indigo girls and more….

  

(picture from the show compliments of ajc) I’m not going to say anything about Amy’s pants……but, YOU can!

The Home Girlz and then some met at Ellen’s house last night to carpool it in to Chastain Park Amphitheater to see the Indigo Girls concert. We had two cars stuffed full of women, coolers, and rain gear. The rain hadn’t let up all day and apparently it wasn’t going to stop for even Emily and Amy and several hundred people. Joey and I chatted with Ruth, Jackie and Ellen in the car but Ellen’s friend, Laura (not H.G. Laura) was silent the whole way. Apparently, Ellen had done something to piss Laura off awhile back and intended to continue the spat even after Ellen had apologized. We all thought that we could have easily traded this wet sack her for our Laura or Shelia. Someone at the last minute in the other group had to cancel and Shelia got to go. We were all happy about that however, the H.G.’s were split between two tables that were too far apart to go visiting during the concert. Once we pulled up to the venue we went in and started setting up the table, pulling food items out of the cooler and eating. We sat and ate, talked (all except for Laura, of course) and eventually started listening to the opening act, which was Matt Nathanson. He was pretty good and kept us entertained. It started to rain and we all put on our rain gear. Funny how the rain didn’t seem to deter us from eating, talking, laughing and listening to music, we just went along like it was expected. Not a moment too soon Emily and Amy came out. The evening flew by in a blur of good sounds and next thing we knew we were clapping and whistling for an encore to which the girls and complied with Galileo.

 

Back at the cars our group was reunited talking about the show. Someone mentioned going to a local women’s dive bar in Decatur and we were off. Joey who had been bravely battling her pain level all night bowed out. I took her home and put her to bed and waited for Shelia to pick me up. Joey tucked in, I ran out into another downpour to hop in Shelia’s car. We talked on the way over, I texted Ellen and Laura and by the time we pulled up at the bar the rain had come down harder. We made a break for it into the bar and were met with disco music from the back room. Ellen came around the corner with a beer and I ordered for Shelia and I and we took off for the dance floor. I couldn’t remember the last time I danced to disco music. Then, there was a boring costume contest. (Why do gay bars always have to find some excuse to stop the music and put on some lame ass show or contest?) After that, the music started up again but the groove was gone and people moved off the dance floor into the other room to get another drink, go smoke or use the restroom. The H.G.’s moved on out to the deck to talk. Laura had to take one her friend’s who was in the other Indigo Girls group home as by that time she was shit faced very drunk. Ellen, Shelia and I talked and had drinks on the deck until some bitchy queen came out and asked us who was single out of the group and who was taken. We should have told him none of his ‘bidness’ but we complied pointing out  Shelia and Ellen as single and myself as taken. I was then told to stand “over here” away from my friends because his roommate of the female persuasion wanted to go to another bar and he had convinced her that if he set her up with someone they could stay. Great. Are we in grade school now? This girl came out and turned her back to me (because I was the “taken one” – and, yes, I also got bitched out by the queen that I was out without my other half) to talk to Shelia and Ellen. I motioned to them that I was going to the restroom and that I would be back. I thought if that girl was still there by the time I got back that I was saving them from her. Once back she was still there and going on about wanting to go to a gay men’s bar for a karaoke contest that she was sure to win. Ellen and Shelia had glazed looks and I went over to save them. As I moved in the bitchy queen said, “Wait! You can’t stand there!” I gave him a look and turned to my girlz and suggested we go in to the bar to get another drink, they nodded and we moved on into the bar hoping to get away from winged girl and bitchy queen. But, much to my chagrin when we sat down at the bar the winged girl had followed telling the same karaoke story to the gay man beside her. I realized that my bullshit meter had been going off for quite sometime and that the moment of drinking and bonding with my friends was over. Plus, Ellen and I couldn’t decide what we wanted to drink and I took that as a sign that we didn’t need anything more to drink.  

