Winter #2 of Covid.
A little different from last year.
But a lot remains the same.
Still working as a bike mechanic, actually got a promotion. I’m now a “master” mechanic.
Don’t really know what that means other than the fact that my role has changed a bit. They’ve got me doing quality checks on the bikes as they get repaired, around twenty bikes a week or so.
I’m also involved in training the drivers who deliver bikes to the customers in basic repairs, little things they can do on the road.
And they’ve put me in charge of onboarding/training new mechanics in the ways of Swapfiets. This is actually something I’ve done before in my previous life.
Back then in the B.C. years (before Covid) my old bike tour company would often get applicants for open tour guide positions who had experience in the tourism industry. Always a plus for any new applicant is when they come on the job with the skills already in place. Then all we’d have to do is show them “this is how we do it here”.
The same principle applies with bike mechanics. Whether they are a backyard hobbyist or someone who repaired F-16 fighter jets. They have the skill set, it’s just a question of showing them how things are done at the new job. Ideally they catch on quickly and then put their own spin on the work which makes things go even better.
I was hoping that as the new promotion comes with a raise that I would be able to keep some of it. Being in bankruptcy means that for the next two years and four months a sizable portion of my monthly paycheck is taken to pay off my debts.
My wishes centred around the idea that the bankruptcy people would be thinking somewhere along these lines…
“Well, we should let him keep something, a bit of the raise. Otherwise why would he bother working harder, trying to move up and take advantage of an opportunity that presents itself if he cannot keep a cut of his higher earnings. If he can keep something, that’s an incentive for him to keep working hard, move up, earn more to pay off more of the debt quickly.”
Nope.
Not to be.
That’s okay, not really that surprising.
I can deal with that.
It’s the chocolate that’s troubling.
Chocolate???
Yep.
You see, at work when I do the training for the on site repairs with the swappers/drivers and shop staff it’s a program/training period that lasts two to three hours. At the end of which I give them all a couple of bikes that are broken to see what they can do and how fast they can do it. Hopefully, if I’ve done a good job training them, they can fix what is broken in a short amount of time.
Whoever fixes the most repairs in the least amount of time gets a Tony’s chocolate bar.
From a stash of over a dozen (that’s a bit over two kilograms or four pounds of chocolate) that I’m supposed to keep in my locker and not eat over the next couple of months.
That’s not right.
Here, watch my beer.
Don’t drink it.
I’ll be back for it next month,
What???
I knew that going forward there would be ups and downs.
Things I couldn’t do or have.
But to have chocolate…
…and not be able to eat it.
It’s going to be a long winter.
;)