My Job

Tell us about a time when everything actually turned out exactly as you’d hoped.

Landing this job I have now was a big, lucky break for me. Being 60 years old and having worked with my ex-husband at our apiary business for 25 years, not too many places I applied to would even interview me. Almost out of money, my anxiety was mounting, I was afraid and my confidence was zero. I didn’t even feel myself to be ’employable’.

I had been thinking about and looking into taking cake decorating when I saw an ad on-line for cake decorator at a fairly near-by grocery store saying “Will train”. It came out on the day of a huge snow storm so there was no way I could make the drive but it had a faxing address. My computer doesn’t fax. I happened to be e-mailing a friend that day who lives in Vancouver and told her my problem. She said she had a fax modem so I could send her my resume with a cover letter. We did some back and forth, finding the right file formats and she sent it out hours after I saw the ad.

I stood at the window and looked out at snow for long periods of time with the mantra “Please, please, please……” running through my head.

The storm ended on a Saturday night, the roads were cleared and my driveway plowed out Sunday.  Early Monday morning I drove to Grand Bend with another resume and jangling nerves. I wanted it so bad; I was very nervous.

My interviewer, who is now my boss, is a positive, cheery go-getter. She liked me and called me a firecracker!  Little did she know my energy was from 3 coffees and extreme nervousness. That was also lucky because she never did receive my fax.

I got the job!  Not only did I get the job but a few months later they decided to train me on cash, also. Now I have two jobs in the same store which is great. Two completely different jobs and different co-workers. On cash, I can wear my hair down and nice earrings and flirt with retired men. In the bakery I wear a hair-net and baseball hat which makes me magically invisible! When I work at night, no one even sees me! I dance, I fart, sing along to the ‘easy-listening’ music. It’s all just cleaning at night and I know I do that well; I have plenty of experience cleaning.

Yes, much as I would love to be retired, this job was my lucky break! Today I have the day off, relaxed and worry-free; who wouldn’t want that? I’ve earned it and that feels awesome!

And what about cake decorating? Well, the main person still does 80% of it and I get very little practice. I watched her for a couple of months then one day my bakery boss said, “you should be able to write on cakes by now”. That was my training. Mostly I make the regular cakes, such as Chocolate Fudge cake, Snickers Bar cake, and cream pies. ‘Yeah, it’s a tough job but somebodies got to do it.’

“All It’s Cracked Up to Be.”

Frozen Fortress

You’ve being exiled to a private island, and your captors will only supply you with five foods. What do you pick?

That is exactly how I’m feeling these days; like I’m living in a private island.  Winter continues it’s annoying ways; it’s extremely cold and the snow is thigh deep anywhere I haven’t shovelling or stomped a pathway through.

The stomped pathway is to the bird feeder which is a table. I gave up on bird feeders the first year here when raccoons destroyed them. Squirrels are my friends, too, my totem animal, so they are provided with corn and a few peanuts for a treat. These are my companions in my little island dug out of the snow.

Even though ‘having a job’ is keeping my sanity right now; they are also my captors.  Yesterday was my only day off in a run of 9 days when two weekly schedules collided in a explosion of ‘hours’.  Thankfully,  I’m on 5:00 to 9:00 tonight so I almost have today off.

(I was just writing on crazily, bragging complaining about all my hard work and isolation when I remembered the point and deleted my meanderings.)

My captors provide me with the five foods I need to sustain me in this isolated island that is my home. (At least I work in a grocery store!)

1. Coffee
2. Bread
3. Cheese
4. Potato Chips
5. Chocolate bars

 

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Five a Day.”

Go to Work!

You picked a great day to ask me what I would get my clone to do.  My schedules have come together making this my only day off in a run of nine days. Although I did get one of those days ‘off’ when I left for work and turned back due to white-outs.

I’ve been driving to and from work in terrible weather and shovelling snow almost every day. Yesterday I was on the 5:00 to 9:00 closing shift in the bakery. I slept in the afternoon before work because I didn’t think I could do it.  I had to shovel snow in the morning and cried at the thought of driving to work again. Tiny icicles formed from my tears.

