Farewell, Employment! (Part 3)

mobil sign on grey brick wall
Originally uploaded by limonada.

Ah, my days at the Mobil station!

I got this job when I was 18 years old, because I figured that all you had to do to be a gas station attendant was sit there. I was mostly right. What I didn't know was that my job duties would also include explaining many times daily that I personally had nothing to do with rising gas prices, I had no control over the fact that we were out of Marlboro Lights, and I really had no idea why the crazy guy who works the midnight shift closed the store for two hours last night.

And the midnight guy really was super deranged. He was this weird goth dude who was in some sort of emo/heavy metal band (I really have no idea, I listened to one song ever maybe, and had to stop. It was painful.) Because we were so often out of cigarettes, customers would get really confrontational sometimes, and this guy would just pull out a baseball bat from under the counter and threaten them. It was funny for some reasons (Camp Dearbornites coming in from down the street needed to be threatened) but most of the time it was just really frightening.

I worked most of my shifts at Mobil with this cute 16 year old girl named Collette. She and I were both young and attractive, so naturally, all the creepy older guys from town would come "to grab some coffee" and then stand around and try to talk to us for a half hour or more. Disgusting. On the other hand, I had all of my friends come visit me at work for free coffee and slurpees, and they would stay and chat with me for hours. I got in trouble quite a few times for that after my bosses watched the security tapes.

Luckily, when I was working at Mobil, gas was only $1.50 a gallon. Even then, people were pissed. And they would get pissed at me like I had some sort of control over the situation. I can only imagine the hell that todays attendants go through. Don't yell at these people! Don't even discuss it. They know it's expensive. They work there and see it all day long. They don't need to hear it from you, now grab your Krispy Kreme and get out!

My Life is Random

DSC00330
Originally uploaded by b.e.n..

The other day I was driving home from work. It was really hot outside and since the a/c in my car doesn't work I had the windows rolled down and was enjoying a slight breeze. I stopped at a stop sign, like you do, when all of the sudden I saw a figure out of the corner of my eye and something pelted me HARD in the side of my head. It felt like a bottle or something, and my head immediately began throbbing.

While I was attempting to figure out what had just happened, I started driving again, looked in my rearview mirror, and saw this big guy all nonchalantly crossing the street behind me. I desperately wanted to stop the car, jump out, and ask him what the hell?? But I was alone and really didn't know what this person was capable of.

As I was driving away, still seriously not able to process the last 45 seconds of my life, I realized that whatever had hit me had not been knocked into the back seat as I had thought. "It" was wedged between my back and the seat back. I pulled it out. An orange bic lighter. I couldn't believe something so small had hurt so bad (my head hurt for hours) but I guess the guy had been pretty close to me when the lighter attack occurred.

I wish I knew what had inspired this person to be so violent towards me. Girl problems? Mental illness? Or did I one day personally piss him off? I will probably never know.

Farewell, Employment! (Part Two)

kroger
Originally uploaded by primalktc.

First of all, I must apologize in advance for the lack of interesting drivel that might follow in days to come. I have come to realize over the last few evenings that the next two weeks of my life are going to be crazy. Not because I have a ton to do, but because I have relatively NOTHING to do. And Leen just got into town. And Brooke is leaving for DC. And I'm bored, ready to cause some trouble, and act like I'm 20 years old again. Here we go!

But, on to today's actual post:
My second job ever was at Kroger. I don't remember much of what I was actually supposed to be doing, besides putting price tags on things and stocking shelves. I was a "stock girl"? Or something like that. Oh, how I hated it. It was mind-numbingly monotonous. I'm fairly certain that I had gotten the job because my boyfriend had worked there but he quit right before I started... or something. As you can see, my days at Kroger are all a little hazy. Probably because those days were very short numbered. It was the only job that I quit without giving the proper two weeks notice, and I don't really regret never showing up to Kroger to work again.
So there.

Farewell, Employment! (Part One)

meijer
Originally uploaded by primalktc.

In ten days, I will be unemployed for the first time in eight years. While I may still pick up shifts here and there, I will have no work schedule (and I have resolved not to work at all for at least the first month of graduate school). This is slightly creepy to me and I am not sure what to expect. Will I go insane for lack of bullshit? Or will I like it so much that I will never want to work again?

This "Farewell, Employment" mini series is designed to look back on all of the jobs that I have held since I was sixteen, each and every one of which I have despised in some way, if not many ways.

My first job was a bagger/cart girl at Meijer. I was 16 years old, and my best friend and I worked there together. The work wasn't so bad, by which I mean we usually just clowned around in the parking lot, attempting to seem as if we were doing something useful. The main reason that my job at Meijer is memorable, however, is because I fell head over heels for a cute Jehova's Witness boy who rather dug me as well. His mother worked there with him, and she wasn't quite as keen on my Christian-raised self hanging around her son all the time. So I was tortured by teenage lust mixed with those eerie flyers that the mother was always giving me. Eventually he and I decided it wasn't going to last and gave up. But those hilarious memories will be with me forever.

Peoria Alive, Indeed!

peoria
Originally uploaded by primalktc.

I must apologize for the lack of posts on the blogs lately, I have been pretty dang busy. In fact, I just minutes ago got back from the lovely city of Peoria, Illinois. I'm being sarcastic. Hello.

Why anyone would want to live in the freaking middle of nowhere*, I have no idea. The drive from here to there has got to be the worst part. I've been crusing through massive construction and more semi trucks than I have ever seen for the last 6 and a half hours and I really really need to shower. Peace.

(More posts to come soon, I have so many things to say right now. I promise.)


*Synonyms: boilerplate, common, commonplace, customary, everyday, fair, familiar, garden, garden-variety, general, humdrum, intermediate, mainstream, mediocre, medium, middling, moderate, nowhere, ordinary, passable, plastic, regular, run-of-the-mill, so-so, standard, tolerable, typical, undistinguished, unexceptional, usual, vanilla, white bread

Thanks Guys

The Kiss
Originally uploaded by primalktc.

Well, I still am feeling rather bitter about blogging, not really sure if I will keep it up, but if I did stop, how could I share these little photo gems with the world? This is the matching picture from Brad's birthday post on Things Loved. Be sure to check that one out.

Thanks for the nice comments. They are lovely.

Blogging

thingshated
Originally uploaded by primalktc.

I'm sick of these stupid blogs. No one reads this shit anyways.

Dysfunctional Family

momdaughter
Originally uploaded by primalktc.

Yep, I have a dysfunctional family. I've known this for awhile. But suddenly, a way to cope! My mom sent me this link this morning and I thought I'd share: Dysfunctional Family Letter.

Oh, and this image is from one of my favorite photographers, Tina Barney.

The Filthy Rich

wealth
Originally uploaded by primalktc.

I have family members who are obscenely rich. They are stingy, yet spend money on gaudy shit to decorate themselves and their houses pretentiously. What is it about money that makes people act like this?

Lack of Animals

danepups
Originally uploaded by primalktc.

I have a cat and some fish. But it's not enough!!! There is something missing! Actually, quite a few things missing. I can't really have any more animals where I'm living right now, and this factor alone might make me move out after my lease is up (after three long years of living in the same place). I'm gonna do it, I swear! I NEED puppies in my life, it is SO necessary (specifically, my ultimate triad: a great dane, a rottwieler, and a doberman). I also desperately need horses, pigs, goats, more cats, birds, turtles, more fish, and who knows what else? The possibilities are endless. Bring on the farm!