I think my silence is probably indicative of my unhappiness. Today, I can tell all. Woop woop.
Last time I posted, I had just found out that my boss was resigning. That's one heck of a change. For awhile, I battled whether or not I should go too. I feel that the work I was doing was very valuable. But I don't think that the organization is really ready for that sort of thing. They need to do a lot of work developing strategy with intended outcomes. A lot of the work just seems like a fix to plug up the latest leak. People there were unhappy. We do great work, but none of that is present in the office.
I'm leaving. I have an opportunity to get my MBA while working as a graduate assistant in the Fine Arts department. I'm very excited about it. I'll help some with recruiting, and some with sort of administrative tasks. It's a minimum of 20 hours a work. I receive a stipend, a free education, more free time to help with softball, the ability to hold more than one job, and a little of my sanity back. It's a good trade off for me. I'll still be volunteering in the office for awhile, and definitely down at the Bowden. I've been teaching some of the kids how to read better. I'll have more flexible time to come in and help them too. :)
I wish I could help my work more. But, it's not really a healthy environment. I came home and complained all the time and had nothing to say. I didn't like that about myself and I think that that is one of the major reasons I decided to start looking elsewhere. Maybe I should suck it up and just keep on going, because it's only a year. But, to what end? To say that I did it? Yea, and what's that worth except a strain on my relationships and a mental problem?
Maybe I'm a little bitter, so I'm going to stop talking about it. I've been a lot happier since I made the decision and have heard nothing but wonderful things about people where I'm going to work, and I had good vibes during the interview.
I won't start coursework until January. New job starts next Monday.
Here goes nothing.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Just a little update.
Yup, it's been awhile. I think that if I told you all about what I do at work, you'd be bored to tears. I enjoy it. It gets pretty hectic and office politics are no good. I've got some changes coming on the horizon that'll really throw me off, but that I'm not sure I can really talk about quite yet. But, this year is going to get a bit challenging.
I was able to launch our facebook, but I'm not necessarily happy with it quite yet. I need to build more interest in it and make it more interactive (and to the point where people want to post on the site). I need to sit down and think about that a bit more, but I think it can happen, barring any major obstacles. But, obstacles just exist. I'm pretty frustrated about that because I have to wait on a lot of people to put my ideas together. And sometimes it's just too late, or kind of sloppy because the response took so long to create.
I've also been missing out on my time volunteering, I only got in once last week, which I don't like. I had to work late creating and printing invitations that had input from three different offices that was all conflicting. That was fun. Definitely comes with the turf though.
I'm just very happy I got the Labor Day weekend to help relax and I should be able to help start coaching this week, and that's exciting!
I'll update more when there's more exciting stuff going on, and things I know I can talk about!
I was able to launch our facebook, but I'm not necessarily happy with it quite yet. I need to build more interest in it and make it more interactive (and to the point where people want to post on the site). I need to sit down and think about that a bit more, but I think it can happen, barring any major obstacles. But, obstacles just exist. I'm pretty frustrated about that because I have to wait on a lot of people to put my ideas together. And sometimes it's just too late, or kind of sloppy because the response took so long to create.
I've also been missing out on my time volunteering, I only got in once last week, which I don't like. I had to work late creating and printing invitations that had input from three different offices that was all conflicting. That was fun. Definitely comes with the turf though.
I'm just very happy I got the Labor Day weekend to help relax and I should be able to help start coaching this week, and that's exciting!
I'll update more when there's more exciting stuff going on, and things I know I can talk about!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Every Day is a New Adventure.
First, every time I title my blog I have a mental mind-freak about which words to capitalize. Irrelevant.
So, I didn't really report back on last week. It was a whirlwind. I'm keeping a log of all of the stuff I do (I started it today). But, I guess I've kind of done a lot in the past two weeks. Crazy. I got a hug and a "You're making a difference." on Thursday from my boss. That was pretty cool. I think that some people have jobs where they never hear anything like that. I feel pretty fortunate. The facebook site still hasn't launched and I'm working on how to handle that. I have a week to get through the upper-level and to try to get it live. I think that I have everything done, I just need the ok. There's lawyers and stuff that have to get involved and a whole social media plan/policy that needs to be written by my boss. Except, I've written one from an example we got from a business in the area. My boss kept saying she'd write it, but I think she's been pretty busy so I did it. I'm just a little too scared to tell her I went ahead and did it. But, she's been gone for a few days so I may just tell her. We'll see.
I've been working in InDesign, which I'm not a professional at but I'm decent. I can work it and do image design. I have a pre-defined color palette which makes things a lot easier. It's kind of fun to see what I can do with that. My work probably isn't all that interesting to talk about. I really enjoy doing it and the days aren't that long, but describing it is kind of boring. It won't be that exciting until I finally get to launch something and upkeep the sites.
Of course, volunteering is a highlight for me. The kids down at the Bowden are pretty good. Some are pretty tough, but they're warming up to me. One kid comes up to me and shows me the progress of his loose tooth each time he sees me. I love it. But, today I got thrown into street outreach (and no mom, not the kind of street outreach that is in the Cross and the switchblade). We just go down to the "banquet" where they serve two meals a day to those who need it. Our job as street outreach is to sit there and make contact with families that have kids from 8-21 years old (or just the kids those age that are there). I was nervous because I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I actually was pretty good at talking to people who weren't in the age range. Ha. I was working with someone though and when I get thrown to do it by myself that will be fun! Imagine, shy Liz doing this stuff. It's crazy.
The people there are really the ones that fit the stereotypical homeless idea. Dirty, holes in their cloth, etc. They all speak with you a little more than you would think. Of course, some people won't but some are fine with talking about where they are in life. Not to say they're happy with it, but they're not angry at people they talk to about it. One man was lamenting his stolen backpack that had everything he managed to gather up. He wondered that anyone who was homeless could steal from other people who were homeless. The first thought that popped into my head was they had the 'survival of the fittest' attitude but I managed to bite my tongue. Sometimes, I have to watch what I say because I find myself referring back to a home or asking about a mom or dad pretty naturally. But, you can't assume that sort of thing really. I've done ok, but I have to be pretty conscious of it.
Then after that I got back with the kids and played for an hour and royally messed up the kickball rules and the kids kept laughing at me and saying. "Liiiiiiiiiz" like I should know better. Woops. I'm still learning!
So all is well. I miss my family, but I'm doing well. Hope y'all are too!
Oh, and I got paid for my first week. $200, about $5 an hour. Woo. Doin' ok though.
So, I didn't really report back on last week. It was a whirlwind. I'm keeping a log of all of the stuff I do (I started it today). But, I guess I've kind of done a lot in the past two weeks. Crazy. I got a hug and a "You're making a difference." on Thursday from my boss. That was pretty cool. I think that some people have jobs where they never hear anything like that. I feel pretty fortunate. The facebook site still hasn't launched and I'm working on how to handle that. I have a week to get through the upper-level and to try to get it live. I think that I have everything done, I just need the ok. There's lawyers and stuff that have to get involved and a whole social media plan/policy that needs to be written by my boss. Except, I've written one from an example we got from a business in the area. My boss kept saying she'd write it, but I think she's been pretty busy so I did it. I'm just a little too scared to tell her I went ahead and did it. But, she's been gone for a few days so I may just tell her. We'll see.
I've been working in InDesign, which I'm not a professional at but I'm decent. I can work it and do image design. I have a pre-defined color palette which makes things a lot easier. It's kind of fun to see what I can do with that. My work probably isn't all that interesting to talk about. I really enjoy doing it and the days aren't that long, but describing it is kind of boring. It won't be that exciting until I finally get to launch something and upkeep the sites.
Of course, volunteering is a highlight for me. The kids down at the Bowden are pretty good. Some are pretty tough, but they're warming up to me. One kid comes up to me and shows me the progress of his loose tooth each time he sees me. I love it. But, today I got thrown into street outreach (and no mom, not the kind of street outreach that is in the Cross and the switchblade). We just go down to the "banquet" where they serve two meals a day to those who need it. Our job as street outreach is to sit there and make contact with families that have kids from 8-21 years old (or just the kids those age that are there). I was nervous because I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I actually was pretty good at talking to people who weren't in the age range. Ha. I was working with someone though and when I get thrown to do it by myself that will be fun! Imagine, shy Liz doing this stuff. It's crazy.
The people there are really the ones that fit the stereotypical homeless idea. Dirty, holes in their cloth, etc. They all speak with you a little more than you would think. Of course, some people won't but some are fine with talking about where they are in life. Not to say they're happy with it, but they're not angry at people they talk to about it. One man was lamenting his stolen backpack that had everything he managed to gather up. He wondered that anyone who was homeless could steal from other people who were homeless. The first thought that popped into my head was they had the 'survival of the fittest' attitude but I managed to bite my tongue. Sometimes, I have to watch what I say because I find myself referring back to a home or asking about a mom or dad pretty naturally. But, you can't assume that sort of thing really. I've done ok, but I have to be pretty conscious of it.
