The Work World

The joys of being a twenty-something and just out of college are not complete without jobs that have nothing to do with your degree, right? After working at the wonderful monkey-do-a-job temp agency my assignment ended and I was left back in my car searching for a new job. As I have said about Las Vegas before, it definitely has had its share of big-city moments for me. Looking for other temp agencies was among those moments as I got completely confused at the directions I got off of mapquest when I came to the corner of Sunset and Sunset knowing that I was supposed to take Sunset to Whitney Ranch Dr. As the sweat started to bead on my forehead from the heat that my air conditioning just wouldn't keep at bay and my nerves shredded in frustration, my poor mother got an ear-full of my regret for having moved to such a large city with no money. I found the temp agency the next day with help from a friend and found myself watching yet another video on proper the procedures for lifting anything over 50lbs and what to do if there is a chemical spill. I informed the agent at Addecco that I was only applying for an office job and that I wouldn't be experiencing chemical spills unless they asked me to change the toner in the copier, at which point, after I'd been there for an hour, she told me that office doesn't handle office positions, only warehouse. Could we have put this in advertisement, please? (The picture in the ad is people in office attire... go figure!) Luckily, about a month and a half ago, I applied to work at Applebees and Hollywood video hoping these could take the place of a second job and get me out of my apartment. After having a nervous breakdown in the car, I headed home to drown my woes in an episode of Alias when the phone rang and it was Applebees. The very next day, Hollywood video called and offered me a job.

I started training at Applebees, complete with my red shirt and "Hi Neighbor" button as I thougth to myself, how hard could it be. HA HA HA. I've been working for a week and a half now, and my body is rocked! I'm so tired. To all those poor waitresses out there that I've sent back to the kitchen with my food or asked for more sauce or a refill on a mixed lemonade... I pay homage to you and ask your forgivness in making your job harder. My feet hurt so bad that I think even after a foot translplant they will still hurt. I came home expecting to have lost at least 15lbs after the first three days and five shifts, unfortunately, ... nothing. It's all still there. It hasn't been too bad, really, but there have been the occasional table of people that leave me a list of improvements on the back of my ticket or even tell me right there at the table how I could be a better waitress or server. It's nice. "Thank you customer, for explaining to me how I could be a better server... have you been a server?"I want to ask. Well, I guess karma is the pitts because I've done that before... but my servers were really really bad; like letting the table next to us smell our food before they set it on our table and never coming back to fill our drinks or give us silverware. It's JUST FOOD! But I guess it's a serious thing. It's all good though. I am making enough money in tips alone to pay my bills and that was the goal. My disgustingly rich days will have to wait until I'm a teacher. ha ha ha ha

As for my job at Hollywood Video... if I thought monkey could have done my temp job, than his retarded counterpart could do my job at Hollywood with his eyes closed and his opposable thumbs tied behind his back.

The list of interesting jobs and job experiences continues to grow with me. I can add waitress to my personal resume now. What the worst job you've ever had? What was the best job you ever had? If you could do it all over again, what job do you wish you could have had that you never got? As always, thanks for reading.

Ciao

Searching for a Happy Medium

Moving to Las Vegas has meant leaving most of my good friends behind and striking out on my own in the world of single and free. While this sounds glorious to some of you with children and families, and it is pretty nice, I have to admit I have had my share of lonely moments where I'm missing my friends. But I know that I can make new friends and find "my crowd" to hang out with if I just open myself up to new possibilities. I began with my roommates, whom I knew casually from classes or seminars in school. They are nice girls, however, I learned quickly they were not "my people" when I was told I was watching trash on television and that anything that cost of $5 was too much money to spend on doing something. (The trash I was watching was Friends and I can absolutely appreciate thrifty people, however, in Vegas, it just happens to cost more sometimes.) I tried to convince myself that despite their extremely conservative and cost conscience lives, I could hang out with them once in a while. I learned the hard way (after banging my head against the wall in frustration) that I could not go to bed at 9 o'clock or attend only $2.50 viewings of PG only movies and talk about being a teacher during every moment of our excursions out on the town. I decided I needed to find a different type of people to get to know.

I recently got a job working at Applebee's and on the first day of training, this very friendly, and wildly sarcastic gay hispanic asked if I wanted to go to a party with some other employees from another store. I accepted, of course, feeling desperate for social interaction and eager to meet new people. Of course, I knew I might be getting myself into something a little interesting and I informed him that I wasn't a partier, nor did I drink. He assured me it wasn't a problem and convinced me to go. The group would be meeting at a club in Sunset Station (a Casino off the strip) called Club Madrid. The club usually books a big show once in a while, however, on a regular basis they have an 80's night where they play only 80's music and everyone dances and has a good time. ( I did a little research just to be sure I wasn't meeting at some stereo typical Sin City club where anything more than lingerie would be wearing too much. ) I arrived at the casino on my own and decided to take a once-by to look in the door of the club and see what was going on inside before just traipsing in there. From the first walk-by I noticed people dancing and a band on stage. The music was Love Shack, which I thought was awesome. I walked by again, slowing down a bit to really look inside. This time I noticed a woman, in black leather lingerie on the table, cracking a whip, and dancing rather provocatively. My pupils dialated and I rubbed my eyes wondering if I had seen what I thought I had seen. So, again, I sauntered inconspicuously by the front entrance to the club and heard the lead singer of the band shout out through the microphone....

"Is anybody horny?????"


With that, I gripped the strap of my purse and headed towards the door laughing and shaking my head. I knew it was too much for me that night. Not only am I the Eddie Bauer poster girl and a country bumpkin, but I am fairly conservative myself and knew that if I was going to be spending the evening with my new gay friend, I would already be entering a new realm of people, the likes of which my roommates would choke on their own g'fawing as they listened to him talk and joke around. After hearing the golden question of the evening inside Club Madrid, I knew I had overstepped myself into a place that I just wasn't laid back enough to enjoy. I realized that the reason people must drink before going out is to lose their inhibitions and throw caution to the wind. So, I'm back at my staunch and uptight apartment listening to rebellious music on my iPod and watching PG13 when no one else is home so I don't disturb the balance of good, better, best and untainted roommates. I am determined to find a happy medium or I'll just have to consider moving back to Idaho. ** gasp **