2024.03.19 01.14
100928
three songs
100920
small towns
100919
best dollar stores
100918
KW day two
100917
Waterloo via Galt
100914
Facebook Humbug
100908a
Portraits at Forest Hill
100908
new family member
100907
bears raccoons
100906
frightened, bikes gone
100812
tug of war
100803
monday at centrepoint mall
100802
sunday with my folks
100300
march 2010
091200
december 2009
090800
august 2009
090600
june 2009
090400
april 2009
090300
march 2009
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100812 tug of war
2300 tonight | Gawd knows I really love them: raccoons.
I just learned tonight, for the first time, how strong and how
determined they can be. |
1430 today | I'll digress, and say that today was a very good day at work. A few days
ago I had a meeting with my manager and his assistant, and we had our employee
review together. Things are always cordial. And the meeting was very good.
I am interested in becoming a Shift Supervisor. It makes sense, really.
I've been there a while, and I should continue to develop my responsibilities
with the company.
If my review was a report card, then the record would show a C average.
That gets me a raise, but only a tiny one. It means I'm just fine. I'm OK.
I'm satisfactory. The problem is I want to advance my career, and satisfactory
isn't quite enough for a recommendation. So I've been given a short list of
things to improve, and when they see some improvement, perhaps in 3 month's
time, I will be re-evaluated, and at that time my request will be advanced
to our District Manager. |
1830 | So because of the meeting, I'm being given more
opportunities to work outside of my comfort zone. I'm left to handle the
bar, even when it's rather busy in the store, and there are more talented
baristas present. They want me to become one of these advanced ones, so
I can lead my teams by example. |
our Shift Supv | Her name is April, and she's amazing. She has
been not just assigning me these positions, but advises me each time that I may
request her help when I'm overwhelmed, lost or stressed out. She would like me to
not only prepare the drinks, but I am to try to get faster at it. So far I haven't
asked for such help as it feels like it would be like being excused from a
lab halfway through the session. It's allowed, but it feels wrong somehow.
| 2230 tonight | So I'm tired. We always have a lot of guests,
but I did a bit more than I usually do for them. As always there are treats
from the end-of-day baked goods. I don't take many. I took an apple fritter
tonight, and some milk from the carafes that would have been poured out. I
also had the things I carried with me for lunch but didn't finish: a bag of
carrots, 1 or 2 soft tortilla and some sliced meat. Not a lot. |
2300 | I usually get home rather quickly. The
bicycle is ideal. While it doesn't go very fast, in miles per hour, it covers
the distance faster than the time I would lose waiting for the buses to arrive.
It seems to take 12 minutes from home to work, and 10 minutes from work to
home again. Perhaps because it's night time. |
2305 | I take the battery out of my bike, and then remove
the bags of stuff hanging from the handlebars. These are left on the rear porch
while I park and lock the bike in the space between the buildings. I'm rather
good at this, as I do it each night. It is done in less than two minutes. |
2307 | I go to pick up the things, and there are two young
raccoons there. Upon seeing me, they grab my bags, and start trying to rush them
underneath the porch! I shout at them to stop, and this makes them even more determined
to take my things. I grabbed the bag with the netbook computer, and that guy
let go right away. He didn't hiss at me, he just let go.
The other bag had the food in it. This rascal was more determined, and would
not release. I had a container of milk in there; the bottle had a moulded handle.
The raccoon held onto the bag by holding the milk jug. I had the bag's handles,
which were triple strength in this particular case. I pulled my bag up through
the opening between the wooden stairs, and it came with raccoon attached.
I remembered I'd had good luck by making a barking noise. It didn't work
this time, they just looked at me. The one holding my bag finally let go, but
didn't run. It just sat there, now about 4 feet from me, just looking at me.
I got my bags inside the doorway, and closed the doors hoping they wouldn't
be so bold to go inside. They wandered above and below the porch, and continued
to just ask me for a handout with their eyes.
I didn't need the apple fritter really. So I broke off bits. I'd eat a bit,
I'd place one on the step. I'd eat the next one, and place the other underneath
the porch. The raccoons made a lot of chewing noise eating the donut, so I made
the same noises, more or less. I shared it with them until it was gone, and then
came inside the apartment so I could write this up and share it with you. |
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