The Working Stiff, part 2

I find it amazing sometimes when I realize how busy I can be, one obvious point of knowing that I have no time to make entries to my journal (or update the visuals while we're on the topic). Since the last entry, I celebrated my late Dad's birthday (8/26) by working both jobs, and making the 2nd shift one history.

My supervisor and department manager at the MRI place (I failed to mention last time that this was a temp job) both wanted me to work 3 Saturday mornings in a row, when I was already coming in M-F. I was aware of Saturday work, but not of that quantity. For me to wake up at 5am on a Saturday am in order to leave by 6am to ride the bus in order to arrive around 7:30 and hang around until it was time to go into the office around 7:50, was physically draining. And while I'm typing this, my mother is working my nerves.

Anyway, doing 5 hours on Saturdays, plus the 25 hours M-F and the 20 at the library in the mornings was running me rugged. The pay was decent, but the fact of the matter is that I'M NOT IN THE FIELD THAT I WENT TO COLLEGE FOR! Working in the library is cool, I did it at UC all 4 and some years that I was there, it was the temp job that was beginning to drive me crazy!

I was truly upset to see that these so called nice folks scheduled me for 3 Saturdays in September in a row, and for the first Saturday in October, without confirming my consent to do so. They cleared the August schedule with me in advance, why not the same with the following month? Did they assume I wasn't going to notice?

In a way, I do feel responsible for this, because I did ask for more hours. My hope was during the week so all my Saturdays wouldn't have been tied up. Having me there Alternating Saturdays would have worked; doing two Saturdays in a row would have been rough but pushing it; Three was bonafide overkill. I found out about the exciting September schedule on 8/24, the day before my friend's birthday (what's up Keri).

On the 25th I called the representative in charge of the company account at the temp office. I told her that I wouldn't be reporting to work that day due to an "emergency" along with my concerns with the position, and proceeded to tell her that I would like to be taken off this assignment after Friday 8/26. She proceeded to call the office as I sat at home watching television and telling my Mom about what I would have been doing at certain times if I were at the office, and enjoyed the rest of the evening with some celebratory me time.

My nerves were calm for the night until that dreadful Friday afternoon. I didn't walk into the office until exactly 3:30, when my shift begins. A co-worker told me that my supervisor wanted to speak to me, obviously about the sudden resignation. I told him in a cleaned-up version that I was unaware of the actual quantity Saturdays that I would have to work. He began to say that I put the department in a bind, since there was a new temp on board that was learning the ropes for only a few weeks, while I had been there since June 13th, the first Monday after graduation. As a side note: I remained at the job while 2 people had quit or got fired, just to keep some money coming in. Hell, I got bills to pay just like a lot of people. I was thinking in my mind "I don't give a damn! That's none of my concern! Ya'll just think just because I'm a temp employee fresh outta college that I'm gonna just take bullshit from anyone? Ya'll got the wrong one! I may be quiet at work, but I'm deadly when I wanna be, and I'm gonna speak up when I see things that aren't right!" Really, the "I don't give a damn" was enough to sum it all up! Then, he proceeded to ask me about my library gig, and whether or not I was going to stay with the temp agency. I was thinking this time around "That's none of your business! Who in the hell do you think you are?"

Little did they know that I've been waiting since DECEMBER for an offer from the public library, one of which I turned down in the process, because I just began a "second shift position". For now, I am a shelver who works in one of the non-public areas of the largest branch in the county. It's hard work as far as standing, stretching, and lifting, BUT AT LEAST ITS CLOSER TO HOME! I'm just one (express) bus ride away. On 8/31 i just had my 30 day evaluation as a part of my 90 day probation; I'm there for another 30 days to put it simply. :)

I celebrated my Dad's way too brief existence on this Earth with one of the lessons he taught me growing up: to stand up for myself. I felt that my decision was valid when I spoke to my Godmother not too long after that dreadful phone call that I made last Thursday to the temp agency, and she was quite proud that I spoke up for myself. I am too. Yaaay for me! :)

For now, my next plan of action is to intern in my field, since my true goal is to have a career and not just a job. That, along with moving out. I truly love my Mom but I'm way past my time of flying the coop, especially since I'm done with school now, and have time to go apartment (and internship) hunting. I would like to move in the neighborhood of my college alma mater, cuz there's plenty to do in a close range, along with enough buses to get me from a to b. Like with everything that's in the works for the future, we'll see what develops in the coming months.