Working Stiff

I got the cabintry job. I'm going to be working with the finishing group, sanding and varnishing. I start on Tuesday, October 28th. This is actually the one year anniversary of when I started my last job, with Boss Sunshine. Hopefully, this job will go much, much, much better than that one did.

The hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday. That will take some adjusting. It's a whole new ballgame not having to look my best for work. Perhaps I'll forgo my favorite ritual of shaving my head in the mornings while I'm drinking my tea to save time. Hopefully, I'll get to the point where I can be washed, dressed, have the dog walked, and be out the door in forty-five minutes. This new job represents a 66% pay cut from my last job. Lean times ahead! But that should be enough for beer and lattes and cigars, so my basic expenses are pretty much met.

And welding?

Absolutely I'm still going to pursue welding. I'll check in with welders in the area. Perhaps I'll be able to pick up a few extra hours after work to apprentice.

After 30 days, I'll have paid holidays (just in time for Thanksgiving), and in 90 days, I'll have health and dental insurance. It will be sooooo good to have health and dental insurance again. I think I'll be good at this. The challenge is to stay focused, concentrating on what you're doing, but at the same time to be fast at what you do.

And I'll be meeting the other members of my crew. There will be that initial checkin'-each-other-out period. Maybe beers after work. I wonder what they do for lunch? I'll be sure to pack mine the first day.

You oughtta see the stuff they make! It's beautiful! Really gorgeous woodwork. If that pride in the product suffuses the company, I'll do fine. When I was working in restaurants a million years ago, the fact that we were making the best food in town made twelve hour days in the prep kitchen where it was often 105 degrees in the summertime mostly tolerable. That wasn't just any poached salmon with chaud-froid sauce we were making, it was the best anywhere.

How very thrilling.

I'm so excited, I'm gonna go out and split fire wood for an hour or two. Beautiful day for it.

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