Then after that I got back with the kids and played for an hour and royally messed up the kickball rules and the kids kept laughing at me and saying. "Liiiiiiiiiz" like I should know better. Woops. I'm still learning!
So all is well. I miss my family, but I'm doing well. Hope y'all are too!
Oh, and I got paid for my first week. $200, about $5 an hour. Woo. Doin' ok though.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Lessons Can Come in the Littlest Packages.
Although I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to enjoy myself this week, I was wrong. From my last post, you can gather that I am learning a lot about the programs and the people involved.
Surprisingly, I found myself looking up at the clock and being surprised that it was already 4 o'clock. As anticipated, I try to get the tasks I'm assigned all done on the the day they've been assigned to me, but that's just not going to be possible. I have to work at being able to understand that. My boss is overwhelmed, and I can see where she's coming from more. It's interesting to learn what her strengths are. Facebook, for example, is not one of them. I anticipate trying to get our facebook to go live, to be a very hard thing to do. Yay for that.
I've made friends in the office though, and that's awesome. I'm actually very surprised by how much I feel comfortable in this office as compared to the last one that I was in. I wonder why that is, and I have a feeling it's because it is predominantly mother-like women and I feel comfortable there. Silly, but true I think. The woman who has a cube adjoining mine and I have started to hang up signs so that the other has a nice message when they get in the office. That's pretty awesome.
I volunteer at the youth center too, and that's interesting. I'm really just in the 'get the kids to trust me' phase and have them know that I won't be there for a short period of time. Volunteering at a place like that is an actual committment but I really enjoy it. It sort of let's me forget my work day (if there were any frustrations) and focus on making sure these kids have a good time. I hope that some day they'll feel comfortable enough to let me know a little bit more about what is going on with them, and I feel like if I asked they would tell me. But, I feel like that's only because kids don't know any better, I'd rather work on a relationship with them than take for granted how well-intentioned they are.
I played basketball with the kids, and they were cool. I'm BAD! They asked me to play and I told 'em I would, but that I was bad (and I really was, the other two staff there had played). But, at the end of it, one of the kids was like "See, you're not bad!" It was so cute, and he's my favorite so far. I was watching him play pool the first day I was there and he was super friendly. What was most interesting to me though was that he was making sure his peers were using their manners. A lot of the time I'm there I make sure the kids say excuse me and thank you and all that cause they tend to just barrel through otherwise. But, this guy, we'll call him Ronnie, wouldn't move until asked nicely. Most of the kids were just aware of each other and would move out of the way or else be run in to. He demands respect and I really like it. Kids are so smart that way.
I'm excited for next week, and think this will be great. The only part I don't enjoy is getting up so early, but you can't win all the time, right?
Surprisingly, I found myself looking up at the clock and being surprised that it was already 4 o'clock. As anticipated, I try to get the tasks I'm assigned all done on the the day they've been assigned to me, but that's just not going to be possible. I have to work at being able to understand that. My boss is overwhelmed, and I can see where she's coming from more. It's interesting to learn what her strengths are. Facebook, for example, is not one of them. I anticipate trying to get our facebook to go live, to be a very hard thing to do. Yay for that.
I've made friends in the office though, and that's awesome. I'm actually very surprised by how much I feel comfortable in this office as compared to the last one that I was in. I wonder why that is, and I have a feeling it's because it is predominantly mother-like women and I feel comfortable there. Silly, but true I think. The woman who has a cube adjoining mine and I have started to hang up signs so that the other has a nice message when they get in the office. That's pretty awesome.
I volunteer at the youth center too, and that's interesting. I'm really just in the 'get the kids to trust me' phase and have them know that I won't be there for a short period of time. Volunteering at a place like that is an actual committment but I really enjoy it. It sort of let's me forget my work day (if there were any frustrations) and focus on making sure these kids have a good time. I hope that some day they'll feel comfortable enough to let me know a little bit more about what is going on with them, and I feel like if I asked they would tell me. But, I feel like that's only because kids don't know any better, I'd rather work on a relationship with them than take for granted how well-intentioned they are.
I played basketball with the kids, and they were cool. I'm BAD! They asked me to play and I told 'em I would, but that I was bad (and I really was, the other two staff there had played). But, at the end of it, one of the kids was like "See, you're not bad!" It was so cute, and he's my favorite so far. I was watching him play pool the first day I was there and he was super friendly. What was most interesting to me though was that he was making sure his peers were using their manners. A lot of the time I'm there I make sure the kids say excuse me and thank you and all that cause they tend to just barrel through otherwise. But, this guy, we'll call him Ronnie, wouldn't move until asked nicely. Most of the kids were just aware of each other and would move out of the way or else be run in to. He demands respect and I really like it. Kids are so smart that way.
I'm excited for next week, and think this will be great. The only part I don't enjoy is getting up so early, but you can't win all the time, right?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Whelmed.
I'm pretty sure that isn't a word, but I think it describes me right now. Just not really sure which way to go, over or underwhelmed.
Yesterday was my first day and it didn't consist of much, just did training for awhile and then went to the marketing meeting. I was excited to go to that and even got to speak a little, but nor a whole lot happened.
Today, I went to training in the morning and skipped out on the second half to visit a program site. The particular site I went to houses young men who have been to jail and no long have a home to go to (not because their parents won't let them stay at home, but for other reasons.) The story behind this program is that the department of corrections visited some time ago and deemed it too dirty and unkempt to receive funding for the next year. They get a chance to clean it up and have the dpt. of corrections back on Monday. My boss and I went to the site to walk the tour with them and give any last minute critiques we thought might help.
Honestly, the place was about what I expected it to be. It used to be a prison and now boys lived there, who apparently didn't have much of a rigorous cleaning expectation. Tiles in the ceilings were broken, a door window was busted, a lot of the furniture looked like it might fall over. Carpets were dirty, etc. But here's where I run in to a problem. How much more can we expect out of a program that gets (I think) most of it's funding through grants and charity? I didn't agree with the way the place was run. The kids don't have room inspections and are allowed to leave their basketballs (their own property) out on the basketball court. I personally would take the basketballs until they earned it back, and I would do room inspections. They wouldn't take us into the restrooms. I feel like there should be a higher standard with the chores. So, do we blame the staff and cut the funding or do we not expect much from these programs and let them live the way they do? I don't know.
Also visited a place where developmentally disabled sexual offenders go to find work. The don't do anything too high up in the business world (paint rain barrels, do factory line-work, landscaping). I saw some things in there that let me have a little peek into what they think about and it was what you might imagine, and it was odd for me.
Oh yea, and we met with the development committee. Our company needs funding, just as any other does, but geez we're pushing hard. Hopefully I'll get to sit down tomorrow and actually be productive. We'll see.
I don't really know what to think about it all, I think time will tell.
Liz
Yesterday was my first day and it didn't consist of much, just did training for awhile and then went to the marketing meeting. I was excited to go to that and even got to speak a little, but nor a whole lot happened.
Today, I went to training in the morning and skipped out on the second half to visit a program site. The particular site I went to houses young men who have been to jail and no long have a home to go to (not because their parents won't let them stay at home, but for other reasons.) The story behind this program is that the department of corrections visited some time ago and deemed it too dirty and unkempt to receive funding for the next year. They get a chance to clean it up and have the dpt. of corrections back on Monday. My boss and I went to the site to walk the tour with them and give any last minute critiques we thought might help.
Honestly, the place was about what I expected it to be. It used to be a prison and now boys lived there, who apparently didn't have much of a rigorous cleaning expectation. Tiles in the ceilings were broken, a door window was busted, a lot of the furniture looked like it might fall over. Carpets were dirty, etc. But here's where I run in to a problem. How much more can we expect out of a program that gets (I think) most of it's funding through grants and charity? I didn't agree with the way the place was run. The kids don't have room inspections and are allowed to leave their basketballs (their own property) out on the basketball court. I personally would take the basketballs until they earned it back, and I would do room inspections. They wouldn't take us into the restrooms. I feel like there should be a higher standard with the chores. So, do we blame the staff and cut the funding or do we not expect much from these programs and let them live the way they do? I don't know.
Also visited a place where developmentally disabled sexual offenders go to find work. The don't do anything too high up in the business world (paint rain barrels, do factory line-work, landscaping). I saw some things in there that let me have a little peek into what they think about and it was what you might imagine, and it was odd for me.
