The two jobs I've had in my life have a bit in common. Both involve working with numbers, answering the phone, and using a computer (on occasion at my past job). One more thing they have in common is dealing with shipping and receiving packages. I find that industry fascinating, and I almost entered into it. I also love shopping online and getting packages in the mail.
At my past job, I accepted many packages working behind the customer service counter. We got shipped a lot of things including displays for movies, promotional tickets, etc. We also got shipped items that we would sell such as books of stamps, Orca cards, and lottery tickets. I would then have to enter the items with monetary value into our inventory so we could keep track. The only notable thing we ever shipped out was a drug testing kit, I believe. Not always, but on occasion when a new hire would get drug tested, we would then have to ship the test via FedEx for the results. I often would be tasked to call the number 1-800 GO-FEDEX to schedule a pickup.
I have plenty of experience in my personal life involving shipping. As I said earlier, I shop online a lot. I do most of my Christmas shopping online. I have even shipped packages to people as well. Some semi-famous YouTubers will set up a PO Box, and I have shipped them items through the United States Postal Service. I even got to see one of them open the things I sent him on video. And when my girlfriend and I were long distance, I sent her a couple care packages in the mail. Recently, because of a misunderstanding, I "subscribed" to a gift set I ordered online. I only wanted one thing. So, I had to request a refund, get the address label, affix it to the package, and schedule a pickup to send it back. I don't mind dealing with shipping and the post office, but it can be a bit of a headache at times.
I did consider a career in the shipping industry when I was between jobs. I looked at jobs for both UPS and FedEx, but the one I got closest to was Amazon. I got to the point where I needed to just find something to not only make money, but to have something productive to do. I went for an Amazon delivery driver position, because I thought that would be fun leaving people's packages on their doorsteps. I applied and got hired and did a two day training session. On my first day, I was already having second thoughts because I had to report to the warehouse in the industrial district of Seattle. Because of a miscommunication, I didn't attend my first day on time, so at that point I just decided to quit. But the knowledge I gained from the training seminar was pretty helpful, and I know I lot more about how Amazon ships packages than I did before.
At my current job, we receive packages on a fairly regular basis. Having to sign for them or provide a carrier your name is something I'm definitely accustomed to doing. I am hoping to gain more experience in the matters of shipping as time goes on. I've gotten to know and recognize the guys that deliver us packages.
And to be honest, I haven't completely ruled out a career in shipping. It's a good work out for all the awesome people out there who make sure packages get from one place to another. But I'll play it by ear and just see what my heart wants.
Showing posts with label Job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Changes
Originally published January 31, 2020
Change. I'm not talking about coins. I'm talking about a difference in your life. Some people like change, others hate it. I'm more towards the hate it. I am a creature of habit and routine, and I like going to the same job year after year, having the same friends, living in the same place. Although that hasn't always been the case.
Last year I got this new job. That was a big change for me. It was my first new job in over a decade. Crazy, right? But after ten years, it was time to move on. I stayed at my previous job for ten years because I just didn't want to change it, and for the majority of the time there, I didn't have a reason to.
Changes happen in my personal life all the time, too. One of my best friends moved away to Spokane last year, and I have not seen him since last April, although we chat on occasion. I worked with him at my retail job, and I got used to seeing him on an almost daily basis. He has talked about moving back, but nothing has been set in stone yet.
One odd thing I thought I'd point out: The places I spent most of my adolescence have all been torn down and rebuilt with something else. My elementary school, junior high school, and high school all went through those massive renovations. My childhood home until I was 10 got torn down and rebuilt into a larger home. I guess it's only a matter of time before my other childhood home gets torn down, which my parents moved out of last August, and they moved a bit further away from me. That was a home I spent about 15 years of my life in. I guess that's just how life goes. You could ask anyone up that's up in years what happened to the schools they went to and their childhood home(s), and chances are they'd say they a majority of them (if not all) are no longer standing.
After my friend and parents moved last year, it will be my turn to move this coming year. Our apartment lease expires at the beginning of April. We will not be able to renew our lease again, because our lease management is completely renovating every single apartment unit. We could move to an already renovated unit, but if we're moving, might as well go somewhere a bit more affordable. I won't get into the details, but we're also not a huge fan of a lot of the changes they've made to the complex and how they still haven't changed other things.
So last year, a new job, and this coming year a new place to live. Honestly, I don't hate changes, I just really like routine and habit and feeling comfortable in my day-to-day life. Changes can also be some of the most stressful times in our lives. I try to reduce the amount of stress in my life as much as possible; hence why I try to avoid change. But change is often inevitable, and it's better to roll with the tide than to try to go against it.
If I want to continue this trend of major changes happening in consecutive years, next year I might get a new car. I've had my current car for almost 9 years now. It's served me well, but I am ready for something different. I'd like to own a truck or SUV, even if that means parking gets tougher to do. I'd just like to have the ability to move furniture for myself or others if need be. I'd also like to be able to comfortably drive in the snow when we get that in the winter. Heck, I might not even wait until next year. Time will tell.
Life is about changes. No one person in western civilization has the same exact routine their entire life. People get new jobs, cars, homes, friends, and partners all the time. I really only enjoy change once the thing you've gotten used to has become monotonous or your current lifestyle requires an upgrade. Change can be stressful, but it can also be fun. It's a topic of conversation with anyone in your life, from friends, family and co-workers to even making small talk with people you barely know. If you never go through change, there's not really much to talk about in regards to your life.
Change. I'm not talking about coins. I'm talking about a difference in your life. Some people like change, others hate it. I'm more towards the hate it. I am a creature of habit and routine, and I like going to the same job year after year, having the same friends, living in the same place. Although that hasn't always been the case.
Last year I got this new job. That was a big change for me. It was my first new job in over a decade. Crazy, right? But after ten years, it was time to move on. I stayed at my previous job for ten years because I just didn't want to change it, and for the majority of the time there, I didn't have a reason to.
Changes happen in my personal life all the time, too. One of my best friends moved away to Spokane last year, and I have not seen him since last April, although we chat on occasion. I worked with him at my retail job, and I got used to seeing him on an almost daily basis. He has talked about moving back, but nothing has been set in stone yet.
One odd thing I thought I'd point out: The places I spent most of my adolescence have all been torn down and rebuilt with something else. My elementary school, junior high school, and high school all went through those massive renovations. My childhood home until I was 10 got torn down and rebuilt into a larger home. I guess it's only a matter of time before my other childhood home gets torn down, which my parents moved out of last August, and they moved a bit further away from me. That was a home I spent about 15 years of my life in. I guess that's just how life goes. You could ask anyone up that's up in years what happened to the schools they went to and their childhood home(s), and chances are they'd say they a majority of them (if not all) are no longer standing.
After my friend and parents moved last year, it will be my turn to move this coming year. Our apartment lease expires at the beginning of April. We will not be able to renew our lease again, because our lease management is completely renovating every single apartment unit. We could move to an already renovated unit, but if we're moving, might as well go somewhere a bit more affordable. I won't get into the details, but we're also not a huge fan of a lot of the changes they've made to the complex and how they still haven't changed other things.
So last year, a new job, and this coming year a new place to live. Honestly, I don't hate changes, I just really like routine and habit and feeling comfortable in my day-to-day life. Changes can also be some of the most stressful times in our lives. I try to reduce the amount of stress in my life as much as possible; hence why I try to avoid change. But change is often inevitable, and it's better to roll with the tide than to try to go against it.
If I want to continue this trend of major changes happening in consecutive years, next year I might get a new car. I've had my current car for almost 9 years now. It's served me well, but I am ready for something different. I'd like to own a truck or SUV, even if that means parking gets tougher to do. I'd just like to have the ability to move furniture for myself or others if need be. I'd also like to be able to comfortably drive in the snow when we get that in the winter. Heck, I might not even wait until next year. Time will tell.
Life is about changes. No one person in western civilization has the same exact routine their entire life. People get new jobs, cars, homes, friends, and partners all the time. I really only enjoy change once the thing you've gotten used to has become monotonous or your current lifestyle requires an upgrade. Change can be stressful, but it can also be fun. It's a topic of conversation with anyone in your life, from friends, family and co-workers to even making small talk with people you barely know. If you never go through change, there's not really much to talk about in regards to your life.
Helpful Links
Originally published January 22, 2020
Recently, I figured out how to link to various websites on here, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite links. These links have either helped me at work here, or they've at least helped pass the time in an informative way.
The Per Diem Calculator: This helped me calculate the per diem for my boss's trips he took last year. Per diem is the allocated amount someone gets for traveling to various destinations, usually internationally. It's used for tax purposes, mostly.
Currency Exchange Rates by Date: This helped me figure out the approximate exchange rate on a particular date. I have had to convert different currencies to U.S. dollar, and this website shows you the exchange rate for any currency on any date. Pretty handy.
Google Translate: Who hasn't heard of Google translate? Regardless, it has helped me translate things so I can understand what a particular foreign charge was for, as not everything was in English.
Report Google scam calls: Unfortunately, we get quite a few scam calls, most notably the Google business listing scam. Various automated voices have told us our Google business listing is in danger of being taken down, and each time a new number calls I use this link to report their number.
Merging and Rotating PDF Files: One thing I've had to do is assemble PDF files on items that were scanned. Unfortunately, those scans can be oriented incorrectly. The second link is the best one I found to rotate PDF documents. Then, once they were oriented correctly, I had to merge some of them into one file, so I used this first link to merge them into one. I wasn't able to find the best options on one website, but these two work really well for what I need, and best of all they are free.
Today's Front Pages: I've visited this website off and on for many years. They have the front page of most newspapers around the globe. It's good for checking in with current events for a particular area, and good for practicing translating. They had posted they were going to stop at the end of 2019, but in 2020 they are still updating with new front pages.
Recently, I figured out how to link to various websites on here, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite links. These links have either helped me at work here, or they've at least helped pass the time in an informative way.
The Per Diem Calculator: This helped me calculate the per diem for my boss's trips he took last year. Per diem is the allocated amount someone gets for traveling to various destinations, usually internationally. It's used for tax purposes, mostly.
Currency Exchange Rates by Date: This helped me figure out the approximate exchange rate on a particular date. I have had to convert different currencies to U.S. dollar, and this website shows you the exchange rate for any currency on any date. Pretty handy.
Google Translate: Who hasn't heard of Google translate? Regardless, it has helped me translate things so I can understand what a particular foreign charge was for, as not everything was in English.
