The shop is very nice. It's clean, large and new.
They make French bagettes, various flatbreads and pita bread.
The woman that owns it is not from here. She has an accent that I cannot place. I don't know where she is from, but if I had to make a wild guess?
Well? She reminds me a lot of a woman that my brother Marvin used to work for... She was from Trinidad. I don't know about this woman but it is just what I think of.
This woman is quite dainty, very well kept, dark skin, dark eyes, dark hair, and very, very beautiful. Her eyes sparkle as you look into them. There is something about her that is just magnetic. I instantly liked her.
She's commissioned a couple of other bakers to make muffins, danish and other sweets. That is a whole separate deal.
She's wanting to get this place up to producing in volume for commercial sales... She doesn't know anything about baking. She got the idea from reading books she said... She opened the shop, bought equipment, hired a baker and a sales clerk and here we go... the place just took off... now she wants to do more but she really doesn't have the time nor the desire to run it herself...
"Dis, is not wut I do," she tells me as she waves her thin arms in the air and flips her dark hair from her eyes. "I am a business woman. I can market dis... but I cannot make dis work by myself. If you want dis job, it is yours!" she said, and I took her extended hand to receive a limp handshake... I instantly felt like an athletic bakery brute standing before a petite lady.
"I can run this," I told her as I was feeling very bold and confident. At the same time I could barely contain my excitement...
I'm going to be in charge of this place.
I make the schedules, I order the product, I plan what products we will carry. She wants me to bring in my own recipes. Everything!... She wants me to tell her what equipment I need to make it work and she will buy it for me!
(#1... we need a cooler)
It's like having my own bakery without having to finance it!... Could I REALLY be this lucky? Could this REALLY be happening? Am I dreaming?
Some of the product is different than what I am used to but I learn quickly and I am an excellent baker.
There is so much to do! I am already making lists in my head...
She really wants her equipment to run... She bought it. It was expensive. She has no one that knows how to use it.
I agreed that I would come back and work on getting her equipment running the following afternoon.
That night was when I worked at Twilight and found my reprimand whateverr-de-flippet in writing flat out in the open and had my freak out.... Then I went down to my new shop to see what I could do.
My goal was to get the sheeter and rondo working. The boss came in and met with me for a moment, told me to do what I could do and call her when I'd "made" something... (huh? She expects me to MAKE something?) Well, okay... I'd planned to just get the machines running. These things can be tempermental anyway, and when they are out of use they can be really knarley to get going correctly... but I can certainly "make" something too...
I only had a couple of hours so there was really no way to start from scratch with something AND get the machines in working order... So, I went to pull dough from what the baker had left there in the fridge. There was croissant dough, pizza dough and butter bread.
I chose the butter bread and took about a third of the dough... thinking the baker is probably going to want to kill me... oh well...
I was sure I could get the rondo to work so I chose to work on the sheeter first. I was really not sure that I could get it going correctly. I've never seen one like it. It is the smallest one I have ever seen and the knobs to adjust it are in different places. It was just all weird to me...
I quickly figured out what adjusts what, cleaned the oil from it, covered it in flour and started running dough through it at all different settings... metallic dust was coming out of it and going into the dough... it's brand new... I guess that's what brand new sheeters do... it's what this one did... I just kept running it until the dough was coming out clean and nice. Tossed all of the dough into the trash... yeah the baker is gonna want to kill me... haha!
I ran a few more pieces through to make long strips and made some basic foccosia , brushed it with olive oil, sprinkled some Italian seasoning, rosemary, garlic, a bit of salt, some cheese and popped it in the tiny proofer. I considered doing some butterflake rolls but could not find any muffin pans.
With the sheeter working like a charm I set my sight on the rondo... I figured I'd have no problem with it.
It was an older model but new as it appeared to have not been used much at all... except the previous owner had broken a plate, which is unfortunate. So there was only one good plate to use for it and most rondos come with three plates. (the plates you put the dough on to put in the machine and squish and come out as little rounds of dough.)
It was dry and seized up... I oiled it... and still... arghhh!!!!
An hour later I was sweating and wondering what the @%#% is WRONG with this thing!
It seemed to be working properly but it was NOT cutting the dough! Maybe an adjustment is wrong... the cutters aren't coming all the way down? Here again you must think logically when working with machines... what makes the cutters release and go down... ah this spring attached to this handle, hey there! The spring is hooked up wrong, how did that happen? Switched the spring around... BINGO! Cutters came down as they should, the dough was cut and "rounded" into little balls. Woo Hoo! It works!
Then I went to bake off my foccosia bread. That is when I started feeling like a total boob. I could NOT get even ONE of their ovens to work! Maybe I was being too impatient. I recall convection ovens being very quick to heat up. These were not heating. I switched on their pita oven thing... it never heated up either.
I was pretty much exhausted with fixing things and burned out mentally for figuring out how things work... and I have had a very long workweek already too...
Oh dear heavens... WHY aren't the ovens working?
A baker that cannot operate an oven... this is going to be embarrassing...
Then my boss walked in. She was leaving for the day and wanted to see what I had accomplished.
I showed her the sheeter. It worked like a charm. It is too SWEET really... I love it. I thought it was just my excitement rubbing off until she patted me on the shoulder and I realized that this was the first time she's seen this thing actually roll dough out of it. She was thrilled.
Then I showed her the rondo and the dough rounds I finally got it to make as I explained that it took me a long time to get it working right. She nodded in understanding and seemed to be amazed and asked me to explain to her how it worked, which I did as I showed her. Her hands fluttered to her face in surprise.
Then I showed her my foccosia in the proofer. "Oh, yes, yes.. " she said as she waved that away... She was only interested in the fact the I got her machines running.
I sighed in relief and shut her (cold) ovens down. "I'll leave that for your baker to bake off in the morning," I said with as much confidence as I could muster.... oh boy... thank you thank you... oh dear heavens please don't make me look foolish... and she seemed fine... I got her equipment running and that is what she wanted.
She went over again what her plans are and what she wants me to do. I told her that I will do it. She told me that she has very much confidence in me.
She wants to see "things" on the walls. She wants a "plan"... She wants a "routine" set in place. She needs recipes for mass production. She wants a solid recipe book put together. She wants exact costs of what the product takes to make. She wants production to increase now. She can sell it. We have to make it.
I know exactly what she is talking about. We need a bulletin board to post the schedule on, along with the production list, stales list, and supplies we need to order. I have some and can get more recipes. I can figure out costs. We can double or triple production the first week just having this equipment running.
She knows exactly what she wants but not really how to do it. She does have a clue though. She IS a business woman. She is MUCH more professional than ANYONE I have met at Twilight (including the folks in executive positions)
I looked into her deep dark eyes and was in awe as she waved her little arms widely and said, "Dis is YOUR kitchen!... RUN IT,"
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Twilight Zone Days Are Over
I've decided to put in my notice tomorrow at Twilight...
I went in last night. I was running a few minutes late but still managed to clock in before I was technically late.
I went to sign in (as I must or else I will be reprimanded, written up and/or terminated) and check in with "the manager in charge"... which just means finding one of the 216 managers that they have... *sigh* (everyone who is anyone is a "manager" of something or another... I usually just check in with the manager of aisle 9 )
Went to the bakery and was surprised to find Twang there. I was unaware that he was scheduled with me, but good... GREAT really, because Friday's are always a nightmare...
