"Thank you selecting Agency Rent-a-Car, Mike speaking, may I help you?" That's how we had to answer the phone at my new job. I found this job in the want-ads. I took it because I liked cars...that's it. The job was pretty straight-forward: tow a car to customers at their homes, auto repair or body shop, or their places of work, do the paper work, and then drive the company car back to the office. We would tow the company car on the back of the customer car. When we arrived at the customer's location, we would detach the tow bar from the customer car, throw it in the trunk of the company car (a 1984 Dodge Horizon hatchback), and be on our way. The challenging parts of the job were (1) towing a car in urban areas, (2) detaching the tow car on inclines, and (3) backing up. I usually did ok, but once I didn't swing out far enough in a parking lot and put a huge dent in some guy's Lincoln Town Car. I paid him cash so I wouldn't have to file a claim and have my boss find out!
I liked taking the cars to customers who were way out in the country. It was easy to drive on the highway and one delivery could suck up two hours in my dreary day. Four over-the-road tows and the day was done! Also, at this point in my life, my politics started to veer to the right. The long drives allowed me to listen to conservative radio for long periods of time. The following year, I ordered my first subscription to National Review.
To get some extra cash, I worked part-time at night with Curtis as a janitor. I was also living rent-free in a house because I agreed to help the owner fix it up: minor electrical, demolition, painting, etc. It was a dump, but it was free.
But by the summer of 1987, I came to the realization that I wasn't going anywhere in my life. I left Rochester and went to Cleveland, OH to be near my girlfriend. After a couple of months and with no job prospects, I headed back home to Long Island. It was time to regroup.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Out of College
Saying goodbye to my friends and roommates at the end of my senior year was really hard. I remember standing in the parking lot behind our apartment with my girlfriend watching Craig, and then Andy, drive away. It was even worse when Meg left to go home. Everyone had either gone to another city for a job, entered the military, or gone home. Only Paul stayed around, but we lost touch and it would be a year before we reconnected. The only consolation was that I had made friends outside of the university...at the Monroe County Department of Social Services.
I found an apartment that I shared with one of my college friend's sisters, who was attending medical school at the University. Yes, my roommate was a girl. Nothing was going on, but my mother was not happy. Anyway, at least I had a place to live. For work, I continued as an accounts payable clerk by day and a janitor by night. I got the night job because Curtis - who worked with me in Accounts Payable - also owned a custodial services company (connections are so important!). At first, I worked part-time, but eventually I gave up my job at MCDSS and worked for Curtis full-time. I typically worked the 5pm to midnight shift. We also did industrial clean-ups on weekends. My record for paid hours in one week was 81; that record still stands! One of my responsibilities was to clean the operating room at a medical facility. We had to scrub up and dress in operating room apparel before entering the room. I remember picking up sutures off the floor with my bare hands; not the smartest thing to do in 1985 during the AIDS epidemic, but getting infected never occurred to me. God protected me in my stupidity.
While working for Curtis, I picked up a second job as a lot man at a local Dodge dealership. I was responsible for prepping cars for customers, off-loading cars from the car transport, washing cars, and other exciting duties. I remember one time, it was pouring rain and I was running across the lot with a box of keys that I had to take back to the office. I slipped, fell, and spilled about 50 sets of keys all over the asphalt. Not my best moment. With both jobs, I was working about 70 hours a week. After a month I realized I couldn't keep up the pace and ended my automotive career at Cortese Dodge.
I continued to work as a janitor until September 1986 when Paul and I decided to quit our jobs and tour the United States. With my paltry savings, I bought a 1977 Mercury Marquis station wagon and we left to see the country. Two months later, we were back in Rochester. It was time to find another job.
