Round Robin Challenge LABOR

THE MEAT MARKET GUY...January 2005 Covington, KY

I had a tough time with this challenge.

Labor Pains.

Labor of Love.

Fruit of my Labor.

The Labor party.

Labor Ready.

Labor Day.

Many years ago, in another life time I worked for the Corporate office of a company that owned numerous Nursing Home Facilites in the state of Kentucky.  Business was so good we decided to purchase a mansion on the east side of Hurstbourne Lane and remodel it into a very cool office building.

Does anyone remember the Diet Coke commercial that featured this fine figure of a man called Lucky? He was a construction worker and at a certain time each day, the girls from the office would gather and wait for Lucky to take his break. The highlight was when Lucky would strip off his shirt and slug back the Diet Coke.

The reason I remember it so well  is that our office did the exact same thing. We were restricted to two rooms on the second floor where we were crammed together. It was not all that bad, there were only six women in the Corporate office at the time. The construction workers were the only reason why we did not revolt.

On any given day, we would run from one room to the next, hanging out the windows to watch them work. We were shameless. There were several Lucky's out there! I wish I had a camera then. Not so much to take pictures of the guys...but to take pictures of those "women" (bunch of  throw back giggling high school girls) to have with me today. I have lost touch with several of them after all these years. Yet, each of us carries with us that summer when it was hotter than hell and we had no air conditioning because we were surrounded by construction...and those beautiful constuction workers.

Update on Omega.  They are stuck in New Orleans and were unable to make it out because they did not have a rental car. They could not fly out either. The hotel they are staying in was fine until the levee broke. They stand  in line for hours to use the single pay phone that is still operating in the Hotel. Omega has reached her place of work yesterday and informed them they may be stuck there for a week. Omega's husband reached his mother today and things are much worse. They are beginning to ration the food.

The Hunky bothers (minus O's husband) are driving down to rescue them.

I don't know how.

The other Round Robins...

Robbie...Robbie's Ruminations

Carly...Ellipsis POSTED!

Karen...Musings from Mavarin POSTED!

Chris...It's All About Me I Think POSTING 9/4/05

Betty...My Day My Interests POSTED!

Kell...The Mountain Life of a Yankee Wife

Mary...Alphawoman's Blog

Deb...Sassys EYE

Renee...wwwTimelessCalligraphystudiocom POSTED!

Robin...These are the days of our lives

Dawn...Dawn's Drivel

Flava...The Day and Times of a Novelist

Alan...F-Stop

Celeste...My day and Thoughts

Kat...From Every Angle

Phinney...Paragon POSTED!

Monica...Mamarazzi

Derek...Picture of the Day POSTED!

Steven...sometimes photoblog

Hurrican Katrina

My little kid sister Omega and her husband took a long week end and headed to New Orleans this past week. She is stuck there. No way out. My Mom spoke to them on Saturday night and Omega said "Not to worry". 

Naturally I am worried. Please keep her and her husband in your thoughts and prayers. I'm certain they will be okay (my Mom has the ear of God) but she is still my kid sister and I love her.

On the other hand, I have a new hobby. Actually, I am embarking on a new hobby....wine making!!!! What else was I going to do with two pecks of peaches! According to the book, I need to start with something a little more simple. So, I'll follow those instructions and freeze the peaches for later.

Was offered the job. Joe wants me to take it. Will sleep on it.

I knew he was going to offer it to me. I just love this endless summer theme I have going.

Sunday Afternoon?

Vodka on  a Sunday Afternoon

It is Sunday, isn't it?  One of the wonderful things about not having to work is that you do not have to keep track of the days.

I do my best thinking (daydreaming) while driving a car. I have not been doing that much lately, so while I was sitting in the sun, reading a novel and sipping on some Apple Vodka and mixer I realized something. I use to do my best thinking while smoking the illegal drug...which I have not done for a long, long time now...so vodka seems to have stepped in and taken charge.

I have been smitten with the illusions of making some good money. If I take that job I will not be happy. I will not like it. I would like the money, for sure. But I would not like the job. I could do it, but I would feel like I was taking advantage of people because I know how to sell.