Report Google scam calls: Unfortunately, we get quite a few scam calls, most notably the Google business listing scam. Various automated voices have told us our Google business listing is in danger of being taken down, and each time a new number calls I use this link to report their number.
Merging and Rotating PDF Files: One thing I've had to do is assemble PDF files on items that were scanned. Unfortunately, those scans can be oriented incorrectly. The second link is the best one I found to rotate PDF documents. Then, once they were oriented correctly, I had to merge some of them into one file, so I used this first link to merge them into one. I wasn't able to find the best options on one website, but these two work really well for what I need, and best of all they are free.
Today's Front Pages: I've visited this website off and on for many years. They have the front page of most newspapers around the globe. It's good for checking in with current events for a particular area, and good for practicing translating. They had posted they were going to stop at the end of 2019, but in 2020 they are still updating with new front pages.
Apples
Originally published January 7, 2020
Apples are one of the most common fruits, especially in North America. They are grown around the globe, including New Zealand and Japan. You ask someone to name a type of fruit, and apple may be the one they come up with. So why am I talking about apples? Because I recently helped my boss with his finances/reports for his apple farm, and it just got me in the mood to talk about apples.
Growing up, I did not like apples. I just refused to eat them as a kid. I liked applesauce and apple juice, but not apples themselves. I got braces in my teens and I think I was starting to develop a liking for apples then, but with braces it becomes very hard to eat apples, at least whole apples. I think I started to on occasion eat apple slices, but never whole ones. Once I got my braces off, I slowly started trying apples. And then, working at a grocery store and seeing them come through my line many times a day, I had to try them. First, I'd have them with caramel dip to help ease myself into liking them, and then the apple by themselves. I developed a liking for the Honeycrisp apples especially. Unfortunately, Honeycrisp tend to be perhaps the most expensive apple variety at the store, and they're seasonal.
I learned a lot about apples from working at a grocery store, and I am learning even more about them here. I know a ton of varieties, and I still remember most of their PLU numbers. Here, I have learned about culls and bins and which apples are used for juicing (golden delicious). I have learned the different kinds of imperfections that can keep an apple from going to market such as punctures, scaldings, cracks, and worms stings. My boss's farm I believe grows the six most popular apples in North America: Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious. Also, through some mathematics I have found that the average apple can weigh between 1/3 to almost 1/2 a pound.
Recently a new apple was developed called "Cosmic Crisp". It gets its name from its skin pattern looking like the cosmos AKA the stars. I have tried them already and they are really good, about as good as Honeycrisp. I would definitely recommend them to anyone that likes apples.
I definitely want to eat apples more than I am now. Right now, if I see an apple I like on sale I'll buy one or two, but that's it. I'd like to eat several per week at least, because apples are a great snack and meal substitute, and they do promote weight-loss as they are densely water-filled, meaning they will fill you up more than something else of equivalent caloric value. An apple's calories is roughly equal to half of the average candy or protein bar (95 vs. 200). An apple will certainly fill you up more than half a candy or protein bar, and it's better for you. A full candy or protein bar might fill you up as much as an apple, but you'll be taking in twice the calories.
The Washington Apple Commission even has a bunch of recipes to use apples for, from entrees to salads to desserts to even drinks! I definitely want to try a few of these; they not only look tasty but fairly healthy (not counting desserts). From a kid who grew up disliking apples, I sure have a fondness for them right now. I am definitely going to have to start buying apples more often.
Apples are one of the most common fruits, especially in North America. They are grown around the globe, including New Zealand and Japan. You ask someone to name a type of fruit, and apple may be the one they come up with. So why am I talking about apples? Because I recently helped my boss with his finances/reports for his apple farm, and it just got me in the mood to talk about apples.
Growing up, I did not like apples. I just refused to eat them as a kid. I liked applesauce and apple juice, but not apples themselves. I got braces in my teens and I think I was starting to develop a liking for apples then, but with braces it becomes very hard to eat apples, at least whole apples. I think I started to on occasion eat apple slices, but never whole ones. Once I got my braces off, I slowly started trying apples. And then, working at a grocery store and seeing them come through my line many times a day, I had to try them. First, I'd have them with caramel dip to help ease myself into liking them, and then the apple by themselves. I developed a liking for the Honeycrisp apples especially. Unfortunately, Honeycrisp tend to be perhaps the most expensive apple variety at the store, and they're seasonal.
I learned a lot about apples from working at a grocery store, and I am learning even more about them here. I know a ton of varieties, and I still remember most of their PLU numbers. Here, I have learned about culls and bins and which apples are used for juicing (golden delicious). I have learned the different kinds of imperfections that can keep an apple from going to market such as punctures, scaldings, cracks, and worms stings. My boss's farm I believe grows the six most popular apples in North America: Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious. Also, through some mathematics I have found that the average apple can weigh between 1/3 to almost 1/2 a pound.
Recently a new apple was developed called "Cosmic Crisp". It gets its name from its skin pattern looking like the cosmos AKA the stars. I have tried them already and they are really good, about as good as Honeycrisp. I would definitely recommend them to anyone that likes apples.
I definitely want to eat apples more than I am now. Right now, if I see an apple I like on sale I'll buy one or two, but that's it. I'd like to eat several per week at least, because apples are a great snack and meal substitute, and they do promote weight-loss as they are densely water-filled, meaning they will fill you up more than something else of equivalent caloric value. An apple's calories is roughly equal to half of the average candy or protein bar (95 vs. 200). An apple will certainly fill you up more than half a candy or protein bar, and it's better for you. A full candy or protein bar might fill you up as much as an apple, but you'll be taking in twice the calories.
The Washington Apple Commission even has a bunch of recipes to use apples for, from entrees to salads to desserts to even drinks! I definitely want to try a few of these; they not only look tasty but fairly healthy (not counting desserts). From a kid who grew up disliking apples, I sure have a fondness for them right now. I am definitely going to have to start buying apples more often.
Christmas at Work
Originally published December 6, 2019
My favorite holiday is easily Christmas. The lead-up to it is a month long, and there's no holiday that has more decorations, more songs about it, or more closures of businesses. Sure, there's a bit of stress that goes along with it, such as the shopping, decorating, wrapping gifts... but in the end, it's all worth it. At work, decorations can be seen across a wide variety of businesses, and many workplaces have employees exchange gifts.
At my last job, we didn't really exchange gifts, especially since there were so many of us. However, a couple times some of us that were closer (and hung out outside of work) exchanged gifts. I remember getting a long-sleeve Star Wars shirt from one of my friends/coworkers that I still wear to this day. I also exchanged Christmas cards with some of my co-workers as well.
But my favorite part of the holidays at work was the feast we had. Every year on Christmas Eve, we would have a large amount of food in the break room, from ham to turkey and vegetables and rolls. We'd usually have some deli food to go with it like Jo Jo's, chicken tenders, and/or chow mein. On a couple of these occasions, our supervisors would even let us out (or get backup to let us out) on unscheduled breaks to enjoy the food, which was nice. These feasts would also happen on the day before Thanksgiving. I'm not sure if they ever happened Christmas Day because I never worked it. I don't think so, from what I heard from my co-workers that worked Christmas Day.
As I said in my "Dressing up for Holidays at Work" post, I did just that. I liked to wear red and green whenever possible in the days leading up to Christmas. Our store would usually get decorated to a limited extent. I remember one year wrapping empty boxes to put up on top of the aisle end caps to make it look like Christmas gifts. We also would have a Salvation Army bell-ringer outside our store starting shortly after Thanksgiving. But my favorite part (sarcasm) was trying to sell Hunger Bags. The bags represented a $10 donation that our company would make to the local food bank. We were often encouraged to ask customers if they wanted to "buy a bag", which I was never too keen on. I did, however get a few donations that shocked me. One guy donated 10 bags ($100 worth) and someone else donated over 30! ($300!) Seeing the joy of giving at work was something special.
I wonder what we do here, if anything. I'm curious. Ever since seeing Secret Santa's done on TV shows (Friends, The Office), I've wanted to do one either with friends or coworkers. But I feel like if we were going to do that, we would've picked names by now. I can't say I know everyone here extremely well, but I know most of them well enough to know what sort of gift they'd like and appreciate.
The thing that is best about Christmas is it's a day to forget your troubles and enjoy time with family as you not only get to see what they got you, but see their reaction to what you got them. I have never worked Christmas Day and I don't plan on doing it ever. I certainly empathize with those that have to work Christmas. It's perhaps the one day out of all the year that work just stops for 24 hours. I honestly feel like all non-essential businesses should be closed.
I sure miss the says of the two-week long winter break that I had in school. That went from a week before Christmas to a day or two after New Years Day. It would be cool if my place of work did that, but I understand the loss of revenue/sales/business would cause it to be too detrimental. As I write this, Christmas is less than three weeks away. It always seems to sneak up on us. Can't wait!
My favorite holiday is easily Christmas. The lead-up to it is a month long, and there's no holiday that has more decorations, more songs about it, or more closures of businesses. Sure, there's a bit of stress that goes along with it, such as the shopping, decorating, wrapping gifts... but in the end, it's all worth it. At work, decorations can be seen across a wide variety of businesses, and many workplaces have employees exchange gifts.
At my last job, we didn't really exchange gifts, especially since there were so many of us. However, a couple times some of us that were closer (and hung out outside of work) exchanged gifts. I remember getting a long-sleeve Star Wars shirt from one of my friends/coworkers that I still wear to this day. I also exchanged Christmas cards with some of my co-workers as well.
But my favorite part of the holidays at work was the feast we had. Every year on Christmas Eve, we would have a large amount of food in the break room, from ham to turkey and vegetables and rolls. We'd usually have some deli food to go with it like Jo Jo's, chicken tenders, and/or chow mein. On a couple of these occasions, our supervisors would even let us out (or get backup to let us out) on unscheduled breaks to enjoy the food, which was nice. These feasts would also happen on the day before Thanksgiving. I'm not sure if they ever happened Christmas Day because I never worked it. I don't think so, from what I heard from my co-workers that worked Christmas Day.
As I said in my "Dressing up for Holidays at Work" post, I did just that. I liked to wear red and green whenever possible in the days leading up to Christmas. Our store would usually get decorated to a limited extent. I remember one year wrapping empty boxes to put up on top of the aisle end caps to make it look like Christmas gifts. We also would have a Salvation Army bell-ringer outside our store starting shortly after Thanksgiving. But my favorite part (sarcasm) was trying to sell Hunger Bags. The bags represented a $10 donation that our company would make to the local food bank. We were often encouraged to ask customers if they wanted to "buy a bag", which I was never too keen on. I did, however get a few donations that shocked me. One guy donated 10 bags ($100 worth) and someone else donated over 30! ($300!) Seeing the joy of giving at work was something special.
