Hans and Olive are great at playing dress up. They each have their own suitcase and we add to it quite often. In town here there is a thrift store that has two locations. One is the regular part and down the street is the store for furniture and larger items. They also have huge wheeled bins where all the clothes that haven't sold from the regular store end up. Here, you can fill a bag for a dollar. When I tell people about this they usually don't share my enthusiasm. You have to search through and it isn't a particularly inviting store. It is however the one place that I am a known regular here. I love these bins for several reasons. First off, it's awesome for dress ups. Second, sometimes clothes are useful just for the fabric alone, I usually come here first when I need velvet or linen or wool to felt. Lastly, I have found some really great clothes. Dozens of times I've found clothes that still have the tags on them, once I bought an entire bag of brand new Ernie Ball guitar straps. I mean like 70 of them. Those paid for our gas to and from Utah last time. I love Ebay. Getting back to the dress-ups though, Olive was a mermaid on her first Halloween. I made her a tail and everything and since she wasn't walking or crawling, I made it like a sack. Recently, it has become her favorite dress up and she will spend hours in the blue Ikea bag(the ocean). She must be carried in the bag because mermaids cannot be out of the water. Sometimes she will sit at the dinner table, in the bag, while she eats. I am totally cool with that though because I love to watch my kids use their imaginations. I love to ask what they would like to be when they grow up. Siobhan is old enough that she has started to form real ideas. Hairdresser or writer. Oscar wants to be an engineer or an architect. Hans wants to be Spiderman(but still live with me) or a robot(but still live with me). Olive wants to be a cat. Siobhan has actually written to a local beauty shop in hopes that she could help sweep up or something, free of charge, just to see if she would really like to do that. That got me thinking of my first job. So, today let's list 5 places we have worked.
#1. Rocky Coast Ice Cream- THE place to work in high school. He only hired high schoolers and paid us in cash in tiny manila envelopes with all the tax deductions written on the flap. Awesome job!
#2. Holmans Department Store- I worked in the gift wrap department and probably wrapped about 10 things in my career there.
#3. Oneida Factory Outlet- I worked here for several years, for my Aunt. It was pretty fun and I like to wow Pete with our shared knowledge of flatware patterns.
#4. Discover Card- I worked here for a few years. I started in collections(awful) and luckily was quickly moved into the Phonebank. I loved when people called in and wanted to talk about their "Discovery" account.
#5. Chevy's- This was my first job in Utah. I always wanted to try being a waitress and I really enjoyed it actually. Unfortunately, when I was home for my grandparents funeral this happened. My manager, Jason, was among those killed. When I went back a few days later it was awful. People came in to sight see and asked awful questions. I didn't stay much longer after that.
So, I am hoping that you are all still in it to win it. I won't be offended if you guys think the list thing sucks. I promise not to single anyone out for not posting a list this time. Have a good Wednesday!
13 comments:
Mattie: I still can’t figure out what is wrong. I might have to try another computer. Here is my list for this week, do you want my books still or maybe just for you to read?
Love you mucho! Luisa
Kmart: This was my first real job (at age 18!) other than my claim to have worked cleaning with my dad. I actually enjoyed this job; I started working there right before Halloween so it was a really busy time. Unfortunately I am way too sensitive to work as a cashier. I let people reduce me to tears.
STP Publishing: This was my first job after having kids. I worked for my friend Brenda. It started out in her house and then finally we got an office space. I don’t think that working for friends is really a good idea but this did work out for a good 2 years. Brenda and I didn’t speak for a while after I stopped working there but we did reconnect at my next job.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: God works in mysterious ways and after I stopped working for STP I stayed home with the kids again. Financially I could not afford this and when Silas was 5 months old I went to a temp agency to look for work. I happened to go to Westaff which held the government contract which translated to “more money”. I was given an assignment at the Corps and stayed for 8 years. Brenda also happened to work here after STP went under (not saying they couldn’t survive without me but it sounds good). I could fill up all five jobs just within this one. I started out as a PowerPoint Expert in Programs, Planning & Project Management, next I worked for Regulatory Branch as Program Support, I loved this position and was sad when I was unable to break in permanently, I also worked as support for our employees who volunteered to go over to Iraq and help (some were deployed). I liked doing this because we got to help the families connect with their loved ones via video conferencing. Finally I worked as a Tribal Liasion, best supervisor I ever had!