I checked to see if we had any orders. Oddly enough there was nothing for donuts. A relief since we usually have 12-25 dozen on order every Friday.
Then I went to check for notes or communication from the previous shift... and that's when I saw it...
Remember I told you about my verbal reprimand yesterday? Which was fine. I was wrong. I really should have cleared leaving early with one of our 316 managers. We have so many I'm sure I could've eventually found one that would've said okay... the manager of aisle 12 is pretty nice...
Well, Mr American had put my reprimand in writing which is okay, in detail, okay, including things that he did not say to me, pretty iffy on being okay...BUT..
HE LEFT IT LAYING OUT IN PLAIN VIEW FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. Right on the bench. Right on top. Right where everybody goes to see what's up for the day... So most probably, everyone that worked yesterday saw it... and I know for a fact that Twang saw it last night minutes before I got there.
THAT is when the top of my head BLEW OFF!
I ranted for a few moments... then I laughed hysterically... it just freeking FIGURES... WHY should I EVEN be SURPRISED?????
Twang instantly turned green and told me he thought he was sick... I instantly knew he thought I was so pissed off that I was going to walk out of there and leave him to flounder around trying to do a job he has not been completely trained for... and he hates... and he's afraid of the fryer... and he's afraid of the mixer... and he's afraid of the rack ovens (although he is getting braver there) and I understand. It is scary at first, opening this huge oven door and you get that blast of heat and then you have to practically step inside of it to pull a rack out.
So, I shut up about my silly little upset and babied him along for a while... if ya could just hang in there for a couple more hours... come on...it's alright... really... it's okay... sorry I kinda lost my cool there for a moment.
When my whopping 5 hour shift was up I was RUNNING for the doors... please let me get out of here before I run into any of the 416 managers that are on duty now. Let me out of here! Oh crap! There's the manager of aisle 13, head for the other door!!!
When I got home I called my UNION rep... (not that it will do any good)... but at least I can say I called her. I pretty much blabbered.... told her what happened today... how upset I was.... told her about the crappy "notes" I've received.... told her I've been having problems since day number one... it has been an endless series of absolute junk. I'm tired over being thrown under the bus every single day. I'm quiting, giving notice tomorrow, I'm calling the companies harassment hotline... and I'm getting a lawyer. I'm completely fed up. I think I even spewed a four letter word... I'm not sure what I said, I was on the verge of being hysterical.
Doncha know how flippin fast she called me back?... within mere minutes... oh yeah? Well, it's MY turn to NOT answer my phone! She is oh-so-concerned about me. I should call her back right away, she's worried about me... uh huh... whatever... I'll just BET she is...
I'm calmer now... time to shift my sight and put my interests into my NEW job...
My heart sank as I arrived yesterday for my interview and was told that the woman was not there... I was directed next door to the salon. What? Is she getting her hair done? I went over there and she was sitting at the desk. (she owns the salon too) We talked for a few minutes... I got an idea of what she wants, and yes, I think I can do it...
When we went over to the bakery and I started checking out her equipment, that was when I got my chance to sing. I opened the rondo and took the plates out to check it over. It is an ancient machine (no safety guards) but it's in great shape, looks like it was never used... she was already impressed that I actually knew how to raise the lid on it.
Then she led me to the sheeter. Holy cow! It was brand NEW! My eyes glazed over and my mouth started to water. I have never seen a new sheeter before. She explained how they couldn't get it running, didn't know how to adjust it and their dough was too soft to run through it and it got stuck.
I looked at her and flipped it on... dough too soft?... This baby is MADE to run dough... any kind of dough. I looked it over. Someone had sprayed cooking spray in it... no no... only flour and dough goes in here. I assured her that I would get it running for her and she seemed very pleased.
She also had two brand new convection ovens! WOW! And a very large flatbread oven, never used one like it before but I will learn. The proof box is going to be a problem because it is very small. They also proof things on the floor the old fashioned way. ( I don't mean literally "on the floor" I mean on a rack out in the bakery area) They have very nice vinyl rack covers and even a heated pan (to put water in) to proof product that way... I have done that before and it works, but it's slow and it's going to be even slower in the winter when it gets cold.
Cooler space is another big problem.. "Where's your dough for tomorrow?" I asked, and she led me out into their storefront... to a large two door cooler that they sold bottled drinks out of.... and there were BOWLS of dough covered in white bags in there. I think the look of total shock on my face gave me away.
I went in last night. I was running a few minutes late but still managed to clock in before I was technically late.
I went to sign in (as I must or else I will be reprimanded, written up and/or terminated) and check in with "the manager in charge"... which just means finding one of the 216 managers that they have... *sigh* (everyone who is anyone is a "manager" of something or another... I usually just check in with the manager of aisle 9 )
Went to the bakery and was surprised to find Twang there. I was unaware that he was scheduled with me, but good... GREAT really, because Friday's are always a nightmare...
I checked to see if we had any orders. Oddly enough there was nothing for donuts. A relief since we usually have 12-25 dozen on order every Friday.
Then I went to check for notes or communication from the previous shift... and that's when I saw it...
Remember I told you about my verbal reprimand yesterday? Which was fine. I was wrong. I really should have cleared leaving early with one of our 316 managers. We have so many I'm sure I could've eventually found one that would've said okay... the manager of aisle 12 is pretty nice...
Well, Mr American had put my reprimand in writing which is okay, in detail, okay, including things that he did not say to me, pretty iffy on being okay...BUT..
HE LEFT IT LAYING OUT IN PLAIN VIEW FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. Right on the bench. Right on top. Right where everybody goes to see what's up for the day... So most probably, everyone that worked yesterday saw it... and I know for a fact that Twang saw it last night minutes before I got there.
THAT is when the top of my head BLEW OFF!
I ranted for a few moments... then I laughed hysterically... it just freeking FIGURES... WHY should I EVEN be SURPRISED?????
Twang instantly turned green and told me he thought he was sick... I instantly knew he thought I was so pissed off that I was going to walk out of there and leave him to flounder around trying to do a job he has not been completely trained for... and he hates... and he's afraid of the fryer... and he's afraid of the mixer... and he's afraid of the rack ovens (although he is getting braver there) and I understand. It is scary at first, opening this huge oven door and you get that blast of heat and then you have to practically step inside of it to pull a rack out.
So, I shut up about my silly little upset and babied him along for a while... if ya could just hang in there for a couple more hours... come on...it's alright... really... it's okay... sorry I kinda lost my cool there for a moment.
When my whopping 5 hour shift was up I was RUNNING for the doors... please let me get out of here before I run into any of the 416 managers that are on duty now. Let me out of here! Oh crap! There's the manager of aisle 13, head for the other door!!!
When I got home I called my UNION rep... (not that it will do any good)... but at least I can say I called her. I pretty much blabbered.... told her what happened today... how upset I was.... told her about the crappy "notes" I've received.... told her I've been having problems since day number one... it has been an endless series of absolute junk. I'm tired over being thrown under the bus every single day. I'm quiting, giving notice tomorrow, I'm calling the companies harassment hotline... and I'm getting a lawyer. I'm completely fed up. I think I even spewed a four letter word... I'm not sure what I said, I was on the verge of being hysterical.