I wonder what we do here, if anything. I'm curious. Ever since seeing Secret Santa's done on TV shows (Friends, The Office), I've wanted to do one either with friends or coworkers. But I feel like if we were going to do that, we would've picked names by now. I can't say I know everyone here extremely well, but I know most of them well enough to know what sort of gift they'd like and appreciate.
The thing that is best about Christmas is it's a day to forget your troubles and enjoy time with family as you not only get to see what they got you, but see their reaction to what you got them. I have never worked Christmas Day and I don't plan on doing it ever. I certainly empathize with those that have to work Christmas. It's perhaps the one day out of all the year that work just stops for 24 hours. I honestly feel like all non-essential businesses should be closed.
I sure miss the says of the two-week long winter break that I had in school. That went from a week before Christmas to a day or two after New Years Day. It would be cool if my place of work did that, but I understand the loss of revenue/sales/business would cause it to be too detrimental. As I write this, Christmas is less than three weeks away. It always seems to sneak up on us. Can't wait!
Working with numbers
Originally published November 27, 2019
I love working with numbers. Never has that entirely been my job, but it's now been a part of my last two jobs. Ever since I was a kid learning math, I have always been at least above average at math, sometimes even being the best student in class. Numbers never change and once you know something (such as algebra), it can help you in more complex and difficult applications (such as calculus). I took Pre-Calc in high school, and then took three calculus classes in college. Anytime my job involves working with numbers, I enjoy that aspect of it, and I'm always good at it.
As I said, back in school, I was good with numbers. I once won a contest to memorize digits of Pi. I don't remember exactly how many I remembered, but it's helped me remember this much so far (without cheating): 3.14159265358979323846. I did more than that, but I still have those memorized at least. My favorite part of math was algebra, solving for x and whatnot.
At my past job, numbers did come in to play quite often. First off, I had to memorize PLU (Produce Look Up) codes for produce items. I picked that up very quickly, since they are only 4 or 5 digits long, and usually started with the same number (4). I would often impress my coworkers and customers when I would remember a PLU code for a very obscure produce item we wouldn't sell very often. I even memorized the bar codes of cases of water, soda, and cat litter because I typed those in often enough. Those were around 10 digits long. And then, it came in handy when I got trained for bookkeeping, as my math skills helped immensely (counting money, for one).
And now at this job, my skill with numbers is helping yet again. Currently, I'm having to add and find totals for various apple varieties for different fruit companies, which can be overwhelming due to the vast amount of numbers. But it helped me find matches between different reports to help verify the correct totals.
I just have a very good memory for numbers. I remember all of the addresses I've ever lived at. I remember phone numbers very well, even ones I hardly ever call or never call. When I'm watching a show or movie and a character has to remember a series of numbers, I try to see if I can do the same, which I usually can. If you ever need someone to remember a series of numbers or do some quick math for you, I'm your guy.
I love working with numbers. Never has that entirely been my job, but it's now been a part of my last two jobs. Ever since I was a kid learning math, I have always been at least above average at math, sometimes even being the best student in class. Numbers never change and once you know something (such as algebra), it can help you in more complex and difficult applications (such as calculus). I took Pre-Calc in high school, and then took three calculus classes in college. Anytime my job involves working with numbers, I enjoy that aspect of it, and I'm always good at it.
As I said, back in school, I was good with numbers. I once won a contest to memorize digits of Pi. I don't remember exactly how many I remembered, but it's helped me remember this much so far (without cheating): 3.14159265358979323846. I did more than that, but I still have those memorized at least. My favorite part of math was algebra, solving for x and whatnot.
At my past job, numbers did come in to play quite often. First off, I had to memorize PLU (Produce Look Up) codes for produce items. I picked that up very quickly, since they are only 4 or 5 digits long, and usually started with the same number (4). I would often impress my coworkers and customers when I would remember a PLU code for a very obscure produce item we wouldn't sell very often. I even memorized the bar codes of cases of water, soda, and cat litter because I typed those in often enough. Those were around 10 digits long. And then, it came in handy when I got trained for bookkeeping, as my math skills helped immensely (counting money, for one).
And now at this job, my skill with numbers is helping yet again. Currently, I'm having to add and find totals for various apple varieties for different fruit companies, which can be overwhelming due to the vast amount of numbers. But it helped me find matches between different reports to help verify the correct totals.
I just have a very good memory for numbers. I remember all of the addresses I've ever lived at. I remember phone numbers very well, even ones I hardly ever call or never call. When I'm watching a show or movie and a character has to remember a series of numbers, I try to see if I can do the same, which I usually can. If you ever need someone to remember a series of numbers or do some quick math for you, I'm your guy.
Dressing up for holidays at work
Originally published November 1, 2019
Whenever I get the chance to wear something unique to work, I take advantage of that opportunity. Who wants to wear the same boring old outfits every single day? Holidays and special occasions are a good way to break up the monotony of the work day, and it also works as a conversation starter. I am going to discuss my history with dressing up for certain occasions, and how I take advantage of different holidays and special occasions.
Dressing Down: At my past retail job, we were given the opportunity to dress down on certain occasions. The first time this happened was when we donated a certain amount of money to our current fundraiser (usually around $10 each) and wore a button saying we are dressing down to support that fundraiser. It showed customers that we cared about the fundraiser at the time, whether that be breast cancer research, muscular dystrophy, or prostate cancer research. Unfortunately my place of work stopped doing that; I think because too many people weren't donating and also dressing down, and it was too hard to keep track of. And also because our store wanted to be a bit more professional, and too many people weren't even abiding by the dress down dress code. The second opportunity was for employee appreciation week. Management allowed us to dress down so long as our store was doing well enough on the customer satisfaction surveys, which it always was. I again took advantage to get out of my work uniform. At my current job, just like at a lot of places, we have casual Friday's, so I wear my jeans on Friday's and so far Seahawks gear on every Friday as well (see below).
Seahawks/College football games: Also at my old place of work, they allowed us to wear football jerseys and shirts during football season. Fridays were "Blue Friday" and we could wear Seahawks gear. Saturdays were for college games so we could wear the gear of our favorite local team, whether that be the Washington Huskies or Washington State Cougars. Sundays were usually for Seahawks games and we could again wear Seahawks gear, although this day was sometimes on Monday or Thursday if the Seahawks played on those days. I always took advantage of wearing my plethora of Seahawks gear, and usually took advantage to wear something Huskies or Cougars related on Saturdays. At my current place of work, since I work Monday through Friday, I can really only represent on Fridays for the Seahawks and I have every Friday so far. However, the Seahawks already played a Thursday night game, and I happily supported them then, and they play a Monday night game in just a couple weeks so I will support them at work yet again.
Halloween: Halloween is tomorrow as of me writing this and I am planning on wearing a costume. I wore a costume every year at work with varying degrees of effort put into them. A couple times I was Harry Potter. I have also been a Seahawks player, Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Star Lord, and a nerd. I had to stay work appropriate and I couldn't wear masks. I am a huge fan of dressing up for Halloween, and I love shopping for costumes.
Christmas: Christmas is my favorite holiday. I've never had to work Christmas day fortunately, but I have had to work Christmas Eve almost every year. Around the time leading up to Christmas, I love to wear Christmas colors; wearing red and green every chance I get. I have both a green and red sweater I can wear around that time. This year I plan to do the same.
Patriotic Days: I love my country and I do my best to support it whenever certain patriotic holidays roll around. On the 4th of July, I've been known to wear patriotic wristbands, undershirts, and red and blue beads. Those days I would recognize would be Memorial Day, 4th of July/Independence Day, 9-11/Patriot Day, and Veteran's Day. I have had to work all of those days at my previous job, and always did my best to show my patriotic colors, even though I still had to wear my work uniform.
St. Patrick's Day: I don't think I have ever not worn green for St. Patrick's Day. As long as I have been dressing myself, I have worn something green on March 17th. Just like with patriotic holidays, I do my best to show off my colors by wearing wristbands, undershirts, and necklace(s) of that color, in which this case would be green. Now that I don't have to wear the standard work attire as everyone else, I will definitely try to wear even more green next St. Patrick's Day.
There aren't really any other holidays you can "dress up" for, but as you can tell I always did my best to recognize certain holidays and occasions, and I took advantage of any opportunity to dress differently.
Whenever I get the chance to wear something unique to work, I take advantage of that opportunity. Who wants to wear the same boring old outfits every single day? Holidays and special occasions are a good way to break up the monotony of the work day, and it also works as a conversation starter. I am going to discuss my history with dressing up for certain occasions, and how I take advantage of different holidays and special occasions.
Dressing Down: At my past retail job, we were given the opportunity to dress down on certain occasions. The first time this happened was when we donated a certain amount of money to our current fundraiser (usually around $10 each) and wore a button saying we are dressing down to support that fundraiser. It showed customers that we cared about the fundraiser at the time, whether that be breast cancer research, muscular dystrophy, or prostate cancer research. Unfortunately my place of work stopped doing that; I think because too many people weren't donating and also dressing down, and it was too hard to keep track of. And also because our store wanted to be a bit more professional, and too many people weren't even abiding by the dress down dress code. The second opportunity was for employee appreciation week. Management allowed us to dress down so long as our store was doing well enough on the customer satisfaction surveys, which it always was. I again took advantage to get out of my work uniform. At my current job, just like at a lot of places, we have casual Friday's, so I wear my jeans on Friday's and so far Seahawks gear on every Friday as well (see below).
Seahawks/College football games: Also at my old place of work, they allowed us to wear football jerseys and shirts during football season. Fridays were "Blue Friday" and we could wear Seahawks gear. Saturdays were for college games so we could wear the gear of our favorite local team, whether that be the Washington Huskies or Washington State Cougars. Sundays were usually for Seahawks games and we could again wear Seahawks gear, although this day was sometimes on Monday or Thursday if the Seahawks played on those days. I always took advantage of wearing my plethora of Seahawks gear, and usually took advantage to wear something Huskies or Cougars related on Saturdays. At my current place of work, since I work Monday through Friday, I can really only represent on Fridays for the Seahawks and I have every Friday so far. However, the Seahawks already played a Thursday night game, and I happily supported them then, and they play a Monday night game in just a couple weeks so I will support them at work yet again.