I found an apartment that I shared with one of my college friend's sisters, who was attending medical school at the University. Yes, my roommate was a girl. Nothing was going on, but my mother was not happy. Anyway, at least I had a place to live. For work, I continued as an accounts payable clerk by day and a janitor by night. I got the night job because Curtis - who worked with me in Accounts Payable - also owned a custodial services company (connections are so important!). At first, I worked part-time, but eventually I gave up my job at MCDSS and worked for Curtis full-time. I typically worked the 5pm to midnight shift. We also did industrial clean-ups on weekends. My record for paid hours in one week was 81; that record still stands! One of my responsibilities was to clean the operating room at a medical facility. We had to scrub up and dress in operating room apparel before entering the room. I remember picking up sutures off the floor with my bare hands; not the smartest thing to do in 1985 during the AIDS epidemic, but getting infected never occurred to me. God protected me in my stupidity.
While working for Curtis, I picked up a second job as a lot man at a local Dodge dealership. I was responsible for prepping cars for customers, off-loading cars from the car transport, washing cars, and other exciting duties. I remember one time, it was pouring rain and I was running across the lot with a box of keys that I had to take back to the office. I slipped, fell, and spilled about 50 sets of keys all over the asphalt. Not my best moment. With both jobs, I was working about 70 hours a week. After a month I realized I couldn't keep up the pace and ended my automotive career at Cortese Dodge.
I continued to work as a janitor until September 1986 when Paul and I decided to quit our jobs and tour the United States. With my paltry savings, I bought a 1977 Mercury Marquis station wagon and we left to see the country. Two months later, we were back in Rochester. It was time to find another job.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Working and Studying
On that sunny September Day, I decided to start at one end of Mt. Hope Boulevard (or was it Avenue?) and work my way down until I landed a job. My first stop was the Monroe County Department of Social Services. At the front desk I asked if there were any openings and within a few minutes, an HR person was standing in front of me offering me a paid internship. Apparently, they had one slot left and I was the lucky guy to fill it. I had no idea what I would be doing, but it paid $4.25/hour (still the minimum wage) and I could work about 10 hours a week. Not bad. Within a couple of weeks I was working.
My first job was sitting in a room for several hours a day putting sheets of paper in order by client number. I think the sheets were called transmittals. Mind-numbing work, but what made it somewhat interesting was that I was joined by two welfare recipients who were in a "welfare to work" program. One lady was nice, but not that bright, but the other lady was both smart and nice. Anyway, I did that job for about four months. Next, I moved to another office where I had to write information on these little cards and file them in a metal rack. I don't remember why I was doing that, but I did that for several months until senior year started. (I didn't go home that summer, but kept working at the MCDSS.) Next, I worked in Accounts Payable. I don't remember what exactly my job was, but it involved writing numbers on 8.5 x 11 cards, making sure the totals were balanced, and filing them. The pace of the job was what you would expect at a county government agency: glacial. I wasn't a believer back then so I would sometimes drink too much the night before and show up to work with a hangover. The hangover didn't really affect my performance and no one noticed. Well, they noticed I had a hangover and the two older women in AP would yell at me for drinking too much, but I could still write numbers on cards, balance the totals, and file them. I did this job until I graduated.
I met some great people at MCDSS: Curtis, Elaine, Betty, Hank, Sandy, Lisa, others. The "internship" lasted two years. I think at some point it stopped being an internship and became a regular part-time job. I guess they liked me. As graduation approached, I still had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew that I didn't want a job in public service.
I knew that, but after I graduated, I stayed at MCDSS and worked full-time in the Accounts Payable Department. I had nowhere else to go and it paid the bills. I also started a second job at night. With my newly minted college degree in hand...I became a janitor.
