Thank you in 3 languages

I spent most of last week laid up with an ongoing migraine.  I finally traced it to the white, extra-sharp cheddar cheese block.  I'd been snaking every day, because I love extra sharp cheddar.  However, it does not love me.  I will be rehoming it on Monday. 

I wasn't able to work.  That sucked.  Ron had planned to pay me Thursday, then Friday, and it didn't happen.  I didn't know,but they had a training class and the trainees were depleting the machines like a swarm of locusts.  I love the trainees, don't get me wrong, but my machines were emp-ty. 

So, I had to work today. 

I couldn't sleep last night.  If I come off cranky, remember I spent most of the night sleepless and hallucinating bugs.  I could feel them jumping on me, and biting me, except they weren't.  It was pretty miserable.  I think I forgot to take my Haldol. 

I went to the warehouse, got some supplies (would have gotten a lot of chips if I'd known the situation at work), and went to work.  I had to deal with stocking, helping Ron, helping the trainees. 

I was pretty annoyed at one customer.  She doesn't like me, I think she believes I'm haughty.  You can make up your own mind on that.  If she thinks anyone has a complaint about our machines, she grabs them, interrogates them about the problem (how is that her business?), and then whispers to them, watching me the whole time. 

If you're going to say something about me, say it out loud, to my face, you coward.  I avoid her at all costs.  One day she came in and found me in the breakroom drinking a soda.  She started screaming at me.  I just got up and left. 

I had a hell of a time restraining Ron when he found out.  He wanted to roll in there and give her hell on a stick.  She avoids him now.  I bet. 

See, I hate people who like to gossip and bully - but it's nothing new.  For Ron, she is messing with his wife.  Ron and I are mutually protective of each other, and intensely so. 

I have had problems with the refunds.  The day shift no longer accepts refunds.  The afternoon shift disappears after logging in.  So, I am left with unpaid refunds and very pissed off customers.  As it stands, it looks like I will have to go in on the night shift to pay refunds from now on. 

I put up a note explaining this, so the customers at least know I'm trying.  I have a coffee can with refund money and everything I need to pay refunds.  I just wish I could use it! 

The bully/gossip likes to talk about us because we don't pay refunds at the machines.  Well, we have found, that if we do that people see us as walking wallet, and start making up phony refunds.  If the machine takes money from someone, we know about it the minute we open the machine.  Sometimes people make up the most elaborate, implausible, stories on the refunds. 

A valid refund would probably be something like "I opened the wrong door".   A phony refund will take a minute or two to explain, and they're looking at our faces the whole time to see if we believe them.  Like I said, we can tell if the refund is valid. 

"It took my change".  When I open the machine, I will find a coin jam. 
"The bill changer took my money" When I open the changer, I will find a bill jam. 
"The soda didn't come out" - I can tell with a test vend.  If I put in money, and won't vend, I'll put up a note and call the repairman. 

Unfortunately, a small minority probably think we make a lot more money than we do.  They think we can afford to hand out money left and right. 

Regarding the bully at work, Ron thinks she is probably envious (I am happily married, she has made comments about my hair before, and we are different races).  I don't know about that - but I would love it if she took early retirement.  She's a very negative person.  I don't see how anyone can spend time with her.  I need to pray for her, and her co-workers. 

Now, that brings me to not being the negative person, myself. 

I took the money out of the machines (when it was quiet), and we went to the bank.  I got paid.  Whoo-hoo-big-money. [laugh]  The rest goes for inventory.  Which, as I said, we need. 

Almost every ride we had was a great ride, with a wonderful driver.  I really love most of my drivers.  I had 2 rides.  Each time the driver was very late.  One of them kept asking if I wasn't mad, was I?  No, I was fine, but I was GETTING annoyed with the questions.  She was just trying to be provoking. 

The other driver went a little further.  I don't know the PC term for "slow" so I will just use the word slow.  There are two slow men, riding the service, who "like" me.  I am married.  I am no more than friendly to them, but they are very interested in me and want to monopolize my attention.  It gets very old. 

I want one admirer: my husband. 