Doncha know how flippin fast she called me back?... within mere minutes... oh yeah? Well, it's MY turn to NOT answer my phone! She is oh-so-concerned about me. I should call her back right away, she's worried about me... uh huh... whatever... I'll just BET she is...
I'm calmer now... time to shift my sight and put my interests into my NEW job...
My heart sank as I arrived yesterday for my interview and was told that the woman was not there... I was directed next door to the salon. What? Is she getting her hair done? I went over there and she was sitting at the desk. (she owns the salon too) We talked for a few minutes... I got an idea of what she wants, and yes, I think I can do it...
When we went over to the bakery and I started checking out her equipment, that was when I got my chance to sing. I opened the rondo and took the plates out to check it over. It is an ancient machine (no safety guards) but it's in great shape, looks like it was never used... she was already impressed that I actually knew how to raise the lid on it.
Then she led me to the sheeter. Holy cow! It was brand NEW! My eyes glazed over and my mouth started to water. I have never seen a new sheeter before. She explained how they couldn't get it running, didn't know how to adjust it and their dough was too soft to run through it and it got stuck.
I looked at her and flipped it on... dough too soft?... This baby is MADE to run dough... any kind of dough. I looked it over. Someone had sprayed cooking spray in it... no no... only flour and dough goes in here. I assured her that I would get it running for her and she seemed very pleased.
She also had two brand new convection ovens! WOW! And a very large flatbread oven, never used one like it before but I will learn. The proof box is going to be a problem because it is very small. They also proof things on the floor the old fashioned way. ( I don't mean literally "on the floor" I mean on a rack out in the bakery area) They have very nice vinyl rack covers and even a heated pan (to put water in) to proof product that way... I have done that before and it works, but it's slow and it's going to be even slower in the winter when it gets cold.
Cooler space is another big problem.. "Where's your dough for tomorrow?" I asked, and she led me out into their storefront... to a large two door cooler that they sold bottled drinks out of.... and there were BOWLS of dough covered in white bags in there. I think the look of total shock on my face gave me away.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Just For A Start
Yes, it's been a crazy week. This tale is long so it will have to be continued... so here's the first part.
I worked the night at Twilight, hauled butt from there to go do 12 hour day- shift at the cereal plant. ( I was seriously hoping to be sent home, because I wasn't feeling well... They do that if they have too many temps or if the lines go down) No such luck, the plant was running like crazy and I knew I'd be spending the whole day there... which I did... I don't ever wanna see another raisin in my life.
I got home from there at 8pm and had to go in to work at 2am at Twilight... time to be a baker... I didn't fry donuts today. I did set-up for tomorrow and the second bake... (actually I did the first bake too, which I usually do along with frying the donuts) The gal that was doing the donuts today would not have been able to do both.
(I probably made her look pretty good.. haha! heh urg...)
I got my daily chewing out... (for something that I did ONCE within this past year but others do all the time, I left early yesterday, had to in order to get to the plant in time...)
Somebody also tattled on me that I got a second job... So NOW of course there in an "issue" about my availability.
What the freeking funk? I was getting full-time regular hours with two regular days off per week... It was working great for a while. I finally got back on my feet...then I finally was able to get a car again... I have FULL AVAILABILITY now! What do they do?
My hours were instantly cut in half and switched like crazy.
How would YOU like to experience daylight savings time EVERY week? (on a shift that starts at 10pm, 12am, 1am, 2am... it flipped from 10 to 12 to 1 to 12 to 2 back to 1 flip flop flip flop, for no reason... good luck to ya, it just about wrecked me)
I got home, ate some sleepy food and totally crashed. Seriously, I'm really tired and hurting... Every muscle hurts... muscles that I never knew I HAD hurt... I got some sleep.
Then I got up to go to my interview today.
The place is kind of different... they are looking for a high production commercial baker.
I can do that.
They're looking for someone that can make French baguettes perfectly. I can do that.
They're looking for someone to bake pita's, favash, and other flatbreads, I think I can do that.
They are looking for a manager to help build their company by producing in mass volume.. Yeah, I can do that.
They are looking for someone that knows how to use commercial equipment and train others. (Have I ever told you that I can take a European front-end sheeter apart and put it back together again?) I can do that.
I know about the equipment...
For once I wrote a kick butt resume that actually got me a call back...
So I went down there, walked into the shop and asked for the lady that I had the interview with.
The clerk was a really perky young gal. "Oh, she's not here," she said...
I worked the night at Twilight, hauled butt from there to go do 12 hour day- shift at the cereal plant. ( I was seriously hoping to be sent home, because I wasn't feeling well... They do that if they have too many temps or if the lines go down) No such luck, the plant was running like crazy and I knew I'd be spending the whole day there... which I did... I don't ever wanna see another raisin in my life.
I got home from there at 8pm and had to go in to work at 2am at Twilight... time to be a baker... I didn't fry donuts today. I did set-up for tomorrow and the second bake... (actually I did the first bake too, which I usually do along with frying the donuts) The gal that was doing the donuts today would not have been able to do both.
(I probably made her look pretty good.. haha! heh urg...)
I got my daily chewing out... (for something that I did ONCE within this past year but others do all the time, I left early yesterday, had to in order to get to the plant in time...)
Somebody also tattled on me that I got a second job... So NOW of course there in an "issue" about my availability.
What the freeking funk? I was getting full-time regular hours with two regular days off per week... It was working great for a while. I finally got back on my feet...then I finally was able to get a car again... I have FULL AVAILABILITY now! What do they do?
My hours were instantly cut in half and switched like crazy.
How would YOU like to experience daylight savings time EVERY week? (on a shift that starts at 10pm, 12am, 1am, 2am... it flipped from 10 to 12 to 1 to 12 to 2 back to 1 flip flop flip flop, for no reason... good luck to ya, it just about wrecked me)
I got home, ate some sleepy food and totally crashed. Seriously, I'm really tired and hurting... Every muscle hurts... muscles that I never knew I HAD hurt... I got some sleep.
Then I got up to go to my interview today.
The place is kind of different... they are looking for a high production commercial baker.
I can do that.
They're looking for someone that can make French baguettes perfectly. I can do that.
They're looking for someone to bake pita's, favash, and other flatbreads, I think I can do that.
They are looking for a manager to help build their company by producing in mass volume.. Yeah, I can do that.
They are looking for someone that knows how to use commercial equipment and train others. (Have I ever told you that I can take a European front-end sheeter apart and put it back together again?) I can do that.
I know about the equipment...
For once I wrote a kick butt resume that actually got me a call back...
So I went down there, walked into the shop and asked for the lady that I had the interview with.
The clerk was a really perky young gal. "Oh, she's not here," she said...
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Feast or Famine
Yeah, Feast or Famine... seems to be the story of my life here in Washington.
One second it looks great.. the next second it looks crappy.
I do not want to go through another winter like last winter. That is for sure. I will do anything to prevent that.
Oh yes, I can sound all big and full of gusto now, but...
I know I can easily find myself sliding down that big spiral staircase hitting every step on the way down with my face and come to a crushing end at the bottom with my breathtakingly beautiful southern-bell skirts flopped up enough to show my pretty lacy underwear...
I raise my face up to look around in surprise because it all happened so fast and my head starts to pound and my nose starts to bleed... the ballroom is full of people and they burst out in laughter as the music plays on... I look down to the polished wooden floors and see spots of blood dripping in front of me and I'm confused...