My first job was sitting in a room for several hours a day putting sheets of paper in order by client number. I think the sheets were called transmittals. Mind-numbing work, but what made it somewhat interesting was that I was joined by two welfare recipients who were in a "welfare to work" program. One lady was nice, but not that bright, but the other lady was both smart and nice. Anyway, I did that job for about four months. Next, I moved to another office where I had to write information on these little cards and file them in a metal rack. I don't remember why I was doing that, but I did that for several months until senior year started. (I didn't go home that summer, but kept working at the MCDSS.) Next, I worked in Accounts Payable. I don't remember what exactly my job was, but it involved writing numbers on 8.5 x 11 cards, making sure the totals were balanced, and filing them. The pace of the job was what you would expect at a county government agency: glacial. I wasn't a believer back then so I would sometimes drink too much the night before and show up to work with a hangover. The hangover didn't really affect my performance and no one noticed. Well, they noticed I had a hangover and the two older women in AP would yell at me for drinking too much, but I could still write numbers on cards, balance the totals, and file them. I did this job until I graduated.
I met some great people at MCDSS: Curtis, Elaine, Betty, Hank, Sandy, Lisa, others. The "internship" lasted two years. I think at some point it stopped being an internship and became a regular part-time job. I guess they liked me. As graduation approached, I still had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew that I didn't want a job in public service.
I knew that, but after I graduated, I stayed at MCDSS and worked full-time in the Accounts Payable Department. I had nowhere else to go and it paid the bills. I also started a second job at night. With my newly minted college degree in hand...I became a janitor.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Summer work
I didn't work at school the first two years of college. My first year was a drag. Once I got to school, I realized that I didn't want to be there. My roommate and I got along but barely. I muddled through that first year. When I got home in May, I started looking for a job right away. In those days, we checked the classifieds in the newspaper for jobs. Sears was hiring. I wanted to be a stock boy but they started me on the register. Back then, being a cashier didn't involve just scanning bar codes; you had to key prices in, manually process returns, and if you made a mistake, there was the dreaded "void" process. I lasted three days. Within a week, I found a job at Harrow's, a pool store, working in the stockroom: my dream job. It really was a good job. I spent most of the day lifting heavy boxes and getting buff! And since it was a pool store, a lot of pretty girls came into the store with minimal attire. Like I said, a dream job! I returned to the job during Christmas break; in the winter, Harrow's sold artificial Christmas trees and stuff.
My sophomore year was a lot better as I settled in with a good bunch of friends...and, I got a girlfriend. I still didn't work during the school year, but my summer and Christmas earnings kept me in beer and pizza. After another stint at Harrow's the summer before my junior year, I went back to Rochester with a plan to get a part-time job. I could definitely use the money and I needed something to suck up some of my spare time. So, on a sunny day in September 1983, I put on a non-wrinkled pair of pants, shirt, and tie and headed out to Mt. Hope Boulevard to find a job.
My sophomore year was a lot better as I settled in with a good bunch of friends...and, I got a girlfriend. I still didn't work during the school year, but my summer and Christmas earnings kept me in beer and pizza. After another stint at Harrow's the summer before my junior year, I went back to Rochester with a plan to get a part-time job. I could definitely use the money and I needed something to suck up some of my spare time. So, on a sunny day in September 1983, I put on a non-wrinkled pair of pants, shirt, and tie and headed out to Mt. Hope Boulevard to find a job.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Prequel
Before we move into my post-college work journey, I'll catch you up with my pre-college work journey. My first job - well it wasn't really a job - was as an entrepreneur. Of course, I did the lemonade stand, but I also sold stuff. I looked around my room for anything that someone might find valuable, slapped a price on it, and tried to sell the stuff on my front lawn. I also made things. I had found a cache of small, electrical motors in my neighbor's basement. (He let me have them.) I mounted a propeller on the motor, taped it to the top of an old Colgate toothpaste tube box, stuck two D batteries in the box, wired up the motor, and sold it for 25 cents as a portable electric fan. I sold two of them to my neighbor across the street, although no one ever bought my old comic books and baseball cards. I wasn't much of a business man.