 

So, despite silent Laura, the winged girl and bitchy queen the night was pretty much a success. I crawled into bed after 2 a.m. and wrapped my body around Joey’s and dropped off into oblivion.

the home girlz

Over the past few years I have made some new friends and lost a few. Sometimes I wonder if the universe only allows you to have a certain amount of friends, good friends, anyway. As I ponder the few good friendships I have lost I savor the ones I have.

Joey and I have this group of women we hang with weekly. We do Sunday supper club at each other’s houses, we play trivia at the local pizza joint, we go two stepping. Honestly, if it weren’t for this group I think we both would have lost our minds by now.

There’s Ellen, who just got out of a very damaging long term relationship. Her self esteem is crushed and could use a lift. She is a talented architect who loves to cook. She has a garden and is always canning and making sauces, salsa’s and soup. She has a wonderful house, a dog and a cat. She’s going to officiate for Joey and I when we get married. (No, she’s not a minister on the side. No, same sex marriage is not legal in Georgia and no it’s not going to stop us from recognizing our commitment.)

There’s Laura who [we suspect] would love to go out with Ellen however, Ellen says she’s not ready for that. (I personally think that Laura isn’t Ellen’s type but that’s just me) Laura has some health problems and it’s hard for her to get around. (She and Joey commiserate especially, this week with all the rain.) She’s quick to throw down a bill and pay for an occasional beer and when she wants to celebrate something she invites us all out for pizza. (btw, when I get a job – we’re having a huge-@ss party!)

There’s Shelia who we recently ran into at trivia a month back. This is an interesting story. Shelia used to work with an ex girlfriend of mine. Only now she works in a different department because it became to difficult to work with her. I was always better friends with my ex’s coworkers than her. Shelia also has a daughter that was in a very bad car accident awhile back. She’s paralyzed (C4 spinal injury) and is getting ready to be released from the hospital and come live with Shelia. Her life it about to change drastically and despite that she’s a breath of fresh air to be around.

I think we all have hard things we’re going through and just banding together it seems like we energize each other. We’re the home girlz.

 

chex mix friday

This week has been more waiting around, making phone calls and sending emails. Yesterday, I think I made at least twenty-five phone calls and thinking I could really change my career to that of a telemarketer as that’s what I feel like these days. It’s quite frustrating but at the same time I felt that I put a lot out there and am hoping to get something back.

 

I went for a run yesterday in the drizzle. It was nice and cool and I enjoyed it. Joey was painting and has been battling pain – I suspect the rain has a little to do with it. The new medicine doesn’t seem to take away the pain as much as the former one did. This one she has to take pain meds on top of although she doesn’t want to sleep constantly. There’s a trade-off  – pain or sleep all the time. Wow, such great choices.

 

Tonight I am going wine (have been drinking a bit but taking it easy) tasting with Ellen and Laura while Joey cooks a southern style dinner at Ellen’s house. (She would rather cook than taste she said) Then, we’re going to watch a Mad Men episode.

 

Tomorrow we have a table with Ellen and friends at Chastain Amphitheater for the Indigo Girls concert. We’ve had this ticket forever, Indigo Girls sell out really fast here in Atlanta. We’re hoping to take in dinner and wine. (The rules are a bit unclear on the website so we’re going with it)  Since we have a parking pass with our table we’re all piling into Ellen’s car and going. How we’re going to fit everything in is going to be questionable. I really do hope this rain clears up by tomorrow. I don’t want to be listening to Closer to Fine in the pouring down rain.

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

hope, hope, hope, hope…..

This past week I got a couple of landscape referrals. One lady has a decent budget, wants new plantings which I am drawing a plan for. The other [couple] well, they don’t know what they want. Joey and I trekked on down to the hood for a consult and honestly after being there for five minutes I wanted to tell them to scrap a plan and spend their money on a privacy fence with razor wire on the top and a Doberman Pincher. When I gave them a very minimal quote they hesitated. Just how much did they think I’d charge for cleaning out the wall of weeds, ivy and invasive material just to get to a workable planting area and drawing them a plan? I should have known when the first thing out of their mouth was “How much does a landscaper cost, anyway?” 

