Now a Whine From Our Sponsor

Somewhere in my life someone told me somethings that I have believed. And although I have begun to see that these things are wrong, I still want to believe them. I really don’t want to have these images shattered. This two lies are simple: People are innately good; and Hard work and honesty will pay off. And even though I have time and again seen this disproved by life, I still have trouble casting it away.

Again, today, I have seen these principles tossed aside. I had been told last week that I would get a call about working today (Monday). I was also told that although it could not be guarenteed, working was probable and I should wait for a call from Kelly Services. I had not heard anything so I went to the place I worked and checked the assignment board. I was listed on the board under the title “Temp.” So, I was caught in a quandary: did I not go to work because I was not called and then find I was supposed to work? Or, did I go to work only to find I was not supposed to be there? I opted to go to work as this would be the proper thing to do if I was being paid and the employer was counting on me.

As you can probably guess, I got to work and was told, by one of the bosses, “I don’t need you.” I said that I was on the board. He said that I should go to the other part of the building because he did not need me. (I had already started to unpacking pop machines by this point. I believe if you are going to be at work, you should be working.) So I sat and waited for the other boss to arrive. When she got there, she told me that they didn’t need me but that I should wait around to see if anyone doesn’t show up. As you can probably guess, everybody showed up. So I got to go home, at 6:45 am.

Now what honked me off is two of the people who did get to work were two people who just stood around for an hour last Tuesday. Instead of trying to find something to do, they just stood outside and smoked. To me, that smacks of theft: if you are paid to work, you don’t just stand around and smoke for an hour. So, the two who took the place for a ride keep their job, and I, who looked for things to do if I was on the clock, end up going home.

Later, around 9 am, I get a phone call from Kelly services telling me that I shouldn’t go into work today as my position has been ended. Of course, I had already been to work and have returned by this time.

I called back to verify that I have received the call and to say that being called at 9 am for a job where I usually went in at 6 am was “inconvenient” to say the least. I also wondered if since I did go in if I was not entitled to some pay. They said they would get back to me.

And about people being nice…

Companies that won’t hire people but will get temps. Companies that put temps with full time employees even when to do so means that both the temp and them employee is in danger of injury. Companies that will rely on temps but will not extend any security to the temp. Governments that will give cars to judges but expect working folks to drive their own cars and use our tax dollars to pay for the judges cars. Bosses who walk in and say, “We don’t need you.” Why is it so hard to be nice?
It probably has become repetitive, but I am so sick of this whole thing. I am sick of having 10 years of college and am working sweeping floors. It is not that I am too good to sweep floors, it just seems a waste of an education. We also get told how badly the church needs clergy and here I sit, waiting for a call.

Oh, yes, I would like some cheese with this whine.

Been a While

Sorry I havne't written in a while. (Well, a week.) Work is getting to me. I have been working 10 hour days and one day last week it was more like a 15 hour day. When I come home, I am whipped!

Poor Nick. I just want to come home and go to sleep. Needless to say, this do not do much in the line of romance. Actually, they wanted to change my hours which meant that we would only "see" each other between midnight and 7 am. Totally unacceptable.

I have not heard from any of the churches yet. I hope to soon. I have also found an opening for a chruch that is Episcopal, Lutheran, and Presbyterian. Hey! I cover two-thirds of those denominations! Maybe this will be a good fit.

Otherwise, I have been having a pity-party. I get into the "I have gone to 10 years of college to be moping floors!?" trap. I feel so whiney but I can't seem to shake it.

Oh, well, tomorrow is again back to the warehouse and the sodas.

Hope your life is going well! Peace to you all!

Feeling in shape?

Double click on picture and check out step 24!

Ok, so I'm reliving my college days. "And One Day I'll Be Dead, Yo, Yo!"

Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me

I had this on my blog before but the link does not work so here it is again.

Ewan could sing this to me!

Puttin' out Pop Machines

I have never thought about pop machines before. They were just something that was there. Sometimes they were intrusive, but mostly they were conviences that were there when I needed them and annoying when they weren't there when I wanted one.

Well, I have been spending the last three days in "pop machine land." I have been preping pop machines and pop coolers and have been delivering, removing, and moving pop machines.

First off: Pop machines are heavy! (Ah Duh, you say!) But do we really consider how heavy they are? They are refridgerators with advertisments and added mechanics. And moving these things up and down stairs is a real trip. They actually have this thing that will climb steps automatically. Kind of cool!

Then there are the coolers: Refridgerators with glass doors. And you CAN'T BREAK THE DOOR! So you have to move it with care even when you have a whole 2 inches to negotiate. But the customer is a big account so we must keep the customer happy! (Actually, I am not complaining. I actually enjoyed the job.)

