My Job
Why am I now working in a retail store instead of having a day job in computers? People who know me ask this alot. Actually it has to do completely and fully with Robb being a resident.
We are in a very strange situation. We don't have relatives in the area who can help and Robb really can't take any time off unless it is a huge emergency (like me grabbing him by the cajones and saying, "I can't get out of bed I am so sick so you had BETTER be staying home today!)"
Things like that. It has to be really extreme and there are only so many time you can call on friends before they tell you they are leaving town. So, who is on call when either kid gets sick? You got it. What if something is needed at school for DD1? Me. If I get sick? Me. So actually keeping a day job, even if I earned enough to pay to daycare would still require me to be the one on call. And as the ultimate catch 22, the more daycare the more nasty sicknesses for everybody. To illustrate this, I once worked at DD2's daycare so she could be around other kids for once. In 4 months we were gone for a total of 2. Eventually, they asked me to leave because they needed someone with more consistancy (Imagine!). So what would a nice big juicy company do? And work at home? Forget it. DD2 is amazingly high maintenance and never stops talking. And she expects an answer damn it. I'd go mad.
So, I needed to seek out employment that allowed us to switch off with the kids, employment where the owners knew my situation and didn't mind being flexible. Enter...Retail. So, I found me the nicest clothing store in town and got me a job with some of the best people in town. It's a really good match since I love well-made things, especially in fashion, which allows me to sell pretty well (although I'm still a beginner) from shear enthusiasm. The owners are good at giving tips on the business and they understand that I may have an inconsistent schedule. The customers are great. They know the store and the staff, since it's been around for almost 100 years in one form or another. (The store's name is Woldenberg's by-the-way, hi Mike)
Some of the customers are fascinating like the thoracic surgeon with 8 kids, or the owner of the big grocery nearby or the family who own a very large hotdog company whom I probably can't name but "You wish you were an ***** *****wiener..." Also the local Demi-God himself, the coach of the University football team. Believe me when I say, he gets a better turnout than God at his games. I enjoy collecting stories and the folks who come in are a gold-mine of interesting histories and tales.
My favorite part is selling suits. You get a fellow coming in, say, just out of college and he's going for his first interviews and he owns a total of 3 torn t-shirts, one pair of jeans and couple of surplus sweaters. Maybe a pair of shoes... but not always. After we've finished with him he is walking out with a Boss suit, nice tie, beautiful shirt and some shoes that are so fresh from Italy they are speaking Italian. And he looks gooood. The other best thing is dressing a woman for a formal ball. It's just the feel and look and smell of that gorgeous full length dress with all the fixins'. I can't buy one but I can sure spend other people's money with taste and finess, it's the next best thing. Yes, I do buy something once in a while, but it has to be really timeless and wearable for several years. (OK so the bright yellow skirt that looks like a raincoat was an anomaly but it's so cool) Also it doesn't hurt that one of the owners is so funny she makes you snort pepsi out of your nose and the other owner was one of the baddest boys in town and every once in a while his friends still try to get him to come out and play.
So that's my job and, actually, I don't think I will go back to IT or anything heavily computer related. It's interesting dealing with the public, and working in the world of high fashion, where the clothes and cosmetic actually appear in Vogue. The background work and the buying are fascinating. When I grow up I wouldn't mind owning a really nice store with really nice stuff. So, out of the side of my mouth I might actually say, "thanks medschool" for once.
We are in a very strange situation. We don't have relatives in the area who can help and Robb really can't take any time off unless it is a huge emergency (like me grabbing him by the cajones and saying, "I can't get out of bed I am so sick so you had BETTER be staying home today!)"
Things like that. It has to be really extreme and there are only so many time you can call on friends before they tell you they are leaving town. So, who is on call when either kid gets sick? You got it. What if something is needed at school for DD1? Me. If I get sick? Me. So actually keeping a day job, even if I earned enough to pay to daycare would still require me to be the one on call. And as the ultimate catch 22, the more daycare the more nasty sicknesses for everybody. To illustrate this, I once worked at DD2's daycare so she could be around other kids for once. In 4 months we were gone for a total of 2. Eventually, they asked me to leave because they needed someone with more consistancy (Imagine!). So what would a nice big juicy company do? And work at home? Forget it. DD2 is amazingly high maintenance and never stops talking. And she expects an answer damn it. I'd go mad.
So, I needed to seek out employment that allowed us to switch off with the kids, employment where the owners knew my situation and didn't mind being flexible. Enter...Retail. So, I found me the nicest clothing store in town and got me a job with some of the best people in town. It's a really good match since I love well-made things, especially in fashion, which allows me to sell pretty well (although I'm still a beginner) from shear enthusiasm. The owners are good at giving tips on the business and they understand that I may have an inconsistent schedule. The customers are great. They know the store and the staff, since it's been around for almost 100 years in one form or another. (The store's name is Woldenberg's by-the-way, hi Mike)
Some of the customers are fascinating like the thoracic surgeon with 8 kids, or the owner of the big grocery nearby or the family who own a very large hotdog company whom I probably can't name but "You wish you were an ***** *****wiener..." Also the local Demi-God himself, the coach of the University football team. Believe me when I say, he gets a better turnout than God at his games. I enjoy collecting stories and the folks who come in are a gold-mine of interesting histories and tales.
My favorite part is selling suits. You get a fellow coming in, say, just out of college and he's going for his first interviews and he owns a total of 3 torn t-shirts, one pair of jeans and couple of surplus sweaters. Maybe a pair of shoes... but not always. After we've finished with him he is walking out with a Boss suit, nice tie, beautiful shirt and some shoes that are so fresh from Italy they are speaking Italian. And he looks gooood. The other best thing is dressing a woman for a formal ball. It's just the feel and look and smell of that gorgeous full length dress with all the fixins'. I can't buy one but I can sure spend other people's money with taste and finess, it's the next best thing. Yes, I do buy something once in a while, but it has to be really timeless and wearable for several years. (OK so the bright yellow skirt that looks like a raincoat was an anomaly but it's so cool) Also it doesn't hurt that one of the owners is so funny she makes you snort pepsi out of your nose and the other owner was one of the baddest boys in town and every once in a while his friends still try to get him to come out and play.
So that's my job and, actually, I don't think I will go back to IT or anything heavily computer related. It's interesting dealing with the public, and working in the world of high fashion, where the clothes and cosmetic actually appear in Vogue. The background work and the buying are fascinating. When I grow up I wouldn't mind owning a really nice store with really nice stuff. So, out of the side of my mouth I might actually say, "thanks medschool" for once.
posted by Emotenote @ 1:03 PM
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