The fall is flying by
Well an entry that I thought got through, really didn't. That sucks because I spent a long time on it - damn internet crashing!
Anyway, life has been pretty good - just coaching swimming and working at the Park District, though that has taken on some new life of its own. I guess you can say I'm just becoming a little complasaint/disgruntled in my work. I don't know if it has to do with just the pure crap that us part-timers are treated like or what it is, but several of my "part-time" comorades feel that we are treated like garbage. I have a decreased respect for much of the administration just because to them it's all the almighty dollar. I have not been thrilled with the new direction the new administration has taken our Park District and I really think that if tax payers really learned how the district has been operating, they would really flip a lid.
I think one of my real cracking points would be the recent inability to work with Maine West. I offered over the summer to assist in working with Maine West because one of my goals/dreams has been to bring youth swimming back to Des Plaines through means of a recreational program. I have also been in line with a few goals/dreams of Coach Carle and Coach Claus at Maine West. One thing MW Swimming has been lacking has been a feeder program to the current swim team. . Teams like Glenbrook North, Deerfield bury our MW Warriors because they have kids on their team, as I would call it, have been "swimming since sperm." So I took a new administration at MW and a new administration at DPPD as a chance to rebuild the ties that were once strong between the two.
So I approached the DPPD during the summer of 05, to let them know that I really would like to help push and get a swim team started at Maine West and try to get it into place for the fall of 2005. I explained how I, as a community member mind you, wanted to push to get swimming into the area. The response I got was completely not expected: "It is none of your business nor your concern as to what direction the Park District takes with Maine West. The DPPD administration will pursue Maine West when the time comes necessary." In English, they are too freakin' lazy nor does anyone want to leave their cushy chair to take a risk of starting a huge program.
So once I told this to MW, they laughed and said "Typical Park District." And so the idea has come about to begin my own swim team at Maine West in the fall of 2006. While it would have been easy to use the Park District (insurance and liability), the idea of starting my "own" team sounds absolutely fantastic. I would not be bound by any of the rules set forth by the Park District so in a sense I can stick my tongue out and run my own program. And so it's a win-win situation I guess for everyone. . . MW gets their feeder program, I get my swim team, and the Park District gets nothing (yes win for them because they really wanted nothing anyway). Just completley floored me.
Creating a new winter team is going to be cake since I pretty much know how much a swim team costs, plus I'm going to work to partner up with the MW Swim Teams to share equipment. . . Just now have to sell my idea to parents and swimmers. . . Funny thing is that most of the "Ducks" will probably come over to start the program up. . . In danger of my job, no way. . . The DP Ducks will remain at Chippewa in the summer, but now the Maine West Winter Ducks will be born. Clever eh? I'm not risking my job at DPPD at all because I will use NO DPPD items and I am not competiting neither. Play my cards right and this will be a good thing.
I think it is half-way disgusting that I have to go about creating a team like this especailly after my success and years with the Park District but I am getting tired of the beaurocracy that takes place. They are really foolish (I think) for not jumping on this project. I really wish they would grow some balls and not take things so seriously - it's fine to be professional but it's as if they're running some Fortune 500 company and I'd be the first person to remind them they don't!
I mean they have treated me really well (while it may seem they don't). But it's because I've just had to kind of follow along with all the crap they put forth. . . I mean in the last year I have been told I am not allowed to use a copy machine, change my swim team logo, and basically told I can't have a swim team year-round and don't ask ever again.
So the swim team I already talked about, but then the swim team logo honked me off. . . One day out of the blue I am told that an administrator doesn't like the look of the Ducks logo from 2004. My arguement was that despite the fact that the kids drew, created, and voted on the new logo, becuase it's an administrator, I'm not allowed to question it and it will change. Well sorry, I don't like your face, so I'm going to change it. What a crock of crap! I still proudly wear my old logos and hang a banner with the old logo!