And I learned the graphics didn't just appear on the machines. Think GIANT sticker. (29 inches x 6 feet) Now, put this thing on straight and without air bubbles. There are all kinds of tricks but if I told you, I would have to kill you.

Then comes the travel to put the things out. Yesterday, we left at 6:30 am and got back at 9:00 pm. When two hours are spent just getting there, they want you to do as much as possible.

Actually, not a bad job. I am enjoying it. It is a part of the world I have never thought of.

Those Nagging Anniversaries

It was interesting yesterday morning: Here is was Easter and I was not responsible for making sure the Easter Breakfast was going to happen. This breakfast was part of the "other duties as assigned" that are part of a job but are not anything they tell you about when you take the job. This breakfast consisted of getting people to donate pans to use, donate food and to help set up, cook, and take down. As you my know, I am a TOTALLY organized person. (Yep, and how 'bout some swampland in Florida.)

Now I also had two LOVELY assistants who always found it better to complain than to help. They would sit back and watch, not offer any help, and then complain when things did not go as they had wanted. But do you think they would help me? In my opinion, that is the definition of crazy-making.

Letter to my LOVELY assistants:

Dear Sybil and Veruca,

How was Easter Breakfast this year?

Did it go well? That is good. I am glad.

You are probably thinking that it went so well bause Pr. Ben wasn't there
to screw it up. But let's think about it. It went well this year
because you had control and could do things the way you wanted. So, it
must have looked like it was all my fault.

But, you know, I would think that something else happened. This year
you didn't sit back and wait for me to fail. This year you got in there
and helped. So things went well. You also know, if you had helped
for the past three years, things could have gone much better. Instead of
waiting for me to fail and then saying, "See, he is lazy and inept", you could
have helped me and things would have been better all around.

Unfortunately, you will not see this. All you will see is how much
"better" things are now that I am gone. And you will feel all
self-righteous that now that I am gone things can be back to where they
were. Well, I hope you enjoy the feeling. But hopefully you can feel
the twinge that maybe if you would have helped, things could have been better
all the way around.

Your former "lazy" pastor,
Ben

Well, the child in me would love to send that. But again, they probably wouldn't understand. The child in me wants to hurt them as much as I allowed myself to be hurt by them. I would hope that in the future, I would have the nads to tell them that they can either be part of the solution or to just get out of the way.

Oh, well, live, learn, and grow.

Happy Easter!

May the Joy and Beauty of this season be with you and yours not only today, but the whole year through.

Oh, just wait, this is Easter! You mean the tracks in the snow were bunny tracks and not reindeer tracks!?

Happy Easter to you all!

Trip to Saugatuck

Nick didn't have to work yesterday so he was wonderful and suggested we get away for mini-vacation. So we decided to go to Saugatuck for a couple of days. We have both been under a fair amount of stress lately and he thought it would be good to get away.

So we packed up and got someone to let the dog out. Then we headed on our way. Now last weekend was beautiful. Even Monday was great. But this weekend... Well, we left with snow flurries in the air and a fairly stiff breeze. I did manage to get gas at $2.54 a gallon, just before it went up to $2.86/gallon.

We went first to South Haven and did some shopping. One to the thing we saw in a store was just hilarious was a knife holder called "The Ex." We had wished we knew someone who had gotten a divorce just so we could give it to them.

We then went and checked into our hotel and went shopping. It was nice to be in a place where there are more "'mos" per square mile than a Three Stooges convention. Many of the shops were owned by "family members."

We had a late lunch and the place had cream of crab soup. They only make it on the first Friday each month and we were lucky enough to be there on the right day! It was great stuff. We sat and ate and watched it snow.

Later we braved near blizzard conditions to go out to one of the local gay resorts. The place is called The Dunes. We thought the bar at "The Midwest's Largest Gay Resort" should have been a pretty happening time. Well... It was snowing and the Friday before Easter. But there was an underwear and speedo show on the big screen televisions. And besides, I was with Nick. (Sorry for the mushy part.)

I could barely see the road on the way home and it was not from the the beers. The snow was falling and blowing. Now remember, this was SUPPOSED to be a spring get-away.

When we awoke we were greeted with this: It snowed all night.

Nick was feeling bad because he wanted it to be wonderful. But it was wonderful. It was fun in the fact that it was nothing we would have predicted. And besides, I got to spend some time with Nick which I haven't been able to over the past week.

Grrrr...

I was just talking to one of my former coworkers and we got talking about why I was let go while other employees were kept. I guess people were talking and the only thing that they can come up with is that I was gay. I was a better worker. I didn't take as much time off. I was always on time. The only thing would have to be that I was gay. I am kind of worried for Nick.

This is a Disgrace

I found this article at QueerSighted. It outraged me! Someday I hope to be a gay geezer and I hope I don't have to worry about being abused or abandoned when I get there.

This is something we all need to be concerned about.