I made it three days without getting fired so I might as well "own it."
Usually there is quite a bit of shock when I tell them I'm now a groundskeeper.
However, almost everyone has been encouraging. There are three things about my job which appeal to everyone in my peer group.
1. Free tuition for family at a good private college...
2. Non Obama-care insurance
3. Retirement.
The order of importance of these issues depends upon the age of the person I talk to and the number of kids in the family.
No one asks about the pay...
It is an interesting job. I'm not really qualified for the job. I'm not all that excited about working outside in the rain. But, it is a fun place to work, everyone is nice, and there is quite a bit of humor in my situation. I swear, I have NEVER been hired for a job which I knew how to do. AND, I have never (yet) been fired.
I will say that after a long and tiring summer I was looking forward to time spent talking to random farmers who stop by the shop for coffee.
But on the other hand, I get to drive an old Gator around campus and it is beautiful weather and beautiful girls wave at me. Guys do not wave. It is kind of funny.
I suspect that as I learn how to do my job there will be more time for hanging out and drinking coffee with the Hispanic guys.
I am supposed to be completing my sexual harassment seminar online. I have several training courses to do on my own. This has proved to be difficult as I need to work with the school email. It is quite annoying. Has a complicated security password which I have already forgotten.
I took the sexual harassment seminar one already, but didn't have the password to record the training so I have to take it again.
The attractive 20-something fellow employee said it was ok to take it multiple times should I fail the first time. This was a joke! I was quite thrilled to be interacting with someone on the job! I laughed politely appreciating the irony of a slightly suggestive comment about sexual harassment training, but also cataloguing the comment in case she will be Sexually Harassment-ing me.
All jokes aside, this sexual harassment deal is kind of scary. If someone wants to target you for something they can certainly nail you.
But Friday was a good day. I trimmed some shrubbery. Jose' was showing me how to trim a fern when there was a strange gurgling croaking noise and he jumped back. He had almost clipped a frog with his clippers. The frog was quite upset, (it was the frog who made the noise.)
Jose' got out his phone and photographed the frog. Then he made a little nest for the frog under the fern. The frog's attitude did not improve. But, it was five minutes till break time and we did need to drive across campus to the break room.
When we returned the frog had vanished. Jose' was quite disappointed. He had come to like the frog.
Here are some bushes that I trimmed.
When I left Friday evening the boss asked me if I was returning Monday. I told him I had to return to work off all the shirts I had been given as the nice work-study girl at the supply department told me I had to cut school logo off it I quit within 90 days. (more humor on the job!)
He thanked me for working so hard and told me I was doing a good job. I told him it was all Jose' who was a groundskeeping genius and I enjoyed learning from him.
He stressed that I was doing well and thanked me again for my hard work.
I suspect they say that to everyone....
Saturday I spent all day putting the duals on tractors for planting and farming.
Today I'm going to see my father.
Monday, I'm back to wage slavery. I wonder if instead of doing the, "Job Safety" seminar online I can just watch Caddy Shack again... I think it is on Amazon Prime.
Posts
friend of mine said they ask if you are coming back because so many take a job and quit, take a job and quit, take a job and quit.
ReplyDeletemakes you wonder what the quitters are living on without a paycheck.
by the way, i think the undergarb market is wide open, especially for pretty colors in soft stretchy comfy fabrics!!!
I missed the first entry on this. I was worried that there would be no more food for me and my family but it sounds like you will still be producing what is really needed. Anyone can trim a bush but who can grow food? Try teaching that to some of your co-workers.
ReplyDeleteGrace and peace
this is the best job ever.....
ReplyDelete*goes and makes more popcorn*
There's good and bad on every job. The hard part is figuring out which is which.
ReplyDeleteFYI employers do read employee's social media which is not good unless you are 100% anonymous. In my former (most-recent) gig we terminated a few people for their personal internet commentary (which happened to be of a admiration nature but was interpreted as 'harassment.'
ReplyDeleteSo I will have to either repress or go to an invitation only blog?
DeleteIt's unfortunate that we cannot really say what we think and observe. We live where freedom of speech is important and assumed. Employers can leverage anything you may say, especially as it relates to events or other people at a place of employment. In my world a guy was keeping sort of a personal blog about work, commenting on his projects in a rather abstract way. He was attracted to another employee and comment on this blog about the person, what they wore, how 'hot' they looked, etc. Once discovered accidentally that was it. That's also an interesting question re an invitation only blog. It's a cut and paste world so most things are only momentarily confidential. Just remember that anything gender, age, race, ethnicity or religious in nature becomes an issue. As a guy sort of looking for a job and having had a pretty good one for a while I have to repress a lot of things that I'd like to say on my blogs. Colleges are pretty aggressive on all these issues. I'm sorry I brought it up.
DeletePerhaps you could just comment "fired" after each post which your HR experience tells you I'm in trouble. I lack filters. Gets me in trouble.
Delete