After that - I was probably 9 or 10 years old - I cut lawns. I had two clients. I got $5 a lawn. That wasn't bad money for a 10 year old in the early 70's. After that, I was a paperboy. I made about $13/week delivering 55 papers a day with my bike - 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I had a metal basket strapped to my handle bars that held the papers. The papers were so heavy they destroyed the bearings in my front tire; after that, I had to push the papers around in an old shopping cart. The next job was clamming: My friend Tom and I bought a boat and pulled clams out of the Great South Bay for $20/day. It was hard work, but when we didn't feel like working we just took the boat across the Bay and went to the beach! At the end of my senior year in high school, I moved into the restaurant business. I became a busboy at Sizzler Steakhouse making $4.25/hour and all the soda I could drink. After a couple of months, I was promoted to dishwasher. I really liked that job. I may return to that line of work someday! I worked at Sizzler until I left for college in August of 1981.
I really didn't know what I wanted to do when I got to college, but since I was a very good student, it seemed like the a logical choice.
Things did not get any clearer when I arrived on campus.
After that - I was probably 9 or 10 years old - I cut lawns. I had two clients. I got $5 a lawn. That wasn't bad money for a 10 year old in the early 70's. After that, I was a paperboy. I made about $13/week delivering 55 papers a day with my bike - 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I had a metal basket strapped to my handle bars that held the papers. The papers were so heavy they destroyed the bearings in my front tire; after that, I had to push the papers around in an old shopping cart. The next job was clamming: My friend Tom and I bought a boat and pulled clams out of the Great South Bay for $20/day. It was hard work, but when we didn't feel like working we just took the boat across the Bay and went to the beach! At the end of my senior year in high school, I moved into the restaurant business. I became a busboy at Sizzler Steakhouse making $4.25/hour and all the soda I could drink. After a couple of months, I was promoted to dishwasher. I really liked that job. I may return to that line of work someday! I worked at Sizzler until I left for college in August of 1981.
I really didn't know what I wanted to do when I got to college, but since I was a very good student, it seemed like the a logical choice.
Things did not get any clearer when I arrived on campus.
Sunday, February 3, 2019
Making a Living
My son is just a few months from graduating from college...so hard to believe. It's been almost 34 years since I graduated from school, but I remember the last semester pretty well. I knew that it was the end of an important time in my life. I knew I would miss my friends in May when they left (as many of them did). I also remember not having a clue as to what I was going to do. I had majored in English (after a short stint as an electrical engineering major) with a strong minor in Economics (27 credits), but I didn't know what I was supposed to do with that. Like a lot of kids that age, I was a bit lost. I knew one thing: I didn't want some corporate-type, high-powered office job. I didn't want to manage people. I didn't want a lot of responsibility. I just wanted to make a decent living. But what was I going to do in May when I graduated? I didn't take advantage of career services at college -a career in what? I had a part-time job during college which I knew I could turn into full-time if I wanted. More on that later. But that job wasn't a career or anything like that. While I looked forward to spending time with my friends during that last semester, I was nervous about post-graduation. As I said, a part of me felt lost.
I've come a long way since May 1985. I never in my wildest dreams would have planned this journey. And I never saw it coming.
I thought I would share my journey over the next few posts, taking you through my "making a living" path. This won't be my life story, just my work story. I think my son is way ahead of where I was in February 1985, but he may be a little anxious about what's next. If that's the case, I hope he finds some encouragement in my story. One thing I know for sure: while I was not always faithful to God, it has become apparent that He has always been faithful to me.
I've come a long way since May 1985. I never in my wildest dreams would have planned this journey. And I never saw it coming.
I thought I would share my journey over the next few posts, taking you through my "making a living" path. This won't be my life story, just my work story. I think my son is way ahead of where I was in February 1985, but he may be a little anxious about what's next. If that's the case, I hope he finds some encouragement in my story. One thing I know for sure: while I was not always faithful to God, it has become apparent that He has always been faithful to me.
Friday, February 1, 2019
Jude 24-25
A wonderful doxology:
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)