I also found a very good online source for business contacts. No more searching, searching, searching on google, linked in, etc. I coughed up the $25 and have already downloaded 25 contacts for work. I sent out almost 20 letters with resume’s last week. If you’re looking for a job and need contacts then I really recommend this site. Most of the contacts I downloaded had email addresses and direct line phone numbers along with their business addresses. I also found a contact that I have been looking for for quite sometime. 

I taught a class this past weekend in Conyers. It turned out to be a really good class and a breeze to teach despite it being on a site where I have to teach by myself. It was good to work again , to need to be somewhere at a certain time, to achieve something, etc.  

I feel as if this unemployment thing has been going on for so long -even before I was laid off. Since last winter when my boss came to my job trailer and said that I probably wouldn’t have a job as soon as my park site opened. The events that ensued after that and how difficult it was to work with him who is a fucking asshole after that and that whole drama – yes, this has been going on for so long. Looking, looking, looking for a job both when I was employed and not employed. I want it to be over. And, soon, too. Hope, to get a call this week, hope to get an interview. Just one. It only takes one. And…..maybe another landscaping job in the meantime.

riding, running, walking….

I am better these days. I think the abstinence from drinking has really helped my attitude and focus and from becoming a drunk. It’s been four days including a holiday weekend spent with my sister and friends so it wasn’t easy. But, there were distractions like a long motorcycle ride with Joey on my friend’s cruiser.

 

(Joey – yellow, me – blue – this was our first ride together. Our friend wanted me to take her bike for a spin as it “needed to be started” – Well, allrightie then! Don’t mind if we do! Yes, I took a real chance putting this picture on here because now you know what we look like.)

I also spoke to clients about side work. I ran and ran some more. I did push-ups, sit-ups and triceps extensions. I ignored an email to put myself on the next Bootcamp instructor schedule. No, my future workouts need to be focused on me, my thoughts, my strategies, my center. I find that I do a lot of great thinking and meditation on my runs. Today I thought about all the energy I have put forth to certain things that I don’t get returns from. I did an especially hilly route today where I had to stop and walk several times. In the past, I would continuously beat myself up over stopping and walking. I should be able to run this route without stopping. If I stop I won’t get the maximum workout. Today when I stopped and walked I thought that it was ok and that no matter how many times I stopped and walked I would still finish the workout. Baby steps. Somehow I need to inject this outlook into finding a job. I make calls, I write letters, I email, I talk to people – it’s all building towards a right time and a right place. Most of the time it is like running hills, getting out of the comfort zone, doing something strenuous that doesn’t feel good. Because of that I realize I do need to walk sometimes and feel ok about that. That I am making progress.

coincidence and running

I was sitting in the back office updating my website and watching Footloose. Joey had mentioned my going for a run that day to possibly blow off some steam. Recently, I have felt my mental state slide into a deep crevice with slippery walls. Bloody fingers, broken nails try as I might I could not seem to climb out. What I really felt like doing was going into the kitchen and opening up a beer. No, wait. I felt like going to the store and buying a 12 pack and then opening a beer and not worrying about running out anytime soon (at least until the next day). I knew deep down that this was not going to cut it help. I got up and went in to find my running clothes. It had been months since I had gone out on a run by myself. I found my shoes at the bottom of the closet. I put on my shorts and dry fit top. (yes, I said “top”). I grabbed my ipod and a cup of water and went outside to stretch.

 

I started running down the street and stopped 8 houses down because there was Dawn weed eating in one of my neighbor’s yards. (She apparently hadn’t been fired for doing side work) When did she start doing that yard, I thought. I hadn’t seen her since I’d been fired told not to come back. I had no idea if she knew why I hadn’t been back. I stood there and watched her until she looked up and saw me. She turned off the weed eater and reluctantly came down to see me. My stomach sunk thinking that I had messed up things for her at work and that she didn’t really want to see me. I had planned to just say hi and continue my run but she said that she was sad because she had had to put one of her dogs down that day. (Wow, both Holly and her in the same week). I think she had been crying while she was weed eating. We talked about work and she knew what happened. In fact, Holly had asked her that day if I had said anything to her about working other jobs. She told her that I had and said that everyone worked other gigs she knew about and asked what the big deal was if I did. (Dawn herself is a gardener for three other clients on days when she isn’t working for Holly) One of the days we were working together we talked about doing some jobs together on off days when Holly didn’t need us. Sitting around last week and getting texts from her saying that she didn’t need me to come in I started to think about making that conversation a reality. I needed to find other means to help support myself.

