Today is Tuesday, May 15th, 2012.
It is 4:01 pm, Sunny and 87 degrees outside. I am happy…no, ecstatic(but we’ll get to that later)!
I went into work yesterday, and as expected, was met with a heavy quiet feel in the meat department. The wife would not even look at me and stomped around like a child with her ears and neck ablaze with a red tell. The boss didn’t say a word to me as I started my routine. “Seriously?…What the f^&k” I thought to myself. Oh well I didn’t care, I had consigned to just doing my job, and making my $8/hr…no time or pay for drama bullshit. I knew it would be drama and attitude from the wife today, I mean it was freight day after all and she hates to work. SO she always stomps around like a child, making evryone’s life hell, complaining and bitching about Every Little thing! I wasn’t sure if the Store manager had told my boss about working Sunday’s or not(I’m pretty sure he was going to wait until after the trip today and tomorrow that they are taking together), but I didn’t care. Then my boss asks me if it was busy on Sunday…”It was pretty busy, why?” I asked. “Because the cheese and Bacon had nor been put out”(His Wife’s section). “Well you told me when I am running the meat department by myself, not to worry about the deli side!” He paused for a second then said “If it gets that busy you both need to call me.” I was puzzled…first, it was just me, she wasn’t working, and second…It wasn’t that busy that I couldn’t handle the meat department….as a matter of fact I did great. When I left the whole case was full(including the specials), I had worked up some shrimp on a side job, and the deli wasn’t out of anything! SO F^&* You! I departed from the conversation and non chalauently went back to re-working the meat from today’s date. Then this happened…
He was out looking at the case, and then called my name and ..(I Shit you Not) summoned me with his finger as if I was a little kid! I went out to the case and he says “Why are the cutlets up there and the pork steaks down there?” as he pointed to the spots. “I don’t know.” I said and laughed and walked back into the meat prep room. Then I started thinking…”I know that people sometimes trash the meat case…but never have I seen meat moved like that…and I KNOW I didn’t do it, because I cut Pork Cutlets on Sunday, and put 4 new ones under the 2 already there(In the right spot)…And it couldn’t have been the checkers(who stock the case at night before they leave from the cooler) because they Only stock up meat running low in its place in the case. NO…someone had to purposefully move pork chops, make a spot for the cutlets, then move the cutlets, and then move pork steaks into the empty spot…AND those pork steaks had to be pulled from the cooler because I know how many were out. So…you thinking what I’m thinking? That’s right! The boss and /or his wife had to come in after I left and mess with the case! Are you KIDDING ME! Then they had the little show of pulling me out there and asking how I had screwed up by putting something in the wrong spot…which Honestly Isn’t a Big Deal! What a couple of children! AS I stood at the table, cutting meat…I ignored the obvious, huffy, slamming things in the garbage, passive aggressive behavior. I had already decided that I Was Done…I would no longer absorb any of this drama and crap, after being used and lied to about time with my daughters, and a Significant Pay Raise. I was going to give them $8/hr “Give a Shit” labor, and work place policy. And that’s when this happened…
I am cutting the case(what needs to be cut to make it full after I have re-worked the dated meat), and doing great. It is not even the first break(8:30am) and I am already half way down the list(the boss can cut the meat case by the 10pm break, and that is always my goal, and I have done it many times), and sure to cut the case by 10am break. And then he comes back to me with a New York steak I had just cut…moves me over without saying a word, takes my knife, and I shit you Not…trims off less than an 1/8th of an inch of fat off the end. And that Lady’s and Gentlemen is the ONLY thing he could pick at about my meat cutting in his ignorant and petty attempt to punish me for his wife. I continued cutting and when it got to be 8:30, I took of my aprons, and gloves, and grabbed my coat. We always go out on breaks together, and I waited until 8:33 (watching both of them walk by the front of the case) and then knew they were being passive aggressive again, and were not going to go smoke with me…so I went out alone. I walked down the back of the store and away from the usual smoking place, found some wooden pallets and sat down. I laughed to myself as I took in the most magnificently gorgeuos Montana morning…the snow still in patchy caps on the mountains, the sky blue as could be and the sun throwing colors over the backs of the mountains that hid the day to come. The air was crisp and clean and a little cool…and in the distance, on top of the billboard(where it is every morning), up by the highway…sang the Meadowlark ..it was a beautiful day out. I finished my cigarette and stood up…the pallets making an adjusting noise, I walked towards the door and saw them there! They were standing just out of my sight, and silent(No doubt spying on me to see if I was on the phone, etc…)…I walked right by them, not making eye contact or saying a word! I walked back in the meat prep room and put on my aprons and gloves…checked on the list and started cutting meat again. I saw nothing of them, as he was no doubt groveling at her feet and mood helping her stock cheese, as I cut away. It was 9:20 am and I was 2 cuts from having the list done, and that’s when this happened…
My boss came in and started putting on his apron, and gloves…went in the cooler pulled out a Bottom Round Flat piece of beef to cut the next item on the list. I Was Done! I hadn’t been feeling well…a bit dizzy and low energy, but had decided to work through the day….but now I was sure. I was going home sick. I took off my aprons, gloves, and put on my coat. I walked up to him and told him “I don’t feel very well, I think I should go home.” “Yeah..O.k.” he said with a smirk on his ill hidden face. He was happy to see me go, I thought as I walked out and got in my car. I drove home.
