May 23, 2007

Summer Plans

Chris: wow, Mark, that'a a very clean waffle iron.
Mark: yes, yes it is.
Chris: in fact, it's ... it's beautiful!
Mark: dude, this waffle iron is so clean, not only can you see yourself, but you can also see the future.
*pause*
Mark: go on, ask it a question ...


As some of you know, I was recently (March) hired at an ice cream store. March, you ask? I know, I was shocked, especially my first night working when it started snowing and we had a grand total of one customer and two girls trying to stay warm while they waited for their parents. Business has picked up a bunch since then, but apparently not enough - the new store manager had to deny me the full-time work promised to me this summer (by the last manager) and so today was spent looking for a new job to fill out the rest of those elusive 40 hours. Hopefully Panera or Dicks will call back tomorrow, but alas, there are no guarentees.

But as for Coldstone, I've begun to enjoy working there. Basically we do one thing: make ice cream. This takes two basic forms: in an ice cream maker, and on a frozen slab of marble. I rather enjoy it, to be honest, except for one thing: the singing. Now, ok, I'm a musician, and I'm supposed to enjoy singing. But when I'm supposed to sing things like:

we're cheerful and we hollar because we got a dollar
we're happy 'cause we all are the coldstone family
da da da dum (hit something twice)
da da da dum (hit something twice)
da da da dum da da da dum da da da dum (hit something twice)

Yes, we're supposed to sing specially crafted songs if we get a tip. It's times like those when I wish I could shrink into the woodwork, but alas, the only options are MDF and marble, and they're too hard for shrinking. Fortunately I like my coworkers, so when it's more than two of us, I'm usually ok with the singing - group humiliation is so much easier to take. Most of the time we don't even have to finish because the customer gets weirded out and makes a break for the door, but sometimes (like yesterday) they say thank you and ask if we're required to take singing lessons.

Sometimes other things happen. We goof off, and get pictures like this:



And this:


Or we get large groups of well-dressed college girls in:



... and I try to set up my teenage coworkers. It's always a no (poor Mark) but it's fun to ask anyway. It's sort of youth-ministry, only stickier.

So that's what I'm doing this summer: work in several places, only one of which has actually hired me yet. I might get to read books that I've chosen (instead of my professors), which will be fantastic, and maybe I'll write about those at some point. We'll be off to CT for my cousin's wedding in early June, and who knows, the baby might show up one of these days. And Sally's coming. Here's to the warm season!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a common tactic to tell new employees (often hired at the "training wage") that they are a fantastic employee and that "soon" they will be given more hours. Then the closer they get to having their wages increased or given some promised benefit, they are told "well it's kind of slow lateley... we don't really need so many hours from you... there are places you need improvement..." I've seen this over and over again. It has happened to me a few times and to many others I've watched in retail, grocery, but especially in restaurant and fast food. I say this just as a heads up. There is little that can be done about it.

Sal said...

Was it planned or purely coincidental taht there is a sign in the middle of those college girlys that says "coolly seductive anytime"? Cause it's weirding me out!
I hope you are still at Coldstone when I get there for two reasons...
1. I love ice-cream!
2. I am so going to tip you just to make you sing!
Can't wait!
Sal.

Chris said...

yeah, that wasn't intentional, but I like it :)

hopefully they'll be giving me more hours as business picks up, but I'm still looking for a new job to supplement. No luck so far, but here's hoping!