Zion Preparatory Academy: My final resting place! For now at least. I work as registrar/receptionist. It is a private Christian school & I am blessed to also have my kids attend here. It is a lot of work and little pay but I do enjoy it. It’s nice to keep an eye on the kids during the day, especially Elijah who is a job in himself. Zion is like a family for us and I am really grateful to all the staff here who have worked with my family, so in a way this is my way to give back a little. I have a special talent for remembering people and information about them so it is a good fit for me and I love all the kids!
My first real job.
Bratten's Fisheries: Boxing Halibut steaks for my dad. Cold, smelly and early in the morning. Everything a 12 year old kid could ask for.
Moonlighted at Broilerworks. The only burger job I ever had. Also the funnest. Every person that worked there was a close friend. It was like getting paid to hang out. Me and Travis and Misty worked every Sunday for a year with the same hangover....
Smiths food and drug: bagger, assistant Dairy manager then meat department clerk.Again cold, not too smelly and early in the morning or late at night. I did have a lot of friends though.
Macy's- Where I have been for 14years in one form or another. Repair shop associate, delivery driver, warehouse manager, Recieving manager and now Merchant.
Mattie- I love the list. It gives me something to look forward to on Wednesdays.
Okay my firt job was a paper route. I was in really young and my Dad would help me fold the papers and drive me around to deliver them.
Millers Outpost- I was sixteen, could drive myself to work and was seasonal help for Christmas. Thank God it didn't last long!
Totes- One day at work I told another employee that I thought the girl who worked across the way at Oneida was my upstairs neighbor. Long story short, Mattie and I have been friends ever since. And Mattie and I worked at Alexander and Lord together as well. Neither one of us really liked that job.
Monterey Bay Aquarium- Love the aquarium - would never want to work there again. Can you say BORING!?!
As well I have taught at six preschools. My favorite job though is the one I have now. I am a kindergarten/first grade teachers aide for Christ Lutheran School. I actually got the job because I became such good friends with Sami's first grade teacher. When the opening came up she asked me to take it. I have never been happier at a job and I get to be with my girls everyday. Who could ask for anything more?
Can't wait 'til next Wednesday!
I'm a big fan of the Wednesday lists! This helps me remember parts of my life that I've almost forgotten.
1. Hogle Zoo--I worked there when I was 15 and 16 in consessions and souveniors. Way fun!
2. Deseret Book Warehouse--I put tabs in the Bibles and Books of Mormon and I can't begin to tell you how many times it put me to sleep.
3. Payless Shoe Store--I try to be really nice to the workers when I go there now, because this was a demanding job--at least it was in the busy mall store where I worked.
4. A mortgage company in Logan--After Jeremy and I got engaged I felt desperate for more work and took the only job left in student-saturated Logan, Utah. They handed me the White Pages on my first day and I started cold-calling. I saw many other students come and go, but I was the only person desperate enough to come back more than three times.
5. OSU Medical Center--Just when I was wishing that I had gotten a different degree so I could have gotten a more stimulating job, I had to count my blessings because this job turned out to be a perfect match for me during my first pregnancy. Since my work only involved myself and my computer, I was free to go barf my lights out any time I felt the urge--the medical benefits were very helpful also.
Favorite - ATLAS MAINTENANCE, Pacific Grove, CA, Janitor
The reason I loved this job so much is because I worked for and with my Dad. We spent a lot of time together and we had a lot of really great talks. I learned so much about him during that time (and ate so much fast food). He also paid well. At 12, it was really nice to have some cash in my pocket to buy teen magazines featuring NKOTB (I liked Jon), even if I was scrubbing toilets for it (yes, I had chores at home too).