I did it. It was record cold last night so there weren’t many customers in the store. I finished cleaning and ‘closing’ at 8:30, asked if I could punch out and they let me.

Today I have to clear the snow off my satellite dish because there’s been no reception since the night before last.  Yesterday I was too tired to care. I use a chimney sweeping brush, which I can make very long and flexible with extensions, to reach up to the roof and knock off the excess snow.  (I missed the 40 year reunion of SNL last night; very disappointed.)

Where were we? oh, yeah….. the clone.  That would be so awesome to send her to work. She’d go to work with a big smile on her face; sharp, perky and ready to serve.

I’d be OK with clearing the satellite dish and bringing in wood; it makes me feel tough and resilient. I like working: I just don’t like having a job. “It takes up your whole day!”

We would share cooking but I hope she doesn’t eat. or talk.   hmm…. I do talk to myself a lot…..   She would have an ON-OFF button.

OK, she could do the satellite dish and bring in wood this one time….. right now, please.

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Clone Wars.”

Old Man Winter is a Bitch

I couldn’t resist doing the prompt this morning but I also want to catch up on my complaining.

Last time I wrote, the propane company was giving me the run-around. They showed up on Wednesday just moments after my niece dropped off my grandnephew for a visit while she went to the dentist. He’s 2 1/2 and loves trucks so it was pretty exciting to stand on the couch and watch this huge truck back in, beeping. I was very happy: not only playing with my grandnephew but getting the delivery, too.

My niece picked him up at 3:20. I went into work an hour later and worked until 9:00. The next morning I was supposed to be in at 10:00 on cash.

It started out sunny but lake effect squalls blew up. These don’t show up on the radar as intense as they are, so I started out for work figuring they would die down In a few hours.

When I got out to the highway I was in a total white-out. You could not see a thing; up, down or sideways. It was as if a white blanket was thrown over the windshield.  I started the “ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod……”  mantra, gripped the steering wheel and strained to see anything that would give a clue to where the road was. I saw the headlights of a transport truck only when it was very close. As it went by, my little car was blasted by it’s wake.  I was almost in tears looking for next road so I could turn around and go home. Peering into swirling whiteness and then..  yikes! I’m right beside it!  I did a quick turn and skidded into the snow bank but quickly recovered, (Thank God I bought this car with snow tires!)   I was still praying as I turned back on to the highway hoping a transport wouldn’t be coming up behind me.

I was shaking when I got home but so, so happy to be there.  Called into work; they were good. Turned on my heat, stoked up my fire and had a very relaxing afternoon. Lake Effect Streamers like this come in bands with sunshine in between. There were moments I was sitting in the sun going “YAY!”, so happy I did get the white -out to make me turn back and not forge on. At the time I would’ve been coming home it was just as bad or worse.

Today I’m working 2:45 to 7:45 (the cash shifts run like clockwork). It’s so cold……. record-breaking cold. It’s supposed to start snowing tonight and more tomorrow. Yep, I’m really, really sick of it.

I want to take the rest of the month off, please.

“In The Spring”

Find a piece of art that inspires you, and write about what you see.

W. P. # 27 Write about a work of art that inspires you.

The painting hanging on my living-room wall jumps to mind right away.

 I took this photo last week for a writing prompt about saving your favourite things from a fire. It would be top-of-the-list.

So many things about it inspire me; I still look at it and admire it, unlike other things on my wall that I never look at unless they are dusty.

It was meant to come to me.  It belonged to a friend of my sister whose apartment I visited and it was the first thing that struck me when I walked in.

“I love that painting!” I exclaimed. There was a lot of other beautiful art objects and photographs but that painting really drew me in.

A couple of years later he passed away. His family was taking almost everything but asked my sister if she wanted anything in particular. I just happened to mention I had liked that painting but knew his family would be taking everything of value. A few weeks later my niece showed up with that painting.  (and a mirror the perfect size I needed for my bathroom.)

