minimumWaged
I am an English as a Second Language teacher, a writer, and a part-time web designer. I will also begin working in a supermarket for $6.75/hour to help make ends meet.
Before February 2002, life was a charm. Contracts were easy to find and money was not an issue. Lay-offs were a small bump in the road. There was always a new contract just around the corner.
Life changed two days after the Patriots won their first Super Bowl. Another lay-off. However, this small bump in the road changed my life. There were no jobs around the corner. Money became an issue.
But this is not a sad story. I enjoy my new life of teaching, writing, and look forward to working in the supermarket.
This series of articles chronicles my experiences working at the supermarket. It journals my day-to-day tasks and journals the attitudes that people show to those that work at these low paying jobs.
Today I attended training for my job at the supermarket. I am working in the coffee shop that is run by a nationally franchised coffee/donut shop company.
I am the oldest person in my class; I am 49 and my co-workers are teenagers. Training consisted of watching a variety of DVDs. I am happy to say that my co-workers took their training seriously. It is nice to see young people who care.
I did learn some interesting things. They are:
* Open milk has a shelf life of 72 hours.
* The microwave cooks breakfast sandwiches at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
* A pot of coffee has a shelf life of 18 minutes.
* When you remove the filter, look for a star pattern on the wet coffee grinds. The star pattern tells you that the water spray in the coffee maker is working properly.
* When you make coffee, put the cream and sugar in first, then the coffee. Artificial sweetener is added last.
* Breakfast sandwich fillings (sausage, steak, bacon, and egg) have a shelf life of seventy hours after they are thawed.
* An open bag of expresso beans has a shelf life of 10 days.
* The proper way to wash your hands is to use soap and water and scrub them vigorously for twenty seconds. Dry your hands using a paper towel and use that towel to turn off the faucet.
I am also a member of a union, the United Food and Commercial Workers. I plan to be active within the union.
Before February 2002, life was a charm. Contracts were easy to find and money was not an issue. Lay-offs were a small bump in the road. There was always a new contract just around the corner.
Life changed two days after the Patriots won their first Super Bowl. Another lay-off. However, this small bump in the road changed my life. There were no jobs around the corner. Money became an issue.
But this is not a sad story. I enjoy my new life of teaching, writing, and look forward to working in the supermarket.
This series of articles chronicles my experiences working at the supermarket. It journals my day-to-day tasks and journals the attitudes that people show to those that work at these low paying jobs.
Today I attended training for my job at the supermarket. I am working in the coffee shop that is run by a nationally franchised coffee/donut shop company.
I am the oldest person in my class; I am 49 and my co-workers are teenagers. Training consisted of watching a variety of DVDs. I am happy to say that my co-workers took their training seriously. It is nice to see young people who care.
I did learn some interesting things. They are:
* Open milk has a shelf life of 72 hours.
* The microwave cooks breakfast sandwiches at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
* A pot of coffee has a shelf life of 18 minutes.
* When you remove the filter, look for a star pattern on the wet coffee grinds. The star pattern tells you that the water spray in the coffee maker is working properly.
* When you make coffee, put the cream and sugar in first, then the coffee. Artificial sweetener is added last.
* Breakfast sandwich fillings (sausage, steak, bacon, and egg) have a shelf life of seventy hours after they are thawed.
* An open bag of expresso beans has a shelf life of 10 days.
* The proper way to wash your hands is to use soap and water and scrub them vigorously for twenty seconds. Dry your hands using a paper towel and use that towel to turn off the faucet.
I am also a member of a union, the United Food and Commercial Workers. I plan to be active within the union.

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