Oh yea, and we met with the development committee. Our company needs funding, just as any other does, but geez we're pushing hard. Hopefully I'll get to sit down tomorrow and actually be productive. We'll see.
I don't really know what to think about it all, I think time will tell.
Liz
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Let's Play A Little Catch-Up...
So, I've been a little negligent. But, I didn't really feel there was much that was exciting or enthralling to report on. Now that I look back and see how much time I have to update, maybe I should have posted a boring intermediary blog. :) Hindsight is always 20-20 on that sort of thing.
Anyway, you left me after my last experience at the factory and working temporary jobs. I had decided that $500 was my goal for the summer before I started work and after my work with the temp jobs, I only had $130. Fortunately for me, Carol (Connor's mom) found an opportunity for me to work for her while she was the director of a tournament in Kansas City. I was able to get some great experience working with Social Media to build a fan base and was paid for it. This put me to my goal, so working of the summer was over. Maybe I should have worked more, but I've been pretty busy anyway.
Last week, I went to a retreat in Rapid City, SD, which is about 5.5 hours from where I'm staying right now. This retreat was basically a review on how to interact with co-workers in the workplace and especially with your supervisor. All of the VISTAs in the South Dakota were there, so it was pretty cool to know what else people were doing in the state. I also had to drive across the state with the other VISTA in the Sioux Falls area. He was interesting. Entertaining and a little weird, but I think that people would say that about me too. We had a lot of fun and it made the drive easier than it would have been if we'd had to drive by ourselves.
I met the VISTA Coordinator for SD because she ran the retreat and found out that she is also in the Marketing office in the Rapid City office. One of the more interesting things is that another man who works in the marketing office there as a VISTA had actually served 7 years in prison for theft and other things. I found him pretty interesting because I've only recently learned that people can actually change for the better. I know it sounds shallow to say that, but it's a strange concept to me that people can suppress or get rid of a side of themselves that allowed them to act in ways that were so wrong. In his case, theft isn't so bad. But, he told me he was part of a gang etc. I'm still learning about people and how they change throughout their lives, I suppose.
Anyway, it was cool to be across the state and up in the hills. Saw a mountain lion when I was out running, that was pretty scary. It was kind of surreal, my reaction to it. There was not initial terror or immobilization. Part of me knew that maybe I would want to scream, but part of me thought that I could just walk away quietly and be fine. So, I did the latter and was ok. I think that I was just really lucky that it didn't see me/wasn't hungry/wasn't threatened.
I spent some time with Connor and got to check out Keystone which was a lot of fun, we got ice-cream. La-de-da, I always have a good time with him.
I got back to Sioux Falls on Sunday, did some laundry, and was headed for Minneapolis by Tuesday for my 'Pre-Service Orientation'. Here, I learned a lot more about how VISTA works within an office, and how to find more information about what my role is supposed to be in the office I am working in. It was really helpful. I'd like to say that it was a really enlightening few days about the way we feel about poverty, etc. But it wasn't and I think that's ok. We talked about what poverty meant to us and when we first recognized it in the world. When you get a group of people like that together, they all want to tell their story in such a meaningful way that I guess the point just passed me by. Not to say that I'm not passionate about helping people alleviate poverty, or to help people themselves get out of it. I'm just to the point where I've recognized the issue and don't need the persuasion anymore.
Needless to say, I'm ready to get started and I start tomorrow! Of course, I'm going to miss being able to just sit around and do what I want all day, but I suppose that's all a part of growing up.
Wish me luck! It's going to be busy, hard, and educational for this entire next year!
Anyway, you left me after my last experience at the factory and working temporary jobs. I had decided that $500 was my goal for the summer before I started work and after my work with the temp jobs, I only had $130. Fortunately for me, Carol (Connor's mom) found an opportunity for me to work for her while she was the director of a tournament in Kansas City. I was able to get some great experience working with Social Media to build a fan base and was paid for it. This put me to my goal, so working of the summer was over. Maybe I should have worked more, but I've been pretty busy anyway.
Last week, I went to a retreat in Rapid City, SD, which is about 5.5 hours from where I'm staying right now. This retreat was basically a review on how to interact with co-workers in the workplace and especially with your supervisor. All of the VISTAs in the South Dakota were there, so it was pretty cool to know what else people were doing in the state. I also had to drive across the state with the other VISTA in the Sioux Falls area. He was interesting. Entertaining and a little weird, but I think that people would say that about me too. We had a lot of fun and it made the drive easier than it would have been if we'd had to drive by ourselves.
I met the VISTA Coordinator for SD because she ran the retreat and found out that she is also in the Marketing office in the Rapid City office. One of the more interesting things is that another man who works in the marketing office there as a VISTA had actually served 7 years in prison for theft and other things. I found him pretty interesting because I've only recently learned that people can actually change for the better. I know it sounds shallow to say that, but it's a strange concept to me that people can suppress or get rid of a side of themselves that allowed them to act in ways that were so wrong. In his case, theft isn't so bad. But, he told me he was part of a gang etc. I'm still learning about people and how they change throughout their lives, I suppose.
Anyway, it was cool to be across the state and up in the hills. Saw a mountain lion when I was out running, that was pretty scary. It was kind of surreal, my reaction to it. There was not initial terror or immobilization. Part of me knew that maybe I would want to scream, but part of me thought that I could just walk away quietly and be fine. So, I did the latter and was ok. I think that I was just really lucky that it didn't see me/wasn't hungry/wasn't threatened.
I spent some time with Connor and got to check out Keystone which was a lot of fun, we got ice-cream. La-de-da, I always have a good time with him.
I got back to Sioux Falls on Sunday, did some laundry, and was headed for Minneapolis by Tuesday for my 'Pre-Service Orientation'. Here, I learned a lot more about how VISTA works within an office, and how to find more information about what my role is supposed to be in the office I am working in. It was really helpful. I'd like to say that it was a really enlightening few days about the way we feel about poverty, etc. But it wasn't and I think that's ok. We talked about what poverty meant to us and when we first recognized it in the world. When you get a group of people like that together, they all want to tell their story in such a meaningful way that I guess the point just passed me by. Not to say that I'm not passionate about helping people alleviate poverty, or to help people themselves get out of it. I'm just to the point where I've recognized the issue and don't need the persuasion anymore.
Needless to say, I'm ready to get started and I start tomorrow! Of course, I'm going to miss being able to just sit around and do what I want all day, but I suppose that's all a part of growing up.
Wish me luck! It's going to be busy, hard, and educational for this entire next year!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
But I am le tired...
This promises to be a long post. I've got a bit of reflection and reporting to do. First, I read this book called Nickel & Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich that I admit, ashamedly, I was supposed to read during the school year along with the other executive members of the Global Poverty Club. I think that I wasn't the only one that didn't read it. That is neither here nor there. Reading it has given me some more food for thought as I continue work for Labor Ready and consider the culture of the group I am working with.
I was going to try to find an online synopsis of the book, but they're pretty long so I'll do my best to explain it. Pretty much, a journalist decides to try life out at the poverty line. She goes to three different states and holds low wage jobs (Florida - Waitress/Housekeeper , Maine - Maid , Minnesota - Wal*Mart). The story is about her struggle with management, working conditions, fellow employees, sticking to the poverty level (since she had a well-paying job and money), and paying rent/buying food. She started off with a little money in her pocket and had a chunk saved for emergencies that she tried not to use, but eventually had to use some of it. It seems that one of her main issues finding a sufficient place to stay because the typical rent was $400 per month for a a place that one of us might consider living in during a time of great need. The parts of the book that most interested me were when she spoke of who she worked with and their living conditions. I was surprised to find that some people were living in hotels at $40-$60 a night. This was because the people didn't have enough money to put a deposit down for an apartment. Or if they did, they wouldn't be able to pay the month's rent on top of medical and food needs. Often, the author would wonder why her co-workers wouldn't band together to demand better working environments. I don't know, but I feel like this is because those people are too afraid to lose their jobs. Reading this book allowed me a little more insight into the life of people who have to work at the minimum wage past their teenage years and made me question the way we view those who work those types of jobs.
My latest escapade at Labor Ready brought me a job working at PBM, graphics. I packaged World of Warcraft cards. I'm not allowed to talk about exactly what kind, or participate in their tournaments for the next year. Pretty serious stuff. They're the primary manufacturer and print the stuff in French and some other languages. Didn't know they were geeky over seas too!
There are two shifts at PBM. The first is from 4AM to 6PM and the second from 6PM to 4AM. Labor Ready opens at 4am and closes at 7:30pm. I think the first shift has to leave Labor Ready at 4:30 because it takes an hour and a half to get to the job site. It takes me about forty-five minutes to get to Sioux Falls, so I'd have to get up around 2:45 to give myself enough time to get ready and get to town with about ten minutes of cushion for whatever might come up. That means I'd have to be in bed by 8pm to get the minimal amount of sleep to function at a cognitive level. I would need to go to bed at 6pm to function on the factory floor for 12 hours without accidentally harming myself or others Not gonna happen.
