I Got Hired! I Now Work at the Plant.
I'm Sorry
I've been keeping a journal. I like to document the important things in life. A new job and a fresh start is exactly what I needed. I'll share this with you folks now as well as keep you a little more up to date in the future.
Day One
I woke up ten minutes before the alarm in anticipation for my first day. Made my ham sandwiches, took a nice hot shower. I'll have to find a new bus route though. I spent twenty minutes standing in the cold, waiting for the number three.
I arrived two minutes late. I was greeted by a patiently waiting Sarah. She handed me my new effects. Coveralls, a hair net, a hard hat, goggles and gloves. The gloves will have to be replaced. I think I'll just buy my own once I get my first paycheck.
Sarah led me to my workstation and introduced me to the guys. Randy said hello first and shook my hand. He seemed incredibly eager to have someone new on the shift. The other three guys gave me the nod and seemed to be busy. I haven't learned their names yet.
Push the button, pull the lever... and pass it down the line. I'm going to enjoy this. So easy.
I'll have to stop writing and eat something. I put my sandwiches in the staff fridge when Sarah said it would be okay. They were not there when it was time to eat. Tomorrow, I'll write my name on the bag.
Day Two
I spent a few hours planning a new route. I wasn't late today, I was early. I pulled with all of my might, the door would not budge. I spent twenty minutes standing by the entrance, waiting for the others to arrive.
"You look cold," Randy said as he pushed the door open. I thought it was locked.
I forgot my goggles. Sarah huffed as she dug through the goggle drawer, looking for my size. She said, "This is the last time this happens." I agreed.
Push the button, pull the lever... and pass it down the line.
This place is becoming a waste of ham. My sandwiches were gone, again.
Day Three
I got the bus thing figured out. I got the door thing open. I forgot my gloves.
Sarah asked why I don't just leave this stuff in my locker. They didn't give me a locker. I didn't even know we had lockers. She gave me a new lock, wrote my combination on a piece of paper and handed it to me.
30-33-16. It took me awhile to figure out. Sarah didn't tell me the part about the full turn required for the second number.
Randy let me know shortly after he said, "Oh, there you are. We thought you weren't going to show up today."
What's that supposed to mean?
They wouldn't allow me to bring my sandwiches along. The sign above the door does state a few rules and no outside food was one of them. This gave me the genius idea of leaving my sandwiches outside by the door instead of using the staff fridge.
When it was time to eat, my sandwiches were not sitting behind the trash can where I had left them, nor were they inside the trash can.
Sarah caught me digging through the trash on her way to the restaurant. Must be nice to have a car, Sarah.
Day Four
It took Frank, the maintenance guy, nearly twenty minutes to cut the lock. I forgot my piece of paper with the numbers written on it. To be honest, I practiced enough, I thought I'd remember the combination.
Push the button, pull the lever... and pass it down the line.
Each time I looked over, they were glaring at me. The guys must have planned this. Four people treating me the exact same way all at once cannot be written off as a simple coincidence.
I took a detour today on my way to the washroom. I noticed Frank in the staff room, eating. He didn't see me, at first.
I'm pretty sure those were my sandwiches. Tomorrow I will leave a note in the bag.
Day Five
I made sure to give Frank a warm greeting when I arrived. He seemed impressed and responded accordingly.
Push the button, pull the lever... and pass it down the line. It should be sandwich time. It's not.
I said hello again to Frank after lunch, near the end of my shift, while I was on my way to the washroom to check my phone. I think he found the note. His response wasn't the same as it was this morning. His voice seemed, guilty.
I'm on to you, Frank.
Sarah scolded me for wasting time talking while I should be on the floor working. I apologized, played it off all cool, said it wouldn't happen again.
So hungry. At least tomorrow I'll be able to eat my lunch. Finally.
Day Six
That damn Frank did it again! He looks like he's gaining weight as well. I've lost nearly twenty pounds. The hard, manual labor combined with the lack of food will surely kill me.
I've been sober for nearly two years. I think I'll pick up some beer on my commute home tomorrow. These people are stressing me out.
I've not been given a schedule and have no idea when or even if I get a day off. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take.
Day Seven
I DONA'T CARE WHAT THEY SAY! I'LL WERK WHEN I WANT TO WORK, ASSHOLES! FRANK YOU ATE MY SANDWICHES! AGAIN! IT WAS MY DAY OFF AND THEY MADE ME DOR YOUR JOB WHILE YOU EAT MY SANDWISHES? WELL YOU KNOW WHAT ZI'M GONNA DO FRANK? I'M GOING TO TAKE A SHIT AN WIPE MY ASS WITH THE BREAD AND BAG IT UP FOR YOU YOU USELESS PIECE OF SHIT! I BROKE YOUR FAVORITE MOP!
Day Eight
I'm so glad I had that day off yesterday. I should have had two in a row but at least I'll know for next time.
I was so hungover today. I spent my entire day off drinking. Woke up late, skipped the shower, nearly missed my bus. I was so glad I already had my lunch made. That saved me a few minutes.
Push the button, pull the lever... and pass it down the line. Sandwich time! Today was the first time my lunch was actually waiting for me in the fridge.
I took a bite, something seemed a bit off. I wondered if the ham went rancid. I took the sandwich apart and noticed brown stains on the inside of the bread. I smelled it. Poop.
Frank shit in my sandwiches. Probably to get back at me for leaving him such a nasty note.
I bought rat poison on my way home today. It's time I take care of this guy.
Day Nine
I acted like everything was fine. I said hello to Frank and even shook his hand when I arrived. He seemed, relieved.
That's right Frank. I have no idea what you're up to. That's why I told you to keep an eye on my sandwiches today, Frank. That's why I showed you exactly where I put them. You're a damn good actor, Frank. Thanks for agreeing to stay on sandwich guard duty as you so pleasantly put it.
