Ramblings Post #285
At this age I figured I would be curling up in front of a warm fire at this time of year, my wife snuggled against my side under a warm blanket, my teenage daughter sitting under own throw hating me because I'd suggested a little quiet family time away from phone, and my son down by the hearth lost in thought at how to beat the next level of his favorite video game. Instead I have an empty potato chip bag and the taste of hot dog on my breath in an empty house. But I do have the warm blanket. Two in fact. Missed by that much.
My new junior partner, who has a tentative name but whose presence is based on my current chicken plucking status, is a piece of work. She's young, "movie best friend cute", and what I've referred to in the office as "precious." It is talking to her that I realize that a) I am very old and b) a lot of what I know probably needs to depart with me. That's not really the issue of this post, but just something I've noticed.
The new junior partner and I trained together, and plucks chickens on roughly the same schedule, although we work in different areas. But since the location of the spot forces us (and most of the company) to take public transportation, please note that Atlanta's train system barely qualifies as HO grade, and we live on the same side of town, the JP and I tend to ride in together. Or rather, she works it so we ride together. As in calls my house before 8am to see if I've caught the train in the morning works it. Insert deep sigh here.
Admittedly the new junior partner is a small girl, having been compared to a middle schooler at one point. And as I said she's cute. And her personal style is a bit more upmarket than socioeconomic group that uses public transportation at that particular hub we use, which has elicited some unsolicited comments. And she says she has been approached a time or two by prospective male suitors before she traveled with me. So it's kind of a safety issue thing, to some degree, I guess. And I have grown fond of her - relax, she's married - so I don't have a problem sharing a seat and chatting to and from the job so she feels comfortable.
It's just that she wants to get there soooo early. Like hour or hour and half early, so she can eat breakfast. Which means the bulk of my day would spent at the chicken plucking location, with minimal to no time for silly things like chasing my dreams.
And that outside with-no-wind-guard platform is cold. Like cold cold. And to miss a train by as little as 30 seconds could mean 15 minutes on that same cold platform waiting for the next train. Add to that the fact that the system's timing is loose at best, meaning what should be a fifteen to twenty minute trip can easily turn into one lasting forty five minutes or more, with a single missed connection dominoing into a massive time suck. I talk to people at the job who arrive an hour early everyday to avoid that domino.
Most of the management I've spoken with drives. Which seems oddly fitting.
All I know is I ain't up for this. I was put on this Earth to do more than pluck these chickens and pay bills.
And she gonna need a new schedule, I ain't up for all this. I'm old. And I ain't never really been a morning person. But I do love me some breakfast food. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
Barkeep. Hot Toddy. And don't skip on the hot.
At this age I figured I would be curling up in front of a warm fire at this time of year, my wife snuggled against my side under a warm blanket, my teenage daughter sitting under own throw hating me because I'd suggested a little quiet family time away from phone, and my son down by the hearth lost in thought at how to beat the next level of his favorite video game. Instead I have an empty potato chip bag and the taste of hot dog on my breath in an empty house. But I do have the warm blanket. Two in fact. Missed by that much.
Stolen from Starsy of Reddit! |
The new junior partner and I trained together, and plucks chickens on roughly the same schedule, although we work in different areas. But since the location of the spot forces us (and most of the company) to take public transportation, please note that Atlanta's train system barely qualifies as HO grade, and we live on the same side of town, the JP and I tend to ride in together. Or rather, she works it so we ride together. As in calls my house before 8am to see if I've caught the train in the morning works it. Insert deep sigh here.
Admittedly the new junior partner is a small girl, having been compared to a middle schooler at one point. And as I said she's cute. And her personal style is a bit more upmarket than socioeconomic group that uses public transportation at that particular hub we use, which has elicited some unsolicited comments. And she says she has been approached a time or two by prospective male suitors before she traveled with me. So it's kind of a safety issue thing, to some degree, I guess. And I have grown fond of her - relax, she's married - so I don't have a problem sharing a seat and chatting to and from the job so she feels comfortable.
It's just that she wants to get there soooo early. Like hour or hour and half early, so she can eat breakfast. Which means the bulk of my day would spent at the chicken plucking location, with minimal to no time for silly things like chasing my dreams.
And that outside with-no-wind-guard platform is cold. Like cold cold. And to miss a train by as little as 30 seconds could mean 15 minutes on that same cold platform waiting for the next train. Add to that the fact that the system's timing is loose at best, meaning what should be a fifteen to twenty minute trip can easily turn into one lasting forty five minutes or more, with a single missed connection dominoing into a massive time suck. I talk to people at the job who arrive an hour early everyday to avoid that domino.
Most of the management I've spoken with drives. Which seems oddly fitting.
All I know is I ain't up for this. I was put on this Earth to do more than pluck these chickens and pay bills.
And she gonna need a new schedule, I ain't up for all this. I'm old. And I ain't never really been a morning person. But I do love me some breakfast food. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
Barkeep. Hot Toddy. And don't skip on the hot.