I opted to do the second shift because I knew I could wake up at a decent time and could probably power through until 4am. With this in mind, I called Labor Ready (LR) to ask what would be the best time to get there to make sure I would be on the night shift. I was told 3 or 3:30, so I arrived at 2:40 figuring that everyone else was operating at the 3-3:30 time and that I would beat them. Turns out, they're smarter than that and most of the spots were filled up before I got there. I'm not sure why the morning lady told me that time. As a side note, the morning lady is the one I don't know that well, and the afternoon lady seems to recognize me already. I think she must just be good with faces.
When I showed up, the afternoon lady told me that she would try to get me on the list but she wasn't sure. Then, she asked if I had a car and would drive. Since I could, I was guaranteed a spot. After realizing that I would be the one to drive I googled the distances and saw that PBM is 45 minutes west of where I live in South Dakota. I drive about 45 minutes to the east to get to Sioux Falls. Not the most efficient way to do things.
This reminds me of a lady who volunteered some information to me while I waited for the group to ship out. She was there looking for a job and had already gone to Command Center (which I found out is another temp company that pays more) and reported that they were too strict and only picked their favorites. I then told her that in order to work at PBM you couldn't have more than two misdemeanors, which I thought was pretty fair. She sort of scoffed and said that she had a felony. She also mentioned that she was six months pregnant but seemed to have enough of a filter to not talk about why she needed the job so much and how the baby related to that but sort of made me feel like the two were related. My main take away was that there was another temp agency that paid more and, I found out later, that I could call in to say I wanted to work and just drive over to PBM if I worked through Command Center, rather then having to drive all that way in to town. Cost of gas, wear on the car, and time not sleeping are all things I would have to consider against the fact that me having a car allowed 4 other people to go to work and that having that car guaranteed my position. I also got $6 each from the people in the car for gas.
Back to the story at hand. I, the girl from a small town who barely knew how to handle herself with a green arrow at the stop light, would be driving other people to work. To be honest, I hate driving other people. For some reason, though, in new situations I like to pretend that I'm really confident at things that I'm not so that other people won't question me. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing. There have been no fatalities yet. The good news is, we made it just fine to the site. I had a co-pilot who must have been in his 50s and had been working at PBM since September last year. Once upon a time he was a truck driver with enough experience to decide that I (along with all other Michiganders) always speed. He made sort of a fuss about that, but gave me some great information about what to expect and when the breaks were. We spoke a little bit about the Casey Anthony trial and some of his history during the hour and a half so it wasn't awkward which I was very appreciative of.
After arriving safely at PBM I found out that I was assigned to the "hand line" which meant that we were assembling something by hand. Duh. That something, of course, was the WoW boxes. The whole set up needed 6 people. One to open the box and put it on the line, another to stuff a card box and manual in, one to add a mat, one to add playing cards, another to add come organizational stuff for card collectors, and a final person to check that they were all stacked in right. All positions had a chair at it, so I was stoked because I was under the impression that I wouldn't have to stand for 10 hours. We had a supervisor who showed us what all of the positions were supposed to do and how exactly to stack everything (they way they make sure you can read the brand is kinda neat), and then asked two of us to volunteer for a job she wasn't going to tell us about until after we volunteered. I should have known not to volunteer at this point, but everything about my childhood told me that volunteering earned you brownie points. What I really earned was the job carrying, tearing, and breaking down boxes. I had to make sure that all of the supplies were full and that the line never had to stop because they were waiting for me. I was successful over my ten hours and actually enjoyed the hour it took to figure out the most efficient way to be the most successful at my work.
I'd like to say that the next nine hours that followed filled me with some sort of insight about others through interaction but I can't. I had those nine hours to think and reflect and drive myself crazy. For awhile, I was curious about those around me and even tried to converse with them but no one seemed up for conversation. I understood, since most of them were on day 4 of a terribly mundane shift. I was tired and my feet hurt and I was jealous that I didn't get to sit down until, in the 8th hour, I was offered a sitting position that I gladly took. I then realized then that the grass is always greener on the other side. While I was happy to be sitting down, the job was not very intensive but was painful because it was repetitive. Imagine that type of pain when you've been sitting in the wrong position at a computer for too long. Doing this new job made me even more tired and knew I wouldn't have been able to survive that position the whole night. I was switched back to supply after the break and was given other random tasks during the night. I don't know if it was because she knew that I could do all of them, or if I was hindering the group enough to need to do the small things. I'd like to think it is the former since I was thrown on the line to help make it move faster. At this time, I found out that the young lady next to me wasn't capable of following a pattern which frustrated me, but she and I worked through it and were able to manage the line.
The last half an hour of the entire shift, I was told to look busy. So, I swept the floor, again. 4am rolls around and I'm free with a 1.5 hour drive back to Sioux Falls and some major concentration to do so that I don't fall asleep and harm the other people in my car. The older gentleman made comments again about my speed and informed me that early after that shift the sheriff typically would camp outside of the factory, pull over people who were speeding, and also hoped to find people with outstanding warrants. Apparently two of the "natives" had been caught like that before, and the older gentleman had been in a car that had been pulled over one time (as the passenger) and was asked for his ID. He refused to give it because he wasn't the one in trouble for speeding. But, this, along with his constant mention about my speed (which I promise wasn't that bad) and the fact that he no longer had a license led me to wonder if he had a warrant out or not. I'm a little torn about the whole situation because obviously these people are doing their best to work for a living and for the sheriff to pull them over like that just doesn't seem right. But then again, they have a warrant out so I suppose they have done something wrong.
After this drive, I had another 45 minute drive back to Canistota. I got back at 6:15 and woke up at 1. I survived the whole ordeal.
Reflecting back some, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be working at Labor Ready. Or, at least with PBM. I feel like I'm making excuses, but while I worked that night shift I couldn't help but listen to the people on the line and think about their families and my own family growing up. Most of these people work these shifts 4 or more times a week and have a family. I personally had to leave the house at 2:00pm to make sure I got the job, and I know that othesr have to leave earlier to make sure the bus gets them there on time which means that they don't get to see their family that much (especially during the school year) and that breaks my heart. I also remember my dad working those night shifts when I was younger and I absolutely hated it. I couldn't wait for him to have a day off and was ten times more happy when he finally went back to days. I hated night shifts and I remember that although I was pretty young and don't remember a lot about that period of my life. It apparently bothered me enough to make me pretty much promise myself that I would never have to become accustom to a shift like that. It may sound spoiled, but the whole idea feels so against everything that I've been striving for. I guess I figured that if I worked hard enough while I was younger, I would be able to avoid the unpleasantness of not seeing my family and practically becoming a vampire. I respect all of the people who work in those factories a lot because they deal with the physical pain and monotony on a daily basis, but I don't think it's the life for me. It's a really tough thing to swallow about myself, the fact that I can't mentally standa job like that. The idea that I'm too 'soft' to handle that kind of work makes me feel inadequate in a way. To boot, a large part of me feels that since I don't want to do it, I'm just being a yuppy.
Carol pointed out to me that sometimes this type of work just suits other people and I think that must be true. I guess some people wouldn't enjoy doing the things I do on a daily basis for work, but it's hard for me to understand how anyone could find joy in that type of factory work.
I was going to try to find an online synopsis of the book, but they're pretty long so I'll do my best to explain it. Pretty much, a journalist decides to try life out at the poverty line. She goes to three different states and holds low wage jobs (Florida - Waitress/Housekeeper , Maine - Maid , Minnesota - Wal*Mart). The story is about her struggle with management, working conditions, fellow employees, sticking to the poverty level (since she had a well-paying job and money), and paying rent/buying food. She started off with a little money in her pocket and had a chunk saved for emergencies that she tried not to use, but eventually had to use some of it. It seems that one of her main issues finding a sufficient place to stay because the typical rent was $400 per month for a a place that one of us might consider living in during a time of great need. The parts of the book that most interested me were when she spoke of who she worked with and their living conditions. I was surprised to find that some people were living in hotels at $40-$60 a night. This was because the people didn't have enough money to put a deposit down for an apartment. Or if they did, they wouldn't be able to pay the month's rent on top of medical and food needs. Often, the author would wonder why her co-workers wouldn't band together to demand better working environments. I don't know, but I feel like this is because those people are too afraid to lose their jobs. Reading this book allowed me a little more insight into the life of people who have to work at the minimum wage past their teenage years and made me question the way we view those who work those types of jobs.