Why are they laughing? Why isn't anyone coming to help me up?
If I saw this happen to someone else I'd go to help them up. Why are they laughing at me?
I feel the draft from my skirts being uplifted... then my ears start to ring and I see the laughing faces of everyone just looking at me but I can't hear them anymore... I only hear the ringing in my ears... and I do not understand anything... just don't understand anything... perhaps the fall gave me brain damage...
Then I wake up.
The alarm is going off and Wally has done "the magic blanket trick" in order to get me up.
Now ya see it...
WHIP THE COVERS OFF THE BED!
Now ya don't...
Hmmm there's the draft I was feeling...
The ears ringing? Well, that's just a thing since I went back to industrial work. (Oh, it's just a story in itself.)
The blood? Oh, my pillow was a bit damp... umm.... might have been a bit of drool... maybe... I think I won't be verifying that... but I will just say it's a possibility.
Suddenly we're starting to see job openings in my field.
Amazing.
I sent my resume in and got a call back right away.
I was shocked... because usually here IF they call back they aren't even interested interviewing you for a few days or so.( there have been times that I've been told that they were not even really looking for help... they were just checking out the field ... :/.... uh huh....so, ummm, why did you bother to call me back? )
Not the case here... *insert total freak out look*
They wanted to set up an interview for tomorrow... and I am completely booked man... ( I wanted to say YES YES YES.... sooooooo bad... but I couldn't.
Problem ?
I'm working from midnight tonight to six in the morning. Then I'm going to the cereal plant (at 7am) to do a 12+ hour shift. There is NO WAY to do an interview tomorrow.
I am NOT passing up real work and definite money for a ... "maybe"... ( I learned my lesson there, DON'T DO THAT... don't cancel what you have for sure for what you MIGHT have... that's a seriously stupid move.... a move that I have made before, none the less... graceful swan that I am.....)
Now if Blob employ cancels on me... which, you never know, they just might... then? .... oh for pete's sakes!!!! Myeh!..... I won't think about that happening...
I told the truth to the folks that were wanting to meet me and interview me. I JUST took that temp job out at the cereal plant for tomorrow but I would be available anytime the next day.
Why do I still feel like a butthead?
So an interview is set up...
I suppose it's all good... I have no time at all to sit still long enough to get nervous.
Basically I am just puzzled over WHY it's like this...
One minute there's nothing... Work has been sparse..
The next minute it's like all dumped on me...
I find out today that I have 36 hours scheduled at Twilight... Then when I got home Blob Employ calls to schedule me for two shifts at the cereal plant this week (12 hour shifts... yeah.. two 12 hour shifts) ... THEN I get called to come in and interview for another job...
Hmmm... *sigh* ... just might be a rough week...
Might just get the old "Magic Blanket Trick" again in the morning... (and it's been in the 40's here in the early morn)
Perhaps I forgot to mention the "magic" part of the whole blanket trick... Yes, it gets cold. Yes, it wakes me.
The magic part it is my lover being all over me after the blanket is away and kissing me awake.
Yeah it seems to work for me.
One second it looks great.. the next second it looks crappy.
I do not want to go through another winter like last winter. That is for sure. I will do anything to prevent that.
Oh yes, I can sound all big and full of gusto now, but...
I know I can easily find myself sliding down that big spiral staircase hitting every step on the way down with my face and come to a crushing end at the bottom with my breathtakingly beautiful southern-bell skirts flopped up enough to show my pretty lacy underwear...
I raise my face up to look around in surprise because it all happened so fast and my head starts to pound and my nose starts to bleed... the ballroom is full of people and they burst out in laughter as the music plays on... I look down to the polished wooden floors and see spots of blood dripping in front of me and I'm confused...
Why are they laughing? Why isn't anyone coming to help me up?
If I saw this happen to someone else I'd go to help them up. Why are they laughing at me?
I feel the draft from my skirts being uplifted... then my ears start to ring and I see the laughing faces of everyone just looking at me but I can't hear them anymore... I only hear the ringing in my ears... and I do not understand anything... just don't understand anything... perhaps the fall gave me brain damage...
Then I wake up.
The alarm is going off and Wally has done "the magic blanket trick" in order to get me up.
Now ya see it...
WHIP THE COVERS OFF THE BED!
Now ya don't...
Hmmm there's the draft I was feeling...
The ears ringing? Well, that's just a thing since I went back to industrial work. (Oh, it's just a story in itself.)
The blood? Oh, my pillow was a bit damp... umm.... might have been a bit of drool... maybe... I think I won't be verifying that... but I will just say it's a possibility.
Suddenly we're starting to see job openings in my field.
Amazing.
I sent my resume in and got a call back right away.
I was shocked... because usually here IF they call back they aren't even interested interviewing you for a few days or so.( there have been times that I've been told that they were not even really looking for help... they were just checking out the field ... :/.... uh huh....so, ummm, why did you bother to call me back? )
Not the case here... *insert total freak out look*
They wanted to set up an interview for tomorrow... and I am completely booked man... ( I wanted to say YES YES YES.... sooooooo bad... but I couldn't.
Problem ?
I'm working from midnight tonight to six in the morning. Then I'm going to the cereal plant (at 7am) to do a 12+ hour shift. There is NO WAY to do an interview tomorrow.
I am NOT passing up real work and definite money for a ... "maybe"... ( I learned my lesson there, DON'T DO THAT... don't cancel what you have for sure for what you MIGHT have... that's a seriously stupid move.... a move that I have made before, none the less... graceful swan that I am.....)
Now if Blob employ cancels on me... which, you never know, they just might... then? .... oh for pete's sakes!!!! Myeh!..... I won't think about that happening...
I told the truth to the folks that were wanting to meet me and interview me. I JUST took that temp job out at the cereal plant for tomorrow but I would be available anytime the next day.
Why do I still feel like a butthead?
So an interview is set up...
I suppose it's all good... I have no time at all to sit still long enough to get nervous.
Basically I am just puzzled over WHY it's like this...
One minute there's nothing... Work has been sparse..
The next minute it's like all dumped on me...
I find out today that I have 36 hours scheduled at Twilight... Then when I got home Blob Employ calls to schedule me for two shifts at the cereal plant this week (12 hour shifts... yeah.. two 12 hour shifts) ... THEN I get called to come in and interview for another job...
Hmmm... *sigh* ... just might be a rough week...
Might just get the old "Magic Blanket Trick" again in the morning... (and it's been in the 40's here in the early morn)
Perhaps I forgot to mention the "magic" part of the whole blanket trick... Yes, it gets cold. Yes, it wakes me.
The magic part it is my lover being all over me after the blanket is away and kissing me awake.
Yeah it seems to work for me.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Que Sera Sera
The vibes at home have been weird today... Happy but sad... we joke but we're not joking... confusion... meloncholy... strange.. bizarre... odd vibes...
We're packing... I don't think any of us want to move but it's looking like we'll have to.
Wally has been moving our things into a storage unit for the past couple of days. We don't have any experience with eviction. How does this work? Do they just lock you out? Do police escort you out? Do we just get a court order to leave? Will they give us any more time?
I don't have enough money saved up yet to get us into a new place, so this is getting rather scary...
