I Hope There's A Happy Ending

I'm sorry I haven't posted or logged on to read and comment on your posts. The month of August has been one for the record books!

A week after we got back from San Diego, I was at work when the maintenance guy J called me down to his office. (We're equals, he's not my boss.) My head custodian C was also in his office and J  began to talk to me, "I heard S is mad at me. But I never told her..." 

I looked directly at C, and yelled, "You read a note that was on my desk?! A private note?!" I stormed out.

Later she came to the front office and said she wanted to talk to me. We went to another room and she began to incriminate herself by putting up a defense about every single thing in the note! I stood there and just let her talk. Then I yelled, "I DON'T CARE WHAT WAS IN THE NOTE!! THAT NOTE WAS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!"

I went to my boss who, unbeknownst to me went to our Senior Pastor. Then my boss came back to me and privately told me this was grounds for dismissal. 

This custodian is one who stirs up trouble, creates controversy, gossips, complains... I had written up a disciplinary form a few months ago and she was actually still on probation from that.  (Our old facility manager wrote her up quite a few times. She has a very large file.) And now at this point, we can no longer trust her.

My boss and I made the decision to fire her. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to wait to tell her. I had knots in my stomach for two days and couldn't sleep. 

But, it actually went better than I expected. I thought she would scream and yell and try to defend her actions but she just acted very stoic and refused to tell my boss (our boss) why she had done it. "You looked at things on Cindy's desk, what other desks have you gone through? Have you read anyone else's mail?" 

Just a very cocky, "I don't know."

C has been very difficult from day one, she's disrespectful to me and all the custodians and walks around with a chip on her shoulder. I'm 100% positive we made the right decision. But it didn't make it any easier. Especially since she's been there for 20 years.

So I've spent this weekend telling the other custodians that C has been let go. Can I just say, no one has cried any tears. 

As hard as this week was, I know things are only going to get better. I've already seen the other custodians beginning to work together and our maintenance guy even told me, "We're all a team. We're like family."       

Crazy Lady

Beth has choir rehearsal every Sunday afternoon and today while I was taking her I asked her if she had her cell phone. She always calls us when it's over to come pick her up. She told me she did have it. Then she said, "Calm down crazy lady."

Uh, excuse me?!?!?!

The way she said it was a little bossy. Beth rarely talks back or is disrespectful and I was shocked!! I looked over at her and she did have a smile on her face. Um, okaaaaay. I wasn't sure if this was true disrespect but I made sure she knew not to say it again.

Sometimes it's hard with Beth because she doesn't always get jokes or teasing. She'll ask us something like, "Can I have the last yogurt?" and Chuck will teasingly tell her, "Nooooo! Noooo, it's miiiine!" And she'll hang her head and put it back. We have to remind her that Dad's just teasing and she really can have it. So it's also hard to tell when she's teasing.

I think this was a case of teasing. I think. Sometimes I really can be crazy.