Someone is probably thinking I should just be "nice", well, I don't like strange men grabbing my arm and yelling my name, sitting behind me breathing down my neck, or telling me "You got fat" again and again for a 30 minute ride.  Things like that get really old, really fast, and I'm not being paid to put up with them. 

I have never had the patience required to deal with "slow" people.  I have a lot of virtues.  That is not one of them. 

God help me, if they decide they like me they don't leave me alone for a minute.  I don't like strange people touching me unexpectedly or shouting my name, I have some PTSD. 

So, Ron sits behind me when we ride in the cab, and plays "jealous husband" if they start bothering me.  He is very good at it.  "Leave my woman alone". 

Thank God I never ride without him. 

So, this one guy, Jay, really liked me for quite a while.  He was the one breathing down my neck, yelling my name again and again if I tried to talk to Ron or looked out the window, and yelled "You got fat" for 30 minutes straight on one trip.  He also threw a 32 ounce soda on the floor during a tantrum. 

We haven't seen him in years, and haven't missed him at all. 

The driver apparently had mentioned our name to the guy, and he was clearly very excited to see us.  There were only 2 seats available in the backseat, the middle, and the back passenger. 

Ron and I have a rule, if we both have to sit in the back, he sits in the middle.  I had some unpleasant experiences pressed up next to one man with open sores on his arms, and another guy who didn't understand the concept of "soap".  A lot of the guys are slow, with impulse issues.  One guy kept touching himself all the way to our destination.  I would just as soon have Ron serve as a buffer. 

Ron, himself, is thrilled to serve as my defender.  [And people think I talk trash about him!]  So, the driver opened up the backseat and looked at us.  I told Ron "Get in the middle". 

"No, don't do that, let her sit in the middle" the driver said. 
A.  I am fat.  I will not fit in the middle. 
B.  Jay was literally licking his lips at the thought of sitting next to me. 

"No," I told her "Ron always sits in the middle".  The driver said I was mean or something like that.  I just thanked God I had Ron between us.  Jay kept leaning around Ron and trying to talk to me, but I cried headache and kept rubbing my forehead. 

Sorry, Lord.  I lied. 

It was a short trip, but she kept playing games.  "Oh, did I miss your turn?" Yes, Ron told you and the GPS told you, and you started to turn, but it was more fun to play games.   She wanted to be "Sah-ree"

If the driver makes a real mistake they just correct it.  They don't like to admit it, even if Ron's asking them "Did you miss it?" 

As I got out, I thought "I can't stand games".  Just do your job - do what they are paying you to do, as well as you can, without phony apologies and excuses. 

Ugh.  So, I left us at the bank.  Ron had his wheelchair, so I pushed him to the mall.  He had a cup of Wendy's Chili, with onions and cheese on top.  He loved it. 

By the way, I loathe onions. 

I had a value burger.  It was good. 

We left, had a good pickup, went home.  I took a short nap. 

The only problem with nice days; the neighbor kids play directly outside my bedroom wall.   I love they are a happy family, very quiet, like the cats, respect the property lines.  It is nice to hear happy kids instead of the crying abused ones (that really sucks). 

I just couldn't sleep.  I'll refer you back to the sleepless night with the invisible, biting, bugs.  They really don't exist, until they do. 

I got up and our ride was late (it was the ride with my boyfriend).  Now, for some good news. 

I told you one of our drivers was sick.  I have his address.  I want to deliver or mail, a care package.  So, on my only even partial day off, I wanted to get the things. 

I did that.  I got a nice warm blanket, lip balm, hard candy, lotion, things like that.  I also got a few comfort items. 

I brought my priority mail large flat rate box so I could ensure they'd all fit.  I'm really happy I did that. 

I don't know how long he's got.  I do know he is saved so I don't have to evangelize him. 

I mailed him a card today, too.  More money for the post office. 

Ron says he will see if our friend would like a visit, if not I will mail it.  I got a curly fry for myself, and one for Ron, and then we had a great ride home. 

We had a Yoruba driver, from Nigeria.  He taught us how to say thank you in Yoruba, and we taught him how to say it in Arabic and Amharic. 

That was fun. 

Tomorrow we go to church.