A Shipping Clerk's Wardrobe

Today's agenda includes a trip to Goodwill. For the last decade or so, all of my jobs, whether they were in welding shops or on construction sites, were the kind of jobs where almost-worn-out canvas work trousers and spatter-burnt shirts were perfectly acceptable. We were going to get filthy, clothing was going to get caught on boards and nails, and we'd end the day drenched in sweat and coated in a layer of plaster dust, mouse droppings, and dirt, so the clothes didn't have to be pretty, they just had to stand up to the physical abuse that came with the job.

With this new job, though, I'm indoors all day (with heating and air conditioning, what luxury!), I don't get filthy, and I occasionally have to interact with customers who come to pick up merchandise, so I have to look a little more put-together (but it's a production facility in Vermont, so that means jeans and flannel are fine, as long as they look tidy). Trouble is, that look is a little thin in my closet. I managed to make it work this past week, but only just, and I want enough variety that my coworkers don't start to know what day of the week it is based on which shirt I'm wearing (as was the case at one of my jobs -- "she's wearing the green shirt, so it must be Thursday!"), which means it's time to expand the wardrobe a smidgeon.

A few shirts, a couple pairs of trousers, and I'll be all set. I just hope the location I'm visiting has stuff in both my size and style.

Leftovers

The great thing about being someone who has trouble keeping weight on in a society where most people have trouble keeping it off is that I end up with all the leftovers from social gatherings. I went to the local knit night yesterday, where the hostess had cookies and chocolates for everyone to share. At the end of the night, she declared that she didn't want to keep any of the leftovers, and everyone else made oh-god-my-waistline-will-never-forgive-me comments, so into my bag the goodies went.

Because, y'know, I'm thoughtful like that, protecting my friends' figures from the ravages of baked goods.

On the other hand, everyone was thrilled about my new job, and at the prospect of getting to taste some of the products I spend my days packing and shipping, so I may be doing just as much providing as receiving in the next few months. It'll all taste good, no matter what.

Mud Season

As we transition from winter into mud season, northern New England's unofficial fifth season, and we've got this week-long spell of rain and flood warnings and constantly dreary skies, I was overjoyed to see the sun shining yesterday as I left work. To celebrate, I took the scenic route home, using an unpaved back road that, after a few more days of rain, I wouldn't chance using. Even yesterday there were DPW hazard cones warning people of the soft shoulder that was being eroded by runoff, and there were several slippery spots, but my Jeep made it through just fine. Still, I'm sticking to paved roads for the next month or so until everything dries and the town has a chance to get the road graders out.

The Birds

The fact that it poured last night and is starting to dry out this morning means the birds are at Hitchcock-film-density on the lawn, and the cats are mesmerized. If you've never heard an 8-pound ball of fur make gattling gun noises while staring out the window, you're missing out.

Olfactory Heaven

My first day at my new job went swimmingly. I'm the new shipping clerk for a company that makes dip, soup, rub, and bread mixes. The building smells like herbs and spices, which means I come home with that scent on me, and my cats are enthralled. The work is right up my alley, requiring obsessive organization and a little "heavy" lifting (in quotes, because most of it isn't what I consider heavy, having worked at UPS).

I'm a happy camper.

New England Humor

I drove past one of the larger hardware stores on my travels today, and they always have some fun with the sign they've got out front. Today's messages are:

SALT AND SEED IN STOCK

BECAUSE THIS IS NH

which I found particularly relevant today as there's fresh snow on the ground, but it's sunny and in the 40s... and:

BIG GREEN EGGS IN STOCK

BYO HAM

"Big Green Egg" is a brand of grill, but we also love our Dr. Seuss up here.

Introvert's Curse

I need to go run errands today. As in, won't have dinner tonight if I don't. But... it's so... people-y out there.