Snow, Shoveling, Whiskey and Social Services.

I went to work again today. I feel like I have been run over by a Mac truck. Every single part of my body hurts, my fever is raging, and to top it all off I am losing my voice. I work for a communications company and right now I can’t communicate.


My bosses are very funny individuals *insert sarcasm here*. Yesterday, every time they talked to me they pressed their fists to their throats and plugged their noses. Today they gave me a white board and a dry erase marker.

Ha.

Ha.

Ha.


Work has sent me home every day this week. The weather network has been forecasting a blizzard and it hit last night. We received 21cm of snow overnight and it was SOOOOO windy that the pictures on my walls were rattling. It made for a rough night. Between the storm and the flu I think I managed to get 2 hours of sleep.


It was MINUS 30’C outside today WITHOUT the wind chill and I still went to work. They keep begging me to come in because they say they can’t function without me and then I get there and they see me and they feel guilty so they send me home. *sighs* It took me almost 2 hours to get there today to have my direct manager take one look at me and say “wow, go home Kris, get some sleep” *bangs head in absolute annoyance* so instead of turning around and coming right home I decided to tough it out and get some things done…then they started with the white board routine and I gave up and left.


The forecast is MINUS 35’C tomorrow, without wind chill. I am phoning in sick and then I am unplugging my phone. I don’t feel good. The antibiotics aren’t working. I think I have to go back to the DR *sighs* on the bright side, Lance isn’t sick yet.


Anyway…on to the real reason for my blog…I told you about the blizzard and the amount of snow and how hard the wind was blowing…so today I get home from work and this young kid who lives in my complex says “Hey! Can I shovel your driveway?” and I said “I was hoping to see you today! Sure you can! Thanks!”


Now, this winter this boy has made a small fortune off of my house. My neighbor went to India for a month so Lance and I were taking care of shoveling his drive way too. I screwed up my shoulder, Lance screwed up his back…enter life saver kid who wants to earn some money for whatever 11 year old boys spend money on. EVERY TIME this kid knocked on my door I gave him $10 and said Thank you!!!!!! and he did both driveways and went along his happy little way.


So, I am thinking that today is no different. The snow was heavier (and the only bill I had in my wallet was a $20) so I gave it to him. He said “wow, really? Are you sure? I can go get change if you want” and I said “no kiddo, its fine, enjoy it! You’re gonna earn it with the 2 drive ways today!” and went inside my house.


Fast forward about 45 minutes. The kid is done shoveling and I get a “ding dong” from my doorbell. There stands a man I’ve never seen before. Ringo starts barking and freaking out. Lately Ringo hates it when men come near the house when Lance isn’t home…he almost ate the TV install man earlier in December *sighs* so I section off Ringo and crack open my door and croak out something that sounded like “yes?”


This guy starts SCREAMING at me. Telling me I am ripping off his kid and making his kid bust his ass for only a few bucks...bla bla bla…this guy went OFFFFFFFFFFFF for about 5 minutes while I just stood there goin “huh???”


It seriously didn’t click with me that this was the snow shoveling kid’s dad (dayQuil is NOT for daytime…don’t believe the packaging...) So, I asked him “what kid are you talking about!?!?” and he says “the one that shovels your drive way, you cheap c**t” (I really hate the *C* word)


This kid has made a FORTUNE off of Lance and me this winter. We NEVER give him spare change. We ALWAYS give him at LEAST $10 because he only comes around when it snows really heavy. He’s shoveled our drive way at LEAST 2 dozen times this winter alone. I gave this kid $20 to shovel snow today. I don’t know what planet this kid’s father came from but that’s A LOT of cash to give to an 11 year old kid for 30 minutes of shoveling. The kid was THRILLED with how much $$$ I gave him to shovel. When I was a kid and felt energetic I used to go door to door shoveling my neighbors driveways and sidewalks. The MOST I EVER got was $6…and it was in nickels. *sighs*


I looked at this enraged idiot and I couldn’t help it. I started to laugh. I told the enraged idiot that he should kindly get his sorry ass off of my property or I was going to release my (snarling, teeth baring, hair standing up on end, lunging at the puppy gate trying to crash it down) dog. (I really don’t know what possesses Ringo to get like that when men come to the door and Lance isn’t home…I think I gotta go to Pet Smart and talk to a trainer) This idiot laughed. I wasn’t really serious about “releasing” Ringo. I don’t want to have to put my dog down because he’s suddenly decided that his role in life is to make sure nothing with a penis (other than Lance) comes anywhere near me.


That’s the moment that Ringo broke the puppy gate down and CHARGED.


OMFG!!!! I thought for sure this is going to end in disaster. I some how managed to grab his collar as he flew past me in full out stretch snarling mode and yanked Ringo back just in time. Ringo BARELY missed this enraged idiot’s face. I yanked the screen door shut and asked the guy if he’d like to continue this conversation (with a sweet smile, of course *smirks*) and he looked at me, looked at the dog, looked at the beautifully shoveled driveway, turned an interesting shade of green and said “no, sorry for disturbing you” and walked away.


I close the door and proceed to sit down on the couch and get myself REALLY worked up about it. I was SOOOOOOOOOO angry. I couldn’t wait until Lance got home from work to bitch about it. I had to call my mom and tell her.


As I am on the phone with my mom, the snow shoveling kid comes back to my door. I tell my mom I’ll call her back and answer my door. The kid looks at me, hands me back my $20 and says “I am really sorry about my dad. He gets like that sometimes” and that’s when I notice he’s got a fat lip and what is starting to look like a swelling eye.


I bring the kid inside (Ringo apparently likes my snow shoveller, and starts to slobber all over him with his tail wagging) and get some ice for his eye and lip and ask him if he’s ok. He just starts to cry. He told me that his dad needed the money for whiskey and that he didn’t earn enough shoveling snow for him to buy some so he got what he deserved for being such a lazy worthless kid.


It broke my heart. Here I was having such a total fit about the whole situation to my mom while this kid was at home getting his ass beaten because he couldn’t earn enough money to get his father drunk. I didn’t know what to do with, or for, this kid so I gave him a hug, made him a cup of hot chocolate and told him he always has a safe place to visit at my house…then the kid got up and ran out the door…Jesus…


I sat down and sobbed, and then I called Satna because I really didn’t know what to do. I wanted to call Social Services. But I also didn’t want to be “involved.” I hope I made the right decision. I did end up calling Social Services and I made a complaint. I hope this kid is going to be OK.


It’s been a rough day.