I'm trying to just keep my cool going on... Truthfully, I've been pulling on memories of the hurricane season in Florida of 2004, and how we survived with no home, no power, no clean water... it was tough. I did have a little money back then, but truthfully?... money really doesn't help you much when the entire area you're in is destroyed. The silly green paper in my hand could not buy me a bag of ice ( on a 100 degree day in Florida) because there WASN'T any ice within a 250 mile radious from us... but gee I wish I had some of that money now.
Sometimes I think... well I survived that, I survived this, I survived the other things.. it can't get any worse... or? Can it?
I have come to a quiet calmness of acceptance of the way things are. ( It's okay, I'm sure that feeling will wear off and I'll be pissed off within a few days.)
My main concern is my daughter Dani. I don't want her to worry about this too much. She's got enough to worry about right now... she is a teenager after all. She been busy trying to fix all of the mistakes she's made. She's a good kid. She's making it right.
Maybe it was me putting out the weird vibes... It seemed like a normal enough day. I started cooking (to clean everything out of the freezer and fridge) and cleaning, (the stovetop, the dishwasher, the cabinets) and packing.. the clothes that I want to keep but rarely wear.
I helped Dani color her hair and fielded her questions... smiled and nodded as she began to talk about things we could do when we get to our "new home" and get all settled in...
*cringe*
We were thrilled as Stellar Jays came in to sit on our balcony and our little forest was just covered with a variety of birds for the day, many of them coming to feed at our suet feeder. We also sighted eagles which is always a thrill.
All of that... and then my heart was still breaking as I packed...
I called the UNION about my boss scheduling newbies more hours than me. ( a clear violation) I'm over and done with this... Every time my schedule comes up short I'm calling the UNION. I'm done trying to handle this "on a store level"... I'm going to go over everyone's head... My patience and understanding is now officially gone.... oh soooo gone. My tolerence level is at zero.
I called about suing for child support... It could take a year or two before I receive one thin dime for that... over a year... and I'll have to take it back through court... great... terrific... give me something, (preferably something fragile) to throw...
I'm starting into another workweek... doing a glorious six day stretch of whopping 4 and 5 hour night shifts at Twilight. It's just enough work to muck up my nights and barely enough pay to cover half of my gas costs to get in there... The area I live in has the highest fuel costs in the U.S. ... We live 600 miles from Alaska.. Isn't the Alaskan pipeline right there? We're sitting right beside fuel.. Will someone PLEASE explain to me why our fuel prices are higher than the entire rest of the country?
Oh yeah... It's because they tax the life out of us here... I almost forgot..
Hoping I can keep myself together this week and pick up some extra work through the temp service. Here again, that kind of stinks because I really have to take it when I can get it... not neccessarily when it is convenient for me... so it means doing some double-shifts.. or more... like working around the clock going from one job to the next and then back to the other.
If I refuse work from them, they don't call back to offer more work. They often call at the last minute and they expect you to go. They will also often call you at the last minute to cancel a job on you. It does not matter how many times they crap out on you... It DOES however matter when you turn down any work they throw your way... so basically, if you want work you cannot tell them no...
The night is going to be too short...
I just got a big long hug from my daughter... that is weirdness in itself... oh no I'm not complaining at all. I'm quite pleased and I was very surprised... and.. I needed it... I'm just saying it isn't a common occurence... it kind of brings more confusion into my thoughts.
The only thing that I know for sure is that I'm good and sick and tired of being afraid... Fear has been crippling me... and what have I been afraid of?
I'm afraid of what I don't know, of what might happen next... of... I dunno what... of the unknown... I suppose...
Now... writing it down... oh it seems like nonsense... Yes, it seems dumb... doesn't it?
I can't be afraid anymore... the fear that I've had has been far worse than any reality that I might have to face..... I think.....
I'm just going to trudge on through this and do my best and keep hoping... from there? Well, I guess whatever will be... will be.
We're packing... I don't think any of us want to move but it's looking like we'll have to.
Wally has been moving our things into a storage unit for the past couple of days. We don't have any experience with eviction. How does this work? Do they just lock you out? Do police escort you out? Do we just get a court order to leave? Will they give us any more time?
I don't have enough money saved up yet to get us into a new place, so this is getting rather scary...
I'm trying to just keep my cool going on... Truthfully, I've been pulling on memories of the hurricane season in Florida of 2004, and how we survived with no home, no power, no clean water... it was tough. I did have a little money back then, but truthfully?... money really doesn't help you much when the entire area you're in is destroyed. The silly green paper in my hand could not buy me a bag of ice ( on a 100 degree day in Florida) because there WASN'T any ice within a 250 mile radious from us... but gee I wish I had some of that money now.
Sometimes I think... well I survived that, I survived this, I survived the other things.. it can't get any worse... or? Can it?
I have come to a quiet calmness of acceptance of the way things are. ( It's okay, I'm sure that feeling will wear off and I'll be pissed off within a few days.)
My main concern is my daughter Dani. I don't want her to worry about this too much. She's got enough to worry about right now... she is a teenager after all. She been busy trying to fix all of the mistakes she's made. She's a good kid. She's making it right.
Maybe it was me putting out the weird vibes... It seemed like a normal enough day. I started cooking (to clean everything out of the freezer and fridge) and cleaning, (the stovetop, the dishwasher, the cabinets) and packing.. the clothes that I want to keep but rarely wear.
I helped Dani color her hair and fielded her questions... smiled and nodded as she began to talk about things we could do when we get to our "new home" and get all settled in...
*cringe*
We were thrilled as Stellar Jays came in to sit on our balcony and our little forest was just covered with a variety of birds for the day, many of them coming to feed at our suet feeder. We also sighted eagles which is always a thrill.
All of that... and then my heart was still breaking as I packed...
I called the UNION about my boss scheduling newbies more hours than me. ( a clear violation) I'm over and done with this... Every time my schedule comes up short I'm calling the UNION. I'm done trying to handle this "on a store level"... I'm going to go over everyone's head... My patience and understanding is now officially gone.... oh soooo gone. My tolerence level is at zero.
I called about suing for child support... It could take a year or two before I receive one thin dime for that... over a year... and I'll have to take it back through court... great... terrific... give me something, (preferably something fragile) to throw...
I'm starting into another workweek... doing a glorious six day stretch of whopping 4 and 5 hour night shifts at Twilight. It's just enough work to muck up my nights and barely enough pay to cover half of my gas costs to get in there... The area I live in has the highest fuel costs in the U.S. ... We live 600 miles from Alaska.. Isn't the Alaskan pipeline right there? We're sitting right beside fuel.. Will someone PLEASE explain to me why our fuel prices are higher than the entire rest of the country?
Oh yeah... It's because they tax the life out of us here... I almost forgot..
Hoping I can keep myself together this week and pick up some extra work through the temp service. Here again, that kind of stinks because I really have to take it when I can get it... not neccessarily when it is convenient for me... so it means doing some double-shifts.. or more... like working around the clock going from one job to the next and then back to the other.
If I refuse work from them, they don't call back to offer more work. They often call at the last minute and they expect you to go. They will also often call you at the last minute to cancel a job on you. It does not matter how many times they crap out on you... It DOES however matter when you turn down any work they throw your way... so basically, if you want work you cannot tell them no...
The night is going to be too short...
I just got a big long hug from my daughter... that is weirdness in itself... oh no I'm not complaining at all. I'm quite pleased and I was very surprised... and.. I needed it... I'm just saying it isn't a common occurence... it kind of brings more confusion into my thoughts.
