May 06, 2008
I love the cookies here
So my first week at my new job has gone rather smoothly. I feel like I'm fitting in for the most part. My screw-ups have been minor. Most of my learning attempts were more or less on the mark, as opposed to "dude, what did you do to this dressing?" As one of my co-workers put it, (paraphrasing) We haven't had to throw out anything you've done, so it hasn't been a complete disaster.
There seem to be a handful of people there who are genuinely interested in actually training me, meaning they are making conscious efforts for me to learn things and get up to speed. For this, I am rather grateful. I really want to be as productive as possible as fast as possible.
Another group of my co-workers just seem to want to get everything done, which is fine. After all, everything does need to get done. However these folks would much rather keep me doing the same few tasks over and over because it's faster to keep me doing something I know than train me on something I don't.
The real key is balancing the two approaches. There are good times to train me and good times to just dump me onto tasks that I already know how to do. As long as I'm making overall progress, everything is OK.
Meanwhile Bride-of-Mayonnaise and I are trying to find an apartment. With the end of the school year, a lot of the college kids are vacating, which theoretically means there are more places to rent. Unfortunately 90% of the places don't allow dogs, or at least big dogs, which is really hampering our search.
Today we finally found a place that seems acceptable, so BoM filled out an application.
The whole process is a little strange because we can't really supply references. I've owned my own home for over 10 years. I have no previous landlords! Here: look at my bank account. I just sold a house and have more than enough money to pay rent with, ok? I'll pay six months in advance if it makes you feel better!
Let's hope that's acceptable.
The thing is, I really like where I'm living - on the island. I love driving across the water on my way home. I enjoy sitting out on the back deck after work and watching my father-in-law play farmer out in his ten acre field. I love being able to look up on a cloudless night and being able to see the stars - EVERY FRAKIN ONE OF THEM!
OK, living in somebody else's basement isn't all that great, but there certainly are perks to living here.
I guess I'll just have to visit from time to time.
Posted by Paul at 06:40 PM | Comments (1)
Test
This is a test.
Posted by Paul at 06:38 PM | Comments (0)
May 01, 2008
The Light in a Stranger's Eye
A few days ago a fifty-one year old man had a heart attack while at the wheel of a tractor trailer. The semi veered off the road and into a telephone pole, splitting it into two pieces and ripping the wires from a nearby building. That building was the main relay station for region; as a result, a huge piece of this island I live on was without phone or DSL for until sometime this morning.
The driver was DoA.
I have been going through internet withdrawal. Fortunately I didn't have too much e-mail to catch up on; even the spammers seem to have left me alone for the past few days. I do have a lot of news and blogs to go through, but I might just let some of that slide.
The big news, however, is that a few hours before I went totally incommunicado I got a call back from a job interview I had on Monday. Had that call come a few minutes later, it would have been a complete disaster since the guy would never have been able to get a hold of me! As it was, he did get a hold of me and ... I have a job!
Yay job!
I believe that my official job description is "breakfast cook", although it's probably safe to drop the word breakfast.
I consider this to be a wonderful thing because:
- Any job is a good thing.
- I really like the menu; it's really a very "me" type of place.
- It's REAL food - they even make their own mayonnaise!
- I'm pretty sure my boss reads my blog, ergo this is the most wonderful job ever.
Yeah, they hired me even after finding my web page. Rather daring of them, don't you think? I was only there about 5 minutes (on my first day) before I started getting some strange questions and instantly made the connection. "Oh, so you've found my website."
Apparently having "Mayonnaise" in the name of your website actually helps when one tried to get a job in the food service sector.
My first two days have been relatively unremarkable in terms of the work I've been doing. On my first day I cut a billion onions and potatoes. Today was a little more exciting because I got to make salsa and granola. That is, I actually made something, so I felt like I really was a cook (as opposed to a flunky cutting potatoes and onions).
Today my boss promised me two pairs of "cook pants" (this term makes sense if you've ever worked in a real restaurant). When those come in I'll really be full of myself.
The kitchen is unusually bright because we have a huge window looking into the prep area. The place used to be the original Ben and Jerry's (THE original, from what I understand), so those windows were once service windows. Now they just let us look out at people on the street, who sometimes look in, and even give us a playful wave now and then.
Of course, with all these potential customers looking in at us, we have to keep the kitchen looking spiffy and shiny. It's the cleanest kitchen I've ever worked in, without a doubt. I'm sure I was hired because I'm extraordinarily handsome and will look good in that window.
The really odd thing about this place though, is how quickly I opened up. Usually on my first few days (or even weeks) at a job I'm very quiet while I'm sizing up the situation. Here I was uncharacteristically talkative and making jokes right from the start. I don't think I'm being a jerk ... but I guess I'll find out soon enough.
I am, however, being a proverbial bull in a china shop. I am just a freakin' mess. I have no idea what my problem is, but I am constantly knocking things over and spilling things. I need my area marked off with bright yellow tape because I'm such a disaster! It's totally embarrassing while at the same time nerve wracking. I'm convinced that I'm making a horrible first impression because of it, and am sure that at any moment I'm going to get tossed out on my ass.
Hopefully I'll quickly put that behind me. So far nobody's gotten hurt and nothing has gotten ruined, so I think I'm in the clear.
The thing is, I have never, ever, ever, at any time been like this! I usually keep a clean kitchen and a clean workstation. Every other place I've worked at, I've been the neurotically clean guy - washing my hands 500 times per day and constantly wiping everything down.
What the hell happened? I don't think it's nerves. I don't feel nervous.
Maybe I'm over-caffeinated.
Maybe I'm over-medicated! My allergies have been a nightmare this week, so I'm starting every morning off with a cocktail of pills and sprays.
Who knows? I have the weekend off to regroup before I go back to work next week. Hopefully I'll give a better show then.
Posted by Paul at 07:05 PM | Comments (3)