 

I told her if she was still there by the time I came back around from my run to stop by the house. I started running again and wondered why I had waited so long to do that. I thought it was a somewhat weird coincidence that I happened to run by at the same time she was there working – especially, given the circumstances. I wondered if she would come down afterwards or if she would just leave. I felt guilt about possibly making a mess of work for her. I put it out of my mind and concentrated on running. As I ran past the playground I looked at the chin-up bar and remembered when I could do ten reps. I fantasized about possibly working up to five. I ran back by the yard and waved at Dawn and turned up the street towards the house. Joey was home when I got there. We talked and I told her what had transpired on my run and that Dawn may stop by. I told her my doubts, too. I went to do something in another part of the house and I heard Joey say hi to someone and it was Dawn. She told me that she just wanted to come to the house and tell me that she had been thinking about us doing work together and wanted me to know that she was interested and excited about it. That she had been thinking about it ever since we talked about it last week. (I think it was when we were riding together that day we were trimming that awful privet at Villa de la Mosquito). I immediately heaved a sigh of relief. She said that she didn’t want to work with blower lady anymore and that she couldn’t believe Holly getting so upset with me over working on days that she didn’t need me. We agreed to meet the following week to discuss it more.

 

I have written my friend a letter saying that I didn’t mean to hurt her with my looking for jobs outside of work for her. I do realize that she was coming from an emotional place but wonder how she can expect someone in my shoes to not go out and find other work? Again, I can understand if I was actively trying to steal her clients or find work through her clients but the type of work Dawn and I are looking at is in an altogether different realm (not to mention in a different part of town). I haven’t sent the letter yet. I am still hurt over the whole thing and I don’t feel that finishing it, proofreading it and hitting the email button is worth my time and energy right now although, I did throw out all my sweat stained work shirts.

I think I can….

It’s been a strange couple of days. Normally, I would embrace a holiday weekend, be thankful to be off, sleep in with Joey and, well, not work. While I am thankful to sleep in with Joey – not so much the work part.

 

There have been some positive things since my blow-up with my ex friend. Joey and I did go out Thursday night with the intension of dancing and actually made it to the dance floor. We listened to jazz with friend K and wife then went out and kicked up our heels with Ellen and Laura. Our friends have discovered the two-stepping and line dancing thing and want to do it every week which is fine with us.  We both seem to have had friends drop off from going out dancing and it’s nice to have that again. Yesterday, she ran around with them because they both wanted to go boot shopping. I ran around with my sister in Buckhead and it was as good as it could possibly get considering the circumstances. We met up for lunch and talked and walked around the mall. We walked up the street and went into a men’s clothing store. My sister seems to have this need to buy me wrinkle-less shirts for Christmas this year and wanted me to try some on. I thought about the shirts that I already had stuffed in my closet that weren’t being used but let it go because if it makes my sister happy to buy me wrinkle-less shirts for Christmas then so be it. We were in the store and I was looking at ties and cufflinks. I thought about how easy men had it in the clothing department. All you needed was a few – well, wrinkle-less shirts, ties, two jackets and five pairs of pants and there you had your complete professional wardrobe. I humored her and tried on shirts and then we went next door to Borders. We are both book crazy people. I fingered the latest Pat Conroy book and read the inside jacket. I went upstairs and started reading “Human Resources for Dummy’s” book. I thought that if I could get into the mind of a human resources person then maybe I would stand a better chance at getting my foot in the door for an interview. I had an idea to call a friend and see if she would meet us. She was just leaving work and was having drinks around the corner and said to join her. We did.

Big mistake.

