Saturday, April 15, 2017

That easy job

Tired. 

I got up at 4 AM, did my usual morning routine.  We went to the warehouse.  Ron bought so many cases of bottled drinks I didn't really have room for snacks.  I bought what I could, though. 

I was happy to see they had donut sticks, especially when I saw they already had sell by dates labeled on the package.  That saves me the trouble of making a label for them, and they're good long codes, over a month to sell them. 

They will sell a lot faster than that. 

I also got honeybuns.  Texans eat a lot of honeybuns, let me tell you.  They seem to like the brand I sell (Freshley's), and I've eaten them myself.  They are good and what I would call a good value, at $1. 

I checked out and bought myself a soda.  I drank it (diet decaf) while we waited on Jack.  I had to use the bathroom so I did that.  It looked cleaner than normal.  I guess the new manager is making sure it stays good looking. 

On the way back, I saw the Tylenol that Ron has been looking for.  I decided to buy it (he paid me back) because he does have arthritis pain.  I did resolve to read him the liver damage warning before giving it to him, and I did.  Ron told me he only has one dose a day, most days.  He also told me many days he doesn't take any at all.  That made me feel better.  I don't know if he was telling the truth but he doesn't make a habit of lying to me about these things. 

I stuck the Tylenol in my fanny pack and we left.  Jack came and we barely loaded the truck.  It was pretty crowded.  We can't do that again! 

The cart attendant didn't help us, but that's $5 he didn't get, too. 

We went to work and got everything unloaded and put away.  Ron likes to drag the folding handcart (mag-liner), down the hall to the fridge and then load all the waters into the fridge.  It looks tragic, though, Ron, sitting in his wheelchair, dragging the cart behind him as he goes down the hall.  But he does it. 

I left him to it and got my carts put up.  I had to move one of those "non slip safety" mats in a doorway, because it was hanging up the cart.  The safety mats are only good for tripping, I can't tell you how many times I have tripped over the cursed things.  Happily I didn't fall, just tripped. 

I would hate to fill out that paperwork. 

I didn't need to do much stocking, mainly just put in the new things I had just bought.  The store had the crackers, praise God.  Texans like a lot of peanut butter cheese crackers, let me tell you.  I got those stocked, and the other things.  Ron didn't need to do the bottled vendor and didn't have much to do for canned sodas, either.  He decided to run change. 

My repair has "stuck" and God gets the credit on that.  Ron was able to run (sort by denomination) the change and separate out the quarters.  We put quarters into the bill changer. 

Pretty soon, we were done.  We went outside and our ride was already there.  We went looking for the next client. 

Say, we are on "Smith" road.  Smith Street runs parallel, about 2 miles south.  We were given an address on Smith road, but it was actually Smith Street.  We figured that out and went to pick her up. 

Then we had to listen to the, oh, I've heard it, so many times before: "I want that easy post office job" from the driver and the client.  

They see blind Ron sitting in his wheelchair and think, if he can work there, so can I.  They don't understand they cannot perform the essential functions of the job, and will not qualify.  I can't tell them this because they think I'm a bigot and trying to "hide all the good jobs" from them, but it's frustrating being grilled on how to get that "easy post office job".  There is no such thing as an easy post office job.  Everyone I know in the service works their butt off. 

Not to mention, the paratransit drivers make $38 an hour.  Things get taken out of it, like their lease and all, but they are probably making at least $25 an hour solid, 12 hours a day, as many days as they want to work. 

Why would you want to give that up for a part-time, $15 an hour job with no permanent status?  They don't get it. 

It's very frustrating for me.  Maybe I should just go ahead and tell them how to apply (www.usps.gov/jobs) but how hard is it to look on your own?  Besides, I wouldn't want them getting on board and then acting like they own us because they used to drive us around.  One or two drivers has done that.   Or having them come and whine to me because "it's hard". 

One guy quit at work during the holidays.  "Because they made me work".  That was all over the plant in a matter of hours.  [snort]

What did you think they would make you do? 

We got home and I took a nap.  I was pretty tired.  I got up around 3 and we had planned to go to the "closer" BBQ restaurant near our home.  I didn't want the long ride and all the drama this time. 

However, they made our pickup time 20 minutes later, and our ride home 20 minute earlier.  They can do that.  Then the driver was very late picking us up so we only had about 15 minutes. 

She then proceeded to take the most inefficient, illogical route, trying, I think, to provoke us into losing our tempers and "ruining" date night.  We didn't let her do it.  But Ron didn't offer to buy her any food, either. 

We went in and got out food to-go.  The line service was very inefficient and not at all like the place we normally go. 

I got carrot cake.  The piece was small and they put pineapple in it, I think.  It didn't agree, I got queasy after eating it.  I had to wait until I got home to drink some milk and take my medication.  If I had taken my medication then I would have gotten sick. 

Also, my to-go drink was mostly ice, with very little soda.  I understand keeping food costs down but that was beyond cheap. 

I don't think I will ever go back. 

Ron and I did have a good time talking.  About the time we were thinking about leaving, I saw a paratransit cab in the parking lot.  We went out, she was early. 

Ron timed the ride home, it only took 9 minutes.  It just goes to show some drivers can be efficient.  The driver to go home was a lot nicer and not into playing head games.  She even asked about the cats.  I was happy.  I told her a little about Biscuit and left it alone. 

I know most of my drivers loathe cats.  Sometimes, if a driver is playing head games and trying to get us annoyed, I will start talking about the cats just to annoy the driver.  It always makes me happy to turn the game on them. 

We got home and came inside.  I gave Ron his Tylenol, after reading him the warning, and he told me he doesn't take that much anyway.   I hope he's right.  I worry about his liver. 

Then I told him his wine box says it has 34, five ounce, servings.  He scoffed at that.  Sigh.  Later on I heard him texting Chuck to bring him more Vodka (Ron has a "talker" on his cell phone).  He has behaved himself lately, though. 

Ron went to bed, I watched some Hobbit movies. 

Ron did mention he wants to watch the Easter service tomorrow on the computer.  We can do that. 

I'll have to get up early, but I'll do it. 

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