State of the teddybear 12-6-12
The new job is going pretty good so far. I wouldn't say I'm working a lot as opposed to waiting a lot. Waiting is the name of the game in this business: waiting for flights, waiting for clients, waiting for traffic to clear up...
For the time being, the company has me mostly on airport transfers, taking people and groups to and from the airport to and from homes and hotels, much like I did with Super Shuttle back in Boulder. The pay for those particular runs isn't all that great, but it does afford me the opportunity to drive some pretty swank towncars and SUVs. I never knew what it was like to drive a luxury towncar until now, and I must confess that I have been missing out (I'm starting to dread the end of shift where I go back to my beater of a truck). We have stretches and 21-passenger minibuses that they'll get me on pretty soon, put my CDL to some use.
This is the slow season, things don't pick up until March. This is a good thing, since it offers me a chance to get to know the place at a steady pace without being thrown to the sharks to sink or swim like at my last job. The bad news is that we used to handle a lot of the local hockey talent, but with the lockout going on, we haven't had that business lately. I came to find that we're in the midst of a company transition, hiring on new management and dispatch, so I come in at the start of a "refurbishing" of the company culture.
I don't mind waiting either, because it gives me the chance to read a book, read a book, read a motherfucking book. Not a sports page, or a magazine... "Everyday Greatness" was truly inspiring, offering me real-life examples of how some of history's greatest people (and those history never noticed) overcame poverty, dysfunction, and disabilities to become excellent human beings. It showed samples of honor, honesty, integrity, and keeping an open mind, heart, and soul. I've already been able to utilize some of these lessons in recent days, continuing to look deep within myself for answers. If they can do it, I can do it, too.
One of my biggest challenges is my big mouth. I'm very talkative, I love chatting with people. Company policy is that we are not to speak unless spoken to, which helps. Problem being, I have a tendency to talk too much or say the wrong thing in an effort to be witty or humorous. This habit has caused me a lot of trouble in the past, and I am determined to change it into a habit of quiet contemplation. As Proverbs 17:28 said: "Even a fool, when holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding" (AKA "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt").
On the downside, while I was picking up these titles at Half-Priced Books on McKnight, someone stole my smartphone. I set it down on a pile of books so the screen could lock before I put it in my pocket. By the time I turned around to pick it up, someone had swiped it. landis_mclovin let me borrow his old phone so I could still keep in touch, but all my contacts never uploaded to Google like I expected, so I'm starting from scratch.
Speaking of which, time for me to get ready for tonight's shift.
For the time being, the company has me mostly on airport transfers, taking people and groups to and from the airport to and from homes and hotels, much like I did with Super Shuttle back in Boulder. The pay for those particular runs isn't all that great, but it does afford me the opportunity to drive some pretty swank towncars and SUVs. I never knew what it was like to drive a luxury towncar until now, and I must confess that I have been missing out (I'm starting to dread the end of shift where I go back to my beater of a truck). We have stretches and 21-passenger minibuses that they'll get me on pretty soon, put my CDL to some use.
This is the slow season, things don't pick up until March. This is a good thing, since it offers me a chance to get to know the place at a steady pace without being thrown to the sharks to sink or swim like at my last job. The bad news is that we used to handle a lot of the local hockey talent, but with the lockout going on, we haven't had that business lately. I came to find that we're in the midst of a company transition, hiring on new management and dispatch, so I come in at the start of a "refurbishing" of the company culture.
I don't mind waiting either, because it gives me the chance to read a book, read a book, read a motherfucking book. Not a sports page, or a magazine... "Everyday Greatness" was truly inspiring, offering me real-life examples of how some of history's greatest people (and those history never noticed) overcame poverty, dysfunction, and disabilities to become excellent human beings. It showed samples of honor, honesty, integrity, and keeping an open mind, heart, and soul. I've already been able to utilize some of these lessons in recent days, continuing to look deep within myself for answers. If they can do it, I can do it, too.
One of my biggest challenges is my big mouth. I'm very talkative, I love chatting with people. Company policy is that we are not to speak unless spoken to, which helps. Problem being, I have a tendency to talk too much or say the wrong thing in an effort to be witty or humorous. This habit has caused me a lot of trouble in the past, and I am determined to change it into a habit of quiet contemplation. As Proverbs 17:28 said: "Even a fool, when holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding" (AKA "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt").
On the downside, while I was picking up these titles at Half-Priced Books on McKnight, someone stole my smartphone. I set it down on a pile of books so the screen could lock before I put it in my pocket. By the time I turned around to pick it up, someone had swiped it. landis_mclovin let me borrow his old phone so I could still keep in touch, but all my contacts never uploaded to Google like I expected, so I'm starting from scratch.
Speaking of which, time for me to get ready for tonight's shift.