Joe's back so I am wearing pants

Although I am really not sure why. We are working on a gig for Saturday, and we are making contacts. When I am out and about I do not wear shorts, I generally wear pants, because it's work for Pete's sake. And with Joe, you never really know where you might be going at any given moment. To the supermarket? Maybe. Off to a hotel? Sure. The printer's? Okay, but not lately, since he is on his own agenda like everyone else.

I like to be prepared so I keep a bevy of things at my immediate disposal. I have shorts in my backpack, as well as my cracktop, camera, card carrier and day-timer. I usually have no less than 2 packs of cigarettes in my purse with me, and generally have a spare lighter. Though I don't often carry bottled water with me, I am not often far from a supply. I find that my way of thinking is not the norm around here. I think the older I get the less fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants I get. I do not believe that is a Mexican tradition. I think everyone just does shit as the spirit moves them.

Like, for instance, not coming into work. Any given week, SOMEbody in here calls in sick. Or better (worse?) yet, just doesn't show up. And then when they DO show up, the next day or two, nobody gives them any shit about it. Generally speaking there are two people here who can understand English with some consistancy - Rafa and Sergio. Sergio is the manager, so that's helpful, because everyone else who doesn't bother coming into work can understand when Sergio asks them why the FUCK they didn't show up AND didn't call. The problem is, Sergio is non-confrontational. So when the cashier says, Oh I didn't come in because I thought I was going to be late, his response is, Okay. Okay. Okay? Yeah, my response would be grabbing her by the shoulders and screaming WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN? And I don't consider myself to be confrontational either.

One day one of the boys said he didn't come in because his stomach hurt. I asked, why did it hurt? And he said, On account of all the vodka. I said, _______ (no names please), that is not a stomach ache, that is cruda. A HANGOVER is no excuse for not being at work. I don't care if your EYES are bleeding, you come into work if you are only "sick" because of drinking too much. Fuck, man. So I said this. Because this kid was one of the few that understands me. So I just gave that away, didn't I?

Back when I was a kid, and learned how the work thing worked, it never would have occurred to me to just not show up. Or give lame excuses for it. I lived in fear of the major ass-chewing I would receive for not doing my job, let alone just not bothering to show up. Clearly that is not the case since the manager that can actually CHEW the ass appropriately IS TOO MUCH OF A WIMP TO CHEW THEM OUT.

Okay, now I am just getting frustrated and I will never be able to figure it out, so I am going to quit thinking about it while I can.

I think I'll go put on some shorts.