Working Man

15 Nov 2013: Jacob finishes up his work day at Walmart

When it rains it pours! 

My son Jacob moved back to northern California on May 1st of this year (he'd served a 2-year mission for our church there in 2011-12).  While living there this time around, he worked the graveyard shift at a convenience store, but on August 17th he moved back home to Arizona. For the next 6 weeks he searched for a job with no luck.  Finally, on October 3rd he started a new job as a cashier at our local Walmart.

15 Nov 2013: Jacob (age 22) is ready to head to his next job

at Native New Yorker

We were so grateful that Jacob finally had a good job with decent pay and hours, especially since he needs a new car (and his rent money is most helpful to his mom)! But then a few weeks later, he got a call from Native New Yorker, a popular restaurant in nearby Show Low. They were looking for a fry-cook and liked his high school training in culinary arts.

 

Jacob aced his interview with the owner of the restaurant and was offered the job. The owner was impressed with Jacob's knowledge of commercial cooking and health laws. They wanted him so badly that they were willing to work around his Walmart hours.

 

That same night we happened to run into Jacob's high school culinary arts teacher, Kay Shores. She was thrilled when we told her how Jacob recalled specifics from her class more than 3 years after graduation.  She is a master teacher!

15 Nov 2013: I love the back of the official

Native New Yorker tee-shirt

So, since October 29th, Jacob has been working 2 jobs, putting in 70+ hours per week. His typical day starts around 6am, reporting to work at Walmart from about 7am to 4pm, then working at Native New Yorker from 5pm till closing, around 11pm. He works 5 days a week at Walmart and 6 nights a week at Native New Yorker.

 

Right now Jacob's life basically consists of working, working, eating, and sleeping (but not enough of that last one). No social life these days.  His schedule is kicking his booty, but he loves watching the money in his account grow.  He should be able to go car-shopping in the next few months. 

6 Sept 2010: Sarah's first month as a WalMart cashier,

3 years ago! She was still single then!

I might add that Sarah has been working at the same Walmart for more than 3 years. She started there in August of 2010, when she was 20.  She is also a cashier, although sometimes she works in Customer Service.

 

Here's a funny little side note: Sarah and Jacob's dad, Mark, was working at WalMart at the time of our divorce in 2006.  And he worked as a dishwasher at Native New Yorker in Mesa way back in 1988 when we started dating. Oh, the ironies of life.

7 Sept 2013: Mary wins a prize!

Back in September, Jacob and I hoped we might be able to win him a car. Our local electric co-op has an annual meeting, and they offer lots of prizes to get us members to show up. They have hundreds of small prizes like cookware, but this year they were also offering a used GMC Jimmy. How great would it be if Jacob could win that car, we asked ourselves.

7 Sept 2013: The un-winning tickets...

In the 23 years I've lived here in the White Mountains, I'd never attended this meeting. But this time Jacob and I were there, claiming our prize tickets and crossing our fingers for luck. No such luck. The numbers on our tickets weren't even close.

I did win an electric skillet, though!

7 Sept 2013: The emcee for the drawing is a friend of ours, Joe Kay

15 Nov 2013: A storm was rolling in when I picked up Jacob

from Walmart today; it's been raining, hailing, and thundering all night!