Halloween: Halloween is tomorrow as of me writing this and I am planning on wearing a costume. I wore a costume every year at work with varying degrees of effort put into them. A couple times I was Harry Potter. I have also been a Seahawks player, Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Star Lord, and a nerd. I had to stay work appropriate and I couldn't wear masks. I am a huge fan of dressing up for Halloween, and I love shopping for costumes.
Christmas: Christmas is my favorite holiday. I've never had to work Christmas day fortunately, but I have had to work Christmas Eve almost every year. Around the time leading up to Christmas, I love to wear Christmas colors; wearing red and green every chance I get. I have both a green and red sweater I can wear around that time. This year I plan to do the same.
Patriotic Days: I love my country and I do my best to support it whenever certain patriotic holidays roll around. On the 4th of July, I've been known to wear patriotic wristbands, undershirts, and red and blue beads. Those days I would recognize would be Memorial Day, 4th of July/Independence Day, 9-11/Patriot Day, and Veteran's Day. I have had to work all of those days at my previous job, and always did my best to show my patriotic colors, even though I still had to wear my work uniform.
St. Patrick's Day: I don't think I have ever not worn green for St. Patrick's Day. As long as I have been dressing myself, I have worn something green on March 17th. Just like with patriotic holidays, I do my best to show off my colors by wearing wristbands, undershirts, and necklace(s) of that color, in which this case would be green. Now that I don't have to wear the standard work attire as everyone else, I will definitely try to wear even more green next St. Patrick's Day.
There aren't really any other holidays you can "dress up" for, but as you can tell I always did my best to recognize certain holidays and occasions, and I took advantage of any opportunity to dress differently.
Commuting to work
Originally published October 25, 2019
I have been in the American workforce for over a decade now, and with working comes the commute to and from work each day. I have been a licensed driver in the state of Washington for over 14 years, but I don't always like driving. For one, driving can be stressful, especially if there is traffic. Also, anytime I drive it costs fuel and adds to the wear and tear on my car, adding miles and whatnot. So, if and when I get the chance, I like to take alternative forms of transportation to get to work to not only save money but to get a little bit more exercise.
I have been in the American workforce for over a decade now, and with working comes the commute to and from work each day. I have been a licensed driver in the state of Washington for over 14 years, but I don't always like driving. For one, driving can be stressful, especially if there is traffic. Also, anytime I drive it costs fuel and adds to the wear and tear on my car, adding miles and whatnot. So, if and when I get the chance, I like to take alternative forms of transportation to get to work to not only save money but to get a little bit more exercise.
In the first few years of my first job, I lived close enough that I could walk to work. I lived just less than a mile away, so it made sense to walk when I could. But unfortunately, that wasn't very often. I couldn't walk if I worked too early or too late (dark hours, in other words), and I really preferred not to walk when I had a long shift in front of me, because that made working an eight hour retail shift that much tougher. Anyone that's worked a long retail shift where you stand on your feet all day knows your feet hurt enough from standing and adding walking to and from work to that can be borderline torture. But if I had a shorter shift somewhere during the day, I did my best to walk to work. It took longer, but I could listen to music on the way or just think about my day ahead. This was also preferred by my parents because in the first few years of my job, I didn't have my own car so I had to drive my parents' car to work.
Eventually, however, I moved out of my parents' place, which as I said was close to my first job. However, my new place was about 5 miles away from my job. I therefore lost the ability to walk to work. But, I was able to find a bus route that took me from close to home to close to work. There was still a bit of walking involved, but not as much as walking all the way to work from my parent's place. I therefore tried taking the bus when I could, but it was tough because all the buses that could take me home stopped running around 6, 7 o'clock, and I usually worked until at least then, if not later. On occasion I would get an earlier, shorter shift so I would do my best to take the bus on those days, and I eventually got an Orca card to make it much more convenient. And honestly, I love taking the bus (so long as it's not too crowded), because I can do anything on my phone like play games, watch videos, and text people, that I would not be able to do if I was driving.
After leaving my last job and working here, I found there is another bus route that can take me from close to home to close to here. I then took that bus to work. It cuts it close to me being on time, but I always have the option to stay late if need be to make up for it. What is brilliant about this setup is that if I take the bus to work, I do not have to take the bus home. I am fortunate enough that my girlfriend (Whom I live with) works less than a mile away from me. She gets off an hour after I do, so that gives me plenty of time to get off and walk over to her work, so we can carpool home together. I saw that if I were to take the bus home, I would get home just a little bit sooner than her, so there's not really a reason to pay an unnecessary bus fare when it won't even get me home that much sooner than if I were to carpool.
Eventually, however, I moved out of my parents' place, which as I said was close to my first job. However, my new place was about 5 miles away from my job. I therefore lost the ability to walk to work. But, I was able to find a bus route that took me from close to home to close to work. There was still a bit of walking involved, but not as much as walking all the way to work from my parent's place. I therefore tried taking the bus when I could, but it was tough because all the buses that could take me home stopped running around 6, 7 o'clock, and I usually worked until at least then, if not later. On occasion I would get an earlier, shorter shift so I would do my best to take the bus on those days, and I eventually got an Orca card to make it much more convenient. And honestly, I love taking the bus (so long as it's not too crowded), because I can do anything on my phone like play games, watch videos, and text people, that I would not be able to do if I was driving.
After leaving my last job and working here, I found there is another bus route that can take me from close to home to close to here. I then took that bus to work. It cuts it close to me being on time, but I always have the option to stay late if need be to make up for it. What is brilliant about this setup is that if I take the bus to work, I do not have to take the bus home. I am fortunate enough that my girlfriend (Whom I live with) works less than a mile away from me. She gets off an hour after I do, so that gives me plenty of time to get off and walk over to her work, so we can carpool home together. I saw that if I were to take the bus home, I would get home just a little bit sooner than her, so there's not really a reason to pay an unnecessary bus fare when it won't even get me home that much sooner than if I were to carpool.
In my life I have probably commuted to work by car over 95% of the time just because it is easier and I don't have to plan for it. I would love to be able to reduce that and take the bus more often. I think I'll start out slow, taking the bus once every two weeks, then once a week, then two times a week, then maybe I might occasionally get to three times a week. I think I could get used to it so long as I gradually ease myself into it and get used to the different schedule. It also helps that King County Metro has made it so much easier for people with the introduction of Orca Cards, where you can load your cards with funds and check their balances online. I just wish everyone else made even as much effort as I do to either walk or take the bus, because if they did, the roads during rush hour would be a lot less crowded.
Addition, March 12: I am moving later this month to a place in Bothell, so my commute is about to get worse. Checking Google maps, they say it takes anywhere from 27 minutes to over an hour to get to work. Lovely. I also checked for buses and I'd have to take multiple buses to get to work. That would take even longer, or at least I'd have to get up earlier for it. I may get a Good-To-Go pass so that I can travel in the toll lanes and travel along 405 much quicker. I'll have to see how it is first, so time will tell.
Addition, March 12: I am moving later this month to a place in Bothell, so my commute is about to get worse. Checking Google maps, they say it takes anywhere from 27 minutes to over an hour to get to work. Lovely. I also checked for buses and I'd have to take multiple buses to get to work. That would take even longer, or at least I'd have to get up earlier for it. I may get a Good-To-Go pass so that I can travel in the toll lanes and travel along 405 much quicker. I'll have to see how it is first, so time will tell.
Experiences with scam calls
Originally published November 6, 2019
My first post on here was about scam calls and how I handle them, but it was not very lengthy and I didn't really have too many examples to draw on. Now that I have worked at my current position for a month and a half now, I think I have built up a nice collection of phone calls that have not been for legitimate business purposes. Here are a few that stand out:
- The most obvious scam attempt
I would say the single most obvious scam attempt was a call I got a few weeks ago. There was a delay before they started speaking of course, but in that delay I could hear background noise (perhaps other scammers trying to scam other innocent individuals). I was just about to hang up, but decided to ask "Hello?" because I heard the background noise. Then someone with a bit of an accent said "Hello?" I then asked him how I could help him. He then shouted my boss's/our company president's name. Didn't ask to speak with him; just shouted his name. And not in the form of a question, either. The caller ID said "Out of Area" with no phone number attached to it, so I asked "May I ask what this call is regarding?" And he promptly hung up. This call may have been made from across the world for all I know, and it seems like this is a scam-baiting attempt where they probably call hundreds and hundreds of businesses a day, hoping to get a hold of a business owner and attempt to scam them.
- "Myron" and their frequent attempts to sell us stuff again
This isn't so much a scam, but more of a telemarketing call. In any case, it's an unwanted call. It seems like at least once a week a company named "Myron" calls and asks to speak to my CEO. They are a promotional materials company based in New Jersey. Apparently, my CEO and our company have done business with them before. From what I have gathered by doing research on their phone number, they are a company that will incessantly try to reach a business to try to reestablish a business relationship with them. I can tell by how she ignores their call that she has absolutely no desire to do business with them again, and I don't blame her. I've started ignoring their calls because I recognize their phone number (Their caller ID shows up as "Out of Area" but at least has a phone number). I may one time in the future just tell them that we're not interested. Apparently, the combination of Lisa and myself ignoring their calls may not be enough to get them to take a hint.
- The robot that could respond to what I said
This call happened just to me recently. Earlier that same day that I got the call and even the day before, I had gotten a few calls from a Florida phone number with the caller ID saying "Talada Lowell". Through some research, I actually found out this phone number belongs to a Lowell Talada that lives there in Florida. Anyway, the first few times they called, it was a silent call. However, on the 3rd or 4th time, I heard an automated voice. You know how when you call a company and you hear an automated menu? It sounded a bit like that. However, this automated voice (male, by the way) asked how I was doing. I responded, "Well, how about you?" They responded by saying "Ah bless you, I'm doing well." I just thought that was interesting. They then want on a spiel to say they represented an insurance company and were going to offer me life insurance (which I already have). This voice then asked, "So to get things started, how old are you?" Obviously I am not going to tell a strange voice over the phone my age, so I said, "I'm actually not interested, I already have life insurance." They then promptly hung up without so much as a pause. So to sum up, some poor old man's phone number was hijacked by this insurance company, and it was the strangest responsive automated voice.
