Great Job! I mean, Jorb!

Well, My first day of my second temp job started, and I tell you, I couldn't be happier!

Okay, so I'd probably be happier if I were getting paid to sit at the lake reading or something, but considering the demand for Lake Watching Literature Managers is really low, this job is the next best thing.

I used yahoo maps to find my way from Lewiston Maine to Yarmouth, Maine. It told me to take a road that I SWEAR does not exist. So I got lost, and had to turn back, stop at my sisters house, call Adecco and sheepishly tell them that I would be in by about 9:20. Argh.

So the company is called Apria Healthcare. They are permanently closing, or at least that's what I gathered. So they have to archive their thousands of patient files. So my job is to go through the files, one by one, and create an index for each individual box of files, and the index indicates these bits of (useful/useless?) information: Name, Patient ID number, four digit routing number, Date of birth, date of treatment start, date of treatment termination, social security number, and their balance, if any.

To give you a completely ficticious example, here is what one file's information looks like:

Name Routing ID# Social#
Crapp, John | W555 | 444444 | 555-55-5555 |

Start Date End Date Birthday Balance
| 3/30/05 | 3/29/05 | 3/30/05 | 0 |

So, in simlpe terms, I wrote a CRAPLOAD of numbers. I did about 150 files on my first day, but the best part is, not only do you have to write every number out by hand, but you have to toggle between two data screens and view multiple screens per person. Also, with all those numbers, it's easy to get confused, so you have to be incredibly accurate and still be quick. That's what intimidates me about my job. They are paying me $11/hr. and soon they want me to do at least 300 files a day, because they've scheduled it out to be done by about a certain time. So if I can't keep up, they'll probably replace me. Argh.

Also, Yarmouth is about 25 miles away, in other words, I use about 2-3 gallons of petrol a day in order to get to work, and gas is 1.88, so that's added expense. Oh well, I guess it is worth it to get that good of a wage.

I went and saw a friend for a while this evening, and filled up my gas tank a bit. Hmmm, I guess my life isn't as exciting as it used to be, because I'm finding it harder to say interesting things.

Incidentally, I do like feedback, so if you have suggestions about stuff you want me to note/write about in my blog, just let me know by posting a comment.  You guys are the best. PS! TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

Okay, random thought now: How do they make instant mashed potatoes? I mean, they don't just dehydrate the potatoes and grate them into flakes. I think they have to much starch in them to do that?

Okay, after a little (10 seconds) of research, I found that instant mashed potatoes were invented by Dr. Edward Anton Asselbergs in 1962. Apparently he had to become a doctor before figuring out that you could dry a potato out and use it to make mashed potatoes quickly.

So anyway, I hope you all listen to your mothers, and don't do drugs, because drugs are bad.




M'kay

(Sorry, couldn't resist)