I had just bought my house with the settlement from my separation and the walls were bare. My husband kept all our ‘stuff’ and that was fine with me: I was happy to start anew. Most of the money went to buy the house so I wasn’t in any position to be buying art.

It was the perfect colours for the walls I had just painted. But then, it was all about what I liked now, and those colours attracted me. It was about creating a healing environment for myself.

When I look at it, it reminds me there is a time and place where there is peace and tranquility. It makes the monkey-mind stop chattering for a few seconds and remember to be right where I am and relax.

Also, it’s innocent. It’s from a time when a woman’s body was revered and had to earned; deserved. Just the glimpse of an ankle could give a guy a boner. But he would never kick her under the table and say, “I’ve got a boner.”

It’s not an original although it looks like it has brush strokes and not like a print; there’s a fancy name for that…. I forget.

I looked on line and found the original:

http://nga.gov.au/exhibition/edwardians/Detail.cfm?IRN=126212&BioArtistIRN=26760

It inspires me again today in a different way. For couple of days I’ve been fretting about driving in wicked winter weather.  Yesterday I worked on ‘cash’ in a grocery store that was busy with people stocking up for the Superbowl and a Superstorm.  It all ended shortly before kick-off and the winds blew up.  They let me go an hour early but still, the drive home was harrowing. Off the highway, on my road, I had to bash through snowdrifts: lucky I wasn’t out there an hour later!

This is what I woke up to this morning;

So the painting inspires me that spring will come. There will come a time when it’s so sunny out we’ll want to sit in the shade and just laze on the porch surrounded by fragrant flowers, sipping on tea….. or something.

I’m glad it isn’t the original because I would have to struggle with selling it. I’ve often wondered….  “at what price would I give it up?”

https://theywalkthenight.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/writing-prompt-27/

The Perfect Storm

For a few days I’ve been singing my private joke: (sung to Katy Perry’s Perfect Storm)

“Are you ready for , ready for….

The Superbowl, SuperBowl”     .

(I wave my arms in a circular motion as if conjuring up a storm)

Now, through magic and the power of intention, I’ve brought this storm to the entire eastern continent!

Will the storm wreck the Superbowl?

It’s going to give me plenty of anxiety.  I’m on cash 2:30 to 7:30.  It’s more important to show up for cash because others are depending on you; the last-minute snack food frenzy could be a mob scene. This could be a very interesting cash day; maybe even (dare I say it?) fun.

It’s 8:36 as I write this and the snow is coming down. I will have to leave at 1:45 to give myself time to drive slow. For the next few hours I will be checking the Weather Channel on TV the website for radar; tracking the snow.

There might be lots of snow while I’m at work then I’ll be driving home in the dark.

Maybe it will bad enough that there is no question about not driving in. It’s that ‘in between’….. bad, but not bad enough to call in.

“Fingers crossed, fingers crossed…” now I can’t get it out of head.

It Was Alright!

Yesterday I wrote about not wanting to go into work because of the blowing snow and a wind chill of -21C. I phoned in that I would be late then phoned in again that I would be even later.

There were bands of snow that would break open to sunshine then a minute later be swirling, snowy white-outs.

I was tired of being anxious and tracking the radar so I finally left about 10:30.

It was rough going, at first, as the highway by me is flanked by fields so the snow blows straight across the roads. Further up the road is lined with trees so it wasn’t so bad. The plows, and sander/salters were out.

It turned out to be a good day.  No one cared I was late as there were already 3 people on in the bakery. It worked out better for them because I stayed later giving my co-worker a chance to go home an hour early and my boss extra time for a break. He was doing a 16 hour day….. and he was in a good mood! go figure.

He’s training me on ‘breads’ (I do cakes) and was remarkably patient and nice; not his usual demeanor.

A good looking man who works in another grocery store was shopping in my store and said ‘hi’ to me.  I was suddenly an adolescent; ‘He said Hi to me!!’

