Kurt's in the Navy, and works in a shop that basically repaints and protects from corrosion the metal on all its ships. You can imagine that this is a never ending job. Lately it's been really slow because his shop ran out of money (brilliant Navy budget...) and they've told the ships not to bother bringing stuff in because they can't afford to take care of it. Either that or just no work has come in lately. So he's been having days off left and right. He took leave during spring break to spend time with me, and the following week (which was last week), he only worked on Friday. And then he just sat in the office and did paperwork.
So he asks his coworkers and his bosses yesterday whether he'd have to work today since they'd gotten all the work done last night. The first-class told him that he probably wouldn't have to come in, but not to go to Williamsburg till this morning just in case something came up.
Another first-class called him this morning and informed him that he had mandatory training (which he wasn't told about till this morning), and that they have two doors to take care of. Which means he had to work. After they'd pretty much told him that he'd have the day off.
See, if this were a rare occurrence, I wouldn't have a problem with it. But most of the people in charge over there seem to have their heads up their asses because when Kurt asks them if he has to come in, either they'll say yes and then change their minds 45 minutes before he has to be at work, or they'll say no and then call him and tell him to get his ass in there. This is a near-constant... happens AT LEAST twice a week.
Which means I get my hopes all up that I'll be seeing him no later than noon today... and now I'll be stuck here till probably five p.m., just waiting.
Let me give you an example: I came back to campus late Monday morning because I just couldn't get my act together Sunday night. I made it in time for work, and the plan was for Kurt to hang out here in my room and work on his paper for the four hours that I'd be working. That way, he could finish it and I could revise it and make sure he didn't make any grammar errors.
Plans change. Kurt called work at 11am or so, maybe earlier, and they told him he had to come in because some work had arrived for them to do. So we were disappointed, especially since it would be the day we were together for fourteen months. But we sucked it up, and dealt with it.
Kurt came in to work and met my boss, who thought he was so nifty (and another lady I worked with asked who that handsome man was who came in, and when I told her it was my boyfriend, she told me to watch out because she may try to steal him from me. I didn't take her seriously...), and left around 12:30pm. He went back home to Portsmouth and did his pre-going-to-work routine -- at which point, work called him a mere 45 minutes before he had to be there and told him NOT to bother to come in because first shift finished all the work that was to be done! After they'd told him he'd HAVE to come in when he called that morning!!!
So what did Kurt do? He got back in the truck and headed back up here, a drive of forty miles. Of course, meeting up with him was reminiscent of a Laurel and Hardy comedy, but we managed to meet up after a while. :o)
I mean, I'm all about the Navy -- it's fed and clothed me for much of my life, but you know, it would help if they would get their heads out of their asses. I understand that this is Kurt's job, and that he's lucky that he gets so many days off with no detriment to his paycheck.
But I mean, really. When you tell someone something, stick to it and don't change your mind! Is that really such a hard thing to do???
I guess so........