The only thing that I know for sure is that I'm good and sick and tired of being afraid... Fear has been crippling me... and what have I been afraid of?
I'm afraid of what I don't know, of what might happen next... of... I dunno what... of the unknown... I suppose...
Now... writing it down... oh it seems like nonsense... Yes, it seems dumb... doesn't it?
I can't be afraid anymore... the fear that I've had has been far worse than any reality that I might have to face..... I think.....
I'm just going to trudge on through this and do my best and keep hoping... from there? Well, I guess whatever will be... will be.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
I'm So Silly
Yes, so my never-ending day continued as I got home, ate and took a short "nap" before I had to return to work. This time I was putting on a different hat. Heading out to be a baker for the night at The Twilight Zone.
I was still feeling pretty put out... I work so hard... I work so much and yet.. I STILL cannot pay my bills. What happened to the American Dream? What happened to MY dreams? I guess they died right along with everything and everybody else...
I was feeling very resentful towards the people that I love the most. I have a daughter to feed at home... a daughter that's needing the dentist and a trip to the doctor... a daughter that's in counciling that I cannot afford to pay for.. I'm glad my son is grown and on his own... that's one less to worry about taking care of... I have a husband to support and to be perfectly honest, I'm sick of supporting people...it seems like I've done this shit all of my life.
I took another look at my schedule and sighed... no it hadn't changed. I still had only twenty hours. How in the world am I supposed to support all of us on half of a paycheck? Why do I have to fuss and fight over this every stinking week? Oh dear heavens I am soooooo tired of it.
After bashing the crap out of apple fritter dough, using muscles that cried in pain at every chop with that metal scraper... tears stinging my eyes as my elbows cried out for mercy... I decided to take my ten minute break.
I went outside for a smoke... I don't smoke much anymore, can't afford it, but I can't help it, I still enjoy it.
No rest for me though... here came a woman walking up to me from the parking lot... terrific... probably a pan-handler... what is she going to beg me for?Whatever it is, I don't have it... this was my last cigarette and my pockets were empty.
She didn't ask anything of me except to know what day it was and what time it was. She clutched herself and said that she'd gotten too cold out in her van to sleep any longer. The van was out of gas and she and her son were living in it, in our parking lot.
"We're homeless," she said and as I looked into her eyes I saw my own reflection... the anger, the frustration, the desperation, the hardship... except hers was ten-fold what mine was...
She was waiting for her first welfare check to come in and went on to tell me how she just couldn't wait until it arrived. Her plans were to get a hotel room to get cleaned up and get a hot meal for herself and her son... she said she couldn't remember what a hot meal was like... and I believed her. All I had to do was look at her and I knew she was telling the truth.
I told her she should use our back bathroom to get cleaned up in the meantime. It's a large private bathroom. You could do a pretty good sponge bath in there.
I suggested going to "the mission" for a meal. She said she'd been there. After they fed 400 folks they ran out of food and the remaining 200 went without... she and her son were part of the 200 that were turned away.
I suggested another place in town to seek some help and find some housing... she'd been there... she was placed on the waiting list... they were going to help her try to find work though but that was not looking good, since she had no work experience at all. She explained that she'd been married for 18 years and her husband did not want her to work. She had run an online business for 8 years though, but now she had no internet... 3 computers in her van but no way to get on the net...
I started to suggest the coffee shop that I used to frequent... for two bucks you can sit and drink your fill of coffee and have free wi-fi for four hours... I bit my tongue though... I knew that she didn't have two dollars... I also knew she was too proud to ask for it... no matter how bad times got... she wasn't going to beg.
I felt as if I was standing there talking to myself... and I was thinking again of my empty pockets... wishing that I did have a couple of dollars... thinking of these little frozen breakfast scramble meals that I used to get once in a while... they were really good... two of those would be under two dollars with my employee discount and I could heat them in our breakroom microwave and snag a couple of forks from the deli and give them to her... so she and her son could have a hot breakfast while they wait for help... if only I had two dollars...
She came into the store with me and headed to our back bathroom as I had suggested to her. I wished her good luck as it was the only thing I had to offer her. She wished me luck also and I had to smile... what a sweet woman...
I was lost in thought for the rest of my shift...
After meeting that woman it was very hard to feel sorry for myself anymore.
I was thinking of how stupid I am for being so small minded and self-absorbed...
I was thinking about the accident at the cereal company... a young beautiful woman seriously burned on her face... and how shallow I am to look at myself in the mirror and hate what I see... I am not burned or scarred or suffering as she is... I think I can live with my wrinkles, and jowls, and age spots...
I was thinking of the homeless woman... I would not be going out to sleep in the cold with an empty belly.. just waiting.. and waiting...
I am employable. I have two jobs in fact and that's probably pretty good for these economic times. Maybe I don't make enough money, but we're not going to go hungry... maybe I won't be able to keep my nice apartment much longer, but we'll find something...
I was going to be able to go home, get a hot shower, slip into clean clothes, eat my fill of a hot meal and climb into a warm soft bed beside my lover.
I have a loving daughter that's had her share of troubles here as of late, but I really couldn't ask for a better kid.
I also have a very loving husband that is the light of my life and my soulmate. He cleans our home, cooks our meals, and washes our dishes and clothes without complaint. He massages my sore muscles, rubs my aching feet and holds me until I go to sleep even when he is not tired yet. He wakes me during the night, or in the morning,( whatever my shift might be) for work, and he is at the door with smiles and kisses when I arrive home.
Our home is full of love and laughter... even if we are broke and worried about the future...
I have it pretty good... so what the heck am I complaining about?
I was still feeling pretty put out... I work so hard... I work so much and yet.. I STILL cannot pay my bills. What happened to the American Dream? What happened to MY dreams? I guess they died right along with everything and everybody else...
I was feeling very resentful towards the people that I love the most. I have a daughter to feed at home... a daughter that's needing the dentist and a trip to the doctor... a daughter that's in counciling that I cannot afford to pay for.. I'm glad my son is grown and on his own... that's one less to worry about taking care of... I have a husband to support and to be perfectly honest, I'm sick of supporting people...it seems like I've done this shit all of my life.
I took another look at my schedule and sighed... no it hadn't changed. I still had only twenty hours. How in the world am I supposed to support all of us on half of a paycheck? Why do I have to fuss and fight over this every stinking week? Oh dear heavens I am soooooo tired of it.
After bashing the crap out of apple fritter dough, using muscles that cried in pain at every chop with that metal scraper... tears stinging my eyes as my elbows cried out for mercy... I decided to take my ten minute break.
I went outside for a smoke... I don't smoke much anymore, can't afford it, but I can't help it, I still enjoy it.
No rest for me though... here came a woman walking up to me from the parking lot... terrific... probably a pan-handler... what is she going to beg me for?Whatever it is, I don't have it... this was my last cigarette and my pockets were empty.
She didn't ask anything of me except to know what day it was and what time it was. She clutched herself and said that she'd gotten too cold out in her van to sleep any longer. The van was out of gas and she and her son were living in it, in our parking lot.
"We're homeless," she said and as I looked into her eyes I saw my own reflection... the anger, the frustration, the desperation, the hardship... except hers was ten-fold what mine was...
