Public Service Announcement

Read all contracts before signing onto a job.  Otherwise, you may be obligated to go into work for an overnight shift before your regular morning shift on your day off even if you’ve been out drinking.
And don’t hang up on your boss.
Otherwise, some temp is going to transcribe your phone conversation and wonder if you [...]

Overheard at work

I was minding my own business in the office, when a little kindergartner came in and said:
My tummy hurts.  I need to put some alcohol in it.
In my experience, that might only make it worse.  I just sent her to the nurse for an ice pack.

Update on Anger (2). And Idiocy

The little Angry dude isn’t here again today.  His mom called this morning and said that he fell out of bed and broke his ankle, so they had to take him to the doctor.  She wondered if he did it on purpose.
Seriously, folks.  There’s a point where you stop blaming the fourth grader for not [...]

Update on Anger

Still at the school.  In the 30 minutes before the start of the day my phone is flooded with calls from parents who are keeping their kids home sick (and at least four are out with strep right now.  SO glad my health insurance just kicked in).
Who should call, but the mom of the kid [...]

Enabling

Back at the elementary school today.
A lot of teachers are out sick today.  A lot of kids are out sick.  Which means, inevitably, I will get sick before the end of the week.  How fun.  But, becaue there are teachers out, there are also a lot of subs.
A few minutes after the start of the [...]

What it means to be white

I started temping yesterday at one of those schools you see advertised on TV–get your certificate in Adminitrative Assistance, Carpentry, Nursing Assistance, etc. in a short amount of time.  Will find you a job shortly thereafter.  Change your life, etc. etc.
At least this place doesn’t have the annoying National American University song. 
The interesting part about [...]

How did Kafka do it?

I’ve been temping at a university in Minneapolis in their Disability Services department for the past couple of weeks.  My inner conservative (who somehow peacefully exists with my inner gay man.  They’re good friends but sometimes they find themselves at odds) is having fiscal moral issues with this job.  Since the school is publicly funded, [...]

Overheard at work today (2)

“It was the enema, I’m telling you!  It wasn’t me it was that cirtic barium solution!”
I didn’t hear the beginning of the conversation.  I didn’t hear the response to that.  But I think there was an eye-roll involved.

People are kind of dumb

I’m working at a medical supply company playing file clerk and putting together mailings.  There are two reasons that the people are not that smart.

In order to put this 303 piece mailing together, which consists of three levels of life insurance and long term disability, extended optional coverage, 401(k) information, health flexible spending account information, [...]

When I Used to be a Teacher

I worked as a substitute teacher my first two years out of college.  At that time, I really thought I wanted to go into teaching, but I decided to go the impractical route with my degree and use it to further my studies in literature rather than gain any kind of practical degree like education (because, really, [...]