In my years here in Edmonton, I've held a number of different work positions. I've been told that I change my job like I do my underwear, and I've often joked about my job A.D.D. (A little insensitive maybe, but true.) I've left jobs for a myriad of reasons, from low pay, to a long commute time, or not liking a certain person/people within the company. My biggest problem in the past has been becoming bored though and getting myself into trouble... You know what they say about idle hands... So today isn't exactly a tremendous feat but, it's officially my 3 month anniversary here at work. Whoopty doo Basil!
My current employment finds me sorting and delivering mail within a government building... Boring.... Most of my day is spent either reading a book or fiddling on the Internet... As you may imagine, the pay isn't great here, but it's enough to pay the bills. Every so often though, I'll get a call saying there's work available doing janitorial stuff in a trucking/freight office... It's a couple hours outta my life, and a few more bucks in my pocket.... It's an added bonus that I can basically go at my leisure after work... And still have time afterwards to lead a "normal" life.....
The Trucking/Freight Company I clean at, I am actually quite familiar with on a different level... I spent about three and a half years at the joint as an employee... I was a paper monkey/paper pusher of sorts. It was a unionized shop, office staff included, so any positions within the office had to be posted and filled within the company before anyone new could be hired to fill a position... This was pretty sweet, if you will remember - Idle hands and I get bored quick.... I filled quite a few positions because of this blessed union rule... Kept me out of trouble for a while. I was, at one point or another, a bill tear-er, the East Outbound girl, the West Outbound girl, the Appointment Clerk Assistant, and finally the Appointment clerk. I spent most of my time as the Appointment Clerk... By the end, it was getting pretty bland... I would come in to start my shift at 7 AM, and by Noon (on busy days) I'd be done my work and would have to kill three and a half hours... Which got me into trouble for "fraternizing" with the drivers of the company...
To be honest, this freight/trucking company is where I have had the most fun working, period. (It's also the place that I bitched about the most.... I even quit once - only to return 3 months later.) After I got the hang of what was expected of me work wise, I became "just one of the guys". (I got it down to a science... So, I felt pretty smart after my initial feelings of stupidity in that way...) I considered some of the dock workers and drivers friends, and they me. I even made a few friends with drivers from different companies that had certain contracts through us.
I recruited Miss-Ow, my Edmonton Best Friend, to work here. She and I worked in the office together before she left for BC. It was a riot! For my 23rd birthday, she decorated my desk with balloons and streamers... Made my birthday pretty memorable that year. She gave me a pin that said, "It's my birthday, wanna spank me?" which was a huge hit with "the guys". Miss and I had code names for pretty much everyone... Some of the looks we got! Holy! Some people just didn't appreciate the originality of this BC Duo! I also brought a friend, Vee that I met at my first job here in Edmonton, over to this trucking company. After Miss-Ow! left, Vee was my sanity and comic relief.
This is where I met my best male friend, who we'll call E-Head (not because he's does E or anything... Another inside joke.) I'd walk out to have a cigarette when I knew that E-Head was at the warehouse. I'd come down the stairs, and if he was in sight I'd yell "E-HEAD'S A BITCH!!" to which he'd reply, "Yeah? Well I learned everything I know about being a bitch from YOU!" E-Head and I had a lot of fun together at work. On good days we'd joke around, I'd ask him if the reflective safety vest made my butt look big... He'd tell me no, my butt made my butt look big. On bad days, I'd cry on his shoulder and tell him my "Whoa is me" stories. I miss seeing him on a daily basis... In many ways, he helped me keep my sanity as long as I stayed there too. He was my best bitch, and I told him as much. I haven't seen E~head in over a year, but I did talk to him last week. We seemed to pick up right where we left off... Maybe he really is my best bitch after all.
It's also the place where I met a boyfriend/common law husband, we'll call him K. (Miss-Ow! and I called K, Signore - pronounced "sin- your-ay" - the Italian for Mister. I don't remember why we called him that... Maybe it was the closest thing we could come up with to Senior?) My relationship with K has always been pretty volatile, and it didn't help that he is 20 years my senior. I won't get into the details, we just seemed to be arguing all the time and were always off again/on again. (K was the main reason for my crying on E~head's shoulder. E~head tried to tell me to move on, but as a stubborn girl - I figured I knew better.) I went on a few runs with K, who was a trucker, and it made me feel really special.(Especially being that I had bugged the head honcho to let me go on a run, and it never amounted to anything.) I got to see what K did all day and I finally felt like his girl.
I had other pals there too. I got along with about 85% of the people there... A trucker, we'll call Second Honey, and I had a mutual crush on each other. He was married and I was still with K, it was a running joke that if we became single, we'd date. Around work, I'd call my mutual crush guy my second honey - which almost acted as a nickname. Another pal, Pet It, took me to see the CP Rail terminal one time. It was our little secret being that, by this time, the head honcho was completely ignoring any of my requests to go on a run with a driver. I was chummy with a member of the management team, Mr R. When things would get a little hairy, I'd beg him every day for a pink slip. He called me "Pinkie" after a while... (I was also known as "Red" because of the colour of my hair.) It was Mr. R who hired me back for my second kick at the freight can. After work, a group of us, including K, would go down to a bar called the H to have a beer, hang out and sing Scary-oke. Every Friday, for a period of months, I'd either be going into work still drunk, hungover or I'd be calling in sick. From what I can remember of the nights spent at the H, it was awesome! Everyone had fun.
The cool people started leaving, or getting fired, and the whole group dynamic changed. I had quit drinking, so I couldn't even "escape" to that realm of fun. It just wasn't the same, but in all honesty, I don't regret my two tours of duty at this trucking/freight company. I could bitch and complain, piss and moan... But why? I left twice, and the second time stuck... It's been just over 3 years since I've worked as a freight employee. Every time I do set foot on the property to go cleaning though, there's a bitter sweet burning sensation. I remember the good times with great and endearing fondness.... The memories of the rough times make my heart sink and break a little bit... Every time.
It's not always about Me; with my impending move to BC, all I will have left of Edmonton are my memories. I am fortunate enough to have some good ones. I'll miss Vee, E~Head, Pet It, and even K. I already miss Mr R and Miss-Ow! You guys (and girls) rocked my world!
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