HOLLY FARM - Carmel Valley, CA, prep cook
Outdoor kitchen, totally rustic, listening to old school reggae all day and making brunch for the wedding party Sunday morning. I would have gotten married there if I could have afforded it. Check out their website, it is amazing! Chef Jerome made the most incredible couscous pudding that I still crave.
SPROUSE-REITZ - Pacific Grove, CA, cashier
Worked here as a junior in high school until they closed down. Almost as much of an institution in downtown PG as Holmans, but not quite. Creepy "haunted" basement one of the only exciting things about this job.
CAFE MADELEINE - San Francisco, CA, cake decorator
Would probably never have left this job if we could have afforded a house there. I really loved what I did, I thrived there. Wish he would open a store in Portland.
SEATTLE OPERA HOUSE - Seattle, WA, barista
Not only do I love coffee, I love opera, and I love wearing a bow tie. Seriously, the uniform was the worst part of this job. I made great friends, this was really a great time in my life. In the summer we worked at Chateau Ste. Michelle winery serving espresso during concerts on their huge lawn, eating great food and watching hot air balloons float by. Which is how I got to see Kenny Loggins perform Footloose, during which all of us went totally apeshit.
Even though it wasn't a real job, it is worth noting that there was one or two days that I filled in for my mom at the snack shack in the PG high school cafeteria. And Luisa, please post your book list, I was looking forward to it.
I don't know what happened to the first time I typed this list, so here is a shortened version of the original, in case it somehow shows up. Done by title, as the actual place of employment list is way too long.
1. Teacher: Currently 5th grade, but K is my favorite.
2. Retail: Oneida with Mattie, The Wherehouse with Travis, etc.
3. Customer Service: Alaska Airlines(ticket counter, baggage, gates), phone center, etc.
4. Recreation: Day camp is the best job ever!
5. Clerical: Least favorite, really shouldn't have done this more than once.
April
Where to begin:
1. The Ginza - My first real job. Washing dishes in a Japanese restaurant where they almost never spoke English in the kitchen. I needed the job to buy gas for my first car, a Studebaker.
2. Wagner's Furniture Manufacturing
We made fake antique furniture. Got a piece of saw blade in my eye and was laid off once the market was flooded with fakes and there was no demand.
3. Randazzo's Tree Service - We did tree work and house demolition, hopefully not at the same time. We also cleaned two beaches of trash and seaweed on Monday and Friday mornings. Probably the hardest I've worked in my life. $2.00 an hour with no overtime.
4. Pacific Grove Middle School or Jr. High back in the day. Custodian.6:00 PM till 2:00 AM. I used to hear someone practicing in the band room at the back of the auditorium. Creepy. The best thing about the hours was I would go to the bakery on my way home and buy chocolate milk and a doughnut and go home and rock a newborn Mattie while watching old movies on TV.
5. Pebble Beach Post Office. Starting my 35th year. Too many stories for here.
6. Atlas Building Maintenance. I had to add this because I had the honor and pleasure of working with my three daughters. This was a rough patch in my life and this helped me through, I will always be grateful.
Okay, have a few comments. Luisa, thank you for the list! I agree with Annisha, the best part of this list to me is all the things I have forgotten. Then, after I've made mine and see some other lists, I remember even more!Also, I did cold calling for Smiths and hated it, I can feel your pain. Brittney, I love that you worked at Millers Outpost, I'm trying to picture what your hair may have looked like! The way we met may have to be a post on it's own. April, I know you are a teacher but I will always associate you with The Wherehouse, those were good days. Alex, I wish we could somehow meld our Footloose experiences into one. I also worked the Snak Shack, but at the Junior High!Also, were the chores after Sharon? I don't remember chores at home or maybe I just didn't do any. Dad, I don't think that you realize Atlas helped ALL of us through a rough patch. Can't wait for Tuesday!
