Today we shoveled shit I mean woodchips all morning. Literally, shoveled it into garbage cans and wheelbarrows and dumped in the playground and then had to spread it out. It was the hardest day of the 22 months. My arms were dead and of course, my back is fried. This program sucks. Sure, since Julio's been gone it has been so much better. And when you do it day after day you kind of get numb to it. But they're assholes. The other day I was reprimanded for going too slow and socializing too much w/my work partner. Me. Socializing too much.
Today was tough labor and, while we were given a rest-break, I don't see much difference between this and being on the chain-gang.

wow

A lot has happened. I have worked 8 days straight to get this stuff done by Mon. 5/10 and I am going to make it. Tomorrow is my last day!

Today was really hard. Naturally, I didn't want to go but had to, but that's the same every day.
I couldn't shake the pissy-bitchy feeling. It was unseasonably cool. And my back started out tight and got worse and worse. I had to keep squatting down to rest, or just bending over to stretch. I kept thinking about Julio and what a bitch he was. Suzie, our new crew boss, is completely different. No Trash-Nazi nonsense. And remember just before New Year's when it poured and Julio said we weren't aloud to get under an overhang when it came down so heavy and made us work? This morning Raymond said exactly the opposite.
I think that's as much punishment as the actual work - dealing with the people. People who's only authority in life will be supervising misdemeanor crooks. To say nothing of my co-workers.
There is still this one guy coming that I can't stand. He tried to say hello, but I can't even stand the way he talks.

mmmk

Let me try to stay current - but this was one day last week.
"I think I've seen you here before, right?" I nod. "Yeah. I remember thinking that I hoped they didn't put me with you because you seem so, I don't know, serious or something." Didn't even faze me - I laughed. "Yeah, I know," I say. "Raymond always laughs at me."
He's a youngish Latino guy, says he's 31 but who knows. For some reason, I'm very nice and tolerant of him. He says he's really hungover and needs a beer.
We are doing the southside of Santa Monica Blvd. Its early when we get back to the corner where we started, heading east this time. He wanders into 'the City's Best Burger' or whatever its called and I figure he's 'doing the needful and keep sweeping.
Eventually, he tells me he got a beer back at the burger place. I really had no idea.
"I didn't mean to be discourteous by not offering you a drink back there." He says he's trying to expand his English vocab and 'discourteous' is a big word for him. I let him know I'm fine.
We begin to discuss why people drink alcohol. He finds another place to grab a beer.
He doesn't want to walk past his place of employment, so we ending up wearing down the pavement over the same few blocks, since there was no Julio on our ass.
Towards the end of our shift he introduces himself as Leo. I introduce myself. He asks if thats my christian name like his christian name is Juan but he tells people to call him Leo. I say no, its not quite the same.

So, Julio got a better job w/the City of Glendale and our new 'crew chief'' is a young-ish woman named Susie. The first time I meet/work w/her, I am not in the mood to deal w/her
newness. There are only three of us that day, me & two guys, one of them a fresh newbie, and
I get sent out alone. Yay. I don't want to teach anyone this job I hate. Not today, anyway.
After I screw around w/my clothes and my coffee and don't even make it down to Doheny to turn back, she picks me up to go 'somewhere else'. On the way, we pull-over so she can watch the other two for a minute. Once we start cruising, I feel the need to get some info.
"So, is this your new full-time job?" I ask. The answer is yes. We start talking about the difficulty in finding a job right now and, as we pass destination Fairfax, she asks what I do. I'm in the fitness biz. Oh, she really wants to get in shape. She just had a baby. Has three kids. We pass
La Brea, then Highland. How much do I charge? Where?
By the time we turn around at Vine St., I have a new client for my bootcamp class. Finally, something positive.

Sunny, Windy & Cool

A perfect morning for a slow, laborous walk along Sunset Blvd. We start west of Doheny and head east toward Crescent Heights. Its a nice change. Love the history and flava you get along that strip of Sunset; Upscale, rock 'n' roll and old Hollywood all rolled into one.
There's heavy construction causing heavy congestion heading east right now, too, so I could truly say I was happier to be walking.
Got to work w/my new gay pot-dealer buddy. He makes for good conversation, but it takes him a while to start moving. He likes to start talking first, and he'll just stand there. Today he started telling me about his high-end shop-lifting habit. He ranks up there w/Winona. He walked right out of Neiman-Marcus on Sunday w/a gigantic Gucci tote. Said he dressed to match the bag he thought he'd want, arrived by bus just as the doors opened, went straight upstairs and within 5 minutes exited and caught a cab to his friends' place to celebrate. Got my attention, for sure.
So I try to be polite and work around him to keep us moving, but he won't go pull the can so if I want us to move and not be sooo slow that Julio comes around and sits on our asses all day (which he ended up doing anyway) then I have to do it myself. And sweep the stupid trash. Finally I asked him if he was going to help w/the can so he did.
And nothing has changed w/Julio. Why would it?

4 more hours...

and only 4 hours. My back pain was almost crippling, despite the 3 Aleve. I think they call it 'sciatica'. But its in my guts almost. Feel like I could sleep all afternoon.
The guy I worked w/today was on his 30th & final day. He has been listening to his ipod everyday. Once I thought about it, I had noticed him adjusting his headphones in the van last week. And I believed Julio was as sharp as he thinks he is.
Our two main rules are no phones/no headphones.
Sometimes I feel so innocent.