I started the work day this morning in a state of high stress. Yesterday was a crazy, hellish day, and today I have to follow through on the issues and deal with them.

First, I had three (three!) employees AWOL. When I finally tracked them down, one had broken down on the freeway and hadn't thought to call into work after being towed to safety. (Been there; it's very scary in the pre-dawn dark)

The second has a new baby and he said he was up with the baby all night while it was vomiting and running a fever. He fell asleep shortly before he was supposed to get up for work and didn't think to call in to say he wouldn't be able to come to work. (I can sympathize)

The third is a new hire and says she didn't know she was supposed to call. We have special orientation classes for new hires and what to do if you can't come to work is covered over and over. (Was she "out to lunch" during that part of the class?)

And that was only the beginning. One employee who was absent had a substitute assigned to her position. Turns out the substitute himself was on vacation. That has never happened before and it sure put a stick in the wheel. Whole bunch of customers left hanging out to dry.

Then we had a distributor lost for three hours. She drove into Upper Canyon and never drove out. It's an area where cell phone reception is on-again-off-again, but I'll have to explain that you look for a place in the road where you can use your phone, stop there and call. Don't just drive around until you run out of gas (which she did). Aaargh!

Then there was the employee who was driving a company car WITHOUT A LICENSE or at least did not have his license on him when he was questioned. Don't know if he has a valid one and just forgot it or what--that's one of the loose ends I have to check out today.

And I got called a liar by an irritated customer. Just to add spice to my day, thankyouverymuch. Now...I'm lots of annoying things, but not a liar. Outspoken to a fault, is more like it.

Did I want to come to work today? Sure, I did.