Boring, Mundane Stuff + *update*

Things are a bit strange workwise these days. I have two jobs at Boston Pizza - dishwashing, and janitor. Between both, I'm still not able to get the hours I would like, I seem to be at the bottom of the list when the schedule is made up. It's strange, because everyone, my coworkers, and my boss, insist that I'm doing a great job. They call me 'The Machine', because I'm so fast in getting the dishes done, and I don't have any trouble lifting the heavy trays of bar glasses, or carrying large stacks of steaming plates across to be put up on the high shelves. I'm quick to notice when, for example, more cutlery is needed, even though there are mountains of other things waiting to be washed. I usually get these things taken care of before the waitresses or the cooks start calling for them. As janitor, they praise my work to the heavens, saying I'm better than one of the other janitors who consistently rushes through her morning and doesn't bother to wipe the windows, blah blah blah. Yet I don't get scheduled as much as the others. It seems to be the story of my working life. ("Oh Marian you're just indispensible around here ... oh dear, we're going to have to let you go....").

It hasn't reached that point yet, and maybe never will, but I'm getting frustrated, and so I have begun looking in earnest for another job.

Meanwhile, I take advantage of the other janitor's alchoholism. When she's so drunk she doesn't know what day it is, she calls and asks me to fill in for her. I take advantage of the other dishwasher's pot habit, when he's so stoned he freezes in the face of all the dishes needing to be washed, I do more than my share, to show that I'm a valuable employee. If any of this is helping my case, I haven't really seen the evidence.

Making it worse, my wierdo x tells me he's going to try and get his new girlfriend a job there as janitor. He's found in her, a perfect replacement for me - as he said, he wants a replica of me in looks, body type, and personality ... that is, the personality I had **before** I gained my self esteem. Anyway, he's found her. And is now working on molding her into a more exact Marian clone. He says he's trying to convince the alchoholic janitor to speak on her behalf, so she can take my few janitorial hours. And he's keeping an eye on my apartment building for the minute a 'suite for rent' sign goes up. He would like to move her in here, so that, in his words 'she will be just like me'.

"She's even sickly, like you!" he tells me. (any weakness in his women is a big plus where he's concerned). Creepy isn't a strong enough word. I don't know what the word is.

I might have a change in my GED plans. I've spoken with a college councelor over the phone, and she tells me it would be more helpful if I actually took courses to upgrade my education, rather than just take the one test. Apparently the GED isn't recognised by the college, when people wish to take other courses. I plan to take a business course once I have my grade twelve, as a further step toward getting a better job, so it's possible I would be wasting my time if I were to take the GED instead of going the longer route, and actually upgrading. I'm about to go and speak with a woman about all of this. I actually feel good about the prospect of taking actual courses to learn this stuff, rather than cramming as I have been doing, trying to learn on my own to take a one day marathon test. We'll see what I find out today at my meeting.

Speaking of which, I'd better go or I'll be late.

...what a difference an hour makes! I met with the woman who is helping me plan my goals. She tells me there is a course I can take, to help me get set up in my own business working through the computer. I don't have a lot of details yet, but I would be able to incorporate my photographic prints into this as well! And I don't need my grade twelve, (though I still plan to get it, as a way to open more doors for me). And the course would be paid for by the government. And ... And she might have a part time job for me at a bakery! None of this is concrete, but it's a breakthrough. I meet with her again this friday to work out more details.