Anyone want a telephone book?

This week I had quite an adventure with about 500 telephone books and 1000 orange plastic bags.  I was looking in the Sunday paper and stumbled across an employment opportunity to deliver telephone books.   "How hard can that be?" I said to myself.  So, I called the number.  The next afternoon I'm sitting in a cheesy motel/hotel meeting room watching a training video on a 9 inch television screen.

The trainer is telling us this is a hard job -- the organization piece, not the walking.  He's also telling us that it's not for everyone and if we get out there and decide it's not for us -- just bring back what we don't deliver.  Okay -- organization is a cinch for me -- I'm still thinking that this can't be bad (obviously ignoring the statement that this job is not for everyone.)  I get my route -- relatively small -- and my street is included.  I look at my street and realize that several houses are missing.  The boss says to give them phone books anyways and just write down the addresses so I can get credit for them (that means extra money.)

I'm given a box of 1000 orange bags -- all telephone books delivered to residences MUST be in a plastic bag and MUST be placed by the hinged side of the door.  I also have to carry a GPS device around my neck and push a button each time I leave a book and either circle the address or write it down each time I'm on a porch.  So, not only do I have to carry all these books, I have to carry a pen and paper -- and oh yeah -- and for all those folks who called to decline a phone book, they still get a door hanger, so I'm carrying those too.

As I'm alerting the boss that there are several addresses missing, an older "gentle"man walks in and slams down his box of bags complaining that this job is not for him and that after walking around for four hours he could only find four addresses.  I'm not worried -- I've figured out how to get around that, just deliver anyways -- and I'll get extra money on top of that!!  I proceed to leave the cheesy room, retrieve my truck and head out to the back of the motel/hotel and get 18 bundles of 36 telephone books loaded into the bed of the truck.  I drive 25 minutes homes only to realize that I left my box of bags at the "office."  I have the kids help me unload all 18 bundles and head back out.  I return an hour later and start bagging.

After I start, I realize I need to put them in something so I can easily carry them downstairs to my truck.  I locate some old laundry baskets (that goodness I'm a pack rat) and load up three of those.  I haven't made a DENT in the bundles -- so then I just start stacking them on the living room floor.  After 75 minutes of this -- I decided that I need some living room floor space and quit.

The next morning I and a friend get an early start -- load up the truck and start walking.  I realize as I'm carrying a gazillion books -- they are heavy!!!  I'm sure I forgot to push the GPS button several times and there are MANY addresses missing that I have to hand write on my log sheet.  Worst of all -- all of my neighbors' houses have stairs to get to the front door -- some are only 5 or 6 -- but most are about 15!!!  Uh-oh -- I think reality is setting in....

About an hour and a half later my friend and I stop at another friend's house and beg for some water.  They are ever so helpful and we even get some water to go....  we start back up and as I glare at each new set of 15+ steps, I realize that this is SO NOT WORTH it.  I really wanted to finish that last street, but alas, it was not to be.

We head home and I try to figure out how long we've worked (two of us for about four hours each) and I realize that I have only delivered about a quarter of my books.......  I do the math .....  I'll be lucky to get $13-$20 for all that work, and on top of that, I have to share it with my friend -- I'm going to make about $4/hour!!!

I took the books back that afternoon and then had to drive back the next day to pick up my check.  So, with all 4 driving trips (about 20 miles one way), 1 hour of bagging and 3 hours of delivering (times 2 people) I made a whopping $30 -- that I will have to share -- so I really only made about $15.  I'm sure I spent more on gas then I earned -- luckily I'm not smart enough to figure out how much I actually spent to travel to the cheesy motel each time.  Lesson learned -- there is no easy way to make money :)

Night all.

Virginia

To tell the truth....

Several years ago I participated in a team building exercise in which I had to list 3 facts about myself, with 2 being true and 1 being untrue.  I struggled with this because I wanted to be successful (classic overachiever that I am) and I wasn't sure what "untruth" I could tell that would be believable.  Here's an example of three facts about me -- can you tell which one is not factually correct?

1. I was an exchange student in Denmark during high school
2. I have scrap books for both of my children for each year of their lives
3. I played volleyball in high school

So, for those people who've known me forever -- they know that #s 1 and 3 are accurate -- I really was an exchange student in Denmark the summer between my junior and senior years of high school and I really did play volleyball in high school (and college).  Both of those are certainly subjects for future posts I imagine.

But back to the scrap booking -- I chose that because when I was at work, the predominant off work topic for me was my children.  I also figured the concept of me playing volleyball would throw people (considering I did not have the body of a volleyball player at the time -- and I still don't :))  And you know what -- the other team members were able to easily identify which "fact" was untrue.  One member said "You work too much for that to be true."  

WOW -- what an eye opener for me -- I worked too much to spend time memorializing my children and their lives.  I don't know if that's sad or not, but certainly was a telling fact at the time.  More importantly, I wasn't able to effectively lie -- and this for me, is the bigger and more telling truth.  I grew up in a home where truth was paramount -- but certain things weren't talked about.  And while there are no great secrets from my childhood -- it was just understood that certain uncomfortable or difficult topics weren't openly discussed.  It always made me hate the idea of secrets and I've also been compelled to tell the truth.  

Now, I'm not trying to say I have never lied or never told a little white lie -- I do have compassion (much to the surprise of some) but I am compelled to be as honest as possible when people ask me questions.  That's also not to say that I can't keep secrets -- because other people's stories are theirs to tell, not mine -- and I do hold that sacred.  

The irony is now that I'm not working, I have taken up scrap booking.  Okay -- to be honest -- I've bought scrap booking items and have started one, but have only worked on it once when I went to a Ladies Craft Night at church last month.  Tonight is the next one and I am looking forward to attacking that scrap book again.  And for those wondering -- no, the subject of the scrap book is not my children :)

Blessings of Unemployment, Items #1-11

1. Visiting Wal-mart on a non-Holiday weekday -- better parking, less crowds, overall easier access.
2. NO MORE RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC -- road construction in KC is horrible -- necessary, but horrible.
3. I can be Facebook friends with people I use to supervise.....  now I don't care what they post or when they post it :)
4. I can walk during the day, not have to rush it in early morning or late at night.
5. Way less RESPONSIBILITY......  no more clients, no more staff -- WHEW!!!!
6. I look forward to going to sleep at night....  so sad that I use to fight it because I dreaded getting up in the morning.
7. I'm looking forward to improving how I look -- about 3-6 months out, everyone else who has left the company looks 10 years younger.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!!
8. Less stress -- until the financial burden hits anyways :)
9. Eventually my house will be clean...... eventually......
10. I can give up those "work" books I forced myself to read, all in the name of being a better manager.  If I owned them, I might of had a bonfire (not really, I couldn't do that to books, but the thought is fun.)
11. I get to experience what it's like to be a stay at home Mom -- my kids are teens.....  there's fruit for a whole bunch of posts.....  so they are super excited I'm home when they get home from school (insert sarcasm :))

I'm sure I will find more and I will add those as they arise.  So thankful for an outlet to say what I need to say.  

Just starting out.....

Wow....  not really sure what I'll be blogging about, this is more for me to have an outlet than anything else.  I am recently unemployed -- after almost 19 years with the same company.   Have kept busy most days, but yesterday was rough....  am trying to keep busy, but am feeling very lost.  Hope I find some direction soon :).