When we walked around the corner and saw the restaurant/bar there was a large table with her and several people she worked with sitting there. There were no other empty chairs and it was very loud. She jumped up and hugged us and we sat down at a table adjacent to them. She shouted to her work people who we were as we sat down. I nodded and said hi despite not hearing it. We ordered drinks but I knew that we would not be staying long. The work people kept looking over their shoulders at their coworker and asked that we move over to their table. A few people had left at that point. Then, another group of people came in and were even louder next to us. We reluctantly moved but I couldn’t help wondering why she couldn’t sit with us and visit as she saw her work people all the time. We no more moved when most of the work people jumped up to leave. The goodbye’s took awhile and finally when they had left and it was quiet(er) I thought we would catch up and visit. She turned to us and said, “So, I’ve been wanting to ask you two something.” I had no idea what she was going to say but what she did say next I was flabbergasted. She asked if our father had a will and if we were in it. My sister and I with shocked expressions on our faces shook our heads. She went on to say that we should ask him or our step-mother and wanted to know specific details about the land, who owned what and so forth. Since her and I have known each other for years she knew some details of my family’s history but it was quite inappropriate that she ask about it – especially in front of my sister. I felt like we were both being interrogated. Silly me to have thought that it would be nice to sit down with my friend that I hadn’t seen in a month and catch up with a relaxing drink and instead it was the inquisition. Even given different circumstances and me not already being stressed out about my current situation and the events of this past week it would have seemed stressful all the same. My sister and I ground to a halt about the topic and we let the conversation drop. My friend slouched in her chair and was quiet. I tried to change the subject and asked her if she had my revised resume’ that she had to know a lot of professionals given her profession. She waved a hand, “Yeah, yeah, I got it.” Again, we were silent and then she jumped up and said she had to go and we said our goodbyes. She went one way and my sister and I went the opposite. When she was out of earshot I said,

 

“What the fuck was that all about?”

 

My sister shook her head and said “Yeah, what was that all about?”

 

I was disappointed. I wanted to see my friend, catch up without noisy, obnoxious Buckhead people and not feel interrogated. I felt hurt by it and apologized to my sister for that being my bad idea. We walked around some more and went to dinner after that. I went home and cried on Joey’s shoulder. I’m sick and tired of the crying part [but not so much of being on Joey’s shoulder part I decided that I was going to lay off drinking for awhile, get on a workout regime and a schedule. I decided that next week is a new week with new and exciting things in store. I’m meeting with a new partner (more on that later) to discuss work we are going to do. I decided that that nice H.R. lady is going to call me in for a job interview. I’m going to work on my mock interview (that is going to be taped again the following week) I am going to write more business letters and I am going to limit time with people and things that have a negative impact on my energy. Despite knowing that I am in an emotional place right now  and things are going to seem upsettling and harsh, I still feel like some of my friends have fucking lost their minds gone off the deep end. I want to distance myself from that and try to focus more on positive energy and outlook. I think I can, I think I can…..and I’m reading Attitude 101 and carrying it around like a sacred book.

reality bites

It’s late afternoon. I’m sitting in the back room watching Reality Bites, working on my Rocket Popp site and drinking beers. Joey is taking a nap in the bedroom. I got fired from my landscaping job today because my friend found out that I was looking to start my own gig. Yeah, cutting grass along with designing websites and running my own ecommerce site – anything to eck out a living while I look for a job. Apparently, she thought she had cornered the market on grass and clipping and that I was a threat to her business. This coming from someone whom I had been friends with for over 10 years was a bitter pill to swallow. 

It all started when Joey and I stopped by her office yesterday so I could fax some documents to a dealer in Alabama. (yes, another online business I want to start selling motorcycle gear) I asked my friend for the phone number of a mutual Realtor friend of ours so I could contact her about landscape maintenance at some vacant properties. My downfall, I guess, is that I should have mentioned this to my friend why I was contacting her. Worse, instead of the friend’s number she gave me her own wife’s number instead (who has the same first name as the realtor’s) So, when I called to inquire about work I inquired to the wrong person. When we both realized who each other was I back pedaled and said that I wanted to start something small to do on the days when I wasn’t working for H, [my friend] her wife. I relayed this story to Joey and Ellen last night and they were both like “I wouldn’t worry about it – she should expect you to want to make a living outside of helping her out.” 