My latest escapade at Labor Ready brought me a job working at PBM, graphics. I packaged World of Warcraft cards. I'm not allowed to talk about exactly what kind, or participate in their tournaments for the next year. Pretty serious stuff. They're the primary manufacturer and print the stuff in French and some other languages. Didn't know they were geeky over seas too!
There are two shifts at PBM. The first is from 4AM to 6PM and the second from 6PM to 4AM. Labor Ready opens at 4am and closes at 7:30pm. I think the first shift has to leave Labor Ready at 4:30 because it takes an hour and a half to get to the job site. It takes me about forty-five minutes to get to Sioux Falls, so I'd have to get up around 2:45 to give myself enough time to get ready and get to town with about ten minutes of cushion for whatever might come up. That means I'd have to be in bed by 8pm to get the minimal amount of sleep to function at a cognitive level. I would need to go to bed at 6pm to function on the factory floor for 12 hours without accidentally harming myself or others Not gonna happen.
I opted to do the second shift because I knew I could wake up at a decent time and could probably power through until 4am. With this in mind, I called Labor Ready (LR) to ask what would be the best time to get there to make sure I would be on the night shift. I was told 3 or 3:30, so I arrived at 2:40 figuring that everyone else was operating at the 3-3:30 time and that I would beat them. Turns out, they're smarter than that and most of the spots were filled up before I got there. I'm not sure why the morning lady told me that time. As a side note, the morning lady is the one I don't know that well, and the afternoon lady seems to recognize me already. I think she must just be good with faces.
When I showed up, the afternoon lady told me that she would try to get me on the list but she wasn't sure. Then, she asked if I had a car and would drive. Since I could, I was guaranteed a spot. After realizing that I would be the one to drive I googled the distances and saw that PBM is 45 minutes west of where I live in South Dakota. I drive about 45 minutes to the east to get to Sioux Falls. Not the most efficient way to do things.
This reminds me of a lady who volunteered some information to me while I waited for the group to ship out. She was there looking for a job and had already gone to Command Center (which I found out is another temp company that pays more) and reported that they were too strict and only picked their favorites. I then told her that in order to work at PBM you couldn't have more than two misdemeanors, which I thought was pretty fair. She sort of scoffed and said that she had a felony. She also mentioned that she was six months pregnant but seemed to have enough of a filter to not talk about why she needed the job so much and how the baby related to that but sort of made me feel like the two were related. My main take away was that there was another temp agency that paid more and, I found out later, that I could call in to say I wanted to work and just drive over to PBM if I worked through Command Center, rather then having to drive all that way in to town. Cost of gas, wear on the car, and time not sleeping are all things I would have to consider against the fact that me having a car allowed 4 other people to go to work and that having that car guaranteed my position. I also got $6 each from the people in the car for gas.
Back to the story at hand. I, the girl from a small town who barely knew how to handle herself with a green arrow at the stop light, would be driving other people to work. To be honest, I hate driving other people. For some reason, though, in new situations I like to pretend that I'm really confident at things that I'm not so that other people won't question me. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing. There have been no fatalities yet. The good news is, we made it just fine to the site. I had a co-pilot who must have been in his 50s and had been working at PBM since September last year. Once upon a time he was a truck driver with enough experience to decide that I (along with all other Michiganders) always speed. He made sort of a fuss about that, but gave me some great information about what to expect and when the breaks were. We spoke a little bit about the Casey Anthony trial and some of his history during the hour and a half so it wasn't awkward which I was very appreciative of.
After arriving safely at PBM I found out that I was assigned to the "hand line" which meant that we were assembling something by hand. Duh. That something, of course, was the WoW boxes. The whole set up needed 6 people. One to open the box and put it on the line, another to stuff a card box and manual in, one to add a mat, one to add playing cards, another to add come organizational stuff for card collectors, and a final person to check that they were all stacked in right. All positions had a chair at it, so I was stoked because I was under the impression that I wouldn't have to stand for 10 hours. We had a supervisor who showed us what all of the positions were supposed to do and how exactly to stack everything (they way they make sure you can read the brand is kinda neat), and then asked two of us to volunteer for a job she wasn't going to tell us about until after we volunteered. I should have known not to volunteer at this point, but everything about my childhood told me that volunteering earned you brownie points. What I really earned was the job carrying, tearing, and breaking down boxes. I had to make sure that all of the supplies were full and that the line never had to stop because they were waiting for me. I was successful over my ten hours and actually enjoyed the hour it took to figure out the most efficient way to be the most successful at my work.
I'd like to say that the next nine hours that followed filled me with some sort of insight about others through interaction but I can't. I had those nine hours to think and reflect and drive myself crazy. For awhile, I was curious about those around me and even tried to converse with them but no one seemed up for conversation. I understood, since most of them were on day 4 of a terribly mundane shift. I was tired and my feet hurt and I was jealous that I didn't get to sit down until, in the 8th hour, I was offered a sitting position that I gladly took. I then realized then that the grass is always greener on the other side. While I was happy to be sitting down, the job was not very intensive but was painful because it was repetitive. Imagine that type of pain when you've been sitting in the wrong position at a computer for too long. Doing this new job made me even more tired and knew I wouldn't have been able to survive that position the whole night. I was switched back to supply after the break and was given other random tasks during the night. I don't know if it was because she knew that I could do all of them, or if I was hindering the group enough to need to do the small things. I'd like to think it is the former since I was thrown on the line to help make it move faster. At this time, I found out that the young lady next to me wasn't capable of following a pattern which frustrated me, but she and I worked through it and were able to manage the line.
The last half an hour of the entire shift, I was told to look busy. So, I swept the floor, again. 4am rolls around and I'm free with a 1.5 hour drive back to Sioux Falls and some major concentration to do so that I don't fall asleep and harm the other people in my car. The older gentleman made comments again about my speed and informed me that early after that shift the sheriff typically would camp outside of the factory, pull over people who were speeding, and also hoped to find people with outstanding warrants. Apparently two of the "natives" had been caught like that before, and the older gentleman had been in a car that had been pulled over one time (as the passenger) and was asked for his ID. He refused to give it because he wasn't the one in trouble for speeding. But, this, along with his constant mention about my speed (which I promise wasn't that bad) and the fact that he no longer had a license led me to wonder if he had a warrant out or not. I'm a little torn about the whole situation because obviously these people are doing their best to work for a living and for the sheriff to pull them over like that just doesn't seem right. But then again, they have a warrant out so I suppose they have done something wrong.
After this drive, I had another 45 minute drive back to Canistota. I got back at 6:15 and woke up at 1. I survived the whole ordeal.
Reflecting back some, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be working at Labor Ready. Or, at least with PBM. I feel like I'm making excuses, but while I worked that night shift I couldn't help but listen to the people on the line and think about their families and my own family growing up. Most of these people work these shifts 4 or more times a week and have a family. I personally had to leave the house at 2:00pm to make sure I got the job, and I know that othesr have to leave earlier to make sure the bus gets them there on time which means that they don't get to see their family that much (especially during the school year) and that breaks my heart. I also remember my dad working those night shifts when I was younger and I absolutely hated it. I couldn't wait for him to have a day off and was ten times more happy when he finally went back to days. I hated night shifts and I remember that although I was pretty young and don't remember a lot about that period of my life. It apparently bothered me enough to make me pretty much promise myself that I would never have to become accustom to a shift like that. It may sound spoiled, but the whole idea feels so against everything that I've been striving for. I guess I figured that if I worked hard enough while I was younger, I would be able to avoid the unpleasantness of not seeing my family and practically becoming a vampire. I respect all of the people who work in those factories a lot because they deal with the physical pain and monotony on a daily basis, but I don't think it's the life for me. It's a really tough thing to swallow about myself, the fact that I can't mentally standa job like that. The idea that I'm too 'soft' to handle that kind of work makes me feel inadequate in a way. To boot, a large part of me feels that since I don't want to do it, I'm just being a yuppy.
Carol pointed out to me that sometimes this type of work just suits other people and I think that must be true. I guess some people wouldn't enjoy doing the things I do on a daily basis for work, but it's hard for me to understand how anyone could find joy in that type of factory work.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Human GPS
Everyone knows that one of the best things about getting a new GPS is that you get to choose the voice that gives you directions. I suppose it's also kinda cool that you now have directions to where you're going, but that's just a happy coincidence. :) I think my family first chose the Australian accent when we got our GPS, but I know that my father preferred the female voice because it was more soothing and less bark-ish. My softball team had named the GPS that took us through Florida, Margaret and had a good old time when she would tell us that she was recalculating the route, or that we needed to make the next possible U-turn. There were a lot of laughs and "Get it together, Margaret!" coming from the back of the van while coach steamed because she had missed yet another exit.
