Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Plans A, B and C

Today I arrived at work just as Plan A was starting.  It had been decided that we would take a certain size of perennial (by container) and set them up in a new area.  In alphabetical order.  We had to lift them off carts, onto other carts, push them across the gravel yard and then set them down in muddy dirt. In alphabetical order.  In Latin.  After I got done unloading all the new herbs I started in on Plan A.

Halfway done and the Plan A author realized we didn't have enough room for all the plants.  We stood around and looked for somewhere with enough room.

Plan B involved taking all the plant material (X) displayed on the gravel in front of the retaining wall and loading it onto carts and putting the Plan A containers in the new area.  Loader boys were requested to shove the loaded carts (X) off to another area (not in the Perennial Yard).

I started work on my own Plan, lets call it "C".  Remember the Astilbe story that made me cry?  Today I did more A, lots of B, some C, lots of D.  I stopped at 2 pm to eat lunch.  Then got back to it. I was outside lifting, hauling and shoving things around (as I added new things to already full tables) all day.  For most of the morning I had no radio so was left alone to just work.  I made the mistake of answering a call on someone else's radio (admitting I had no radio of my own) and licketty split, I had my own radio.

Then I got to run and answer the phone.  Most of my radio calls tell me I have a phone call. (I answer plant, bug, disease and availability questions)

I'm not complaining.  I can't fix any of this.  I can't fight any of this. I can only do the work.  G says the good part of all this moving stuff is that I have 100% job security.  They are always going to be moving the plant material from one spot to another.  Always.  And I know the alphabet.  In English and Latin. (this is a joke since the kids think the alphabet is different in foreign languages)

This is the biggest advantage of being 64.  My high school education is deeper and better than most 4 year college degrees for today's youth.  Don't even get me started on their high school educations.  Today the only good thing would have been wrapping all the loader boys in pallet wrap and attaching them to a pole on the loading dock.

 Here's a question for you.  How long will a Loader Boy let the business phone ring while he stands next to it doing nothing?  Answer: Forever.  They make 50 cents less per hour than I make.  And their job security is better than mine as they can lift everything and I can only lift some things.  LOL.

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