Chaos Attraction

Ambivalent News

2004-04-01, 8:16 p.m.

So, as previously mentioned, today was the day of the craft center volunteer orientation. Which at first I thought wasn't going on, as I showed up and the door was locked for five minutes and I got all nervous, thinking, "Great, they canceled it or moved it somewhere and didn't even tell me and now I won't get in just because I can't FIND it." Turned out they were slow in opening up.

Yes, I'm nervous, whyever do you ask?

Anyway, about 20 or so people showed up... for about 14 slots that weren't already taken by previous volunteers. I won't get into the day shifts, but the available other shifts were two Saturday afternoon, one Sunday afternoon shift, two slots open Tuesday nights and three open Wednesday nights. Night shifts are 5:30-10:30, which means I don't get home until 11. That sucks.

Some things I was reassured about: I get to sign up for half-off classes as of tomorrow with the rest of the students (I think I'll go over there tomorrow when I get out of my career management thingie- it gets out at 4:30, maybe nobody'll notice if I don't go back to work right off Friday? God knows the last half hour is dead), you can miss a shift and just make up the time on someone else's shift if you have to or go clean the center during break. If you don't get in this time, they pretty much guarantee you will get in next quarter because anyone who's gone through orientation gets priority signup after actual previous volunteers, and summer is pretty dead. And people tend to drop out in the first week, so anyone who doesn't get in may get a phone call.

And one thing I was definitely NOT AT ALL reassured about. Anyone working a weekday night shift HAS to participate in a potluck dinner every week, no exceptions. They assign you what dish you have to bring or something like that. I asked what happens if you're a sucky cook, and got "You'll learn." I wanted to cry right then and there. Then she said that it depended on your group, but getting pizza was fine, and the Monday night group last quarter pretty much just did pizza ALL the time. Okay, that's not 100% horrible. But still, my only hope for avoiding potluck hell was to get the ONE Sunday shift.

So, they did determine things by drawing numbers. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get a shift or not. If I didn't, it would kind of screw things for my future plans and cost me more money, but it'd be a relief on my head for scheduling and give me a "free" night. I hoped I would and hoped I wouldn't.

I got number seven. I was fairly sure that I'd get in. Well, more sure if I drew four or higher, but I was surprised I got that high when I got to pick a number at the tail end of things.

The girl that got number 1? Her choice was the Sunday shift. DAMMIT!

Numbers 2 and 3 went for weekday shifts. Number 4 picked Wednesday night. Number 5 went for Tuesday night. I forget what number 6 did. But I got Wednesday night.

I don't know how I feel about this.

On the one hand, good things. Lots of good things come from volunteering. I didn't necessarily expect to get in, but I had a vague feeling that circumstances would permit me to do it. Big fat discounts. Research. Sales opportunity? Get to hang out with people yakking and not doing much work Wednesday nights. Not bad.

On the other hand...oh GOD, I hate potluck so much and I don't want to do it. I don't want people to eat my cooking. I'm terrified the other people on my shift will all turn out to be vegan gourmet cooks on diets and they'll all want to make fabulous dishes instead of pizza and will go berzerk if I make sugar cookies. The only things I can make without total disaster (and not consistently on the former item) are cookies and omelets, the latter of which isn't potluckable. I can't even MAKE a main dish with meat and shit. Plus, there's the transport and storage issue: what do I do with a dish that has to wait with me for 9 1/2 hours, probably without any kind of fridge storage? There's no fridge room at work to store a dish all day, best case scenario is that I get into the center's fridge when they open at noon, and I doubt I can get home in the half hour break between work and work to get food when it takes 20-25 minutes just to get home.

UGHHHHHHHHH!

I already have to duck out of potlucks at work on Wednesdays once a month, and now I'm forced to do this too?! I want to cry. I'm halfway about ready to quit just so I won't have to be stuck doing potluck. I'm not going to, mind you, but I'm going to be in agony every Tuesday night when I'm stuck cooking for vegan gourmets on diets, and be horribly embarrassed every Wednesday night.

My schedule is going to be crazy if I do take classes Monday and Thursday at the CC, plus ASL, plus a few Saturday classes. I'm wondering if it's stupid of me to do all this... if I'll drop over dead or something. Okay, probably not, I did that schedule in high school and had similarly crazy going on for the last two years of college. I shall manage. And hell, I have the time, it gets me out of the house, talking to people and learning skills.

I need to go add up how much exactly it would cost me to do all of this with a half-off discount...


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