Book of Jamez

55 y/o malcontent, something of a writer

Category: work

  • The Little Old Lady from Dureya

    “Yes, I need help, I’m 86 years old. Could you come put my air conditioner into my window?” comes a crackly voice.

    “Excuse me? The association doesn’t do that kind of thing maam.” I explain.

    “But it needs to go in there. And there is a bar that is broken too, could you fix that?” she asks.

    I take her name and number, call her local city hall in Dureya, PA.

    “Why didn’t she call one of her daughters?” asks the secretary.

    “I’m not sure,” I explain “I’m just a little worried about her well being at this point. Could you send someone over?”

    “And who are you?” she asks “Why would she call you?”

    I have no answers to this question… but perhaps she was meant to call so I could get her help… we may never know.

  • Update

    Hi,I’ve probably told you all more than enough, to check my site: http://mrjamezq.blogspot.com/ if you want to know what’s going on with me… well… I haven’t written anything there in a while… so you can claim you did and still don’t know what’s going on.

    I’m temping at the NAHB which is about a 20 minute walk from home. Nice job, nice folks… but only 4 days a week. There are issues there… like the one woman who put together a fax, even made the cover sheet… walked past the fax machine came to my desk and said: “This needs to be faxed to this number (pointing to the number on the cover sheet she made) ASAP.” So, I smile and don’t ask why she’s such a lazy cow.. I get up and fax her two pages. Or the fact that “short-term” means anything from 1 month to 25 years… but I digress.

    I’m also working at Olsson’s Books and Records, in DC. Very laid back. I’m pretty sure there are three people (minimum) that don’t like me… I don’t much like them either. I hate when there are author events and the authors and their fans can’t seem to understand what closing time means… perhaps if they hung out in more bars they would get the concept. Remind me, IF I ever get famous, what I hated about book events.

    Gary and I went bike riding on Monday, was a little hot but nice. I need to exercise more, but the bike seat is broken and I’m saving cash… and DC drivers are nut jobs (no offense to you nut jobs… er DC drivers).

    WHC (Washington Hospital Center) finally called back about the job I intervied for over a month ago… they want me to come in (Monday) and take some tests: Word, Excel, Power Point… no worries. The job is a union job, and I don’t know what that means yet. I would almost rather stay at NAHB if it was 5 days a week.

    I was hoping to go to WI this summer for an AA thing… but it just can’t happen in this financial situation. I’ll have to see what else I could do… but winter is fast approaching there so no promises.

    No men… as there is no time. The cats are a little grumpy due to not getting enough attention, but when I do give it they are content if only for a purr or two.

    I am going to my meeting in Georgetown, and considering getting a sponsor… there are two candidates… don’t hold you breath, I’m very picky.

    On Monday, I’ll be contacting Northern Virginia Community College about classes this fall, I need a minimum of six credits to maintain my financial aid. I hope this shouldn’t be a problem… just have to decide which classes I would like to take.

    I read: To Kill A Mockingbird for the first time, and I must say it was a really good book. Currently I am reading: Hunting in Harlem which has promise.

    OK, its way past my bedtime. I miss most of you (some of you I actually see on occasion)Jamez

  • 12 Hour Days

    I’m not in my 20s anymore, big shocker. In my twenties I could work 4 ten hour days in a row, go out and get drunk each and every one of those nights and not mind at all. I might have been hung over or still drunk when I arrived, but I didn’t get to tired out or draggy.

    Not so now in my 30s. One 12 hour day is about all I can take. I’m going from one job directly to another, 8 – 8 on certain days or even 8 to 9 on Fridays. And I’m sober. I’m so tired by the time I get home I don’t have time for anything else really. The cats, of course, are mad cause I’ve been gone all day.

    “Lets go to a movie on Thursday night Jamez.” they say.

    I’m tired and have to work Friday night, I have ZERO INTEREST IN SPENDING TIME WITH YOU.

  • Working Man

    “I get up at 7, yeah and I go to work at 9. Got no time for living, yes I’m working all the time” – Rush

    Working a temp job with the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders), basic administrative stuff. They have had bad experiences in the past with temps, I hear about it constantly. Seem like nice enough people, the location is good, and I love my cubicle.

    I’m also working part time at Olsson’s Books on 7th and E Streets NW. Loads of fun for me, I guess pretending to be nice to people is not so bad after all. Seriously, it is nice to hang out and ring people up behind the register, and I’ve only had a few real weirdos in the store.

    So, I’m looking for a permanent job, the NAHB job is only 4 days a week. I’ll keep you all posted here.

