Gym etiquette rant

Since I've been working at the gym I don't workout there as much. One thing I'm trying to do is continue with the spin classes. I took my first two last week and would very much like to continue. The first instructor said it takes a person a good six weeks before being comfortable with spin and this is going twice a week.

There is a spin class 6 days a week with some days having class twice a day. The only catch is getting there early enough for a bike. The room where it's located is small so the gym doesn't have nearly enough bikes for the demand. There is talk about relocating the spin room but there's always talk of something or another going on at the gym. Hell, there's a whole second floor the gym could utilize and they don't.

This morning I get to the gym 15-20 minutes early, drop Jake off, chat a few and head off towards the spin room. Every single bike was spoken for whether the person was physically in the building or not. I still don't understand how you can claim a bike for a person who isn't in the building. And the regulars are chatting it up like they own the place. Wait, they think they do because it's their class and fuck the newbies.

I hop on the treadmill only to notice a mom/instructor head off towards the spin room. She was going towards daycare with her boys while I headed out into the gym for the class. Apparently she claimed a bike before dropping her kids off. I don't understand how a person can justify this. I was ready for class walking into the room whereas she wasn't. I could have had the bike she claimed if she didn't stop off first with her boys.

Gee, just because you've been at the gym longer then me or the next new person or you teach a class here and there doesn't mean you can piss all over anyone trying a class for the first time. Or third. Have a bit of respect for those challenging themselves or getting healthy. We all start out new at one time or another.

I want a job like hers

One of my co-workers doesn't understand working = paycheck. She prefers sitting on her ass doing nothing while racking in the money. Only problem is our job pays slightly above minimum wage so no one's getting rich. She's also notorious for calling in for no reason in particular other then not wanting to work on any given day. Her boyfriend is a slight sugar daddy. I say this because, while he has a paycheck and pays the bills, he's not fabulously wealthy.

Yesterday I worked with this person by default. My whole intention was getting a workout at the gym instead of covering for my supervisor. Renee had to pick up her oldest at school since she was sick. Not a problem. I was already there to drop off Jake so I picked up a few extra hours.

I sat on the floor surrounded by kids. I had them running cars up and down my back. I was reading stories. I taught them how to hop like a frog. I got pummeled by our favorite time-out child. All the while T was sitting in the baby area where she wouldn't need to actively engage with the kids. Me? In my gym clothes getting more snot rubbed on me as the day progressed.

I'd like to think T would realize her expectations are shit in the real world and she'll grow up. Only I feel this will never happen since she's in her mid-twenties already. She's not a prima donna with the hopes of being kept in a life of privilege. She just doesn't want to work and still take home a paycheck.

Granted today I sat in the rocker with two babies who fell asleep on me, one of which christened my shirt with his snot. Inbetween the sleeping babies my supervisor and I took turns in entertaining the kids or calming them down. We do have an easy job, some would say a slack job. Still doesn't mean we can sit on our arses twiddling our thumbs.

I know how ass feels

This morning I woke up with a cotton mouth, sore throat, stuffed up ears and ears. Lovely. I've been fighting something the past week which has now started to hunker down. My neighbor had strep a week ago, her youngest just got over a virus and her oldest has gotten said virus. My supervisor's husband finally recovered from bronchitis, tonsilitis, sinusitis and double ear infections. The boys are trying their damnedest in who can be more froggy. No wonder I feel like ass this Saturday morning. I'm hoping things don't get worse.

Last Wednesday was my first day working at the gym. Awhile back I noticed the chaos in the daycare when picking up Jake. I talked with both managers about this and they know there's a problem on certain days. While they only have two people working at a time a third can be sent down as needed. Eric and I talked about different ways management could approach the clientele when things got hectic. Because the vast majority of the kids during the mornings are military, I brought up how the families should be more understanding when things are full. One idea mentioned was having the parents come in every 20 minutes or so to check on their kids. I said I'd be willing to volunteer since I'm already coming to the gym daily, or almost daily.

All of this helps after working at SAS and knowing more about the inner workings of CYS then most with regards to ratios, etc.. While the daycare doesn't have to follow regulations since they are not a proper daycare they do realize things can be overflowing. Being Red Cross certified also helped.

The pay sucks but it'll be our pocket money. It's not all bad even during the chaos.

Am I missing something here?

We're well into summer day camp and parents are still trying to get their kids enrolled. I'm not talking about parents just moving here or starting work on the island. These are parents who've gotten the emails from us months ago which they blatantly ignored. We know this because they've said so to our faces. Funny how they're scrambling now in trying to find something for their kids to do over the summer.

I know some of the military try passing the buck claiming they've never received anything. Problem is most don't realize who I am or who my husband is. Between my boss and Jason, the soldiers and parents were definitely blanketed in emails about camp and being registered with CYS. I had one Dad claim deployment status even though he got here a year ago. When I asked if he was on our email list or registered he said no, which I did verify. When I searched his name within the installation phonebook I saw he was within Jason's command. His denial fell flat after this information surfaced because I know the email Jason sent out back in February to all of his soldiers.

And yet, they get angry with us because there's a wait list. They get angry because we don't give them what they want. They get angry because they were the slackers who spaced on when school ended. We only do so much hand holding for the parents before we make them accountable for their lapses.

