Because, other people aren't able to.

It seems that I may have not gotten the full list of things that I need to do when I got this job. I am not at all complaining, however, I've gotten into a l0t of stuff that I have never worked with before. For example, In one day, I had to work on a little electric, re-route some drainage lines, build a portion of a website, hang from a ceiling and repositioning ellipsoidals with a broom stick (Because the trusses are 10 feet apart, and the only ladder we have to get up there is an extension ladder, and I don't have a 10 foot wingspan) I suppose changing gels like that could be more dangerous....

Also, in the same day, I did my personal assistant duties, and got coffee, and finally, did some work on the patch bay, because the moron that put it in before, couldn't manage to figure out how to use a punch down tool. Only one of these tasks, is actually in my job description. Not a big deal, if it's every once in awhile, but there is something interesting around the corner.

Recently, because Christmas is upcoming, and I work at a church, there was a musical in the near future, I had a decent amount of stage work in front of me. Set building was no problem, running tracks and setting up a clear com system, not a big deal, Flying props, ok. Re-designing an entire lighting install, design a show, and set cues for the person that will be running it during the actual production.

I want to be very honest when I say, I do not belong behind a light board. I can turn them on. I can make the smart lights spin and change colors, I can install them, and I can change gels. That's about it. I've gotten a crash course a couple times, but am in no way prepared to make this thing "sing".

I found out this afternoon, that I will be assuming control of the theatrical lighting department.

That's great.

I may as well be taking charge of a R&D team for a new flavor of Doritos. I have as much experience. I mean I like Doritos. I can manage to buy them, and make them disappear. Perhaps, comment on the taste of said Doritos. But, I probably shouldn't be making any kind of decision about them.

From this point on, I am solely in control of the most expensive equipment on campus. Because, well... We're still on PCs.

I guess it isn't a bad thing. I may as well learn how to operate them, in a pinch, it would be useful.

People assume that the guy at the desk knows how to fix all the problems. Mostly because they also assume he is the one causing them. But, having to learn an entire system in 3 weeks (Remember, I have a show to design) and make it work well enough so that no one knows the difference, might be a little more than I was expecting to chew this winter.

I guess as long as it comes with a pay raise, I won't mind too much. Depending on the raise, I may LOVE running lights. Who knows? Other than the person putting the pay rate increase request in, obviously.

A new month

So, I pulled another one of those retarded shifts. Closing Saturday til 5 in the morning, then playing at church at 10, then not sleeping all day, except for that omen of 10 minutes that I was given. Then went and closed again. Retarded I know.

Not only being physically exhausted, I'm mentally drained as well. Before this weekend, I would take and physically throw customers out if they were too drunk or loud. I don't know. Maybe I'm getting old, which is probably a good thing, lost my drive to beat the hell out of people, or am just exhausted of this job. So I just decided to call the cops from the office and have all the drunks taken away.

It's been about two and a half years or so now. On and off. I was fired twice, quit 3 times and apparently am one of the owners favorites. That's fantastic. My hours still blow.
So tomorrow is right about when I go in to work with an agenda. Usually that's not me.

Work is work, but after this long, and still making way less than people that have been there less than half the time, and can only do about 1/8th of what I can, it's time to start being a bitch about it.

New developments may have caused me to grow a pair. Not just a normal one, but one of steel. Tomorrow, I go in, tell them I want off nights, or I'm out. I don't really care where they put me, I've already been everywhere. I just want a normal sleep pattern, so that I can use my time the way I want to. I've got shit to do. And new stuff keeping me busy.

The only real issue is that I have absolutely no fallback. That's a problem. If there was somewhere I know I would be hired at the same rate, just doing something different, I would wage a salary war between the places. Just to see what I could get. So, I think that's what I need. A new opportunity, on the employment front. The economy is awful, so the only place that I can for sure get a job, is a place comprable to the current life sucking hell hole.

Perhaps there is a second issue. I like my job. I really do. There are just certain parts, like working til 6 in the morning and then trying to live a normal life. It doesn't work. That's why the fat bastard they put in charge doesn't work weekends, holidays, or nights. I assume I have more out of work activities though. And, I'm about 20 times more productive.

Conclusion: I get that tub of lards job, get more done, and get a little more money than he gets. Ill be happy. I mean, with how enormous this dude is, he's not going to be around long anyways.
Those twinkies are going to get you. One way or another.

Turn it around

So apparently people don't like it when you tell them they're running a mess of a store, and if they don't shape up, that you'll have their job.
I took off of work this week, so that I could play a festival with the band I was involved with. As you may know, that's no more. So I had to scavenge hours at other places, because my friends sister needs the hours at the other store I was running. That's fine, as long as that is what happened. I have a nasty guy feeling it's because I essentially told the store manager that if she didn't have certain things done when I came in (things she is supposed to do) I would have her job. Whatever. No big deal. So I had to steal some hours from my friend Alex, who didn't really care. However, it's put a proverbial "cramp" on my style. I have two days off this week. Which would be fine if I didn't just get almost a grand worth of bills in the mail. Which I wasn't expecting. I got a new phone, and no rebates yet. So there is $400. The rest I planned for. $400 may not seem like a lot, but, when you have to cut back on eating, and stuff like that, you feel that little foot kicking your ass all the way to the bank, cause you know you have no cash. But now that I don't have to take massive amounts of time of for a band that I have yet to get anything back from, I can make up that difference.
For those of you who lost where I was going, here it is...
THINGS WORK OUT

It's the truth. I got a nice reminder from Pamela today that I have about 4 days left to act like a little girl about the subject, and then if I don't, I think there was something mentioned about my ass getting kicked. Which I would absolutely deserve if I whined about something for more than a business week. Because, I operate on a business week, and a quarterly calendar.

That's right. I run my life, coincidentally around the stock market. I didn't notice til someone at work pointed it out. So, for the dimwits out there, at the end of this month, I move on, or start 100% fresh. My first step towards this was cleaning up my act a bit. And I would like to make it very clear, that I'm not doing this because of the band situation. So far, I've been clean for over 72 hours. Not a big deal. Unless you've been hopped up on one thing or another, since, about, May.

So here I stand, waiting for something miraculous to happen. Which, is probably looking me in the face, but I have yet to jump upon said thing.

So with people at my work having children, and other stores floundering, I can only imagine the opportunity. My work is taking care of me, I got involved at my own church again, rather than helping out at the churches of others, which isn't a bad thing. Unless you consider that this past Sunday was the first time I've gotten something out of a message, in the last few months, whenever I was at my church last.

To set it straight, I'm not a big fan of watered down, Jesus loves you and your crack addiction, and wants you to sell enough crack so you can tithe, and then buy yourself a Mercedes. Shit don't work like that. Maybe that's what works for some people. I can't see how, but maybe that's how you can justify yourself. I prefer a God that watches you, and tells you you're wrong. A Lewis Black God if you will. ex: "I can see everything you do and I'm gonna kick your ass!"
Maybe that's a little harsh. But that's what gets through to me. And, I'm pretty sure God has a sense of humor, and was sitting up there laughing at me saying, "I told you so. Ready to do things my way?" And the answer ladies and gentlemen, is yes. Who the hell are you to think that you know what you're doing. Cause you don't. If you have to ask yourself that question, you sir, are wrong. He's just waiting for you to drop your garbage and catch on. It's not that hard. Try it sometime. I didn't catch on til about 4 days ago. So I don't have a whole lot of room to talk, but the point is, as far off as you are. You can always come home to your true source of life.

Yeah, that point took way too long. Too damn bad. Suck it up and move off it. And maybe start listening just a little bit closer from now on. I dare you.