- The Google Listing Scam
I have gotten a few of these, and they were all over a three day span or so. After a delay (of course), an automated female voice says, "Don't hang up". Yes, that makes it sound really legit! NOT. She then goes on to say that our business is in danger of having its listing on Google removed. She then says, "Press 1 to keep your listing", then goes on to say, "If you are the owner, press 1", so in a way she contradicts herself. Then she says, "If you'd like taken off the call list, press 7." I've tried pressing 7, but they just called back again later. I also just stayed on the line, but eventually the call disconnects. Each time they called with a Washington area phone number, usually one with area code (425), which is where we are. It seems like they have stopped calling us, but it sure was weird.
-Three automated calls in six minutes from either PSE or Corix Utilities
Also recently I got a series of phone calls from an automated voice that claimed to be Puget Sound Energy, our local power provider. However, the Caller ID said "Corix Utilities" and the area code for their number is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They said that they'd need access to our power meter basically. After some research, I've seen many other people get calls from this number claiming to be for their local power provider (Not PSE). Honestly, I cannot figure out what their angle is. I can't figure out what they are trying to accomplish with these automated calls. Also, these calls came in quick succession, and the 2nd one came in while I was listening to the first! And it was the same number, somehow. The third one came five minutes after the 2nd one, so all three were in a total of just six minutes. All said the same thing.
- How I could pocket $10,000 every two weeks
This one was while I was out of office, but it's a fairly common one from what I've gathered. It was an automated voice that had already started its spiel when it was time to leave a message. It said to press 3 if I was to find out exactly how to start putting $10,000 or more in my pocket every 10-14 days. He finishes with press 9 and I'll never hear from him again. I love how these automated systems don't know they're leaving messages that we cannot press buttons on our phones to interact with them. By the way, his voice sounded like someone crafted a salesman's voice in a lab until it was absolutely perfectly sounded like a salesman.
My first post on here was about scam calls and how I handle them, but it was not very lengthy and I didn't really have too many examples to draw on. Now that I have worked at my current position for a month and a half now, I think I have built up a nice collection of phone calls that have not been for legitimate business purposes. Here are a few that stand out:
- The most obvious scam attempt
I would say the single most obvious scam attempt was a call I got a few weeks ago. There was a delay before they started speaking of course, but in that delay I could hear background noise (perhaps other scammers trying to scam other innocent individuals). I was just about to hang up, but decided to ask "Hello?" because I heard the background noise. Then someone with a bit of an accent said "Hello?" I then asked him how I could help him. He then shouted my boss's/our company president's name. Didn't ask to speak with him; just shouted his name. And not in the form of a question, either. The caller ID said "Out of Area" with no phone number attached to it, so I asked "May I ask what this call is regarding?" And he promptly hung up. This call may have been made from across the world for all I know, and it seems like this is a scam-baiting attempt where they probably call hundreds and hundreds of businesses a day, hoping to get a hold of a business owner and attempt to scam them.
- "Myron" and their frequent attempts to sell us stuff again
This isn't so much a scam, but more of a telemarketing call. In any case, it's an unwanted call. It seems like at least once a week a company named "Myron" calls and asks to speak to my CEO. They are a promotional materials company based in New Jersey. Apparently, my CEO and our company have done business with them before. From what I have gathered by doing research on their phone number, they are a company that will incessantly try to reach a business to try to reestablish a business relationship with them. I can tell by how she ignores their call that she has absolutely no desire to do business with them again, and I don't blame her. I've started ignoring their calls because I recognize their phone number (Their caller ID shows up as "Out of Area" but at least has a phone number). I may one time in the future just tell them that we're not interested. Apparently, the combination of Lisa and myself ignoring their calls may not be enough to get them to take a hint.
- The robot that could respond to what I said
This call happened just to me recently. Earlier that same day that I got the call and even the day before, I had gotten a few calls from a Florida phone number with the caller ID saying "Talada Lowell". Through some research, I actually found out this phone number belongs to a Lowell Talada that lives there in Florida. Anyway, the first few times they called, it was a silent call. However, on the 3rd or 4th time, I heard an automated voice. You know how when you call a company and you hear an automated menu? It sounded a bit like that. However, this automated voice (male, by the way) asked how I was doing. I responded, "Well, how about you?" They responded by saying "Ah bless you, I'm doing well." I just thought that was interesting. They then want on a spiel to say they represented an insurance company and were going to offer me life insurance (which I already have). This voice then asked, "So to get things started, how old are you?" Obviously I am not going to tell a strange voice over the phone my age, so I said, "I'm actually not interested, I already have life insurance." They then promptly hung up without so much as a pause. So to sum up, some poor old man's phone number was hijacked by this insurance company, and it was the strangest responsive automated voice.
- The Google Listing Scam
I have gotten a few of these, and they were all over a three day span or so. After a delay (of course), an automated female voice says, "Don't hang up". Yes, that makes it sound really legit! NOT. She then goes on to say that our business is in danger of having its listing on Google removed. She then says, "Press 1 to keep your listing", then goes on to say, "If you are the owner, press 1", so in a way she contradicts herself. Then she says, "If you'd like taken off the call list, press 7." I've tried pressing 7, but they just called back again later. I also just stayed on the line, but eventually the call disconnects. Each time they called with a Washington area phone number, usually one with area code (425), which is where we are. It seems like they have stopped calling us, but it sure was weird.
-Three automated calls in six minutes from either PSE or Corix Utilities
Also recently I got a series of phone calls from an automated voice that claimed to be Puget Sound Energy, our local power provider. However, the Caller ID said "Corix Utilities" and the area code for their number is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They said that they'd need access to our power meter basically. After some research, I've seen many other people get calls from this number claiming to be for their local power provider (Not PSE). Honestly, I cannot figure out what their angle is. I can't figure out what they are trying to accomplish with these automated calls. Also, these calls came in quick succession, and the 2nd one came in while I was listening to the first! And it was the same number, somehow. The third one came five minutes after the 2nd one, so all three were in a total of just six minutes. All said the same thing.
- How I could pocket $10,000 every two weeks
This one was while I was out of office, but it's a fairly common one from what I've gathered. It was an automated voice that had already started its spiel when it was time to leave a message. It said to press 3 if I was to find out exactly how to start putting $10,000 or more in my pocket every 10-14 days. He finishes with press 9 and I'll never hear from him again. I love how these automated systems don't know they're leaving messages that we cannot press buttons on our phones to interact with them. By the way, his voice sounded like someone crafted a salesman's voice in a lab until it was absolutely perfectly sounded like a salesman.
There have been quite a few others not as memorable, most of them being silent calls. I'd say about 2/3 of all scam/spam calls are just silent calls. Sometimes the line disconnects before I can even finish my greeting. I think there are some phone systems out there that are programmed to hang up unless they hear the word "Hello". That is the standard greeting for when an individual answers a phone, but not a business. And individuals are much more susceptible to getting scammed than businesses (or people at work, for that matter).
Expanding on my skills
Originally published October 15, 2019
In my profile there are a list of skills I have, and I'd like to go over them in case there were any concerns or questions about them, or just so that anyone reading this could know a bit more about me. ☺
Communication: I took a couple communication classes in college, and I consider myself a good communicator. I am very good at communicating through e-mail and I have a lot of experience communicating over the phone from my past job. I know how to approach certain situations and I know what language to use in difficult situations, like handling a difficult customer.
Basic HTML: It's not much, but I know basic HTML. I took a few computer classes in high school which taught me this, as well as a couple computer science classes in college. I guess you could say I have a basic understanding of C++ and Javascript as well, although it's been a little while and I didn't fully understand C++ programming in the computer science class I took.
Type 75+ WPM: I can type 75 or more words per minute. As I said in my "Ways to stay productive" post, I increased my typing speed 20 words per minute by all the writing and blogging I did in my free time over the past few years. I often do typing tests just for fun, such as the one on typingtest.com, and unless I get distracted I always get at least 75 WPM, my best being in the low 80's. I remember around when I was in high school, I would have to look down every so often to see where I was typing, but now I can type without having to look at the keyboard at all. I don't think I have the perfect typing technique because my hands aren't ever set at the A-F, J-; positions and I make a few errors, but I am working on fine-tuning my typing skills and trying to cut down on the errors. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
Microsoft Word/Excel Proficiency: If you can believe it, I used Word and Excel a bit at my last job, mostly with bookkeeping. I have also used them quite a bit at home. I've used these programs since the '99 versions came out, so I have almost 20 years of experience with them. And with all my experience in using these two programs, it's safe to say I'm "proficient" at using them. And now with me having used them a bit here, I learned even more things about these two programs, so I feel confident in using either of them for basically anything. I wouldn't consider myself an "expert" at using Excel or Word, but I certainly believe I know more than the average person.
Time Management: At my last job, time management was a critical part of certain roles I was assigned. I was on occasion the Front End Manager, which meant I had to schedule people's breaks accordingly and know when I could get other things done besides attending to the front end. I was also on occasion the bookkeeper or closing customer service person, which meant I had to manage my time wisely so I could finish my jobs on time and not have to stay late. The main thing I took away from everything was to learn to prioritize. Get stuff that has to be done, done first. But the main reason I believe I have this skill is that I took an assessment for time management on Indeed and I scored a "Highly Proficient".
Basic Bookkeeping: As I said above, I was the occasional bookkeeper for my old store. I had to balance all areas of income for the store and I had to balance checkstand lanes using the Veribalance program. It wasn't extremely difficult thanks to the programs we used, which is why I said "basic" bookkeeping, but I did learn a few things about bookkeeping that could potentially help me in the future.
Customer Service: Working a decade in retail, it's hard not to develop a great customer service skill. I learned how to act towards customers. Basically, it involves being a good listener and telling them what they want to hear (even if it's not true or you don't believe it). If you can't, do your best to explain to them why you can't and try to get them to put themselves in your shoes. Of course that doesn't work with everyone, as some people are incapable of any sympathy whatsoever. And then if you have to deal with someone upset, just knowing that they're having a worse day than you are works pretty well for me. But customer service is also seeming to be in a positive mood (even if you're not) and give everyone you help a smile.
Lottery Sales: Part of my job working the customer service desk was selling Lottery tickets for the Washington State Lottery. I know as much about the Lottery games as anyone, having sold them for four years. I could easily jump back in and sell them again right now, having not lost any knowledge of the games. It does take a bit of time to learn all there is to know about the games, and in lottery sales you have to remain upbeat and keep telling customers they'll win next time, even though they probably won't.
