Our four days in Kanawha were very productive. The potting bench came mostly together, the wall is built including a almost finished barrel for garden tools that is missing a slat or two, black screen door handles are on the kitchen cabinet doors and 5 new shelves finish off the grocery side of the store.
Bill and I are to that stage in our lives where saying what you mean and meaning what you say are sometimes laced with "new" words only a two year old could create. Both of us understand exactly what we mean and mean approximately what we say and neither of us can understand the other.
Saturday I fired him. I knew exactly what I needed him to do, but was unable to explain it in any form a human could understand. He was sure he would never understand and had his own ideas about what might or might not work which he was also unable to explain to anything female. I felt compelled to take action before one of us burst a bloodvessel. So I fired him.
He owns the store, pays the bills and has done the vast majority of the labor but seemed relieved when I said "YOU'RE FIRED". It was like someone defused us and we just sat there happy he could let go of the paper we had both been furiously revising over the last 30 minutes. I began calling him the new help and he responded in the polite voice you use on your boss even when you know what you're doing and the boss is wrong.
It worked wonders for the relationship. As his employer who held the hire/fire power albeit given to me by him, it was easy to explain what I wanted, and he found it easy to say "sure". I think we may get this store together without a divorce if this ploy holds up to future trips or at least until they lift the county burn ban.
Kitty came to see us only once. A large skull of some animal we neither could identify was lying near the store. It rained twice. We missed seeing Jody who always comes bringing goodies, gifts or news. The trees are covered in curled brown leaves they refuse to let go of. The wind has a nip in it that reminds you there may still be cold to come. Thirty-six days left in 2008 and my one employee is asking about his benefit package!