She was waiting for her first welfare check to come in and went on to tell me how she just couldn't wait until it arrived. Her plans were to get a hotel room to get cleaned up and get a hot meal for herself and her son... she said she couldn't remember what a hot meal was like... and I believed her. All I had to do was look at her and I knew she was telling the truth.
I told her she should use our back bathroom to get cleaned up in the meantime. It's a large private bathroom. You could do a pretty good sponge bath in there.
I suggested going to "the mission" for a meal. She said she'd been there. After they fed 400 folks they ran out of food and the remaining 200 went without... she and her son were part of the 200 that were turned away.
I suggested another place in town to seek some help and find some housing... she'd been there... she was placed on the waiting list... they were going to help her try to find work though but that was not looking good, since she had no work experience at all. She explained that she'd been married for 18 years and her husband did not want her to work. She had run an online business for 8 years though, but now she had no internet... 3 computers in her van but no way to get on the net...
I started to suggest the coffee shop that I used to frequent... for two bucks you can sit and drink your fill of coffee and have free wi-fi for four hours... I bit my tongue though... I knew that she didn't have two dollars... I also knew she was too proud to ask for it... no matter how bad times got... she wasn't going to beg.
I felt as if I was standing there talking to myself... and I was thinking again of my empty pockets... wishing that I did have a couple of dollars... thinking of these little frozen breakfast scramble meals that I used to get once in a while... they were really good... two of those would be under two dollars with my employee discount and I could heat them in our breakroom microwave and snag a couple of forks from the deli and give them to her... so she and her son could have a hot breakfast while they wait for help... if only I had two dollars...
She came into the store with me and headed to our back bathroom as I had suggested to her. I wished her good luck as it was the only thing I had to offer her. She wished me luck also and I had to smile... what a sweet woman...
I was lost in thought for the rest of my shift...
After meeting that woman it was very hard to feel sorry for myself anymore.
I was thinking of how stupid I am for being so small minded and self-absorbed...
I was thinking about the accident at the cereal company... a young beautiful woman seriously burned on her face... and how shallow I am to look at myself in the mirror and hate what I see... I am not burned or scarred or suffering as she is... I think I can live with my wrinkles, and jowls, and age spots...
I was thinking of the homeless woman... I would not be going out to sleep in the cold with an empty belly.. just waiting.. and waiting...
I am employable. I have two jobs in fact and that's probably pretty good for these economic times. Maybe I don't make enough money, but we're not going to go hungry... maybe I won't be able to keep my nice apartment much longer, but we'll find something...
I was going to be able to go home, get a hot shower, slip into clean clothes, eat my fill of a hot meal and climb into a warm soft bed beside my lover.
I have a loving daughter that's had her share of troubles here as of late, but I really couldn't ask for a better kid.
I also have a very loving husband that is the light of my life and my soulmate. He cleans our home, cooks our meals, and washes our dishes and clothes without complaint. He massages my sore muscles, rubs my aching feet and holds me until I go to sleep even when he is not tired yet. He wakes me during the night, or in the morning,( whatever my shift might be) for work, and he is at the door with smiles and kisses when I arrive home.
Our home is full of love and laughter... even if we are broke and worried about the future...
I have it pretty good... so what the heck am I complaining about?
Friday, October 1, 2010
A Different Language
Doing the "Industrial Thing" here once again.
Just like "bakery speak", the industrial world has a foriegn language all of it's own.
Returning to the cereal plant was kind of like going home for me. It has been about a year since I've been out there but most of the people are the same and I remembered them... and I was surprised as they remembered me.
The temp service has not changed a bit. They always.. always... freeking ALWAYS... give you false information, and the wrong directions... haha!! If you do temp work you just must be prepared for surprises! I've just gotten to where I grin and bear it because... well?.. That is what it is ALL about! ... Being flexible beyond the point of breaking. If you REALLY want to work... you WILL put up with an incredible amount of CRAP, just to WORK... And THAT is what it's all about. They want people that are SERIOUS about wanting to work... it stinks.. but that's the way it is.
I knew how to get to the plant. I was instructed to wait at the door, because they'd changed the way you enter. I was to show up ten minutes early and wait for a supervisor at the door that was to assign me a slide badge to get in and out. (They used to have a keypad lock on the door, that I knew the combination for.)
I showed up early, and waited by the door.. and waited.. 20 till, 15 till, 10 till... no supervisor. At that point one of the employess came up to me and let me in and I went back to the supervisors office. I wasn't issued a badge... My shoes weren't checked to see if they were non-skid. (thank goodness! Because I have burned all the "skid" off of my non-skid shoes in the rack oven at the bakery!)
I was greeted with familiar faces and friendly welcomes. The supervisors remembered me.
The morning meeting began promptly at 7am. We were told what we're producing and what stage it's run is at and who is in each area. There are three Triangles, an Eco-pac line, the bar-line, a bulk-pac line, the proctor, the extruder and the areoglide.
Yeah... it all sounds like Greek huh?
The plant runs 24-7. The shifts are 7am-7:30pm, and 7pm- 7:30am... the 7-7:30 is when the shift fazes in and out. You go in to take their places so the lines never stop... then at the end of your shift you cannot leave until the next person comes in to take your place.
When I first went back in I thought... Holy crap! How much has changed? Will I be OKAY here?
Then the morning roll-call started and we were briefed and I was the the first "temp" called upon. "Kim, have you worked the extruder before?"
"Yes sir," I replied. "Okay then I want you at the end of the cooling tunnel," he said...
I nodded... Got it.
Then I was thinking to myself... gee, I actually know exactly what he's talking about.... I guess I DO remember this.
I was really hoping to be put on the areoglide... as I was just starting to train on that before... or a Triangle, yeah, I don't mind working on the Triangles.
Being put on the extruder is okay though. I've never been put on the front end of it, but yes, I have been at the end, at the cooling tunnel... that's fine. I know what I'm doing.
The extruder makes "puffed" cereal... sometimes corn puff balls, sometimes puffed rice.
In this case it was puffed rice. I was stationed at the end of the cooling tunnel where all of the puffed rice is coming out. I make sure there are "totes" (big boxes lined with big plastic bags) ready to catch all of the puffed rice coming out of the cooling tunnel. I have to measure the bulk density of the puffed rice for each "tote" and mark them appropriately, then move them using a pallet jack to another area where my driver (fork lift) will pick them up. Then go get another tote.. The totes are 4x4 and 3 foot deep.
I have to go quite a distance across the plant to get another tote to bring back to the cooling tunnel. Usually by the time I got back the other tote is about full and I had to reverse the belt to the other side of the cooling tunnel to dump into the new tote I'd just gotten there.
The bulk density is important as different ones are used for different products and if you make a mistake, the weights will be wrong for the products. So, I was surprised to be given a rather important job.
Also if the density starts running too high or too low you must go tell the operator so he can adjust... Just saying... this is a constant job that is rather fast paced. If something goes phooey then you really have to hustle.
It's not so bad though... the 12 hour shift... you go early, basically start in at 7-7:30, get a break at 9, a half hour lunch at 11, a break at 1, a half hour at 3, a break at 5, go home at 715-730 when your relief gets there. And you get paid for 12 hours... so yeah, it's not so bad.
Actually what I consider to be the WORST part of it?.. Is.. wearing earplugs... Isn't that silly? I HATE the earplug thing.. it messes up my ears for weeks. My ears ring. I cannot hear. I hate it.