Trained as a Western Union Money Transfer Agent: Western Union if you didn't know, is a money transfer service available across the globe. You can basically send money from anywhere in the world to anywhere else in the world. I got trained to be an agent who sends money for people to various destinations across the globe. I also got experience with spotting scams and fraud attempts, which I can say we definitely got a few of those. This also involved having the patience to assist someone who doesn't know what they're doing or who made a mistake. On some unfortunate occasions I had to help customers for close to half an hour to fix an error, which most of that time was taken up by calling Western Union and getting them to fix the error.
There are more professional skills I have acquired, but aren't quite that interesting or relevant. I am trained to operate an electric pallet jack, because I put the perishable grocery loads away on occasion. I have done inventory as both a bookkeeper (for money, lottery tickets, stamps, etc.) and for grocery items. I got trained to use two different POS (Point of Sale) systems, an older one with a bunch of buttons and a newer one with a touch screen. I have cash handling as a skill as I am able to do quick math when it comes to money if need be. Also, as I told every interviewer in my job search process, I have a work ethic that I consider to be unmatched. At my last job, I would often stay late if I hadn't finished the necessary stuff on time (usually because we were busy). I would stay late to cover shifts for people who called in sick. I worked a 12 hour day a few times, from 10 to 10, because we had someone who was battling a sickness and their position couldn't be covered by many people.
But I think my most important skill I possess is my willingness and ability to learn, and fairly quickly I might add. I enjoy learning new things and adding skills and things I know how to do to my repertoire. Whenever someone is willing to show me something new, I show just as much willingness to learn and/or improve. And as I said, I am a fairly quick learner and once I figure things out I just go like nothing can stop me. Learning a new skill is fun for me and the first few times I employ that skill are fun as well.
In my profile there are a list of skills I have, and I'd like to go over them in case there were any concerns or questions about them, or just so that anyone reading this could know a bit more about me. ☺
Communication: I took a couple communication classes in college, and I consider myself a good communicator. I am very good at communicating through e-mail and I have a lot of experience communicating over the phone from my past job. I know how to approach certain situations and I know what language to use in difficult situations, like handling a difficult customer.
Basic HTML: It's not much, but I know basic HTML. I took a few computer classes in high school which taught me this, as well as a couple computer science classes in college. I guess you could say I have a basic understanding of C++ and Javascript as well, although it's been a little while and I didn't fully understand C++ programming in the computer science class I took.
Type 75+ WPM: I can type 75 or more words per minute. As I said in my "Ways to stay productive" post, I increased my typing speed 20 words per minute by all the writing and blogging I did in my free time over the past few years. I often do typing tests just for fun, such as the one on typingtest.com, and unless I get distracted I always get at least 75 WPM, my best being in the low 80's. I remember around when I was in high school, I would have to look down every so often to see where I was typing, but now I can type without having to look at the keyboard at all. I don't think I have the perfect typing technique because my hands aren't ever set at the A-F, J-; positions and I make a few errors, but I am working on fine-tuning my typing skills and trying to cut down on the errors. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
Microsoft Word/Excel Proficiency: If you can believe it, I used Word and Excel a bit at my last job, mostly with bookkeeping. I have also used them quite a bit at home. I've used these programs since the '99 versions came out, so I have almost 20 years of experience with them. And with all my experience in using these two programs, it's safe to say I'm "proficient" at using them. And now with me having used them a bit here, I learned even more things about these two programs, so I feel confident in using either of them for basically anything. I wouldn't consider myself an "expert" at using Excel or Word, but I certainly believe I know more than the average person.
Time Management: At my last job, time management was a critical part of certain roles I was assigned. I was on occasion the Front End Manager, which meant I had to schedule people's breaks accordingly and know when I could get other things done besides attending to the front end. I was also on occasion the bookkeeper or closing customer service person, which meant I had to manage my time wisely so I could finish my jobs on time and not have to stay late. The main thing I took away from everything was to learn to prioritize. Get stuff that has to be done, done first. But the main reason I believe I have this skill is that I took an assessment for time management on Indeed and I scored a "Highly Proficient".
Basic Bookkeeping: As I said above, I was the occasional bookkeeper for my old store. I had to balance all areas of income for the store and I had to balance checkstand lanes using the Veribalance program. It wasn't extremely difficult thanks to the programs we used, which is why I said "basic" bookkeeping, but I did learn a few things about bookkeeping that could potentially help me in the future.
Customer Service: Working a decade in retail, it's hard not to develop a great customer service skill. I learned how to act towards customers. Basically, it involves being a good listener and telling them what they want to hear (even if it's not true or you don't believe it). If you can't, do your best to explain to them why you can't and try to get them to put themselves in your shoes. Of course that doesn't work with everyone, as some people are incapable of any sympathy whatsoever. And then if you have to deal with someone upset, just knowing that they're having a worse day than you are works pretty well for me. But customer service is also seeming to be in a positive mood (even if you're not) and give everyone you help a smile.
Lottery Sales: Part of my job working the customer service desk was selling Lottery tickets for the Washington State Lottery. I know as much about the Lottery games as anyone, having sold them for four years. I could easily jump back in and sell them again right now, having not lost any knowledge of the games. It does take a bit of time to learn all there is to know about the games, and in lottery sales you have to remain upbeat and keep telling customers they'll win next time, even though they probably won't.
Trained as a Western Union Money Transfer Agent: Western Union if you didn't know, is a money transfer service available across the globe. You can basically send money from anywhere in the world to anywhere else in the world. I got trained to be an agent who sends money for people to various destinations across the globe. I also got experience with spotting scams and fraud attempts, which I can say we definitely got a few of those. This also involved having the patience to assist someone who doesn't know what they're doing or who made a mistake. On some unfortunate occasions I had to help customers for close to half an hour to fix an error, which most of that time was taken up by calling Western Union and getting them to fix the error.
There are more professional skills I have acquired, but aren't quite that interesting or relevant. I am trained to operate an electric pallet jack, because I put the perishable grocery loads away on occasion. I have done inventory as both a bookkeeper (for money, lottery tickets, stamps, etc.) and for grocery items. I got trained to use two different POS (Point of Sale) systems, an older one with a bunch of buttons and a newer one with a touch screen. I have cash handling as a skill as I am able to do quick math when it comes to money if need be. Also, as I told every interviewer in my job search process, I have a work ethic that I consider to be unmatched. At my last job, I would often stay late if I hadn't finished the necessary stuff on time (usually because we were busy). I would stay late to cover shifts for people who called in sick. I worked a 12 hour day a few times, from 10 to 10, because we had someone who was battling a sickness and their position couldn't be covered by many people.
But I think my most important skill I possess is my willingness and ability to learn, and fairly quickly I might add. I enjoy learning new things and adding skills and things I know how to do to my repertoire. Whenever someone is willing to show me something new, I show just as much willingness to learn and/or improve. And as I said, I am a fairly quick learner and once I figure things out I just go like nothing can stop me. Learning a new skill is fun for me and the first few times I employ that skill are fun as well.
Goals and aspirations
Originally published October 4, 2019
I have never considered myself as someone with high or lofty goals or aspirations. I have never shot for the stars or worked competitively to achieve anything like a position, award, or honor, at least not since I was a kid. I am certainly not the ambitious type, but that doesn't mean I don't want for anything. What I want is to just be happy and afford what I need to afford. That's really it.
I certainly had aspirations of getting a job in-between my last job and this current one. I made myself become ambitious for the sake of starting a new career. In other words, I really only like to be ambitious when I have to be. I tried going above and beyond in my job search, literally giving it my all because I had to. I made the decision to leave my past job, and I knew I was going to have to be a bit ambitious, so I became that way.
I have never considered myself as someone with high or lofty goals or aspirations. I have never shot for the stars or worked competitively to achieve anything like a position, award, or honor, at least not since I was a kid. I am certainly not the ambitious type, but that doesn't mean I don't want for anything. What I want is to just be happy and afford what I need to afford. That's really it.
I certainly had aspirations of getting a job in-between my last job and this current one. I made myself become ambitious for the sake of starting a new career. In other words, I really only like to be ambitious when I have to be. I tried going above and beyond in my job search, literally giving it my all because I had to. I made the decision to leave my past job, and I knew I was going to have to be a bit ambitious, so I became that way.
Not that it's an excuse, but being naturally ambitious is not really in my DNA. My father attended a community college but never graduated, then got a job at a telephone company and worked his way up from there. My mom went from high school to the same telephone company (where they met), and she and my dad were both happy there for many, many years (about 70 years combined there). They both never knew what their dream jobs were; instead, they just were happy knowing their jobs paid them enough to start a family and be happy. Therefore, I inherited a lot of those same goals. I do want to start a family some day as well as be able to support them and afford to give my kids a happy childhood.
I have had some jobs in mind that I would have loved to have done. My "dream jobs" have included video game designer, computer programmer, math teacher, sports marketing, sports management, sports broadcasting, journalist, and writer, among others. But I have never had the burning passion to try to become one of those; to be honest it's partially due to a lack of self-esteem. I don't think I could, even if I gave it my all. But at the end of the day, I realize that not being able to do one of those careers doesn't upset me that much. All that matters is that I have a job that pays and makes me feel accomplished. Would it make me really happy to have one of those careers? Possibly, but I'm not sure. But having imagined working those jobs and putting myself in the shoes of someone in that profession, I don't think any of them are right for me for various reasons.
As you can tell, I am a very laid-back and conservative individual. I try to reduce the amount of stress in my life as much as possible. For example, I will often take the least stressful route to a destination over the quickest. Also, much like with making a decision to buy something at the store, I weigh the cost/risk vs. the potential gain. I think too many people put themselves out there and stress themselves out for nothing. A small amount of stress is not only all right for us, but unavoidable in today's world. But a large amount of stress is something I think only certain individuals should risk dealing with.
My goals are simple: Be happy and have a career that I like and pays well enough to support a family. I've never had any golden opportunities fall into my lap, but if one ever were to, I think I might have to go for it. I consider myself fairly wise for my age, so I tend to make fairly good long-term decisions. I like planning certain things out, such as where I'm going to live in the future, while other things I just play it by ear and react more than plan ahead.
I have had some jobs in mind that I would have loved to have done. My "dream jobs" have included video game designer, computer programmer, math teacher, sports marketing, sports management, sports broadcasting, journalist, and writer, among others. But I have never had the burning passion to try to become one of those; to be honest it's partially due to a lack of self-esteem. I don't think I could, even if I gave it my all. But at the end of the day, I realize that not being able to do one of those careers doesn't upset me that much. All that matters is that I have a job that pays and makes me feel accomplished. Would it make me really happy to have one of those careers? Possibly, but I'm not sure. But having imagined working those jobs and putting myself in the shoes of someone in that profession, I don't think any of them are right for me for various reasons.