Needless to say, we all enjoy that little perk of our GPS system. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to have a GPS with a French accent (which I don't think is a normal setting). However, after the initial luster and excitement of the exotic accent wore off, I learned to hate it's lack of personality because it was silent and didn't care about much except giving instructions. You might be thinking "Isn't that what a GPS is supposed to do?" You are indeed correct. But you have to realize that my GPS was a person that I spent 13 hours of my day with.
I woke up at about 4:30 yesterday morning, threw an outfit together I thought would be casual enough to look like someone who had picked up temp work, but formal enough to look like someone capable of driving them around for four or five hours, as I had been told I would do (surprise! 13 hours). I wore a plain orange t-shirt and was glad that I had thought to wear a tanktop underneath, since it was the only thing that kept the rest of the world from seeing how much I was sweating. I also wore some pretty thick brown pants and hefty shoes that didn't help anything.
The drive was nothing I could complain about, there's something about a sunrise that makes you think you'd like to wake up that early everyday.
I arrived at Labor Ready at 6am as I had been told to do, received my work ticket at 6:02 and gas up. I arrive at the place where I'm supposed to pick up my rider for the day at 6:20 and wait 25 minutes before calling to tell him I was there. He said he'd be down in ten minutes. Half an hour later, he finally showed up. From there, I was directed to go to a fast food parking lot and park. There, we wait for two hours until his company is actually ready for him. Let me take this two hour break to explain to you what he was doing and how. I was driving a van with only one captain's seat in the back. There were two computers, and quite a lot of wires in the back as well, and about 50 little atennae on top of the van. Apparently his job was to literally drive around the country and test the cell phone reception for all of the carriers (Verizon, Cricket, AT&T, etc.). There are obviously more people like him driving around the country, or he would have a more horrible job than he already does. I think the job takes some skill because he graduated with a degree in computer engineering and had to do some code while the whole process was going on.
At around 9:30 we finally hit the road and I drove him around Sioux Falls for about and hour and a half until he hasd to go back to the hotel and upload information to his home base. This took about half an hour after which he decides we're going to lunch. This is slightly awkward for two reasons. The first being the comment he made earlier in the day in response to me saying I had interned for a fitness company. "Oh, that explains your body." Which is nice enough, but not something I think you should say to a person you're trapped in a car with, if you want them to be comfortable. Second reason, he went silent after I mentioned that I had a boyfriend. He sort of grunted about it and stopped talking to me. We were seated in a booth and sat diagonally from each other. I did my best to make small talk and found out that he'd grown up in France and learned English as he attended school here. I couldn't understand what school he said he went to, but I'm sure that it was a good one. I ordered a soup and salad hoping it would be a little better than the turkey and cheese sandwich that had melted and gotten very hot awhile ago that I had been provided by labor ready. I'd managed to eat one while I was waiting for him, but I wasn't sure how well turkey kept in the heat so I didn't want to eat the other one. Which reminds me that I forgot to tell you about my sack lunch. It was two turkey and cheese sandwiches with butter on hamburger buns. Some old Scooby snacks, a fruit cup, a bag of M&Ms, a granola bar, and cheddar cheese crackers. I munched away on the smaller items throughout the day and was very glad to have them since I had such a sporadic eating schedule. I think the best part of the lunch, though, was the little green piece of paper, about half as thin as a fortune from a fortune cookie and twice as long that read, "No great man ever complains of want of opportunities" I thought that it was kind of ironic that they would put that in the lunch sack, but Connor just put in to perspective for me. I was quite the whiner and took my frustration out on the poor guy yesterday. I'm sure a lot of people would be much more appreciative of the experience afterward which is part of the reason I keep this kid around, to keep me in check. :) And I guess I kinda like him. ;)
After lunch we went back to the hotel and because he said that the next upload would take about 20 minutes. Two and half hours later, we were back on the road. Another thing to note, is that every time we went anywhere we had to leave the car running with the air on and I got to sit in it so I was sweating a lot. But, me being the really smart girl I am, didn't think I still needed to drink a lot of water so I got a little dehydrated, which probably didn't help my mood. On this last trip, I drove more than an hour south and had to park at a few places along the way. For these stops, I had a nice little system and was all set up reading a book and playing on my phone so I was fine. I ended up back in town around 8:30 and a little excited because I had 13 hours of work under my belt. However, the guy I worked with decided to cut the first two hours that we had to sit waiting in the car out of it and wouldn't put it back in when I asked about it. I ended up making $70 at $7.25 and hour. Taxes were about $15.
I think that I would have been a little happier about the whole occasion had that not happened, but I guess these things are just another part of life and a good lesson to learn. Life isn't always fair and fortunately enough for me, cutting those two hours doesn't really hurt me. I just hope this isn't the insight into the treatment of others who aren't lucky enough to have the financial stability that I do.
We'll do a little exploration about wages and hours as I go further in to what I am doing. But, this is what I have been up to!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Labor Ready.
What an interesting morning/afternoon I had.
For those who know me well enough, you all understand that I can be painfully shy when having to ask other people for anything and just about every part of me rebels against the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone. You also know that I kick and scream and whine about it until I approach whatever it is I have to do, then I do it. This may surprise some people, but it's the truth. I think that when I have to do new/uncomfortable things that the poor person who has to listen to me probably wants to box my ears so that I'll actually have something to complain about.
I have been trying to find some sort of temporary employment for the month before I start with AmeriCorps just so that I'll have that extra cash and won't feel bad about spending what I have saved. I applied to a few places for maintenance or work in retail and eventually got a call back from a grocery store native to this area. At first, I decided to keep the information that I could only work for a month to myself and practiced what I would say with Connor on the drive into town. I reasoned that a lot of people in the past had done the same thing. However, when they asked me why I was there I told them about AmeriCorps so naturally they asked when I would start and if I would be able to have an outside job. This was the time to lie or stretch the truth and I couldn't do it. It's just not in my nature. This lead to some tactful sneak around and basically letting me know that they couldn't use me. Not surprised, but still disappointed. That day, I had driven 45 minutes into town to drop Connor off at work and only had one car so I was stuck there.
Luckily for me, Connor let me know about a temp agency called Labor Ready. Apparently you just walk in and they'll send you out on some job that they had called in that day. On the list of things I ever wanted to do in life, showing up at a place at being sent off to do random labor was not very high. I like to be prepared and I like to know what I'm getting myself in to. Realistically though, I need the money and I've owned up to trying to experience what someone in poverty might have to do. I can do this temp thing until I start AmeriCorps and there are no obligations for periods of time which is perfect. So I whined and then I called and found out that I didn't have the proper forms of identification with me. I decided it was a good first step and to attempt to actual show up and work on another day.
Hello, June 28th, 2011. Just under a week from the initial call. I was actually busy most days and Connor had two days off, so we were slugs. Today, I braved Labor Ready, which is a medium sized brick building that looked like it was a laundromat in a past life. As I walked in I was greeted by open floor space measuring somewhere around 30 feet wide by 10 feet long that was covered in black and white linoleum. Following that was a sort of cubicle with a counter on top that made it look like no one was working and in the corner there are white plastic lawn chairs next to a table. After further inspection, I found that there was someone behind the desk and she greeted me with a mediocre, "Hello," and asked, "What do you need?" I assumed that it would be obvious that I was looking for work but I answered and told her I was new and was looking for work. She took my two forms of identification and began to look me up. There wasn't anything to look up since I wasn't in their database which meant a lot of paperwork and a few safety quizzes.
The first quiz I took was about whether or not I stole things, what drugs I used, and how acceptable it was to fight people and which were the correct situations to hit people. There were a few questions related to what my trade skills were, but it was pretty much a behavioral test. I passed that one. Go figure. I always have to wonder at the people who answer yes to the question "When you strongly disagree with someone, is it ok to hit them?" Seems like an easy answer to me. Either way, on to the next step, which was the safety test. I read through the booklet which has some pretty good safety tips. I basically learned that if Labor Ready tells you that you're doing one job (and they're supposed to be specific), then you have to stop and call the office and let them know when the site is making you do something else. This ranges from working on roofs to cleaning pools at a job they said you would be doing landscaping. The description must match the work done. They also tell you all about how to make sure you're dressed properly for the job you will be doing.
