Three Strikes You're Out

I just returned yesterday from my visit "up north" to attend Ruby Kate's first birthday. It was a very busy, and emotional visit. The first half, with Matt, Megan, Jack and Ruby was just fun. I helped Megan with the party, and the next day we headed up to Marblehead on Lake Erie to Megan's family's place. There was the usual large group of family and neighbors to visit with and we also took the boat over to Kelley's Island for dinner. The second half of the trip to Cleveland was a whirlwind of trying to visit friends and I was able to get in a golf game with my sister. But there were a lot of emotional issues to deal with. Friends seem to be various stages of difficulties, whether physical or mental health wise. What is going on? The sun needs to get in the seventh house and Jupiter needs to align with Mars. Pronto! I stayed at my friend Peggy's house, and that was just plain enjoyable and she kept me bolstered up during the visit. Thank you Maggie.

Today was a back to work day and we walked in the motel at 8 to find the back office window open - and then it occured to us to look at the cash box. Sure enough, for the third time in maybe a month, we were wiped out. This time wasn't so bad as there had been a drop to the safe last night - only several hundred missing. But, this is adding up! Add to that the expense of installing four security cameras after the last such robbery. We backtracked the tapes to 3:24 am and there was the culprit - but unfortunately they must have known exactly what to do as they were dressed in a bulky coat, gloves, hat and "dew rag" to hide hair. And, they knew where the cameras were to avoid looking at it. Drat! Sam has put it on tape so we can study it a bit. Police were called, report given, locks changed (again) and this time, we fired an employee!

I think the fact that her (the employee's) boyfriend is on parole for theft (of her daughter's jewelry!) may have made us uncomfortable. Or the fact that she has been having visitors at work in the back office during her evening shift according to other staff that have happened to stop by. Or that her boyfriend's friends were the ones who trashed a room we gave them at a discount and he didn't compensate us and later we found out that they were just out of jail and having a crack and ho party. Or that last month she went over the phone allowance for her cell phone provided by us for late night check-ins by $187. That's it. Three strikes, you are out.

I liked Yvette. And, as my brother's friend Beaver says, "just because you're a loser doesn't make you a bad person." But she needs to do some serious looking at her world.

Oh, yeah, when I got the cell phone back from her before she left the premises, she forgot to delete a saved voicemail from her probation officer. DUH! I think background checks on new hires are the rule of thumb from now on.