I came home, went to the bathroom(I seriously didn’t feel well), filled out the paperwork for a review of my child support…which was a financial and paperwork colonoscopy, and headed in to town. I needed to stop at the store and also drop off my resume at the place the lady at the store told me about. As I pulled up to the place, I said a little prayer…”Lord let your will be done in my life.” I walked in and waited for someone to greet me. Then a man walked in and asked what I was looking for. I told him that I was looking for Mr. or Mrs. XXXXXXX, and that I had my resume. He said he was Mr. XXXXX and asked if I could meet right now for a few minutes. I said Yes, and followed him to his office. We had a Great Interview, and I could tell he was impressed with my resume. I left having hope that this would go through and I could one day walk into the meat deprtment and tell them I quit and watching their faces as they realized what they were losing. I drove home with hope in my heart…drank a few beers, watched a movie I had already seen…thought about a new job…and eventually went to bed.
I woke up this morning at 6:13am. It is my day off and I was determened to sleep in. I got up and went to the bathroom in the light slowly slipping in through the towels over the windows from the morning. I kept my eyes closed as much as possible, and went back to bed. Believe it or not I was able to sleep in until 10 am! I was so excited when I looked at the clock and knew that I had slept in, and that my body was able to get some well needed rest. I got up, got dressed and headed to town for my “day off Coffee” treat. I returned home with a list of things to do today. Write to you; work out; check for a message from the interview; shower; go to the lake; go to the library and upload the blog and get my last 3 years tax returns(needed for the Child Support Review); do the dishes; cook up some Cod; and relax! I know…right? alot to do on a relaxing day off…and it was already 10:30am. SO I got most of them done…I have yet to cook the Cod(which is thawing on the counter), I didn’t go to the Lake, and I don’t think I will do the dishes tonight. However, I got everything else done. SO while I was at the library checking my e-mail, this happened…
I opened an email that was titled “concerning my ad”….my heart raced as I tried to believe this was true. I opened the e-mail….and sure as sh^t it WAS a return from my ad. She gave me all her credentials, and thanked me for considering her. I about flipped out!…Right there in the library! I was Estatic! It happened…it really happened, this is going to happen! I read through the e-mail, returned my response, and drifted on that simple beautiful happening of life as I drove through town and finished my errands. I AM SO HAPPY! I mean…you don’t understand. I am one step away from being Published! And the Novel…”Yeah, it’s Good!” SOOOOoooo….I got home, and put gas in the generator, and started writing to you. It is 5:17pm now, and I still have fish to cook, and a movie to watch that I got from the library(free), and some daydreaming to be done. I have worked out today, got all my paperwork done, it is still sunny and hot out and I think I will soak some in, and rest in the last part of my day off. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
So, to you here in the States, and to you around the World, I say…Take what you can get without taking it from others; never give up on your dreams; and be a good, kind person. Share love instead of selfishness, embrace justice instead of personal gain, and realize that you are not perfect. You will judge others for the same things you
from the desk of yours truly~
do, you will hate in others what you hate in your self, and you have a choice! Try to become a better person and make the world a better place, or just make yourself happy…no matter the expense of others.
peace,love,understanding~