Next the copier. Talk about a piece of office equipment that can be used and abused. I did not feel that I abused my privalege with the copy machine. I came in, made the copies I needed and moved on. Well the administration again didn't like how the part-timers ran the place I guess so they put a code on the machine and told part-timers that we are not worthy to touch this piece of office equipment. Instead I am at the becking and calling of a full-timer that is NEVER in to get MY work done. . . OK so maybe I go above and beyond, but heck if they want a crap program, that's what I'm not here for. And so no trust for the part-timers. But I came in several times (after the "no-part-timer rule") to find you guessed it, "part-timers" making coipes. I'm sorry, but that's a little bit of resentment. To this day, I am still not allowed to touch the copy machine. But get this, in the Parks Dept, I am allowed to drive a forklift, run a filtration system, paint walls, and use a drill and hold the master key to the waterpark! But I can't make a fucking copy!
So after the copier and the logo it's no wonder I just laugh at many of the catastrophies that take place and anytime a situation goes beyond my control now (instead of trying to fix it like I used to), I just blame it on the administrators and urge people to go to them. . . Ya know, why did "our logo" change? asked the kids, I told them it was because someone didn't like our logo. I won't lie! Why can't we have splits, well beacuse I'm not allowed to make copies and the person that is ran out of copies. I won't lie. . . Talk about a place that just does not want you to get your work done.
Have I written a book yet?
Well one more good one, then I'll feel better. I'm the building supervisor for the ALC. Now at Prairie Lakes, the Buildng Supervisor has a key to virtually every room in the building. At the ALC, us Building Supervsiors have a key to about 40% of the building. Ask us to get into the front door, and like the gym and health club and a couple classrooms. Amazing. Ask me for TP, to clean up poop, lock windows in the gameroom or teen center and i Just get to shrug my shoulders saying "I can't go there." So who thinks that just means no trust!? They might as well just have a cop come slam the door shut at the end of the night half the time!
So I guess I really have blown up some secrets and other gripes. . . Trust me more and I'll feel more worthy and trustful. I'm not asking to do what I want, but please don't come in, make stupid decisions that just totally degrade the employee which I think they have been doing a wonderful job doing lately.
So Maine West Winter Ducks, I like the sound of that - so does Maine West. We'll see how long it takes for the Park District to figure that one out.
Peace out,
Mike
Anyway, life has been pretty good - just coaching swimming and working at the Park District, though that has taken on some new life of its own. I guess you can say I'm just becoming a little complasaint/disgruntled in my work. I don't know if it has to do with just the pure crap that us part-timers are treated like or what it is, but several of my "part-time" comorades feel that we are treated like garbage. I have a decreased respect for much of the administration just because to them it's all the almighty dollar. I have not been thrilled with the new direction the new administration has taken our Park District and I really think that if tax payers really learned how the district has been operating, they would really flip a lid.
I think one of my real cracking points would be the recent inability to work with Maine West. I offered over the summer to assist in working with Maine West because one of my goals/dreams has been to bring youth swimming back to Des Plaines through means of a recreational program. I have also been in line with a few goals/dreams of Coach Carle and Coach Claus at Maine West. One thing MW Swimming has been lacking has been a feeder program to the current swim team. . Teams like Glenbrook North, Deerfield bury our MW Warriors because they have kids on their team, as I would call it, have been "swimming since sperm." So I took a new administration at MW and a new administration at DPPD as a chance to rebuild the ties that were once strong between the two.
So I approached the DPPD during the summer of 05, to let them know that I really would like to help push and get a swim team started at Maine West and try to get it into place for the fall of 2005. I explained how I, as a community member mind you, wanted to push to get swimming into the area. The response I got was completely not expected: "It is none of your business nor your concern as to what direction the Park District takes with Maine West. The DPPD administration will pursue Maine West when the time comes necessary." In English, they are too freakin' lazy nor does anyone want to leave their cushy chair to take a risk of starting a huge program.
So once I told this to MW, they laughed and said "Typical Park District." And so the idea has come about to begin my own swim team at Maine West in the fall of 2006. While it would have been easy to use the Park District (insurance and liability), the idea of starting my "own" team sounds absolutely fantastic. I would not be bound by any of the rules set forth by the Park District so in a sense I can stick my tongue out and run my own program. And so it's a win-win situation I guess for everyone. . . MW gets their feeder program, I get my swim team, and the Park District gets nothing (yes win for them because they really wanted nothing anyway). Just completley floored me.