Push the button, pull the lever... pass it down the line. It's only a matter of time. You did a poor job of guarding my sandwiches, Frank. Surprise, surprise. I hope you died behind the wheel during your drive home and went over a cliff.
Something terrible happened today though. I was in the bathroom when I heard the crash.
Apparently, Randy's heart stopped while operating the forklift. That's what I overheard the paramedics talking about later on. I guess his reaction to the pain caused his foot to press down on the gas pedal causing the machine to speed up. Mike got pinned between the load and the warehouse racking. The impact caused the warehouse racking to buckle and collapse. The pallets of flour came crashing down and fell on both Tim and Larry.
All four died.
Sarah told me to go home and said I'll probably be off work until further notice.
It's really quite upsetting. I'll miss those guys. The place won't be the same now.
I hope they promote me to shift leader. I think I'm ready.
End
I had a job just like yours once, or was that twice.
You worked as a crazy man in a mill as well? Small world!
No, it was @twiceuponatime that did. I remember now. After listening to all his stories so many times, it was almost like me who did it. The drugs. The drinking. The endless overtime shifts.
Most jobs like that lead to drinking and eventually murder, I hear.
I don't know about murder, but it sure made a mess out of @twiceuponatime. I doubt that he ever fully recovered. And he seems incapable of a real relationship now, even with me.
Have you tried not talking about it? I hear that works wonders. Every bottle needs something inside of it.
Ah! Keep it bottled up! You must be a man's man!
Maybe, but I've been known to smash a few of those bottles from time to time. All I end up with is a big mess though, every time.
Yup, it was me that had it.
This was loosely based on a true story. I did work in a mill when I was about 20 years old, we did have a lunch thief, there was a maintenance man named Frank and whenever something went wrong, it was his fault. I also witnessed a guy ram the forklift into warehouse racking which in turn made the flour fall. We spent an entire shift cleaning that up. Nobody got hurt though.
This was very entertaining! Dark and tragic, yet funny.
Thank you much. I've been hoping my brain would kick in again sometime soon and allow me to do more work like this, but it hasn't been cooperating. Hopefully soon though!
I was complaining to @escapist that I needed new people to follow, and she directed me to you, but you had just said you might be taking a break from Steemit so I never started to follow you. I accidently stumbled back, and I see you are back at it, now you can’t stop because I’m here and I want more entertainment.
Yeah, I said I'd take a break but couldn't actually stop. I guess it wasn't meant to be. I feel kind of dumb for saying I'd stop for a bit, then not stopping, but whatever.
I shall do my best. Some days I just share a new image I've produced and ramble on about nothing, so be prepared for that as well. Thanks for following along. I did the same for you and look forward to seeing what you're up to.
I took a sandwich to my office for lunch. It was too late by the time I realized that it was my face between palms of hands trying to drown out the noise and not a real sandwhich..................
The dreaded stress and hand sandwich. I've had a few of those in my day.
it is too difficult when you work with other colleagues..
noone want your good, everyone wants to satisfy his
/her selfishness.
I also have similar problems in my work.
This was fiction. Please don't poison your coworkers. ;)
Good morning,it seems to be true history!!! :)
Funny my friend. I've had moments like that as well that's turned in to weeks.
Much of my actual life was hidden between the lines here. I haven't killed anyone though, that I know of.
That was a pretty humorous story. I heard they promoted Frank as team leader....lucky he doesn't like sandwiches as well as you thought he did.
I don't often re-post my work. This is the second time I've pulled an old classic of mine out of the mud. I've always liked this one.
I liked how that all came together, well played!
I've worked in a few mills over time, and I was not good at it. Your 'story' sounds too real to me to be a story. I had to ice my arms every night so I could brush my teeth...tendinitis. And $3.30 an hour did NOTHING to help make pulling greenchain at the required 50 mph worth it. Such a fun endeavor. Thanks for the memories. Though no one died, I sometimes wished I could at least go comatose, just until lunch. At least no one stole my sandwiches. Then again, they were in my truck. Phenomenally great write, thanks for the true entertainment, and putting it out for us.
In real life, when I worked at a similar place as written about above, I was paid $6.95, I was hungover most days, and I once fell asleep in a rail car full of comfortable 20kg bags of warm oatmeal destined for Mexico.
Classic stuff, and amazing the things that go on behind the scenes of 'commerce'. At least if you'd been locked in the boxcar, you would have had plenty to eat, for your long trip to Mexico. Then again, dried raw oatmeal might be 'hard to swallow', without a bit of water. Guess every cloud has a lining of SOME sort.
Push the button, pull the lever... and pass it down the line.
Great line. It makes me want to shoot myself. I guess shooting Frank would also work.
One can shoot a lot of things, if they put their mind to it.
The image in this post, if it were to continue growing(which it appears to be doing[to me, at least]),
might need to be shot at. However, I think it might absorb(and possibly grow from) any projectile shot into it.
If I were to encounter it, I would wish instead, to be back at the factory where I would simply...
push the button, pull the lever...and pass it down the line.
I was thinking around day 6 that it's a shame you didn't get a job at a saw mill with lots of blades where sandwich thief might lose a hand by "accident." But of course you found your own way to take care of the problem and then some. And now I see in the comments you did work at some type of mill lol. It's a good story. Glad you shared it again.
Yeah, it was an oatmeal mill. The push the button, pull the lever... pass it down the line thing if very real. I used to sing that obnoxiously to annoy my coworkers, and keep them awake.
So there willbe a job opening now? Can i apply? I'll throw in some daily sandwiches made specially for you as well!
I don't trust another's ham. Never have, never will. Frank will probably
dieretire soon. He's getting old. Can you push a broom?