Wrong about that. 

My friend called me today all irate feeling that I was somehow trying to compete with her business and take away her clients. I understood her concern and apologized saying that I simply wanted a few clients in my neighborhood to tide me over when I wasn’t working for her. Both of us knowing that she only deals with high-end residential clients on the north side of town and not small in-town residential/commercial I honestly did not think this was a problem and told her so. She said that she wished I’d came to her and asked her advice.  She said she would have given me some clients. [Mentally, I flashed to the Godfather "You shudda come to me!"] I told her that I knew that she had a lot on her plate lately and honestly didn’t want to intrude and bother her about this. That I was going to tell her when I got some clients and so forth but as of right now I was just putting out cards. Sure enough, I was right about the full plate part because I no more said that and she rattled off that she had had to put her dog down yesterday and that her sister was coming into town and she was stressed out about that. Ok, so NOW I get it – you’re stressed out and taking your shit out on me. I.get.it. Especially the sister part. I myself had just had a very demoralizing conversation with mine the previous night about finances. All of which I fought an anxiety attack all the way home. Yeah, glad I’m not the only one freaking out but don’t take your shit out on me.  

We agreed to talk more about this at a later time when we both weren’t so upset about it. In hindsight a good idea. Later once I had pulled myself together I realized it would probably be a very long time before I could speak to her again. Probably not until I find something regular and that I am in a better place emotionally because I need all I can get in that area right now. 

So, no more covert landscaper – I’m for real now. 

 

about last night

Yesterday, coming in the door from work I had several things to tell Joey. Unloading my cooler and wiping it out (I loathe a dirty cooler) she rounded the corner with a sleepy look. I knew it was just that time in the afternoon where she crashes. I relayed my day with Dawn and us commiserating about working with the Blower Lady. Seems we both have the same impressions. I could see Joey wanting to doze and told her that I would wake her up in an hour. I was driving her up to “curriculum night” at the boy’s school and after that we were going dancing at country bar. 

While most of that went off without a hitch the dancing part did not happen. My sister always seems to have a sense of [bad] timing. She is going to be in town for business this upcoming week and wanted to meet up -

 

-particularly to discuss my financial situation. BLAH.

 

If you want to read about her last visit go here and you will understand a little more my feelings of dread coupled with looking forward to seeing her – if that makes any sense what-so-ever…. 

It has been a difficult week of discussions with her and her visit. Because of my unemployment status she wants to help out financially. Being that we’re both co-owners of our grandmother’s farm I suggested we try to get our father on the “splitting three ways” bandwagon hoping to by-pass the financial help. We both wrote him letters – her being the “bad cop” and me [of course] the “good cop”. I got a call from him on Thursday morning wanting to talk about my letter. [wow, I should write letters more often! At least someone is reading my letters....] He agreed to split the profits of the farm three ways between my sister and I but I had to listen to a list of things he has supposedly done to the farm in the form of expenses (which, neither my sister and I really believe he has done but that’s another story). Later that day I spoke to my her, relaying the phone conversation with Dad. After hanging up I thought it was basically a done deal. I would get my share of the farm profits, hopefully tiding me over until I could find a full time job. Later, right before picking Joey up at the school I got an email from her saying she wanted to still help out financially but that I was going to have to curtail my spending and go over my expenses with her. She went on to write about a time that she was paying my cell phone bill  and that I had made all these erroneous calls to a girlfriend and that she while she was willing to help out, she wasn’t going to finance vacations, massages and high cell phone bills. [Yeah, Joey and I are running around all over town getting massages, pedi's and taking vacations to Tahiti - oh, and CALLING Tahiti as well......Hmm, wonder if I should tell her about us getting MARRIED, too......]

 

Ok, I felt like I was in college again asking my folks for money. 

 

Picking Joey up I was really distracted and had her read the email. [Times like that I could curse the blackberry] It lead to a discussion, an argument and then the two of us going home because we didn’t feel well. [we both had our periods in different phases - NOT good]. So, we bagged the whole dancing thing altogether. It was a disapointment to us both, I think, but neither of us was in any condition to go into the loud bar, put on a happy face and dance. 