Selling is an art. I know that it is said good sales people are born...wrong.  It is a science. All you need is confidance and a good product. Added to that, you need to be prepared and anticipate the "objections" or questions. It is a formula that goes like this "What I hear you saying is if I can do this, you will do that" It requires good listening skills and a good questioning techique. (open ended questions).

I should have called this Sales 101.

I am aided with vodka and a realization. I better get that last entry out of here before I get TOS'ed.

Tomorrow if I am offered the job( this is not the food service job I am mulling over, but another)....I hope I have my wits about me to turn it down and stop the dance of BIG MONEY in my head. I would hate it.  Though, I would love it if they offered it to me. I am very competitive and hope I win out over those other applicants. But please, not enough to blurt out "yes" like I did the last time. I knew I did not want that job. I placed a lot of land mines to ensure I would not be offered the job. They were stupid (did I say that out loud) and offerred it to me. And I was stupid ( capital S.) and took it.

Anyway, I like being unemployed. Heck, I don't know what day it is!!!

Oh yes, under the influence of the vodka I was able to get to the heart of the matter. I thought of this. Instead of thinking about writing the "novel" that I  have inside of me, I need to focus on the little stories inside of me. The short story.

It was a revelation.  Of a giant proportion.

(damn not having spell check)

 

 

Interesting Week

 

I have been to Indianapolis and Detroit in the same week! On the way to Detroit, about 60 miles east we ran across two orchards! Hurray! An easy morning trip to Ohio. Also, discovered a beautiful lake area that appears very un-commercialized! That will be a day trip!

The Indianapolis interview was encouraging. The food service industry is very much like the beverage industry. Only, it seems a whole lot more money is to be made because you are neither given a car nor an allowance. That sucks in one way, but it enables them to encourage you to make as much money as you can with no ceilings!

The interview itself was same old same old.  Tell us about yourself...What did you like most about your last job? Etc. Etc. Etc.

He did throw me a curve ball. "Tell me the funniest thing that has happened to you." I just began laughing as I pictured myself falling infront of the oncoming traffic in Newport Ky this spring when I was perfectly sober having given up the juice for Lent. But I thought that would be too long....and perhaps he wouldn't see the humor in me giving up alcohol.

So I told him another story. One day Art and I were traveling together and I was telling him about Joe getting a new motorcycle.

"What kind is it?" He asked

"A Cock Rocker"  I replied.  I meant to say a Crotch Rocket.

He and I were laughing so hard I had to pull over. Tears were rolling down our faces.

Whenever Art sees Joe he asks, "How's that Cock Rocker?"

The Party's Over

All good things must end?  This is the beginning of the third week of non-work. I can admit wholeheartedly that I have loved every minute of it. I did stress a little about the money, because I had no idea I was going to do it when I did..resign. So I was ill prepared with the funds. Yet, if I was going to wait until I was financially ready to do it, it never would have happened.

So now I am beginning the process of finding another job. I had my first interview yesterday with an insurance company. I was so at ease I could not believe this was me. At ease and unprepared! He asked me what I wanted to do, after I admitted to him I was clueless about the job description for which I had applied. "Sales Manager". Okay, that's cool. "Have you ever managed anyone before?"

I should have been prepared for this question. I said no when in actuality, I have! At the ZZZ in Houston, I was the AM front desk manager! I had a whole staff that I got to boss around. At XYZ, I had Elaine who was my assistant.  I got to boss her around too, thought I loved her dearly and she was my good friend. While working for ABC, I actually managed all the branch offices across central Ky and So. Ohio.  I trained them and was responsible for their performance. What was I thinking when I said, "No."

He asked me what I was looking for. Hmmmmmm...to continue with a sales job. Because I love the competition, the feeling of closing the deal, and I just like people and the freedom that comes with sales.

What I would like is to find a sales position that pays extremely well, and has structure to it. Then he asked about XXX not finding a place for me (a valuable employee) after seven years. I told him that I was strongly encouraged to apply for a position in Ft. Wayne (sometimes it is very difficult to explain XXX to outsiders. And sometimes I just take for granted outsiders understand the structure of XXX)but that I felt I could do better than a X0,000 a yr, a car and a X0,000 bonus.

And as I said it, I realized I believed it!

Today I go to Indianapolis for a meeting tomorrow with a Food distributor.