So I took the quiz and filled out some paperwork. While doing this I got a taste of the people who use this service. I ended up filling out my paperwork alongside a gentleman who had been working at a Labor Ready for years in Wisconsin and had moved into SD the day before. Another man shared his opinion about how blonde jokes give blonde people a bad rep. He went on to explain that they are so intelligent and swift that sometimes they don't get the emotional side of things. It was all sort of random but I pretty much felt he had reverse prejudice going on. Meanwhile, a business called in to have someone assigned for a job the next day. The other story I heard gave me a little more insight to the people that the workers at Labor Ready are used to dealing with. The receptionist said that some woman had called and asked a question about what time an application was due. The receptionist said that she told the woman it was due at 2 p.m., to which the woman responded "2 p.m. in the morning or the afternoon?"
Shortly after I turned my forms in and she went over it and was shocked that out of about 25 questions I had only gotten one question wrong and I needed to correct it to be finished. She also pointed some things out to me that I'd forgotten to sign. I did that quickly and came back. Again she was surprised at how quickly I had corrected my error. I could sort of see why after her stories. Apparently she was impressed because she asked me if I wanted to do the job that had come in while I was filling out my application. Tomorrow morning I have to be in town at 6am, so that I will be ready to drive someone around for four to five hours while they take down data. That was as much information as I got. I don't need a CDL and I'll be driving the car they drove up from Virginia. They did require that a copy of my license be sent over and that I filled out a sheet for consent. We'll see how it goes.
Labor Ready opens at 4am every morning and closes at 7:30 p.m. every day. I found out that this is because they work with one company that has a 6am-6pm shift and a 6pm-4am shift almost every day. I guess they package gaming cards. She gave me Pokemon as an example. This clued me in to why the lawn chairs were sitting in the corner. I'm betting that people line them up and sit in them while they wait to be assigned work.
In order to be approved to work for the gaming card company I had to do a drug screening test. The last drug test I did for my internship during school was at an off-campus location so I expected to have to it somewhere else and send the results back.
Apparently, this was not the case. I was to take the test there and bring the sample out for her at the counter when I was done. At this point, I'm optimistic because that means no waiting and I could hopefully start tomorrow. However, when I get out of the restroom I saw that the nice older gentleman was standing at the counter waiting get his paperwork approved. I, being modest as I assume anyone else would have been at this point, looked at her blankly waiting for instructions with the sample close at my side and out of sight and said, "I have the sample." "Well, put it on the counter," she countered, not caring one iota about my self-respect at that time, and then realizing too late why I was hesitant. "Everyone does it!" she blurted and then continued to ramble as I meekly set it on the counter, "It's a natural thing, right?" she asked the gentleman next to me, much to my mortification as he nodded and said yes. Until that point I was able to pretend he wasn't in the room, but she had to go and pull him into the conversation. "Everyone does it, no need to be embarrassed." Yea, ok. Easy for you to say, lady.
Needless to say, not a huge deal, but not the most comfortable situation. And obviously I passed.
So, I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll be able to work in the morning, take a short nap, and take the 6pm-4am shift. It's gonna be tough and I'm very sure that it will be very boring. But, I'll bring some headphones with me and see if I can get away with listening to that while I work. Oh, I get a sack lunch provided to me, too.
Pretty successful, and yet another example of how things can work out even when you hem and haw and really don't want to do it.
For those who know me well enough, you all understand that I can be painfully shy when having to ask other people for anything and just about every part of me rebels against the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone. You also know that I kick and scream and whine about it until I approach whatever it is I have to do, then I do it. This may surprise some people, but it's the truth. I think that when I have to do new/uncomfortable things that the poor person who has to listen to me probably wants to box my ears so that I'll actually have something to complain about.
I have been trying to find some sort of temporary employment for the month before I start with AmeriCorps just so that I'll have that extra cash and won't feel bad about spending what I have saved. I applied to a few places for maintenance or work in retail and eventually got a call back from a grocery store native to this area. At first, I decided to keep the information that I could only work for a month to myself and practiced what I would say with Connor on the drive into town. I reasoned that a lot of people in the past had done the same thing. However, when they asked me why I was there I told them about AmeriCorps so naturally they asked when I would start and if I would be able to have an outside job. This was the time to lie or stretch the truth and I couldn't do it. It's just not in my nature. This lead to some tactful sneak around and basically letting me know that they couldn't use me. Not surprised, but still disappointed. That day, I had driven 45 minutes into town to drop Connor off at work and only had one car so I was stuck there.
Luckily for me, Connor let me know about a temp agency called Labor Ready. Apparently you just walk in and they'll send you out on some job that they had called in that day. On the list of things I ever wanted to do in life, showing up at a place at being sent off to do random labor was not very high. I like to be prepared and I like to know what I'm getting myself in to. Realistically though, I need the money and I've owned up to trying to experience what someone in poverty might have to do. I can do this temp thing until I start AmeriCorps and there are no obligations for periods of time which is perfect. So I whined and then I called and found out that I didn't have the proper forms of identification with me. I decided it was a good first step and to attempt to actual show up and work on another day.
Hello, June 28th, 2011. Just under a week from the initial call. I was actually busy most days and Connor had two days off, so we were slugs. Today, I braved Labor Ready, which is a medium sized brick building that looked like it was a laundromat in a past life. As I walked in I was greeted by open floor space measuring somewhere around 30 feet wide by 10 feet long that was covered in black and white linoleum. Following that was a sort of cubicle with a counter on top that made it look like no one was working and in the corner there are white plastic lawn chairs next to a table. After further inspection, I found that there was someone behind the desk and she greeted me with a mediocre, "Hello," and asked, "What do you need?" I assumed that it would be obvious that I was looking for work but I answered and told her I was new and was looking for work. She took my two forms of identification and began to look me up. There wasn't anything to look up since I wasn't in their database which meant a lot of paperwork and a few safety quizzes.
The first quiz I took was about whether or not I stole things, what drugs I used, and how acceptable it was to fight people and which were the correct situations to hit people. There were a few questions related to what my trade skills were, but it was pretty much a behavioral test. I passed that one. Go figure. I always have to wonder at the people who answer yes to the question "When you strongly disagree with someone, is it ok to hit them?" Seems like an easy answer to me. Either way, on to the next step, which was the safety test. I read through the booklet which has some pretty good safety tips. I basically learned that if Labor Ready tells you that you're doing one job (and they're supposed to be specific), then you have to stop and call the office and let them know when the site is making you do something else. This ranges from working on roofs to cleaning pools at a job they said you would be doing landscaping. The description must match the work done. They also tell you all about how to make sure you're dressed properly for the job you will be doing.
So I took the quiz and filled out some paperwork. While doing this I got a taste of the people who use this service. I ended up filling out my paperwork alongside a gentleman who had been working at a Labor Ready for years in Wisconsin and had moved into SD the day before. Another man shared his opinion about how blonde jokes give blonde people a bad rep. He went on to explain that they are so intelligent and swift that sometimes they don't get the emotional side of things. It was all sort of random but I pretty much felt he had reverse prejudice going on. Meanwhile, a business called in to have someone assigned for a job the next day. The other story I heard gave me a little more insight to the people that the workers at Labor Ready are used to dealing with. The receptionist said that some woman had called and asked a question about what time an application was due. The receptionist said that she told the woman it was due at 2 p.m., to which the woman responded "2 p.m. in the morning or the afternoon?"
Shortly after I turned my forms in and she went over it and was shocked that out of about 25 questions I had only gotten one question wrong and I needed to correct it to be finished. She also pointed some things out to me that I'd forgotten to sign. I did that quickly and came back. Again she was surprised at how quickly I had corrected my error. I could sort of see why after her stories. Apparently she was impressed because she asked me if I wanted to do the job that had come in while I was filling out my application. Tomorrow morning I have to be in town at 6am, so that I will be ready to drive someone around for four to five hours while they take down data. That was as much information as I got. I don't need a CDL and I'll be driving the car they drove up from Virginia. They did require that a copy of my license be sent over and that I filled out a sheet for consent. We'll see how it goes.
Labor Ready opens at 4am every morning and closes at 7:30 p.m. every day. I found out that this is because they work with one company that has a 6am-6pm shift and a 6pm-4am shift almost every day. I guess they package gaming cards. She gave me Pokemon as an example. This clued me in to why the lawn chairs were sitting in the corner. I'm betting that people line them up and sit in them while they wait to be assigned work.
In order to be approved to work for the gaming card company I had to do a drug screening test. The last drug test I did for my internship during school was at an off-campus location so I expected to have to it somewhere else and send the results back.
Apparently, this was not the case. I was to take the test there and bring the sample out for her at the counter when I was done. At this point, I'm optimistic because that means no waiting and I could hopefully start tomorrow. However, when I get out of the restroom I saw that the nice older gentleman was standing at the counter waiting get his paperwork approved. I, being modest as I assume anyone else would have been at this point, looked at her blankly waiting for instructions with the sample close at my side and out of sight and said, "I have the sample." "Well, put it on the counter," she countered, not caring one iota about my self-respect at that time, and then realizing too late why I was hesitant. "Everyone does it!" she blurted and then continued to ramble as I meekly set it on the counter, "It's a natural thing, right?" she asked the gentleman next to me, much to my mortification as he nodded and said yes. Until that point I was able to pretend he wasn't in the room, but she had to go and pull him into the conversation. "Everyone does it, no need to be embarrassed." Yea, ok. Easy for you to say, lady.