    “I guess that’s why they call me, they call me the working man. Well they call me the working man, I guess that’s what I am.” – Rush

  • Job Seeking

    Suggestions for staffing agencies keep coming to mind, but I’ve only told one agency what they should do to improve their services. Here are some common items that would make the process better for all parties:

    • Standardize and computerize forms. It’s 2006 people, all of this can be done on a computer, not only making it easier on the applicant, but also making the data more accessible and searchable for Employers.
    • Computer peripherals need upgrading. An applicant should have non-sticky keyboards, a smooth flow (optical preferred) mouse, and a decent work station from which to test.
    • Consolidate test information. Three of the agencies I’ve applied to this week had the exact same tests. My scores were relatively the same, this is wasting my time and yours, talk to one another.
    • Don’t call me every day to ask me if you can send out my resume… That’s why I came to you in the first place: So you could find me a job.
    • Be friendly to prospective clients. Whether they are job seekers or employers, treat them with the same level of respect you would like to receive. Only one agency had a truly rude receptionist, but all of them should be aware of the impression they set for your company.

    I’m done ranting now, time to look for more jobs.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t of course mention her name… she’d never forgive me.

    She has the biggest heart behind the gruffest exterior. A buzzed hair cut, keys jingling as she walks by. Everyone knows her, no one truly knows her-she has touched the lives of so many.

    She’s given gifts towards every cause brought to her attention, never takes credit, never signs the card. If something was done for you, by an unknown source, she did it.

    The Spiderman statue joined my cubicle as a result of her actions, she’s always said to me: “You’re wasted here… .” There were mornings I’d come in and a woman and or children would be sleeping in one of the cubicles, she made sure they were safe that night. She tries to keep in touch with everyone, people will send the new baby pictures to her, the wedding pictures, people we hadn’t seen in years.

    Everything changes now for her, for the rest of you who knew her… that place will never be the same, you’ve truly lost one of the better parts from those colorful walls.

  • Changes

    I’ll be moving back to Washington, DC in one month (+/- a day or two).

    What prompted? Well, mostly the recent trip up there for Michelle’s wedding. Even though it was a five hour trip (the way up there) and the tourists were in the streets like diaper rash on a baby… I realized I miss it: I have so many friends/family there… and reliable PUBLIC transportation, and jobs abound… My old room is available, with my old roommate (who I’m sure my cats miss, and I do too).

    So there you are… DC bound.

  • Children's Hospital of Hopes and Dreams

    Rainbow halls and cubical stalls
    Ms Elliott’s smiling face
    Pink Flamingo’s in Chen’s space

    Nurses to the left, hearts full of love
    “Hello Mary Lou”, he coos
    Kim and Keetra, Diana too

    Marianne, Sonia and Donna right there
    Purple office is Ann’s, always will be
    CDC peeps come next, Von, Waldo and Z

    Social Workers en mass, near the fax
    Courtney, Allie, Sarah
    Albert, Cardia and Rashida

    Jacquelyn’s gone now, sent to heaven…
    Project CHAMP is down the hall
    With Denise and Phyllis, and Donna’s stall

    Debra having to hear me sing,
    Julia sneaking in the back way
    A different intern every day

    Janique and Denise, come and go
    Ebony behind the curtain… snore
    Oh so very many more…

    Five years is a long time
    To share hopes and dreams
    I sure miss my team

  • Phyllis

    Five years is a long time to stay at one job, and remain consistently good at it, but Phyllis did it. She’s been with the Project CHAMP program since her arrival at Children’s and has become a welcome fixture in the department.

    Phyllis always has a smile, a kind word, an exhilarating laugh to brighten a day. It was always nice to see her walking down the hall in the morning, passing by my desk with a smile and a wave… Always asking: “What are you up to?” with a childlike curiosity as I was wearing an evil grin I’m sure. She is my Amazing Race buddy, the person that I talked to about our favorite players, and the stupid things people said or did on the show.

    She’s named for a beauty queen you know, and she is a beauty to outshine all others. As if she has stolen the glamour of a hundred women and added their beauty to her own, not just her appearance but the radiance of her heart and her love. She loves the kids we serve, loves the people she works with and is a true testament to the love of God and family.

    The wonderful thing about her moving on is that she will continue to work in this field and help the families to be the best they can be. She is the beacon of hope in an otherwise hopeless life, a way out of the darkness.

    Phyllis, truly I wish you all the best in your new endeavors. I know your leaving is a sad event at Children’s, but I know you have touched the lives of all you’ve had the pleasure to work with.

  • Wind Blown Rainbows and Butterscotch Dreams…

    My umbrella was destroyed in today’s wind and rain-bent and battered it still managed to block the wind and rain. It was my rainbow umbrella, I loved to spin it in a circle and it always made the song Singing In The Rain come to mind. Today we mourn the loss of another rainbow.

    “After two years without scotch, your much butter!!!” Butterscotch, get it lol… too funny.

    So, the computer instructor would really like me to sign up for some kind of teaching here at TCC, he says he has too many classes to instruct and they are always looking for good people. He says they would probably take into account work experience in the case of teaching computers. He made some reccomendations that I will consider pursuing. You need to remember, writing pays diddly til you’re “somebody”.

    A woman in my Math class (out of the blue) says: “So, are you going to get involved in the drama program this spring?” Wha…? We’ll see, it has been almost twenty years since I’ve done any real acting (pretending to be interested in certain medical professionals banter doesn’t count) and I’m not sure how it would go over.