I did leave there tired... yes.. sore hands from the contant use of pallet jacks, tired feet, and I used some different muscles (and wore them OUT haha!)
There was also an accident on our shift, on our machine, which was upsetting.
I guess it's part of industrial work, but geez... I'm still trying to really wrap my head around what happened... I don't get it... Appearantly, one of the doors blew open on the extruder ( the baking, "puffing" part of it) as this gal was going around to gather up crumb buckets. It hit her right in the face and the steam coming out... omg... she had 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns on her face and neck.
From what they said she also insisted on driving herself to the hospital... which makes me think that it was worse than what we'd thought.
My point being... 1st and 2nd degree burns are very painful... 3rd degree burns, although they are the worst, are not painful, the deep tissue, the nerves registering pain have been burned away. The pain starts as they heal.
The lines kept running... they have to keep running... just gotta go on. You gotta be tough. If you aren't tough.. get out... there is always someone to replace you. Do you wanna work or NOT?
Well... I want to work.
I had worked from 1am to 6am baking at the Twilight Zone... changed clothes then reported to the cereal factory where I worked from 7am - 7:30pm... I walked out of there feeling like I was leaving a trail of cereal dust poofing out behind me, just like Pigpen on Charlie Brown. But it wasn't dirt, I was completely covered in cereal dust and feeling devastated...
I was trudging my way to my car mulling over the days events and feeling a sense of dread because my workday was not really yet over... I had to be back in at Twilight at 2am.
Will this freeking day ever END????
Sooooo Freeking tired!!!!!
Why ME??? Why frikking ME???
I was starting to feel so very, very sorry for myself...
Just like "bakery speak", the industrial world has a foriegn language all of it's own.
Returning to the cereal plant was kind of like going home for me. It has been about a year since I've been out there but most of the people are the same and I remembered them... and I was surprised as they remembered me.
The temp service has not changed a bit. They always.. always... freeking ALWAYS... give you false information, and the wrong directions... haha!! If you do temp work you just must be prepared for surprises! I've just gotten to where I grin and bear it because... well?.. That is what it is ALL about! ... Being flexible beyond the point of breaking. If you REALLY want to work... you WILL put up with an incredible amount of CRAP, just to WORK... And THAT is what it's all about. They want people that are SERIOUS about wanting to work... it stinks.. but that's the way it is.
I knew how to get to the plant. I was instructed to wait at the door, because they'd changed the way you enter. I was to show up ten minutes early and wait for a supervisor at the door that was to assign me a slide badge to get in and out. (They used to have a keypad lock on the door, that I knew the combination for.)
I showed up early, and waited by the door.. and waited.. 20 till, 15 till, 10 till... no supervisor. At that point one of the employess came up to me and let me in and I went back to the supervisors office. I wasn't issued a badge... My shoes weren't checked to see if they were non-skid. (thank goodness! Because I have burned all the "skid" off of my non-skid shoes in the rack oven at the bakery!)
I was greeted with familiar faces and friendly welcomes. The supervisors remembered me.
The morning meeting began promptly at 7am. We were told what we're producing and what stage it's run is at and who is in each area. There are three Triangles, an Eco-pac line, the bar-line, a bulk-pac line, the proctor, the extruder and the areoglide.
Yeah... it all sounds like Greek huh?
The plant runs 24-7. The shifts are 7am-7:30pm, and 7pm- 7:30am... the 7-7:30 is when the shift fazes in and out. You go in to take their places so the lines never stop... then at the end of your shift you cannot leave until the next person comes in to take your place.
When I first went back in I thought... Holy crap! How much has changed? Will I be OKAY here?
Then the morning roll-call started and we were briefed and I was the the first "temp" called upon. "Kim, have you worked the extruder before?"
"Yes sir," I replied. "Okay then I want you at the end of the cooling tunnel," he said...
I nodded... Got it.
Then I was thinking to myself... gee, I actually know exactly what he's talking about.... I guess I DO remember this.
I was really hoping to be put on the areoglide... as I was just starting to train on that before... or a Triangle, yeah, I don't mind working on the Triangles.
Being put on the extruder is okay though. I've never been put on the front end of it, but yes, I have been at the end, at the cooling tunnel... that's fine. I know what I'm doing.
The extruder makes "puffed" cereal... sometimes corn puff balls, sometimes puffed rice.
In this case it was puffed rice. I was stationed at the end of the cooling tunnel where all of the puffed rice is coming out. I make sure there are "totes" (big boxes lined with big plastic bags) ready to catch all of the puffed rice coming out of the cooling tunnel. I have to measure the bulk density of the puffed rice for each "tote" and mark them appropriately, then move them using a pallet jack to another area where my driver (fork lift) will pick them up. Then go get another tote.. The totes are 4x4 and 3 foot deep.
I have to go quite a distance across the plant to get another tote to bring back to the cooling tunnel. Usually by the time I got back the other tote is about full and I had to reverse the belt to the other side of the cooling tunnel to dump into the new tote I'd just gotten there.
The bulk density is important as different ones are used for different products and if you make a mistake, the weights will be wrong for the products. So, I was surprised to be given a rather important job.
Also if the density starts running too high or too low you must go tell the operator so he can adjust... Just saying... this is a constant job that is rather fast paced. If something goes phooey then you really have to hustle.
It's not so bad though... the 12 hour shift... you go early, basically start in at 7-7:30, get a break at 9, a half hour lunch at 11, a break at 1, a half hour at 3, a break at 5, go home at 715-730 when your relief gets there. And you get paid for 12 hours... so yeah, it's not so bad.
Actually what I consider to be the WORST part of it?.. Is.. wearing earplugs... Isn't that silly? I HATE the earplug thing.. it messes up my ears for weeks. My ears ring. I cannot hear. I hate it.
I did leave there tired... yes.. sore hands from the contant use of pallet jacks, tired feet, and I used some different muscles (and wore them OUT haha!)
There was also an accident on our shift, on our machine, which was upsetting.
I guess it's part of industrial work, but geez... I'm still trying to really wrap my head around what happened... I don't get it... Appearantly, one of the doors blew open on the extruder ( the baking, "puffing" part of it) as this gal was going around to gather up crumb buckets. It hit her right in the face and the steam coming out... omg... she had 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns on her face and neck.
From what they said she also insisted on driving herself to the hospital... which makes me think that it was worse than what we'd thought.
My point being... 1st and 2nd degree burns are very painful... 3rd degree burns, although they are the worst, are not painful, the deep tissue, the nerves registering pain have been burned away. The pain starts as they heal.
The lines kept running... they have to keep running... just gotta go on. You gotta be tough. If you aren't tough.. get out... there is always someone to replace you. Do you wanna work or NOT?
Well... I want to work.
I had worked from 1am to 6am baking at the Twilight Zone... changed clothes then reported to the cereal factory where I worked from 7am - 7:30pm... I walked out of there feeling like I was leaving a trail of cereal dust poofing out behind me, just like Pigpen on Charlie Brown. But it wasn't dirt, I was completely covered in cereal dust and feeling devastated...
I was trudging my way to my car mulling over the days events and feeling a sense of dread because my workday was not really yet over... I had to be back in at Twilight at 2am.
Will this freeking day ever END????
Sooooo Freeking tired!!!!!
Why ME??? Why frikking ME???
I was starting to feel so very, very sorry for myself...
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