I want a healthy household please

I got a call about Jake throwing up after his nap on Wednesday which meant Jason or I needed to pick up him. After getting an earlier phone call about his general clinginess in the morning I called for an appointment. Helps I knew he already had HF&M so we just needed the confirmation.

The diagnosis? Double ear infections, strep throat and HF&M. For a child being this sick he spent the rest of the day on Wednesday running around like a banshee. Yesterday was pretty much the same only he was more pissed off in not getting allowed to play outside. The neighborhood didn't need a HF&M infestation going on.

On a wetter note, we got bombarded with water during our fire drill this morning. So woefully under prepared for this annual event. Bear pulled the alarm for our monthly fire drill with a giggle. The trucks were waiting for the kids by the fence to all line up before the onslaught began. No water balloons on our part. No water guns. Nothing but soaking wet kids who enjoyed the hell out of themselves.

People Get Ready,

I'm going swimming. Sort of. It's more of a chaperone deal/extra body there for ratio type of thing. I found out this morning I've been recruited the next 3 wks for the swimming field trips. I don't own a bathing suit. I'm fish belly pale. I have tattoos which aren't easily covered with a small band aid or two. All this means is I sit on the sidelines and play cards with the kids who won't go into the pool.

Randomness squared

A decision was finally made yesterday over who the new commander would be. A few months back this had been decided then a mini-uproar ensued. Apparently something along these lines should have happened when Jason took command because there's not much of a difference from my perspective. Anyways, I'm glad that's been taken care of even though it really doesn't change things for us. We're still leaving here for Ft. Leavenworth. It only means Jason won't have the time in going over the monumental amount of paperwork the newbie will be faced with. I don't even know if they've done the auditing of equipment yet.

In a few weeks Jason will once again be out of command. Seriously, 4 times he's been in command already. A slight break being in school will be nice. We've heard the gamut in school being a slacker's paradise to having one's nose in a book for 10mths. I think it'll be inbetween with more downtime then expected. He's already planning on taking the boys to school next year so I don't think it can be too bad. Or am I already delusional?

The job search continues. The one I applied for back in March has been reposted. I was at the point of being asked for references when they pulled it. I only know this from calling personnel and inquiring about the job and whether or not I should put my name back in the hat. Two more jobs opened up at the hospital down there which I've self-nominated myself. Both are administrative/HR types along the lines of what I'm doing and have done before. I even applied for one down at the jail. Not sure which one but it's for HR so it's not like I'll be contributing to any one's delinquency.

The weather here sucks mightily still.I read yesterday they're predicting record setting shittastic weather in the Midwest this summer. Awesome and we're moving to Kansas. I want to say the line was from Wichita up towards Des Moines in the article I read. Woohoo! More trees and branches were down from the storm early this morning. Yet another tree is being taken down across the street. It wouldn't affect our row of houses but the ones right next to us. Although if it fell right we wouldn't be able to get on our street.

I guess I should actually start working. It's the calm before the storm of summer camp.

No more chocolate

The smell of chocolate syrup is overpowering at the moment. The summer staff had a food fight after the exercises Tina had them going through. Ice cream, syrup, sprinkles and cherries are everywhere. I'm sitting here behind my computer snickering at everyone. They're all a mess with nary a change of clothes in sight.

I'm still waiting

To hear back about one of the jobs I applied for at Ft. Leavenworth. It's my job only at the CDC instead of with Youth Services. In the meantime I've self-nominated myself for 3 more jobs. Full on crapshoot on my getting them but it's worth a shot. Two are within the library and one is in HR. These would be better because then I'd be in the government system instead of NAF never mind they're all full time instead of part time.

Then again, if I weren't so bloody picky I would apply for work at the jail. Think I'd fit in?

The job search begins. Again.

Thanks to being in the military one accepts moving every few years give or take. This makes it rather difficult in finding a job when you're the spouse of the soldier. They have a job or school with each move whereas you don't.

Last year I started work again after five years of being a stay at home mom. Initially I started doing a medical transcription class with the grand idea of working from home. I think in a few years I'll revisit this idea once things settle down within my headspace. I needed to be out of the house for my sanity. Depending upon where we end up after school I may pursue the transcription again with a passion.

I've been checking out the jobs down at Ft. Leavenworth and applied for two knowing I probably wouldn't be a candidate. If our move date were closer there would have been a better chance in getting interviewed. I'm still rusty in my interviewing skills and sending out resumes so the chance in doing so is welcome. Yesterday I found my job open down there. I'm scrambling in getting my resume updated since they don't use Resumix. I also can't use spousal preference because our move date is far enough out. Still, I won't pass this chance up since I'm already doing the job and have all the background checks in place.

The chances of my having a job while Jason's at school is slim considering the length of time we'll be at Ft. Leavenworth. It's hard thinking I'll be taking a year off again after going back to work. There's been a tremendous change in me since I've been working. I've had people comment on the difference, of how I'm calmer now and less frazzled. I didn't realize how much I needed to be in the workforce again, bringing home a paycheck until this past year.

I love my kids to death but I'm not a stay at home mom. It's just not me and I'm fine with this knowledge. Here's hoping a job falls into my lap again like the one I have now.