"The basic dichotomy of good and evil?"
Jul. 7th, 2006 07:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hathycolGod, I'm stupidly tired. You wouldn't think that working only six hours a day would do that, but hey, it does. This is the first time in a while that I've had a little time free to go on the internet, as I've been trying to catch up with people, but please, I beg for you to have patience while I adjust.
So, what's it like having a real, non-studenty job?
... oddly fulfilling. No, really, it is. It's bloody hard work, mostly - I have to do breakfast, which consists of putting everything on the tables as people come in, and by GOD but the elderly are fussy about having everything exact, and then all the washing up, and clearing the dining room, and then the ta trolley, and then the washing up from the food prep, then all the drinks for lunches before all the washing up and clearing up the kitchen. Then I generally fall over a bit and drive home. It's pretty harrowing, actually. Quite apart from the fact that by about eleven everything in my entire body burns, it's just a bit depressing. As nursing homes go, it's a good one, but argh. Everyone there is, essentially, waiting to die. And that's a disquieting thought. I'm mostly combining Customer Service Skills (big smiles and some very bad jokes) with cleaning - I run around but I do try to talk to people a bit, because, well, it's their home and some residents are lovely. One lady smiled at me as I asked if she wanted tea or coffee and told me that I looked really lovely in black, and quite a few know me by name now. However, I took coffee into one very elderly woman's room today, and as I left, I did what I always do - "Enjoy your coffee!"
"Why should I?" she responded. "I want to die. There's nothing left for me."
What, exactly, do you say to that?
I'm enjoying the challenge, though. Today, I did the ta and coffee round on time. It ws a big achievement, considering that my other achievement was having an argument with some bleach and losing. My uniform is meant to be blue, but now it is blue and red. Oops.
(Please note the oddly false tone of this post. I've actually forgotten how to elljay properly, and I can't train of thought properly. Erk.)
My life is not just work, although I'm so tired it feels so. Yesterday, I had a day off (last for eight days OH YAY) and went out to see Pirates of the Caribbean with Simon. I won't spoil it, but, well, I didn't see any of the last half hour coming. And it made me laugh a lot. And that is always good, but it is very long. I wasn't half tired at the end, which probably explains the exhaustion.
I'm still feeling pretty good about life in general though, because today is the anniversary of the London bombings and I'm counting my blessings a bit. This is also the year anniversary of passing my driving test, so, you know, my life could suck a lot more. I have paid employment that I don't completely detest, I have a car (and twelve shiny points as of today FEAR MY NEW FREEDOM TO SPEED), I have a bloke who is wonderful and who I can see EVERY SINGLE DAY which is good because, wow, that's new, and I have truly wonderful friends who I can see technically every day too, and I have free food and no one has yet mentioned rent. Okay, this life involves my sister and a mother who showed Simon the dancing videos last night ohmygodpleasetobekillingmenow, but, y'know, it's definitely not all woe and angst.
See what I say after my eight day run of shifts, though. I do not approve of being awake at 6.30am on a regular basis.
Also Doctor Who is on tomorrow. Hurrah!
~Hathy_Col~
So, what's it like having a real, non-studenty job?
... oddly fulfilling. No, really, it is. It's bloody hard work, mostly - I have to do breakfast, which consists of putting everything on the tables as people come in, and by GOD but the elderly are fussy about having everything exact, and then all the washing up, and clearing the dining room, and then the ta trolley, and then the washing up from the food prep, then all the drinks for lunches before all the washing up and clearing up the kitchen. Then I generally fall over a bit and drive home. It's pretty harrowing, actually. Quite apart from the fact that by about eleven everything in my entire body burns, it's just a bit depressing. As nursing homes go, it's a good one, but argh. Everyone there is, essentially, waiting to die. And that's a disquieting thought. I'm mostly combining Customer Service Skills (big smiles and some very bad jokes) with cleaning - I run around but I do try to talk to people a bit, because, well, it's their home and some residents are lovely. One lady smiled at me as I asked if she wanted tea or coffee and told me that I looked really lovely in black, and quite a few know me by name now. However, I took coffee into one very elderly woman's room today, and as I left, I did what I always do - "Enjoy your coffee!"
"Why should I?" she responded. "I want to die. There's nothing left for me."
What, exactly, do you say to that?
I'm enjoying the challenge, though. Today, I did the ta and coffee round on time. It ws a big achievement, considering that my other achievement was having an argument with some bleach and losing. My uniform is meant to be blue, but now it is blue and red. Oops.
(Please note the oddly false tone of this post. I've actually forgotten how to elljay properly, and I can't train of thought properly. Erk.)
My life is not just work, although I'm so tired it feels so. Yesterday, I had a day off (last for eight days OH YAY) and went out to see Pirates of the Caribbean with Simon. I won't spoil it, but, well, I didn't see any of the last half hour coming. And it made me laugh a lot. And that is always good, but it is very long. I wasn't half tired at the end, which probably explains the exhaustion.
I'm still feeling pretty good about life in general though, because today is the anniversary of the London bombings and I'm counting my blessings a bit. This is also the year anniversary of passing my driving test, so, you know, my life could suck a lot more. I have paid employment that I don't completely detest, I have a car (and twelve shiny points as of today FEAR MY NEW FREEDOM TO SPEED), I have a bloke who is wonderful and who I can see EVERY SINGLE DAY which is good because, wow, that's new, and I have truly wonderful friends who I can see technically every day too, and I have free food and no one has yet mentioned rent. Okay, this life involves my sister and a mother who showed Simon the dancing videos last night ohmygodpleasetobekillingmenow, but, y'know, it's definitely not all woe and angst.
See what I say after my eight day run of shifts, though. I do not approve of being awake at 6.30am on a regular basis.
Also Doctor Who is on tomorrow. Hurrah!
~Hathy_Col~