I have deep reservations about having my sister help out. I really do. Our family has been trained to look at money in a abusive, destructive way and I really don’t want a bigger rift between her and I. I am going to have to make it abundantly clear that she will not become a bean counter. I still feel that I should not ask for help until I absolutely need it. I still hold on to the hope that I will find a job soon. In the meantime, I ordered new business cards for my landscaping company that I want to start in the interim of waiting for the market to come back.  Plus, I wanted to let you know that we are going to be filmed on HGTV next week doing an installation. (yes, you may actually see the blower lady and myself) I will certainly let you know when that will air and I guess my days of being the covert landscaper will over soon. 

 

Have a great weekend!

instructor drama

My sweetheart is asleep beside me on the bed while I write this. I bagged my writing class tonight because I feel like I have been going, going, going the past week. I worked four days last week landscaping and was off Friday but I had to teach class that night. So, Friday I didn’t really feel like I had the entire day off before rolling into the weekend. Class was uneventful with nothing really funny or entertaining to write about. We did have some instructor drama on Saturday, though. There’s this guy who every time he signs up to teach he bags out on the second day and gets someone to fill in for him. Which was the case again this weekend only he didn’t run it through our site coordinator going behind his back. This guy also is an “engineer” for a large soft drink company and he won’t let a moment go by without reminding you of that. I honestly don’t think he has an engineering degree but that it’s a title that large-soft-drink-company gave him. He doesn’t actually design plans or put his stamp or signature on anything but goes around servicing all the vending sites. But, he’s the first to tell you he’s an engineer for large-soft-drink-company. He’s also a very large African-American guy. Back in the day we had this chief that I have mentioned was almost Nazzi in his rein over our program. During his rein this guy  got fired.  The reason being was because he taught a class where someone had an incident [well, crash] and didn’t write it up. The person left the class after the incident, called the office on Monday morning to complain to the chief and mentioned a trip to the hospital – which, when the chief investigated found no paperwork on any such incident. This was a serious thing. We as instructors have been trained to write down every little thing that may occur during a class and call an ambulance without hesitation if there is any incident where someone is hurt. So, after this guy got fired he did this - 

 

-dropped the racist bomb and threatened to sue the program if he wasn’t reinstated. Wha???? Please tell me what race has to do with failing to do.your.job? 

 

Fast forward – Motorcycle Safety Program Hitler retired and engineer got reinstated by the new chief. So, Saturday we walk in and all of us are taking out bikes to set up class. Except for engineer. He’s just wheeling bikes out of the barn and parking them. Ok. This may take awhile to move 23 bikes out to the range with only 3 instructors participating in the set up. We only have a half an hour to do this. Also, this guy has the tendency to pull seniority over getting the near range. Normally, an instructor from each class flips a coin and whomever wins the toss gets the nearest range. JoJo was the instructor slated to work with engineer and he was none too thrilled about it. As we took out bikes I asked who had what range and he said that engineer already said that they had the near range. Knowing this is typical for this guy I mentioned it to my co-instructor, Dan. 

 

“No F-ing WAY! We’re flipping for it! I’m not going to let this guy get away with that!” [Dan]

 

Ok, I admit I was stirring up a little trouble but I couldn’t resist. 

 

So, when engineer rolled up Dan got in his face about it. Engineer  

“I’m the most senior person out here so I should get the near range!” [I wanted to say "and, the laziest!" ]

“No, we’re flipping for it – call it, JoJo!”

“Well, you only have 11 people so you should have the far range.”

“What the hell does that mean? Then, we should be on the near because we’ll be finished sooner” 

“Fine. Take the near range, I dont’ care!”

“No, we’re flipping for it – call it JoJo!”

“Whatever, take it! I dont’ care!” 

“Flipping……”

JoJo called and Dan and I got the far range. Not that I cared but for once I didn’t want this guy to get away with throwing his weight around. I’m surprised he didn’t throw the race card again. No, I’m not prejudiced against race. I’m prejudiced against lazy assholes that don’t pull their own weight.