The drive home was blowy but the sun was setting turning all the snow into a golden haze…… it was surrealistic! I felt joy….. seriously, joy!  I did good job, made it home again and experienced Beauty.

Today I’m in 11:00 to 5:00 ….. awesome hours! Time to write before I go in and now it’s still light out on the way home.

I made it through January!

https://theywalkthenight.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/writing-prompt-25/

Early Morning Anxiety

This is the reason I don’t like working in the winter. I’m supposed to start today at 8:00 a.m. which I hate doing even in the summer. Winter is just too hard.

We had snow all afternoon and night yesterday and now it’s blowing around. This was on Facebook this morning:

Lambton Shores Road Conditions

Plows are out but honestly you can’t tell after they have gone by as it is snowing and blowing so much. Visibility in Forest is terrible… Hate to think of what it is like outside of town. Stay home if you don’t have to go out!

I don’t know how much snow is on my car and driveway because its pitch black outside.  The sun isn’t rising until 7:15 which is the time I would have to leave to drive in this crazy weather.

So I’m going to be late. I’m waiting until there’s some light before I go outside and start sweeping snow.  I might even call in at 8:00 and tell them I’m not leaving for an hour or two.

What’s even worse is that I’m on 8:00 to 4:00. That’s an 8 hour day which is too long for me.  When it’s an 8 hour shift you have to punch out for an hour lunch. What a waste of time. The lunch room is so freaking cold you have to sit on your coat so the vinyl chair doesn’t suck all the body heat out your ass. I’ll have to go out and shop to kill some time when I will be dying to go home.

I’m up drinking coffee and giving myself lots of time to clear snow.

I don’t wanna go!!!

I might not.

Time to Think

Hhmmm….. I wonder what I would take if I was in a panic and had to decide right then and there , what 5 objects I would take.

Right now I’m at my computer drinking a coffee and have the day off.  What might be the 5 things I would take? Let’s see…. I’ll think about this while I sip on my coffee;

#1: cell phone  #2: pearls  #3: photos  #4: painting  #5: winter clothing which I would put on. (it’s probably from the woodstove so it will be cold outside.)

Well, that took a few sips.  Maybe I could think clearly enough if there was a fire and I could run around the fire and collect my stuff. But more than likely I would get dressed, run outside then cry all the things I should have saved.

You know, I might just thank this prompt one day because now I will already know what to grab…. as long as I can think clearly.

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Burning Down the House.”

Lingering, all day today

I haven’t written for weeks now that I have a job. In the words of Liza Dolittle, “it takes up your whole day!”   And I’m not even working full time: working five hours IS a full day for me. This horrendous winter has made driving treacherous, adding to the stress. I have a house and heat with wood, feed my birdies and really make a mess of my kitchen every day. Last week was Spring Break so I had lots of hours on cash covering for vacations. Wednesday I drove in blizzard and could not believe how many people came out to buy groceries. I had the next day off but had to spend all morning shoveling snow, all afternoon cleaning my messy house. I really wanted to see my grandnieces while they were home for the week and see the new house they are moving into so I drove to St. Mary’s on the other day off. Well worth the effort! They make me happy and it was good to get away for the day.

But this week I have 3 days off in a row, starting today. I am lingering on my computer to keep my blog alive. I do read some blogs in the mornings and on days off but haven’t taken the time to write.  I have no ideas so this was the perfect subject. I can keep my brain on ‘linger’.

I’m lingering around in my housecoat still but it almost 9:30 a.m. so it’s time to get into my lounge wear; the clothes between pajamas and ‘town’ clothes. I’m going to linger around the kitchen because I can’t relax in a mess.

My favourite time and place to linger is on my couch in the afternoon sun. And since the time change I can even catch some sun when I come home from work if I’m on 10-3, my favourite shift. Oh my God, I lie in that sun in peace and quiet and feel so grateful.

Working really make you appreciate a day off! I feel I’ve really earned the right to be lazy for a day…… when it’s cleaned up. And two more days off after this.  Linger on!

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/daily-prompt-linger/