Great First Impression

Never fear - I've been keeping up with my Newbies even though I haven't had the time to write about them....

Tuesday, I started a second job at the local gym; first night training with one other dude that has been working there since the beginning of time. I'm just doing front desk work and while it's easy, it could test my creativity in it's own ways that my Newbie task never could. I value it for the free gym membership and for another focus in my life. My list of newbies for the night runs long, therefore.

1. Cleaned treadmills - cleaning is not new to me, but cleaning treadmills is; disgusting, sweat-drenched machines that also collect static dust into the puddles of sweat. I figured it's par for the course given that I'm usually the one making the puddles of sweat...
2. Cleaned windows at the gym; I don't even clean windows at my own house ...
3. Wore the cutesie little uniform shirt and a nametag;
4. Greeted grumpy visitors to the gym who clearly needed to work out; maybe I'll do a tally of how many grumps leave still grumpy after their workout - another newbie for another time...
5. Checked out the men's locker room; I even used the toilet in the men's locker room just for the most legitimate newbie material; it almost killed me. Just a question - how do men get pubies on the toilet seat? (It's a legitmate question!)

My favorite newbie of the night was of a different variety though. I managed to offend the very first co-worker with whom I worked. I was, per usual, swearing up a storm throughout the training. I made sure that our guests didn't hear me, but I certainly didn't hold back to my co-worker. I didn't notice until too late that my co-worker was not swearing and would, instead, say things like 'biscuits' for emphasis. Although he had worked at the gym since the beginning of time, he looked like he was approximately 15 years old, minus 3 years. So I used my very sophisticated personality-analyzing mechanism and assumed he wasn't going to mind my sailor-like language.

By the end of the evening, I was finally catching wind of the lack of reciprocal swearing and apologized. His response? "Well, yes, I did notice that and you'll have to cut down on that during work because we don't want our customers to hear us talking so unprofessionally." Logical explanation, but then he said, "Thank God you said something because I wouldn't have felt comfortable bringing it up." And while he said, "Thank God," he emphasized with a cross pattern across his chest that I couldn't imitate without offending again.

Good start, huh?