I think that I am in a position for the first time in my life that I will not have to take a job out of desperation. I will be able to find the one with the best fit.

One Perfect Day (part four)

The Midsummer Night's Run and the "Hunky" Brothers

Later that night the 21st annual Midsummer Night's Run was held in downtown Lexington. I could not believe my luck! First the Woodland Art Fair and now the biggest 5K race in Lexington.  It is unusual to hold the race in the evening. It makes for a wonderful change to run down the streets in the dark.

I called Omega to find out if they were going. I have no idea why she has a cell phone, because I can never get her to answer it! So, I donned my running shorts, tied up my running shoes, slipped on my knee brace and I was ready.

My mother took one look at the knee brace and handed me a bottle of.......gasp....Aspercreme!

"Aspercreme is your friend"...."Aspercreme is my new found Best Friend". Why has no one ever told me of this miraculous invention? I slathered it on and I was off.

A good estimate of the runners gathering in downtown would be around 5,000. My sister Omega's husband would be running, as he does every year. It is his only race and he trains for it. His brothers run it with him,along with their children in strollers or on foot, and an assortment of in-laws, which includes me! I began wandering around searching and thinking, "Now if I were the Hunky Brothers...where would I be?" Outside the Blue Martini Bar, naturally! But, I could not find them.(Yes, they were there! On the other side!)

I ambled up to the front of the crowd and just waited.  I knew sooner or later I would catch sight of one of them, as one BIL is about 6-3.  Finally success!!! There they are, hunky as ever.

It was a charmed day, nothing could go wrong. I knew I would find them.

The day had been a cruel 96 degrees, but as the evening rolled in, so did a temperature drop. So, I ran the first mile. Bad idea! Even though the temps were down, the humidity was a killer! I walked the last 2+ miles.

Afterwards I went over to one of the hunky brothers homes where my phone averse sister was parked by the swimming pool.  It was a nice time.

When I went home to Mom's house, I could not fall asleep.  I had been up for almost 21 hours and still I was not one bit sleepy.  The day had been so wonderful. Filled with family, friends and peaches. I was buzzing from the excitement that accompanies a race.  I was happy to be with Mom and Dad.

When a day is that perfect, it is sad to bring down the curtain.

 

(Omega's husband is second from the right. The photo is from a newspaper article about "hottie carpenter's you know". One of the wives nominated them. They were the feature...natch! They are the Hunky brothers!)

One Perfect Day (part three)

Woodland Art Fair

I could not have picked a more perfect weekend to visit home! I had realized earlier in the day that the annual Woodland Arts Fair was taking place in Lexington.  I could not wait to go. In other words, there was some money burying a hole in my pocket!

Woodland is named in the top 50 Art Fairs in the country! And with good reason. Every booth in the Park is first class. Not one single trash and trinket vendor is allowed. They are banished to the streets and front yards surrounding the Park. This also means, some very high end and expensive treasures.

I'm like a kid in a candy shop.  I have to wander around and look at everything first. I am mainly interested in photographs. I spend a lot of time in James Archambeault's "gallery". He is a famous and respected photographer specializing in landscapes. I am taken with the Thoroughbred photographs, in particular a magnificent Secretariat prancing in the waning light! I decided to continue to look around before making any purchases.

Then I stumbled on Wiwat. Scientist and Artist. I had discovered him last year in Louisville, at the Cherokee Triangle Art Fair. At that time, he had the most delicate earrings he designed with tiny polished  pastel colored stones. Exquisite. At that time I had purchased a pair and went home and unfortunately left them in the small brown paper bag, wrapped in white tissue paper. Joe tossed them away! I was stricken and remembered his card was in my purse and emailed him. He was gracious enough to help me replace the discarded pair with not one......but 10 pairs of his beautiful creations.

"Are you the Scientist from Oak Ridge?" I asked him. He nodded yes. "Well, I am Mary! I met you at the Cherokee Triangle in Louisville, I emailed you after my husband tossed away the bag!" He remembered, how could he not!

I purchased five sets this time. His creations have developed into more intricate designs with different mediums. Still gorgeous stuff.

And, I got the "best customer in Kentucky" discount!

(this year on left.....last year on right)