Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Knock knock, who's there? Housekeeping.

A bad day snowboarding is better than a good day at work.

Sure, it's a horribly over-used tshirt-slogan, and I usually object to that sort of posturing because it's just not true (at least if you have a decent job). Plus it's so cliched. Today, I almost forgave this statement all its failings.

Why?

Well, because I was working, and even though yesterday wasn't great, it was certainly better than being at work. But haven't I said elsewhere that my job isn't that bad? Well, yes, but in Fernie , just having a job is a good thing.

So what do I have against professional housekeeping? Well, there is my genetic bias against being tidy (I think it's Dad's fault, and that at least two of my three siblings have also inherited it - the jury is still out on the married one). No, if you have to do something you don't like, getting paid for it is much better than doing it for free.

How about my socialist tendencies? Mark Twain (or someone, I'm too lazy to google the quote) said "if you're not a socialist at age 20 you haven't got a heart, and if you're not a conservative at age 30, you haven't got a brain". Like many things in my life, I'm being difficult, or perhaps just slow to mature, but I'm getting steadily "leftie-er" as I get older. So what's this got to do with housekeeping? Well, a little militant part of me objects to cleaning up behind the capitalists who think that it's OK to leave used tissues stuck to the walls of their bedrooms when they leave or that dropping stuff on the floor is more logical than in the bin that's right there.

Ahem, just imagine some incoherent rambling about "first up against the wall when the revolution comes" and we'll move on since it's not really an explanation.

Actually I now have no idea why I was complaining. I should really love my job:

1) No dealing with punters. Despite my "extensive customer service experience" (a quote from Richard's resume, a work of new-fiction available from employers all over Fernie) people bug me sometimes.

2) Work at more or less my own pace. Within reason, I can work like a maniac, or just cruise along.

3) Relatively undemanding work. Making beds, vacuuming, and all that fun stuff I don't ever do for free isn't too physically awkward (well, except a little bit of stretching) or mentally challenging.

4) Some degree of variety in my work. As long as you define variety as getting to choose between cleaning showers, cleaning kitchens, making beds, or dusting and vacuuming.

5) We get to plunder the empty rooms. Anything left behind, and not valuable enough to be lost property is ours by right of conqeust. Today's haul was a half-empty bottle of coke, and a pair of mens underwear - it didn't fit me, uh, not that I'm that desperate for clothing or anything ;) but we usually pick up some bottles and cans (worth refund money here in Canada) towards a staff dinner at some point in the future.

This is what I get for trying to write, play a rather addictive online timewaster and turn my CD collection into MP3s all at once while half watching TV.

So that's it for now from your distraction prone roving - oooh look, shiny things - reporter.

Comments:
Perhaps Mark Twain (or whoever) was just a red-neck with a ready tongue. I'd have thought a slow migration better than huge political mood swings. I just haven't made up my mind yet whether the migration should be left or right! But either way I'm right, and therefore since I am (at least a bit) left, Mark Twain (or whoever really said it) is wrong, and the quote should be left to gather dust.
 
PS, how come there are no comments on the Calgary Flames getting picked as Team of the Year http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2004/12/29/Sports/flames_teamofyear041228.html

I thought you was a supporter!?
 
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