I loved evreryones lists. Like Annisha said, I'm having fun just remembering all the things that the lists bring up. So here's my list.
Brattens: I too smelled like stinky fish in the earliest hours of the day. Hated it. But I appreciate my Dad even more now that I think back on what he did everyday! The smell still makes me think of my dad(not a bad thing)
Spencers: This "novelty" shop was not my parents favorite place for me to work. But it was in the mall and friends came in to say hi a lot.
Snelgroves: Ice cream scooper. Took me a while to like ice cream again after this job. It all smelled like old milk.
Rice Industries: Filing and bookkeeping. Did this for 14 years(makes me sound old) But I did learn to use a computer.(not something I learned in school,not a part of everyday life in that era) (again makes me sound old)
Hairstylist: The Hairum, Laney Street Salon, Shelby Chase Salon, Salon Heatherwood, and currently in my dining room... my favorite place so far :)
Love to see all the lists and think back! This is a great idea!
Love You!
1. Carls Jr. David Ave. Monterey, CA. I started with Carls when I was 14. I handed out coupons at Cannery Row. Easiest money I ever earned. My favorite place to go was the arcade while I was working.
2. The Wharfside Restaurant, Fisherman's Wharf. I was a host here when I was 16. My only job I've ever had to wear a tie. I handed out chowder samples to tourists .
3. TARGET, San Leandro, CA I was 18 and living in a one bedroom apartment with my dad when I got this job. Somehow I made it two years. This job taught me there's nothing worse then the toy department during Christmas.
4. Jamba Juice, I started working with Jamba when I was 20. I had just moved to San Francisco for the first time and I wanted to quit working for TARGET. So I started my career in customer/food service.
5. Starbucks, since the summer of 1999. And yes, I am a Coffee Master. Although at my store I prefer the title Trash Master.
There are a few odd jobs that fell in between these. But these were the top five that stuck out in my head. Although I did consider when I was a CNA at Crestwood because I got to work with Sharon.
David
Big Wave! I'm stoked you posted a list! The best part is that I've known you long enough to remember you at all those jobs. I remember that you got Siobhan the Tickle Me Elmo at Target that first crazy year. I am honored to know a coffee master and proudly display the award ribbon you gave me from when you were at Del Monte enter. I also enjoyed visiting you in Sand City. So, welocme to the list. Blood in, blood out, you're part of the list now!
skI'm starting with the books,always late but well worth the wait.LOL,LOL.
1.AGNES BROWNE series.I cried like a little girl and threw the book.Also laughed hard as well.
2.VINCE FLYNN series.
3.LEE CHILD series.
4.BRAD THOR series.
5.JOHN STIENBECKS OF MICE AND MEN
"REMEMBER THE RABBITS,LENNY."
CONCERTS
1.ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH OR ABOUT skanking pickle.I realize most reading this dont know me very well or at all so I feel bad that I just wasted your valuable reading time that must be precious with a lie.Oddly enough they did play at most shows I went to,booooo.
2.SKAFEST.Where said lead singer/MOSES stage dove(dived)into a huge packed audince and fell into obscurity.BAD MANNERS was the final act and the horn section from the 15 or so bands came out to play CAN CAN.Lead singer from S.P.gave me one of the happiest moments in my life.
JOBS
1.ATLAS BUILDING MAINT.'NUFF SAID!
2.BANNISTER SHOES.DAVE FISHBACK!BOOM!YOU DONT WANT NONE SON.YOU KNOW IT WAS A GOOD TRY BUT ITS ALL WRONG.
3.ONIEDA.HONEY.UMMMMMMMMM...YEAH ITS LIKE THAT.
SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO ILAGAN AQUINO
:REFER #2
Pat- I am so glad to see your list. I was saving Skankin Pickle for 5 best BBQ invitations. As I advised David, blood in blood out. Now if you could get Ilagan......
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