Establishing the Blog Habit

A new habit is hard to create...or something.

I'm in awe of the busy ppl whose blogs I have been reading this past week. Makes me feel like a slacker. I'll try to do better.

It's been a quiet week here at the office. The boss is out on vacation and I've been sorrier than hell. Way too much blog-reading...not enough customer-calling. Shame on me.

Tyrone came back to us this week after one of his absences. He's one of My Guys. All of us have our favorites. Tyrone was in the military, in combat from what I've learned, and it didn't do his psyche any favors. Already borderline bi-polar, he came back Stateside from his tour with a cocaine habit, which has kept him living on the margins for several years now. Such a waste.

Tyrone is close to 40, slender and handsome---delicate features that I'd even give the label 'beautiful', if he wouldn't get the wrong idea. He's got a gorgeous singing voice and regularly serenades me with soul music or gospel when I pull into the parking lot. He's also got a wicked sense of humor and no internal 'shut-up' switch, which gets him in trouble.

Of all my guys, he's the one I'd most like to "save" if rescuing were my job. But it's HIS job to save him. For now, when he comes in, I try to get him on a ticket, and encourage him to fork over a $10 bill for his savings envelope when he cashes his check. Occasionally it works. Then he disappears for another week or three. And comes back, a little thinner, perhaps sporting a black eye which he'll cheerfully dismiss as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And he'll sing to me...and promise to be a good boy this time. And I'll want to believe.

Reporting from The Bottom of the Barrel.

I've been working here at....well, I can't tell you the real name of it. Let's just call it PDQ Labor. Here at 'PDQ' we supply unskilled and skilled labor to construction and warehousing companies. You need a strong back---brain optional.

As many people have asked---"Why in God's name would you want to work in one of those places!?"

To start with, 5 years ago when I came here I was about to go under. My truck had been repossessed and I was saddled with a boyfriend who believed in working on a semi-annual basis. There wasn't much of a choice. Now? I can't imagine where else I would want to work. I wear jeans daily. It's almost expected that I put my feet on my desk and swear like a sailor. Besides, I make almost double what I did at the University.

And then there's the people. Homeless folks, drug addicts, criminals. The "dregs of society". You never know what will happen next--it's rather like living in a sit-com / soap opera. There are even times I can make a real difference in people's lives. I don't think I ever want to leave.