How many chances should one person get?

I work with a girl who shall remain nameless. She has alot of personal problems. Bad relationship, drug abuse etc. The whole lovely package. She keeps calling out. Last night we were finally busy. The owner had to pick up tables.. She called out 15 minutes before her scheduled time. I was supposed to get off at 6pm, wound up staying til 9pm. More money for me, which is great, after the last two crappy weeks. The point however, is she has been re-hired 3 times. I think it is time for her to go. Her personal life is at the point where I don't think she is able to hold down a job. How would you like to know that while you are waiting for your meal to arrive that your server will be right with you because she is currently in the employee restroom smoking crack or shooting up? I will not let her in my cash drawer. I like her as a person. As a co-worker I do not. They are getting ready to clean house and I am wondering if she will be part of the clean-up. My boss/owner is a very fair man. He told me that he never fires people, they fire themselves. Plus, many of us are in recovery there, and it is many of us don't want to work with people who are still using. It's blatant. I would hate to see anyone lose their job in this economy. I have pulled her aside privately and spoke to her. As a friend who has been there and done that. I have hugged her and watched her cry. I am tired. The extra money was nice, but I made a bet with my boss..A $5 bet. He gave out w-2's Thursday night. I bet him that many people would call out in the next 5 days. He said no way, not on his shift at least. We shook hands and than the phone rang.. L$#$% called out. He owes me $5!!.. Have a great day...

The Bible

Jesse and I finished eating dinner last night and we were watching the news. The feature story was the earthquake. We started talking about the "end times". He whips out his bible and goes right to Revelations. This kid blew me away with his knowledge of scripture. I have always known that he has been an avid reader of the Bible. Now I know that not only has this kid read the book, but understands it. I asked him what he thought about all the people who prophecy about the year 2012. He showed me in the Bible were it states that noone will know the exact date, not even the angels in heaven. Than we started talking about the events that must happen leading up to this event. We talked for awhile and than I asked him why he thinks God took Kenny. He said that Kenny was happy and for reasons we will never know, God decided it was his time. My late husband had his struggles with addiction and mental illness. When we moved to Georgia, he suddenly had peace. I just thought that is was rather cruel that God took him when he finally was content. Jesse told me not to dwell on the why's and how come's. I realized last night that my son has faith that is steadfast and can't be shook. He is secure in his faith. I went to sleep happy for the first time in a long time.

Cold days are here...

The weather is unkind. I am not a fan of the cold. I took all this into consideration when I moved back to Baltimore, but for the love of God, it is really cold out there. My dog and I keep the space heater on, both of us vying for the warmest spot. My landlord put a storm window in and he is supposed to plastic in our bathroom window. Jesse and I have a basement apt in a house so heat does rise. It rises right out of the damn apartment.

One of the tenants rents a room on the third floor. He is almost 50. He is a dishwasher at Bertucci's. They take child support from his pay. His wife is the one who left him. He struggles. Two buses back and forth each way to work. Well, he had to go to the ER on Saturday. His legs hurt. Turns out he has clots in his legs. He doesn't have insurance. The kept him overnight for observation, wrote him a prescription for Cumidin and stockings and told him to go see his primary care doctor. He had to borrow the money from Gary, the landlord, to fill the script. He went back to work on his feet the day after he was released. The man has been begging for hours at his job. No hours=no paycheck. I called the number for him to get medical assistance. He is not the most literate man you would ever meet, but has a kind heart. This man represents why we need healthcare so much in this country. We need that "Change" to happen. The older population seems the most afraid from what I overhear at my work. This man, the tenant, is representative of many in our country today. He will not be seeing any primary care doctor as he doesn't have one. He has one vice, his cat. He collects food stamps. I am going to help him get his medical aid. Lack of education, worn shoes, worn hands from the years of manual work. When one of those clots cuts loose and decides to visit his heart, than what? He will die and we shall plow over him and continue moving forward as we always do.