Gossip rags are back

After disappearing for two months, the Globe and National Enquirer are back on the shelves of the local supermarkets. Except for the hole they left in the racks by the checkout stands, I don’t think anybody noticed.

Customers do notice when the snacks are not stocked there. People will go in those aisles to buy impulse items in spite of the fact that most of those aisles haven’t checked out a customer in years. If it wasn’t for checking ID to see if customers are old enough to buy certain products, the checkout stands might all switch to self service.

Guinea Pig

In the 80s I was a guinea pig for a drug testing company. A drug pusher hired an outside contractor to insure that its generic drug worked the same as the original.

We were the guys ,and all of us were guys, who took the pills and gave blood samples to measure how fast the drug entered the bloodstream. We had to stay in a dorm type setting for the weekend so we could be monitored and identically fed. The pay was $200 for one weekend and doubled for two weekends stays.

Most of the drugs we tested were over the counter medications. Once they gave us a really good painkiller. Along with the blood sample taken at the time, we got blood draws taken every 15 minutes for two hours. At least that was what they told us because I didn’t feel any of them. I wish I could remember what the name of that drug was.

Hay Weather

The weather has been decent this summer. There has been enough rain to make grass grow with enough dry spells to cut the grass and make hay bales out of it. The ideal hay cutting and baling weather is hot, dry and going to stay that way. That is what we will have the rest of July as the highs will be over 100 degrees each day. August is normally the hottest month of the year, but will start off 10 degrees cooler than the end of July with a good chance of rain.

Polishing up the resume

With the new soybean processing plant opening up next year, people are polishing up their resumes. I will be among them. For $4.50 an hour I have to at least look into it. The company is holding a job fair in early August and they want resumes.. I never made a resume before 2020 and I have to update it already..

I have also put in for a vacant team lead position at Wally World. If I get it, it would be competitive with the jobs at the soybean plant and I would stay at Wally World. With people having to choose between eating and air conditioning, I am truly blessed to be in this situation.

Wage increases

It has taken a while, but local wages are finally getting of rock bottom. With Wally World offering $14 an hour, local industries can no longer pay 10 to 12 dollars an hour for hard fast paced work in sweatshop conditions. There is a new soybean oil processing plant opening up next year that will offer starting pay of $20 an hour. When I lost my job in 2020 I was making $17 an hour after being there more than 10 years. The industries that were hiring were offering $10-$12 per hour. Three years later fast food chains are paying that much.