Jobs-Part 1

I have had many, many jobs, some interesting, some dreadfully boring. What better place to share all of my occupational woes!

My first job came at 17, right after high school. I wasn't allowed to have a job during high school so that my grades would remain good and to allow for all of my extracurricular activities, dating and drinking. The last part isn't serious, my parents didn't really know about the drinking and I didn't really date all that much. Anyway, after I graduated and got the cast off my ankle, I was expected to get a job. Trouble is, I really didn't know how to do anything.

Wendy's was hiring and somehow I finagled an interview. I was hired on the spot to be the salad bar girl during peak lunch times. I had to wear navy blue pants, that could have walked on their own, and a baby blue/white striped polyester shirt. Who doesn't love polyester? I also had to wear a hat. Not a big problem but this was the 80'2 and I had hair out to THERE. I put it into a ponytail and stuffed into my hat.

I showed up on the first day and was told that I would be trained by a girl a bit older than me, named Annette. That would be fine until I found she was deaf. She could speak a bit but I knew no sign language. We embarked on our journey into the freezer, where I would spend most of my day. We took a cart that was filled with several beige, plastic containers, all of which held the salad bar items. I would like to mention that I did not wear gloves, had few spoons and wore no coat. I was covered in Ranch dressing and potato salad. I was cold too. We hauled all the stuff out there and placed it in the iced salad bar. I looked like I had taken a bath in salad dressing. I even had it in my bra. It was a mess!

Time to get the lettuce. I had no idea where it was kept, not in the freezer, I knew. Annette gestured towards a gigantic yellow trash container. It was on wheels so I attempted to move it. I couldn't. It was full of water and lettuce. Here is where it gets interesting. I was to take a big salad bowl, dip it in and make sure it was full for the salad crowd. I don't think the salad crowd would be excited to know that the lettuce was recycled. I know I wasn't thrilled. I set it in the lettuce bowl place and went on with my business, knowing that recycled lettuce was probably the least of my worries.

I was also in charge of baked potatoes. I had to scrub them with steel wool. Little pieces of it stuck to my fingers and the potatoes. It was kind of scary, the thought of steel wool in your baked potato but I pressed on. Thank God, I didn't have to peel them. I went to put them all in foil, when I dropped one. Oh, the horrors of a Wendy's floor. Annette gestured that I wrap it up and send it on its way. I did.

Ok, so I am running the salad bar and on potato duty. Turns out, I am also in charge of chicken frying. Now, the other girl that started the same day I did, was making fries. Making fries, that is it. Meanwhile, I am running the gauntlet of salad bar, potatoes and chicken frying. Nice.

There are alot of things scary in a fast food restaraunt. I believe anything with hot oil that has the potential to singe your armhair, eyebrows or melt your skin is dangerous. I wasn't thrilled with having to toss frozen chicken into a fryer. The ice crystals basically blew up on you, no matter how far away you stood. Once, I dropped one of the patties on the floor. I figured I would throw it away. Nope, toss it in, the hot oil would kill the Ebola found on the floor.

Working at Wendy's during the lunch rush pretty much sucked. Guys would try to talk to me and ask me out. I'm not sure why, when I was covered in various vegetables, dressing, jello, steel wool and grease. I was nice but never accepted one of the tempting offers. I worked at Wendy's for 3 or 4 months. It was about all I could stand. No more food service for me.