Thursday, June 01, 2006

pigs are sheep, cats are dogs and thoughts are made of lincoln logs....

WEDNESDAY----

I wake up around noon and go out to lunch at Jons with the wife. We discuss trip plans and all those sorts of things. We talk budget and all that crap. Looking pretty decent. In less than 3 weeks or so, I will be at the QUICK STOP from CLERKS!!!! (amazing how a life goal of mine is to travel 12 hours outta state to see a convenience store!)

I chat with Shane and make plans for the next next weekend to get together to finish recording our new IDIOTHEAD album. Quite excited as I have two new songs. One called "YOU'RE MY FAVORITE STD" and another is a surprise! More later...

At work I listen to the MEAT PUPPETS. A band I haven't listened to since 1996. I'm trying to go "back in time" and remember what I was like when I was a mcdonalds crew person from 1994-1997. I was young and happy. And the album brought out alot of memories I had long forgotten. Read my CHAT FORUM post about it. Its a good thing.

I work from 5-3am, ducking out early to catch decent sleep for tomarrow... my first day back in mcworld. Before going to bed, I shave off the goatee and moustache. I immediately think that I look younger, and my double chin shows as I feared it would. So, more incentive to stay on the diet!!!!!

THURSDAY----

I get up at 10:20am and head into McDonalds. No one really bothers to show me around or come up to meet me, and I take the initiative to do it myself. I guess everyone assumes that since I worked at McDonalds before, I know my way around. But I'd still like a quick refresher or introduction. But whatever. I punch in and immediately go on the table. Its like riding a bike, you never forget. Sure there are new sandwiches: chicken club, ranch bacon swiss bacon club grilled chicken classic club and whatever. there is the pain in the ass salads. In a matter of two hours on table, my back was starting to hurt HARDCORE!!! But I ignored it and figured that in time, I would be back in the swing of things.

I tried to talk and joke around with everyone but everyone kinda kept distant. I mean, I am the new guy. I can understand that. But I didn't feel that "welcome home" embrace as I thought I might. There was no old team clapping for me as I returned to work. Just me, a 28 year old, badly out of shape ex mcdonalds employee making his rounds. No one showed me how to punch in, It was just assumed that I would remember.

One instance, I yelled back at my manager. We were down TONS of food at one point and I made 5 sandwiches in a row to catch us up. I'm fast so I think making more at once will help it. Of course it would, but miss manager decided to nail me on it. She asked me (as though I were a child) "now, how many sandwiches do we make???" Like a gnat on a camping trip. Being talked to like I am fucking Appellonia, I do not like. I snapped back "Hey, do you want the Fuckin' sandwiches or not? We're far behind here!" And she didn't speak to me for the rest of the day. Maybe I'll get a write up for it. Who knows? I don't care really. But I'm not a child. I can take respect and rules to a certain extent. But when you are in the trenches screaming to get out, 100 customers are waiting 10 minutes already, you do all you can to get back to where you need to be. I did that. Fuck the new McDonald's rules.

But beyond that, It was a good day. Everyone was pretty nice, at least those I could get to talk to me. I joked around, played around, teased and had fun like the good old days. I stayed busy and didn't lean. (except in searing back pain....) At 4:30, I was supposed to be out, but true to Mcdonalds nature, customers always come from out of nowhere to keep me on the clock even longer to help out. I don't mind. But after that, my "to go" job was to get a box of fries. And it hurt my back further! I punched out, got my employee meal and new uniforms and left. No great "goodbyes" or "welcome back." I'm just a forgotten ex-McGod... I used to rule the store. I was the fastest on table, the most alert crewperson. And I was today for a time. But age, and the fact that I am SEVERELY out of shape hindered me a bit.

But, as all things, I will get back into the swing of things. My body will remember. But for a while, I am wearing a back brace.

Oh, and for the record... my employee meal was a plain grilled chicken sandwich and apple dippers, no sauce. I will rock on this diet, cause I have to get in shape. If I am this sore after one 6 hour shift at Mcdonalds, I got alot of work to do!

I got to my other job, changed clothes and updated emails and sites. I laid in the crew room for a few minutes flat on the floor cause my back was hurting so bad. I felt alot better after that. I spend the rest of the night building ads and working till around 3:30-4. I go home and sleep my 5 hours of sleep till I gotta get up and do it all over again.

I'm McCrazy ain't I? But I gotta tell yeh.... I haven't felt this alive in a long time.

T

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