Life in the real World.

I was thinking about the jobs I have had throughout my life. I started working about the age of 16 like most teenagers that i grew up with f we wanted spending money we had to work to get it, our Parents where doing everything they could just to keep food on the table and save enough for us to go to college. So my 1st job was working at a stuffed animal shop called "Freddy's Zoo" it was in Potomac Mills Mall, I don't remember the neighborhood but I do remember that there was a Pizza place next door and the Cinnabon store was about six stores away. I started this job because I had tried all the Vets offices in the area and nobody was hiring or at least they never called me back. so right before Christmas I got the job, I hated it then I got lucky and was fired, they accused me of taking money out of the change jar that was kept under the counter, I didn't take it and I knew who did but was never able to prove it so I was the one fired, Didn't bother me much as within 2 yrs the store closed for unknown reasons.

The next job I got was working for Dr Grissom at Woodbridge Animal Hospital. After losing the job at the Zoo I started back at the beginning again with the Vets offices. When I went to see Dr. Grissom she told me she was glad I came back because they wanted to hire me the last time I was there but someone had lost my application. I learned a valuable lesson, when you have an interview always check back with them, don't assume that they didn't hire you call and find out.
I worked for Dr G until I finished High school and it was probably the best place I have ever worked for even thought I was the "Pooper Scooper." Well I did a lot more but my main job was to clean the kennels and runs. I knew then that I wanted to be come a Vet Tech.

After HS I moved to the Shenandoah Valley and went to Blue Ridge Community College, I didn't stay long I wanted to play more than study, there goes the dream never to be again. the next job this bum got was working for Lowe's Home Centers, at the time it was just Lowe's Hardware. after my interview here I pestered the manager until he gave me a job. he told me that the reason he gave me the job was because I was the one that showed the most interest (2nd Lesson Learned) I worked for Lowe's for about 61/2 years. I worked my way up from being a cashier to Department Team Leader, basically at was the assistant department Manager. I worked in Bath, Electrical, Lighting, Power tools (#1 Favorite) Hand tools, Paint and Home decor, and Lawn and Garden (2nd Fav). I also worked for about 1 1/2 years on the over night stocking crew. I worked in 3 different stores Harrisonburg VA, Elizabeth City NC and Staunton VA, But i also traveled to other stores and help reset or set up a new store, one of my favorite jobs to do with the company. I wasn't making the kind of money I wanted even with all the jobs that I did for the company so I decided to changed jobs, but the best compliment I ever got was when I was transferring to a new store and my old manager said that he was "going to have to hire 4 men to replace me."

The next job was for R. R. Donnelley and Sons, Inc. a book binding company I worked for them for 6 years. I did many different jobs there too, I started as a Material Handler, in other works I did the boring job of feeding the pages of the book into the machine or I boxed at the end of the line. I was also a Forklift operator and moved stuff from one place to the other. I worked in the roll stock warehouse, this is where all the rolls of paper is kept. Then I got to work in the receiving department and High bay warehouse, this warehouse had a section that was so tall you had to use a special lift to store things, it was fun moving this machine that was about20 feet long and as tall at the building from one aisle to the next. I also worked in Handwork where things where done that could not be done by machine. probably the best paying job I ever had although they didn't pay you enough for the sweat and hearing damage done. But they decided to get rid of me when I got Pregnant with Evelyn, they actually laid me off, so I decided to move on.

I decided then that I wanted to work in a bank, so I started applying at all of them, Bank of America was the only one hiring. I became a bank Teller, and anyone that says banking is a great place to work has never worked in one. First off, Banking Hours are not what they used to be, I remember as a child my grandmother saying she had to get to the bank before it closed, at 2pm. then I remember bank closing a 5pm, But BOA didn't close the drive thru (my Job) until 6p. I also remember banks where not open on the weekends but they are now, I went to work about every other Saturday, but only 1/2 a day but by the time the bank closed at 1pm your day was gone. then seeing all that money was depressing. I would sit there and wish that one day the bank would be nice and call us up and tell us that what ever money we had in our till we could have to do what ever we wanted, it never happened.

I decided to leave the banking world and try my hand at staying home and doing childcare out of my home, so in 2003 when Elisabeth started school I started working from home. I loved this because I was able to be home with Evelyn and be there when Elisabeth got off the bus in the afternoon. The 1st year I only watched teacher kids, I figured that way I could be off when the kids where out of school. I did this until Evelyn started school in 2006, At this time I decided I wanted to work for the school system so I became a Substitute teacher or anything they needed me for to do, that is how I became a Lunchroom monitor. I also took the bus driver class and was a sub driver until this year, when I got my own route.

So life in the real world for me has been fun I have learned from all of my jobs and have enjoyed certain aspects of all of them. I don't know what the next step will lead me to, but I await the adventure when it comes.