I'm fired for the day! That makes three days in a row if you count Tuesday, when I went to work, moved some stuff around and then left before 10 AM. Not good for the pocket book when you consider that I'm planning on taking a four-day MLK weekend starting tomorrow (and that I get paid by the hour).A friend was recently confused when I used my new terminology. "Wait. I just don't understand how they can just fire you like that!" Oh they can. But just for the day. "Wait, what?" And this is coming from another underpaid person - an Americorps volunteer. (Please note that when I say "underpaid" in this context, referring to myself or others, I'm only meaning that I don't feel that the amount of compensation we get equals the value of the work we put in. We knew coming into it that we'd get paid crap. That's part of the adventure I guess. But it's still fun to gripe sometimes...) Apparently this practice is not normal. But that's how we roll here. If you'll bear with me, I'll rewind a bit and try to explain the reasons why I haven't blogged for so long and for my present employment woes.
Second week of December, 2009: Work is crazy. We have thousands and thousands of litres of wine in huge stainless steel vats, and it all needs to get into bottles. But there are many steps to this process - moving tanks, racking, emulsifying and filtering on our part and getting lab samples, labels approved and buyers lined up, all that happens outside of the realm of our influence. The result is that when work can be done, we do it and do it for looooong days. But sometimes there just isn't anything to do. I'm feeling worn out from working, yet I don't work enough to make much money. Add in some sense of loneliness and missing the community I left in Goshen, and I'm ready for Christmas friggin' vacation!
December, 2009 - January 5, 2010: During what was perhaps one of my best vacations ever, I was able to visit with all of my immediate family (not easy since they managed to spread themselves out by a good 1000 miles) and catch up with numerous good friends. Plus the last two weeks of that vacation were spent isolated in a cabin in Northern Minnesota, so I was able sleep plenty, read plenty AND get my board/card game fix for a few months. (The lack of internets in the cabin, plus my busy schedule before hand led to me not blogging during this time, in case you were wondering.) I also had plenty of time to think. As a result I concocted a great scheme for my life, and it involved leaving Colorado, at least for the time being. (Perhaps more details on that at a later date.)
January 6, 2010: First day back at work. I put in a long day. It wasn't too bad - in fact, I kind of enjoyed myself. Afterward, I tell Lance and Anna that I have plans of leaving but that I don't want to inconvenience them. I tell them that I will stay long enough to help them accomplish all of the jobs that need my extra hands and then I will leave. [An aside: Right now I'm poor. I mean, I'm doing okay, but thanks to my extended winter vacation I now need to work to meet my monthly expenses. My thought process: a move and subsequent job search = not income. I'll help bottle wine, work really hard, make a little extra and then leave before the work thins out again.] They say give me their blessing. All is going according to plan.
The Past Week: Last Friday work was scant. I took some wine samples to send into the lab and got hay to feed the cows. Monday I put in a full day only because I was stupid and got the truck stuck in a snow bank on Grand Mesa and had to wait almost two hours before someone could pull me out (maybe the subject of another 'I'm Dumb' post?). And now for the last three days I have been all but unemployed. So much for making money before the move. What's worse is that I wake up early, get dressed for work, make the trek over to the winery and then find out that there's nothing for me to do. Inconvenience with no compensation. (Though today I learned and called ahead while still in my PJs.)
I can't blame Lance and Anna. There really isn't any work for me to do right now. And they're a small business that doesn't make a lot of money; they can't afford to make up random busy work for me to do. So what do I do? Read, write letters, fill out applications, go for walks, try to fix my car (Colin - with the help of an icy driveway - busted one of Gwen's headlights.), and now blog. Whoopdie-joy. I have several other blog drafts from earlier days. Perhaps today will be a record blogging day...
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