turns, and becomes defensive. No sense of humor. I'm met with lots of, "Do you think I'm...". Oh, you want to know what I think. I think you wouldn't be amused if I showed up with my drink on your car. I think you have no respect for anything in the area, like everything around her is part of some alcohol playground. I think you're only here to be able to say where you are to people on the cell who aren't here. I think... crap... I say, "I think you're a pretentious bitch. I think you don't care and should go back to drinking". Not very nice and absent Zen.
LCDTV took a header biking out in Baton Rouge. Blown up wrist and cracked helmet and many impact abrasions. Man down! Warrior is out for a week starting a day before I get back from my second break of the year. I doubt I'll take anymore strings of days off until Winter. Phantom has his helmet cam back in action. I like the videos, very realistic. Red dog got a new collar.
Today a client comes in with her 50 lb. trike loaded down with 60+ lbs. of art type stuff. She has a flat and before exploring common occurrences like punctures, she is convinced that we installed the wrong size tube the last time we changed her tube. There is no vocal reply that would be effective, this is only resolved though demonstration. Funny when I show her the little piece of wire poking through the tire. No slight of hand, and a guarantee that she will be charged if we're not at fault, she is cornered and ought to pay extra for the immediate service. I feel that the flat occurred during a period which within some grace from the original repair and charge her only for the tube. If I had been thinking, I would have weighed the option for ending commerce with this person and saving future drama as is likely to happen with this client. Command performances with great explanation are tiring and unprofitable. The catch-22 of doing business in NOLA. xx% of the people here are poor. You can choose to price them out of your store or slide your scale to provide them with help they really could use. The downside is they open cans of worms on you and return too frequently and take time you could spend on people with money. If only those of little means could have little expectations or maybe some patience? I try to respect everyone as individuals. Reality is different in a business. Most clients are appreciative and respectful. It's hard not to toss out the fringe clients when they abandon their bikes, steal your time without ever intending to buy something, and otherwise assume we're the reason their bikes don't work or that we're rich. I think that everyone is prejudiced about everyone else and in some way, play out their position regardless of reality. Well almost everyone. I guess this is my prejudice. It's just a supposition.