The Younger Years

In my earlier life I was a purchasing agent. I worked for a company that manufactured circuit boards. I started in the factory right after high school. I hated it! I loved that I got to work four days a week, ten hours a day though. Three day weekends every week. Waiting a whole year for one freaking week off though, that sucked. Welcome to the real world!

I had other jobs before that during high school. I worked at a high end store doing gift wrapping when I was fourteen. I worked at a Pic N Save after that. It's now called Big Lots. I loathed that job. It was already a cheap store and customers would ask for discounts on things. Blew me away! I couldn't believe people could be so cheap. It was not a swap meet or flea market! The merchandise was marked so low that it was nearly free. Anyhow, the reason I loathed it was because at the end of a shift, we employees would have to go around with a cart and pick up all the items that were out of place! OMG. We had to get all the crap people dumped when they realized their kid had picked it up or they no longer wanted to purchase. Then we had the displeasure of putting it all back where it belonged. Only to do it again the next night. To this day, I put things back where I got them. I know somebody has to do it later! I lasted three months at that job.

My friends and I hung out at this donut shop daily. We knew the owner, Virgie. She was the mother of one of our friends. We would all meet and hang out or find out what was happening. We would either start the night there and/or end up there after doing something else. We all had the number of the pay phone so we could call to see who was there. It was our hangout. Way before cell phones. Way before cordless phones too!

Virgie gave me a job after I quit Pic N Save. I loved it because I loved the people that came there and I was the nerve center for my friends. "Hey, have you seen Ralph?" That kind of thing. I hated the early weekend mornings though. Had to be there at six. I had a hard time getting up after the late nights with my friends, but I managed, because I was young and full of energy. At some point I got so sick of the smell of the donuts and coffee. It became even more difficult on those early mornings and it was all I could do not to toss my cookies. Cops and Firemen got free coffee and donuts! Of course they did, everybody knew that is where they could be found on their breaks! Now, it's coffee shops and bagel shops. I lasted there til high school ended. Almost three years. To this day, I hate the smell of donuts. Although, I can't say that about coffee. I love coffee.

Back to the job fresh out of high school. I learned everything there was to know by working in the factory for two years. Worked the 4PM to 3AM shift. Didn't get to see my friends nearly as often. I finally moved up the ladder and made it to purchasing manager. I loved that job. I was manager for a number of years. The company went through some changes and I was not satisfied with the new leadership. I quit. After a couple of months of mismanagement, I got a call from the new CEO, who used to be my boss. I went back at his request to try and straighten out the clusterfuck of a mess. I did ask for a lot more money and got it. I remained there for another year, but things were no longer the same. I wanted out and after ten years, I quit for good.

I decided that I liked the atmosphere in beauty shops. They always looked like they were having fun. So, I went to beauty school to become a manicurist. Even had a job lined up. One night, a friend I had made in beauty school, Ruth, and I went to a bar/restaurant to listen to some music. We were sitting alone and a man came up to us and said, "Don't I know you?" I realized he was the man who owned the liquor store in my neighborhood where I grew up. I had known him since I was ten. I had not seen him in several years. "Yes, how are you?" I asked. He sat down with us, a total flirt, and at some point asked me if I would like to be a waitress there, while I was still in school. Oh, he owned the place. I told him I had never waited tables before, but sure. My girlfriend talked me into it. She was a waitress and had been for years. So, I took home a price list for drinks and memorized each one with Ruth's help.

My first day of waiting tables was Super Bowl Sunday. Seven TV's and the place was packed. I didn't like the bartender. She was a royal bitch. I asked another waitress, "Who the hell does she think she is, God?" "Actually, being the bartender here, is pretty much like that," she told me. "Then I want to be a bartender!" I said. The next day, I told the owner/friend, "Thanks for letting me be a waitress, but I want to be a bartender instead." He laughed and told me okay. Just like that! I was officially a bartender, after one day of waiting tables!

Enough for today.....