Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Thinking of past Februaries

I'm sitting here celebrating my last day of freedom before I start a temp job.  I have almost given up thinking I would get a permanent job (and definitely not at the University)  Yes, I seem to have developed anger issues with a University that thinks it's God's gift to the Universe.  I mean they pay their head football coach over 6 Million a year but can't seem to remember to hire people who need jobs.  (long long story). 

But I wander.  The fact that I start work tomorrow made me think about other jobs I have had in February.

My best memory is when I worked at this little bookstore with my best friend Hal (who was also my housemate).  I actually got him hired since I worked there first.  It was originally down in south South Austin and I was happy when they moved.  However the choice (although about a mile or two from our house) was ideal - the choice was terrible for a book store.  It was linked with a gift store and a card store and the owner put them all in one huge storefront.  In a virtually empty outdoor mall.  While it was never busy, we got to read, hang out with the manager (really cool fellow named Robert) and eat at the little Bistro behind us which had the best Mulligawney Soup and a Queen Victoria cake that was sooooo good.  One February - Austin got ice and snow so the whole city closed right down. (A tendency in central and southern Texas towns.)  Eeek!  Snow - they say and all life stops.  So Hal and I - growing bored at home after two and a half days - suited up and walked to the store in the pretty empty city.  We got there made hot drinks and settled in for a few happy hours of reading, cleaning and just generally seeing things outside other windows.   So who walks in but Robert who was tired of being home as well.  We got customers who also were bored.  Still a nice day. (The store and it's other paired stores (the cards and the gifts) were eventually sold to what became a mega store by the mismanaging owner who had no business sense at all).

My other memory of work and February is the second day of work at the University.  I got there only to have them shut it down for a sever ice storm.  I managed to get on the last shuttle home and what normally takes 10 minutes to travel to home, took close to an hour.  Then I had to walk on the icy street with the crazy drivers.  The following year we had 80+ degree weather.

This year the weather has been wet but not too bad.  I will enjoy the foray out with real people who want me to do something.  I will hopefully feel appreciated out there in the workplace.  It will be good.

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