Needless to say, not a huge deal, but not the most comfortable situation. And obviously I passed.
So, I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll be able to work in the morning, take a short nap, and take the 6pm-4am shift. It's gonna be tough and I'm very sure that it will be very boring. But, I'll bring some headphones with me and see if I can get away with listening to that while I work. Oh, I get a sack lunch provided to me, too.
Pretty successful, and yet another example of how things can work out even when you hem and haw and really don't want to do it.
Friday, June 24, 2011
And so the saga begins...
Well, after spending way too much time trying to be clever about the titles and layout of this site I've given up and decided to just start writing and let the rest come later. I did manage to come up with a title with some help from my mom. It's an old phrase that was used (as my mom researched) dating back to WWII. People said that something could be created or held together by "using shoelaces and chewing gum". I thought it fit because it speaks to being resourceful when trying to solve a problem. It actually reminded me of a time when I was a kid. I had a basket full of old thread spools and pipe cleaner that I was determined would somehow come together and be the next latest and greatest invention. Obviously, that didn't happen and really only amounted to some odd something my mom must have found and laughed at later on. But, hopefully this blog will be full of stories about me creatively solving new problems thrown my way.
For those reading who don't already know my story (although it is unlikely anyone outside of my immediate friends and family will read this), I will provide a little bit of background. The rest of you can consider this a refresher course.
I grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan playing a lot of softball and doing well in school. I didn't often think much about my future. On a whim, I decided to attend Elmhurst College, which is in a suburb of Chicago, and to continue playing softball. I played for two years, wasn't in love with it anymore so I found something else to do. That "something else" was anything I could get my hands on. I had two internships, participated in three clubs (started one of my own related to sustainability) and eventually became our student government president, all while staying academically strong.
I met a lot of great people at school, went through a lot of hard times, and gathered a new appreciation for how awesome my family is. I also came to realize that no matter what happens as long as you learn something new from it, then whatever the experience was, was one worth having. Oh, and I got a handy dandy degree in Marketing and Communications!
Now, I have moved out to South Dakota and am living with my boyfriend's parents and will begin working for AmeriCorps through Volunteers of America, Dakotas in August. As far as I have gathered I get to work in design, project management, event planning, and be doing some miscellaneous grunt work. I haven't been able to ascertain the specifics yet. But, I do know that this is a new program so the position sort of is what I make it. That's the feeling I get anyway and that's kinda cool.
The reason for starting this blog is to document all of my interesting (and profound, I'm sure) thoughts during all of these changes. My friends and family know that I don't like change, but I always seem to throw myself in the middle of it just to see what I can do. I hope it'll make you laugh and maybe get you thinking a little bit. Who knows.
Anyway, I start work in a month, but will be doing research and training during that time. Thus far, I have found out that I will be living at 105% of the poverty level in my area. I will be making just over $10,000. You all can do the math on that. The idea is that I should try to experience what it would be like to live at the poverty level during my year of service. It seems strange that I'm living at 105% of that level and it should be a challenge, yet we all know it is because $10,000 isn't exactly the ideal salary. I like to think that I'm pretty good at budgeting and anticipating but we'll see. I've got some money saved for emergencies, but I'm going to try to do this like it should be done. I have to consciously cut out the excess spending I have been used to for the last year which I had the luxury of because I was fortunate to have two good jobs in my final year of college.
The AmeriCorps site wanted us to live in the impoverished area we would be working, so I guess I'm already cheating on that. But, they did say that if we could find someone to provide us housing at a low cost that was excited to have an AmeriCorps person with them, to take it. So, I'm counting it that way. I'm lucky in that regard and will be doing housework and some miscellaneous work for the McKee's company as payback. I hope to work out a monetary rent in the future as I get a better grip on the financials of it all.
Admittedly, I'm also receiving help from my parents with the car insurance and phone bill. So, those are my confessions and I am very lucky to have such caring people around me.
Things I will have to cut out that I am used to (judge as you will):
Manicures/Pedicures
Shopping trips with the girls
Going out with friends on a consistent basis
Not bargain shopping
Eating out all the time
Buying clothes I don't have a specific need for
Random Trips
On the flip-side, being ten hours away from where I spent the last four years of my life pretty much coupled with the fact that I have 14 hours from my closest family makes life a little interesting as well. So far, I'm mentally freaking out about it but have not shown any visible signs. Just noticed that I'm very focused on settling my living space so that I can feel like there is a little control and some styling of permanency around me. I am very thankful of the hospitality of everyone here, but I am nervous and it's no one's fault but my own. I want to make the best impression on everyone and realize that I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to be accepted. I know it'll all work out. I'm sure of it. But settling in is going to be a fun process. :)
That's all I can think of for now. All comments are welcome and I hope you follow me through my little journey.
For those reading who don't already know my story (although it is unlikely anyone outside of my immediate friends and family will read this), I will provide a little bit of background. The rest of you can consider this a refresher course.
I grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan playing a lot of softball and doing well in school. I didn't often think much about my future. On a whim, I decided to attend Elmhurst College, which is in a suburb of Chicago, and to continue playing softball. I played for two years, wasn't in love with it anymore so I found something else to do. That "something else" was anything I could get my hands on. I had two internships, participated in three clubs (started one of my own related to sustainability) and eventually became our student government president, all while staying academically strong.
I met a lot of great people at school, went through a lot of hard times, and gathered a new appreciation for how awesome my family is. I also came to realize that no matter what happens as long as you learn something new from it, then whatever the experience was, was one worth having. Oh, and I got a handy dandy degree in Marketing and Communications!
Now, I have moved out to South Dakota and am living with my boyfriend's parents and will begin working for AmeriCorps through Volunteers of America, Dakotas in August. As far as I have gathered I get to work in design, project management, event planning, and be doing some miscellaneous grunt work. I haven't been able to ascertain the specifics yet. But, I do know that this is a new program so the position sort of is what I make it. That's the feeling I get anyway and that's kinda cool.
The reason for starting this blog is to document all of my interesting (and profound, I'm sure) thoughts during all of these changes. My friends and family know that I don't like change, but I always seem to throw myself in the middle of it just to see what I can do. I hope it'll make you laugh and maybe get you thinking a little bit. Who knows.
Anyway, I start work in a month, but will be doing research and training during that time. Thus far, I have found out that I will be living at 105% of the poverty level in my area. I will be making just over $10,000. You all can do the math on that. The idea is that I should try to experience what it would be like to live at the poverty level during my year of service. It seems strange that I'm living at 105% of that level and it should be a challenge, yet we all know it is because $10,000 isn't exactly the ideal salary. I like to think that I'm pretty good at budgeting and anticipating but we'll see. I've got some money saved for emergencies, but I'm going to try to do this like it should be done. I have to consciously cut out the excess spending I have been used to for the last year which I had the luxury of because I was fortunate to have two good jobs in my final year of college.
The AmeriCorps site wanted us to live in the impoverished area we would be working, so I guess I'm already cheating on that. But, they did say that if we could find someone to provide us housing at a low cost that was excited to have an AmeriCorps person with them, to take it. So, I'm counting it that way. I'm lucky in that regard and will be doing housework and some miscellaneous work for the McKee's company as payback. I hope to work out a monetary rent in the future as I get a better grip on the financials of it all.
Admittedly, I'm also receiving help from my parents with the car insurance and phone bill. So, those are my confessions and I am very lucky to have such caring people around me.
Things I will have to cut out that I am used to (judge as you will):
Manicures/Pedicures
Shopping trips with the girls
Going out with friends on a consistent basis
Not bargain shopping
Eating out all the time
Buying clothes I don't have a specific need for
Random Trips
On the flip-side, being ten hours away from where I spent the last four years of my life pretty much coupled with the fact that I have 14 hours from my closest family makes life a little interesting as well. So far, I'm mentally freaking out about it but have not shown any visible signs. Just noticed that I'm very focused on settling my living space so that I can feel like there is a little control and some styling of permanency around me. I am very thankful of the hospitality of everyone here, but I am nervous and it's no one's fault but my own. I want to make the best impression on everyone and realize that I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to be accepted. I know it'll all work out. I'm sure of it. But settling in is going to be a fun process. :)
That's all I can think of for now. All comments are welcome and I hope you follow me through my little journey.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
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