Creating a new winter team is going to be cake since I pretty much know how much a swim team costs, plus I'm going to work to partner up with the MW Swim Teams to share equipment. . . Just now have to sell my idea to parents and swimmers. . . Funny thing is that most of the "Ducks" will probably come over to start the program up. . . In danger of my job, no way. . . The DP Ducks will remain at Chippewa in the summer, but now the Maine West Winter Ducks will be born. Clever eh? I'm not risking my job at DPPD at all because I will use NO DPPD items and I am not competiting neither. Play my cards right and this will be a good thing.
I think it is half-way disgusting that I have to go about creating a team like this especailly after my success and years with the Park District but I am getting tired of the beaurocracy that takes place. They are really foolish (I think) for not jumping on this project. I really wish they would grow some balls and not take things so seriously - it's fine to be professional but it's as if they're running some Fortune 500 company and I'd be the first person to remind them they don't!
I mean they have treated me really well (while it may seem they don't). But it's because I've just had to kind of follow along with all the crap they put forth. . . I mean in the last year I have been told I am not allowed to use a copy machine, change my swim team logo, and basically told I can't have a swim team year-round and don't ask ever again.
So the swim team I already talked about, but then the swim team logo honked me off. . . One day out of the blue I am told that an administrator doesn't like the look of the Ducks logo from 2004. My arguement was that despite the fact that the kids drew, created, and voted on the new logo, becuase it's an administrator, I'm not allowed to question it and it will change. Well sorry, I don't like your face, so I'm going to change it. What a crock of crap! I still proudly wear my old logos and hang a banner with the old logo!
Next the copier. Talk about a piece of office equipment that can be used and abused. I did not feel that I abused my privalege with the copy machine. I came in, made the copies I needed and moved on. Well the administration again didn't like how the part-timers ran the place I guess so they put a code on the machine and told part-timers that we are not worthy to touch this piece of office equipment. Instead I am at the becking and calling of a full-timer that is NEVER in to get MY work done. . . OK so maybe I go above and beyond, but heck if they want a crap program, that's what I'm not here for. And so no trust for the part-timers. But I came in several times (after the "no-part-timer rule") to find you guessed it, "part-timers" making coipes. I'm sorry, but that's a little bit of resentment. To this day, I am still not allowed to touch the copy machine. But get this, in the Parks Dept, I am allowed to drive a forklift, run a filtration system, paint walls, and use a drill and hold the master key to the waterpark! But I can't make a fucking copy!
So after the copier and the logo it's no wonder I just laugh at many of the catastrophies that take place and anytime a situation goes beyond my control now (instead of trying to fix it like I used to), I just blame it on the administrators and urge people to go to them. . . Ya know, why did "our logo" change? asked the kids, I told them it was because someone didn't like our logo. I won't lie! Why can't we have splits, well beacuse I'm not allowed to make copies and the person that is ran out of copies. I won't lie. . . Talk about a place that just does not want you to get your work done.
Have I written a book yet?
Well one more good one, then I'll feel better. I'm the building supervisor for the ALC. Now at Prairie Lakes, the Buildng Supervisor has a key to virtually every room in the building. At the ALC, us Building Supervsiors have a key to about 40% of the building. Ask us to get into the front door, and like the gym and health club and a couple classrooms. Amazing. Ask me for TP, to clean up poop, lock windows in the gameroom or teen center and i Just get to shrug my shoulders saying "I can't go there." So who thinks that just means no trust!? They might as well just have a cop come slam the door shut at the end of the night half the time!
So I guess I really have blown up some secrets and other gripes. . . Trust me more and I'll feel more worthy and trustful. I'm not asking to do what I want, but please don't come in, make stupid decisions that just totally degrade the employee which I think they have been doing a wonderful job doing lately.
So Maine West Winter Ducks, I like the sound of that - so does Maine West. We'll see how long it takes for the Park District to figure that one out.
Peace out,
Mike