As you can tell, I am a very laid-back and conservative individual. I try to reduce the amount of stress in my life as much as possible. For example, I will often take the least stressful route to a destination over the quickest. Also, much like with making a decision to buy something at the store, I weigh the cost/risk vs. the potential gain. I think too many people put themselves out there and stress themselves out for nothing. A small amount of stress is not only all right for us, but unavoidable in today's world. But a large amount of stress is something I think only certain individuals should risk dealing with.
My goals are simple: Be happy and have a career that I like and pays well enough to support a family. I've never had any golden opportunities fall into my lap, but if one ever were to, I think I might have to go for it. I consider myself fairly wise for my age, so I tend to make fairly good long-term decisions. I like planning certain things out, such as where I'm going to live in the future, while other things I just play it by ear and react more than plan ahead.
Bonding outside of work
Originally published October 25, 2019
It's funny, some of my happiest work-related memories do not take place at work. Maybe they don't count as "work-related memories", but to me they do. My best work-related memories are when I do things with coworkers outside of work. It brings forth a sense of camaraderie and makes work more fun. I try not to turn down a chance to go out with coworkers, even though I consider myself an introvert and I'm rarely the most talkative person in a group. Turning down an opportunity to bond with coworkers only makes work feel more isolated and alone.
My favorite coworker-boding moments from my past job happened at Denny's and occasionally Sherry's restaurants. Our PIC, or Person In Charge, was the one who organized these get-together's. Usually, she was the latest to get off (being the night manager) and would not get off until midnight. Since she wanted to go somewhere to eat, we went to one of the only places that was open past midnight: Denny's! We went to the Denny's in Totem Lake in Kirkland many times, but unfortunately, it is no longer there; instead it has been replaced by a Chick-Fil-A. But we used to bond over work, and to me those were some of the happiest memories (not just work-related) I have over the last 5 or 6 years. We also would on occasion go to Sherry's, also in Totem Lake, whenever we felt like going somewhere slightly different. We ultimately ended up going to only Sherry's after the Denny's closed and was torn down.
Unfortunately, as is usually the case with a large group of friends, we had a bit of a falling out. Some people moved on to other jobs and we lost touch. There was a bit of drama at work that I won't get into, but before our PIC left for another job, she stopped organizing the get-together's. However, a small faction of us that were part of the get-together's kept the tradition up for a while, extending it to other places because we could go before midnight. Those places included Tech City (a bar and arcade), the movies, and other various restaurants. Now that I've left that job, it's just me and my girlfriend (who did work with us) and our close friend. We had a bit of a hostile work environment at times with all the different personalities, but it sure was fun while it lasted. Some of the times we went out, we brought along fun card games (usually Cards Against Humanity) to play while we waited for our food and ate.
Now I'm at a new position at a new place, and I just had my first outside of work get-together with them. We celebrated one of our coworkers' birthday. At least for me, it takes me a while to get accustomed to people and used to speaking freely around them, so I wasn't the most talkative. But it's a memory created that I'll remember for my entire time here; something to reminisce about.
I would suggest most places of work do this. If I was a boss, I would encourage my employees to socialize outside of work. As I said earlier, it builds camaraderie and teamwork. Those who are shy become less shy and more willing to communicate with their coworkers. I'm still pretty new (in my first month still), so that outing we just had definitely helped me and it makes it much easier to approach anyone I shared this outing with. I guess this is why most businesses don't completely forbid non-business talk; otherwise if they did, work wouldn't be much fun at all and it would feel like we had all enlisted in some armed service or something. In summary, bonding at work and away from work helps build not just working relationships but friendships that make work easier and more enjoyable. It's a win-win situation.
It's funny, some of my happiest work-related memories do not take place at work. Maybe they don't count as "work-related memories", but to me they do. My best work-related memories are when I do things with coworkers outside of work. It brings forth a sense of camaraderie and makes work more fun. I try not to turn down a chance to go out with coworkers, even though I consider myself an introvert and I'm rarely the most talkative person in a group. Turning down an opportunity to bond with coworkers only makes work feel more isolated and alone.
My favorite coworker-boding moments from my past job happened at Denny's and occasionally Sherry's restaurants. Our PIC, or Person In Charge, was the one who organized these get-together's. Usually, she was the latest to get off (being the night manager) and would not get off until midnight. Since she wanted to go somewhere to eat, we went to one of the only places that was open past midnight: Denny's! We went to the Denny's in Totem Lake in Kirkland many times, but unfortunately, it is no longer there; instead it has been replaced by a Chick-Fil-A. But we used to bond over work, and to me those were some of the happiest memories (not just work-related) I have over the last 5 or 6 years. We also would on occasion go to Sherry's, also in Totem Lake, whenever we felt like going somewhere slightly different. We ultimately ended up going to only Sherry's after the Denny's closed and was torn down.
Unfortunately, as is usually the case with a large group of friends, we had a bit of a falling out. Some people moved on to other jobs and we lost touch. There was a bit of drama at work that I won't get into, but before our PIC left for another job, she stopped organizing the get-together's. However, a small faction of us that were part of the get-together's kept the tradition up for a while, extending it to other places because we could go before midnight. Those places included Tech City (a bar and arcade), the movies, and other various restaurants. Now that I've left that job, it's just me and my girlfriend (who did work with us) and our close friend. We had a bit of a hostile work environment at times with all the different personalities, but it sure was fun while it lasted. Some of the times we went out, we brought along fun card games (usually Cards Against Humanity) to play while we waited for our food and ate.
Now I'm at a new position at a new place, and I just had my first outside of work get-together with them. We celebrated one of our coworkers' birthday. At least for me, it takes me a while to get accustomed to people and used to speaking freely around them, so I wasn't the most talkative. But it's a memory created that I'll remember for my entire time here; something to reminisce about.
I would suggest most places of work do this. If I was a boss, I would encourage my employees to socialize outside of work. As I said earlier, it builds camaraderie and teamwork. Those who are shy become less shy and more willing to communicate with their coworkers. I'm still pretty new (in my first month still), so that outing we just had definitely helped me and it makes it much easier to approach anyone I shared this outing with. I guess this is why most businesses don't completely forbid non-business talk; otherwise if they did, work wouldn't be much fun at all and it would feel like we had all enlisted in some armed service or something. In summary, bonding at work and away from work helps build not just working relationships but friendships that make work easier and more enjoyable. It's a win-win situation.
The many ways I've helped people
Originally published September 27, 2019
As I stated earlier in my "I'm Happy to Help" post, I like being helpful and I am happy to help with basically anything. There's not much that if I'm asked to do, I will turn down. To me, it's one of the greatest joys you can achieve in life, depending on how you helped someone and how much in need they were. I not only enjoy helping people at my place of work, but also friends and family outside of work.
Most recently, I helped my parents move. They used a couple "Pods", which are portable storage units that you load up and the Pod company transports it to your new address. In a lot of ways, they are more convenient than using a moving truck. I helped my parents load theirs and unload theirs at their new place. I did this over at least six different days, with the longest being the final bit of loading their pod, taking 5 hours. What gave me the incentive besides making my parents happy was the fact that moving is not something that happens very often. My parents moved for the first time in 20 years, and they moved out of my childhood home. It was my last chance to see the home I grew up in, so I had to take advantage of that. I have also helped one of my best friends move, going as far as to get him a moving truck (he doesn't drive) and helping him load and unload the truck. As you can tell, I do not mind helping people that I know move.
At my past job, I enjoyed helping customers. I always liked making someone's day better and getting paid to do so. One experience that sticks out in my mind is helping out a couple who wanted a certain type of ice cream that we were out of on the shelf. I was already in the middle of something else, but I agreed to help nonetheless. I checked the back freezer, and unfortunately for me, the ice cream backstock was all the way in the back against the wall, and there were full pallets of frozen load in the way as the frozen load had recently gotten there and been put away. Most people in this situation would have either told the customer we didn't have any or told the customer that it was buried in the back and there was no way of getting to it. Not me. I had a good feeling that we had it, so I ended up getting a step-stool and literally climbing over the pallet to get to the ice cream. Low and behold, we had the flavor they wanted. I brought it out to them and they were very happy. I stocked the rest that they didn't want. Yes, I could have hurt myself; maybe the pallet wasn't stacked well and it could have collapsed. But that's me: I will seriously risk myself to help others.
Also at my last job I did a lot of unusual things to help customers. I helped a few different people jump start their cars because theirs wouldn't start for whatever reason. I helped old and disabled people into the electric mart carts. I helped countless customers out to their cars to load their cars for them. Each time I really did not mind; mainly because I was getting paid for it, but also because it made me happy to make them happy. I also helped countless people with hard-to-reach items on the shelf. Now I'm pretty short for a guy, so that usually involved me going to the back and getting a stool. As long as they were patient enough to wait, I was willing to help.
This willingness to help people comes from my parents, not just in how they raised me but by the examples they set. On one road trip we took when I was a kid (I was maybe 10 years old), my dad saw someone on the side of the road trying to change their tire. He pulled over and helped them change their tire. This was at least 20 years ago, but it has always stuck with me. It showed me that helping others who are in need really warms the heart and can really on occasion change someone's life for the better. If you have the time and the ability and it does not hurt you much or at all, why not help?
I have also helped people financially as well, mainly my sister. My sister needed to make a down payment to purchase a condominium, but didn't quite have enough, so I loaned her money so she could do that. She also had one of her cats need emergency surgery she couldn't afford right at the moment, so I loaned her money for that as well. I agreed to loan my parents money so they could afford to have enough in their bank account to purchase a new house, but they ended up getting the money from my grandparents instead. But the fact I was willing to my parents really appreciated.
As you can tell, I enjoy helping people. After I'm gone from this world, that's one of the main ways I would like to be remembered: That I liked helping people and rarely said no to a legit need for help. I feel guilty whenever I choose not to help someone, even if it's as simple as picking up something a person dropped. So I will continue to be helpful throughout my life because that is what makes me feel good deep down in my heart.
As I stated earlier in my "I'm Happy to Help" post, I like being helpful and I am happy to help with basically anything. There's not much that if I'm asked to do, I will turn down. To me, it's one of the greatest joys you can achieve in life, depending on how you helped someone and how much in need they were. I not only enjoy helping people at my place of work, but also friends and family outside of work.
