What Would Lord Grantham Do?

I was supposed to be a part of a field trip today. And by field trip, I mean I was supposed to be part of this small blogger event.

We were invited to go to this plant tour somewhere in the south and I've been really looking forward to it because 1) I use a lot of this company's products, 2) I haven't been in a field trip for so long, there's something I know I can learn from this trip, and 3) after all these years, it's my first time to join something organized for bloggers, I could start networking then.

By 6 AM, I was prepared to leave the house to go to the directed meeting place. Only, the help I've been counting on to arrive early, never arrived at all.

Days prior to this, I've been asking the help if she was alright with the schedule and if it was okay for her to come to work really early. Each time I asked, she gave me a solid yes, so I didn't think we would have any problems.

I wouldn't be able to go if I couldn't find someone to be at the house. She knows that drill too well, having worked for me for awhile now. I needed her mostly because I really require someone to watch over my dogs when I'm not home. This sort of thing is what most people would probably consider as  #firstworldproblem. But like I mentioned in a previous entry, my dogs can be high maintenance and I couldn't gamble on leaving them just like that. Fortunately, this doesn't happen often because I have the husband and the son to rely on. But on this particular day, when the son has to be in school and the husband is still oversease,  I really, really needed help. And I was assured I will get help.

To cut the long story short, I was not able to go to the field trip. I didn't even receive any advise from the help until 3 PM today. Her excuse was lame, as expected. Something about her kids getting sick since Tuesday and how she's been neglecting them. Which I don't really understand because she comes in 4x a week only and works between 8:30am to 3:00pm.  This is the first time she's become unreliable and this has been her first no-show. So, what gives?

[/end rant]

Based on my conversation with her, it wasn't also clear whether she plans to return to work anymore. So I could probably be without any help for a while again. Most days, I could survive without a maid.  I like doing chores in the house. But these dogs we have, they take a lot from me, you know? So having someone else come to sub for me could do wonders for my sanity. I guess that's really what I'm paying them for.

Domestic problems are very common. We've all been there. We've all come up with decisive ways to deal with it. I seem to have one year after year, which only strengthens my belief that it's really hard to find good help nowadays.

I still don't know what my plan is with this helper situation. Do I even consider letting her come back or should I just find someone else and make new adjustments again? I really don't want to re-train someone and have her get used to the dogs and vice versa.

Oh, well.

WWLGD?

Lord Grantham is the Earl of Downton Abbey, a fictional English aristocratic house with 20+ servants. Lord Grantham does not experience trivial problems like mine because when one servant is unavailable, he can just ask the 19 others on his beck and call. And he has only one dog, so....