Sunday, July 02, 2006

New Job

Most of you already know, but I have a new job. I am currently working with the Orem Owlz Baseball Team. They are a Minor League Rookie team who only play a half a season because most of the guys who play, just barely got drafted out of college and some right out of high school. This is their second year in Orem, but they are essentially the same team as the Provo Angels, only with a new name, new owners, a new stadium (UVSC's new stadium is one and the same).

I don't exactly have an official title, but if you must insist on me giving you one, I am the Assistant Concessions Director/West Concession Stand Manager/Pasta Cook/Pizza Cook/Bookkeeper/Gopher/Slave to the actual concessions director. How was that for a title? What? You asked!

I work mostly when the team plays games at home, but given my title, I usually end up getting called in to work (even though I am not an on call employee technically) to do everything my boss has been too lazy to do himself. I am starting to feel like Sandra Bullock's character in her film with Hugh Grant a few years ago called Two Weeks Notice. It seemed as though my boss could get along just fine before I came along, and now, it seems as though he is completely helpless and cannot make one little decision without me.

I have been working for about a month now getting ready for the season to start, finalizing menu items, etc. The season is only two weeks young, and I think I already have over 200 hours put in. The season goes through the end of September, so there are a lot more hours to be had. My boss came to me the other night very concerned with the number of hours I have been putting in. He said that the owners will have a fit if I get overtime. He schedules me on game days at 10 a.m. and the first couple of nights I wasn't getting home until 1 a.m. or later the next morning, he calls me early on the mornings of my days off to come do some paperwork, or whatever else, and he wonders why I have so many hours??? Dude, I am only doing what I am told, and working when I am scheduled like a good little employee should right???

I have received a raise already, which is a good thing I guess. I should be flattered that he thinks so highly of me, and that my work ethic and abilities are proving valuable to the organization, and that I could use this guy as a great reference in the future possibly... HOWEVER, HE IS DRIVING ME ABSOLUTELY INSANE!!!

The other challenging part of my job is managing a bunch of 15 and 16 year olds. Holy drama of the century! Every night it is one story after another about why they need to leave early, and their mom is coming to get them at 8:30 so they have to be done, or so and so is bugging them (some so and so's ARE really annoying and DO get on everyone's nerves, but GROW UP AND DEAL with it!), or what should they do now even though two seconds ago I told them to wipe down all the counters under all the appliances and none of it has been done yet. I do get to work with a couple of ladies who are mom's of a couple of other employees (none of whom are in my stand mind you) and they are cool which makes it so I don't go home with a bigger headache than I already do! (Kristen, you work with one of them at your Jr. High, her name is Laura Taylor--she is so awesome! She is the second lead in the West stand, so we get to count inventory together every game and stay until all the inventory and money is counted at the end of every night.)

It really isn't too bad of a job. Like I said, mostly just drama, but it gives me experience doing things that I probably wouldn't really evey consider before. Once all the kids settle down a bit, I think it might go very smooth, and will probably actually turn out to be kinda fun--even though I don't ever get to see any of the games. If anyone ever wants to come visit, just come to the West concession stand and ask the cashier to yell for me in the back. I wont be able to chat for long, or give you free stuff, but I can say hi, and you can make fun of me in my little hat and apron!