Most recently, I helped my parents move. They used a couple "Pods", which are portable storage units that you load up and the Pod company transports it to your new address. In a lot of ways, they are more convenient than using a moving truck. I helped my parents load theirs and unload theirs at their new place. I did this over at least six different days, with the longest being the final bit of loading their pod, taking 5 hours. What gave me the incentive besides making my parents happy was the fact that moving is not something that happens very often. My parents moved for the first time in 20 years, and they moved out of my childhood home. It was my last chance to see the home I grew up in, so I had to take advantage of that. I have also helped one of my best friends move, going as far as to get him a moving truck (he doesn't drive) and helping him load and unload the truck. As you can tell, I do not mind helping people that I know move.
At my past job, I enjoyed helping customers. I always liked making someone's day better and getting paid to do so. One experience that sticks out in my mind is helping out a couple who wanted a certain type of ice cream that we were out of on the shelf. I was already in the middle of something else, but I agreed to help nonetheless. I checked the back freezer, and unfortunately for me, the ice cream backstock was all the way in the back against the wall, and there were full pallets of frozen load in the way as the frozen load had recently gotten there and been put away. Most people in this situation would have either told the customer we didn't have any or told the customer that it was buried in the back and there was no way of getting to it. Not me. I had a good feeling that we had it, so I ended up getting a step-stool and literally climbing over the pallet to get to the ice cream. Low and behold, we had the flavor they wanted. I brought it out to them and they were very happy. I stocked the rest that they didn't want. Yes, I could have hurt myself; maybe the pallet wasn't stacked well and it could have collapsed. But that's me: I will seriously risk myself to help others.
Also at my last job I did a lot of unusual things to help customers. I helped a few different people jump start their cars because theirs wouldn't start for whatever reason. I helped old and disabled people into the electric mart carts. I helped countless customers out to their cars to load their cars for them. Each time I really did not mind; mainly because I was getting paid for it, but also because it made me happy to make them happy. I also helped countless people with hard-to-reach items on the shelf. Now I'm pretty short for a guy, so that usually involved me going to the back and getting a stool. As long as they were patient enough to wait, I was willing to help.
This willingness to help people comes from my parents, not just in how they raised me but by the examples they set. On one road trip we took when I was a kid (I was maybe 10 years old), my dad saw someone on the side of the road trying to change their tire. He pulled over and helped them change their tire. This was at least 20 years ago, but it has always stuck with me. It showed me that helping others who are in need really warms the heart and can really on occasion change someone's life for the better. If you have the time and the ability and it does not hurt you much or at all, why not help?
I have also helped people financially as well, mainly my sister. My sister needed to make a down payment to purchase a condominium, but didn't quite have enough, so I loaned her money so she could do that. She also had one of her cats need emergency surgery she couldn't afford right at the moment, so I loaned her money for that as well. I agreed to loan my parents money so they could afford to have enough in their bank account to purchase a new house, but they ended up getting the money from my grandparents instead. But the fact I was willing to my parents really appreciated.
As you can tell, I enjoy helping people. After I'm gone from this world, that's one of the main ways I would like to be remembered: That I liked helping people and rarely said no to a legit need for help. I feel guilty whenever I choose not to help someone, even if it's as simple as picking up something a person dropped. So I will continue to be helpful throughout my life because that is what makes me feel good deep down in my heart.
Working a typical Mon-Fri work week
Originally published October 4, 2019
For the first time in my working adult life I am working a typical work schedule. My hours aren't the most common (7:30 am-4 pm), but I am working Monday through Friday. Before, I worked in retail (a grocery store, to be specific), and my days varied. My most common days off then were Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and sometimes Monday. Occasionally I'd get other days of the week off but it was rare. Now they are always Saturday and Sunday. It's taking a bit to get used to. I haven't had Saturdays and Sundays off on a consistent basis since I was in school.
I love having the typical weekends, Saturday and Sunday, off. The main reason being I am off at the same time as everyone else, especially my girlfriend. It's two days in a row off as well; something that really recharges the mind and body. I also love having Sundays off, especially this time of year, because of football. I love watching NFL games, and the day of the week they are mostly on is of course Sunday. I used to miss Seahawks games constantly, and I would resort to watching them later, having already learned the outcome. Not anymore.
Although I am now experiencing the dreg of the typical work week. Often times during my retail job I'd get my days off separated and I'd work only 3 or 4 days before my next day off. I also worked a lot of varying shifts so I may work five days in a row, but I might have one day off at 1 PM and the next day I don't work until 1:30 PM, so in essence it was like a day off. So working the same shift every day in itself is taking some getting used to. My body has basically been accustomed to not having a regular schedule for a long time, so it will take a while to get used to.
Honestly, this is what I was going for when looking for a new job. Too many times I have missed things, even holidays, because I worked a retail job that got busy at those times. I've missed a few Thanksgivings, I've missed being able to celebrate on Independence Day and New Years. Me being the huge football fan I am, I have even missed a big chunk of a Super Bowl game. Not anymore. I want to be able to enjoy things with my friends and family like most other people do.
As many people know, I am very flexible. At my old job I worked as early as 5 in the morning and as late as 2 at night. I am pretty good at toughing out different schedules whether they be early shifts or late shifts. I used to say at my old job that the consistent schedules were the ones that bothered me most because I was so accustomed to a variable schedule. I ended up being my store's interim Front End Manager after the previous Front End Manager left for another job, and I ended up working 10-7 five days a week for a good part of six months. That was hard for me to do because it basically took up my entire day and I was too exhausted to do anything after work, such as cook. Now, I get off at 4 and have all evening to relax, spend with my friends, and I have enough energy to cook and/or do some household chores.
I have to admit this new schedule is having some weird effects on me. I am now getting sleepy before even 10 PM. That hasn't happened to me since high school, if not further back. Before working the 7:30-4 grind, I wouldn't get sleepy until 11:30 PM at least. I guess it's a good thing to be on an earlier sleep schedule. Although, while my body is used to getting sleepy early, there is also the counter-affect of waking up much earlier. For starting at 7:30, I do not have to wake up until 6 or so, but my body almost always wants to wake up at 5, if not earlier. Honestly, it's something I can live with; it not only gives me time to watch TV or think about the upcoming day, but I enjoy not being suddenly awakened by an alarm. I've only had my alarm wake me once or twice so far in three weeks of this schedule.
I also used to despise Fridays and Saturdays. Working in retail will make you hate days of the week you're not supposed to, and vice-versa. You'll love days you're not supposed to like Monday and Tuesday. Now, I love Fridays and I am doing my best to enjoy the weekends. And, like that Loverboy song, everybody's working for the weekend, myself included. I no longer have to dread the holidays; at least I don't have to worry about how busy work will be right before them.
Work is a part of life and I think we in western society have established a good routine. Most of us work Monday to Friday with Saturday and Sunday off. I think it was designed that way for a reason; as if on average it takes two full days to recover from five days of work. Anyway, I like this schedule, and it seems like weeks are flying by faster than they used to. Just got to get through one day at a time.
For the first time in my working adult life I am working a typical work schedule. My hours aren't the most common (7:30 am-4 pm), but I am working Monday through Friday. Before, I worked in retail (a grocery store, to be specific), and my days varied. My most common days off then were Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and sometimes Monday. Occasionally I'd get other days of the week off but it was rare. Now they are always Saturday and Sunday. It's taking a bit to get used to. I haven't had Saturdays and Sundays off on a consistent basis since I was in school.
I love having the typical weekends, Saturday and Sunday, off. The main reason being I am off at the same time as everyone else, especially my girlfriend. It's two days in a row off as well; something that really recharges the mind and body. I also love having Sundays off, especially this time of year, because of football. I love watching NFL games, and the day of the week they are mostly on is of course Sunday. I used to miss Seahawks games constantly, and I would resort to watching them later, having already learned the outcome. Not anymore.
Although I am now experiencing the dreg of the typical work week. Often times during my retail job I'd get my days off separated and I'd work only 3 or 4 days before my next day off. I also worked a lot of varying shifts so I may work five days in a row, but I might have one day off at 1 PM and the next day I don't work until 1:30 PM, so in essence it was like a day off. So working the same shift every day in itself is taking some getting used to. My body has basically been accustomed to not having a regular schedule for a long time, so it will take a while to get used to.
Honestly, this is what I was going for when looking for a new job. Too many times I have missed things, even holidays, because I worked a retail job that got busy at those times. I've missed a few Thanksgivings, I've missed being able to celebrate on Independence Day and New Years. Me being the huge football fan I am, I have even missed a big chunk of a Super Bowl game. Not anymore. I want to be able to enjoy things with my friends and family like most other people do.
As many people know, I am very flexible. At my old job I worked as early as 5 in the morning and as late as 2 at night. I am pretty good at toughing out different schedules whether they be early shifts or late shifts. I used to say at my old job that the consistent schedules were the ones that bothered me most because I was so accustomed to a variable schedule. I ended up being my store's interim Front End Manager after the previous Front End Manager left for another job, and I ended up working 10-7 five days a week for a good part of six months. That was hard for me to do because it basically took up my entire day and I was too exhausted to do anything after work, such as cook. Now, I get off at 4 and have all evening to relax, spend with my friends, and I have enough energy to cook and/or do some household chores.
I have to admit this new schedule is having some weird effects on me. I am now getting sleepy before even 10 PM. That hasn't happened to me since high school, if not further back. Before working the 7:30-4 grind, I wouldn't get sleepy until 11:30 PM at least. I guess it's a good thing to be on an earlier sleep schedule. Although, while my body is used to getting sleepy early, there is also the counter-affect of waking up much earlier. For starting at 7:30, I do not have to wake up until 6 or so, but my body almost always wants to wake up at 5, if not earlier. Honestly, it's something I can live with; it not only gives me time to watch TV or think about the upcoming day, but I enjoy not being suddenly awakened by an alarm. I've only had my alarm wake me once or twice so far in three weeks of this schedule.
I also used to despise Fridays and Saturdays. Working in retail will make you hate days of the week you're not supposed to, and vice-versa. You'll love days you're not supposed to like Monday and Tuesday. Now, I love Fridays and I am doing my best to enjoy the weekends. And, like that Loverboy song, everybody's working for the weekend, myself included. I no longer have to dread the holidays; at least I don't have to worry about how busy work will be right before them.
Work is a part of life and I think we in western society have established a good routine. Most of us work Monday to Friday with Saturday and Sunday off. I think it was designed that way for a reason; as if on average it takes two full days to recover from five days of work. Anyway, I like this schedule, and it seems like weeks are flying by faster than they used to. Just got to get through one day at a time.
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