The Breadman had some job changes recently. He still is The Breadman, he's just The Breadman with a new route. He had been extremely local for the past ten years. Now he has to drive to Oklahoma everyday. That's not as bad as it sounds - we aren't too far from Oklahoma - about 40 miles or so. He left the house this morning at 1:30 AM and got home at 6:00 PM. He had help all day too or he would have been even later. He was in a new area and didn't know where things were so they had to drive around aimlessly until they found the next place on the route. I mean, he had a rough idea where things were, but hadn't ever been to these places in the past. And, it turns out, since the guy that had the route before him was laid off due to the job changes, he didn't do a damn thing the past two weeks. No bread picked up, no racks picked up, sale ads ignored, etc., etc. So, not only did The Breadman have to work himself nearly to death, he had so bend over backwards and apologize for the lack of service they had been receiving and promise them that he would take better care of them. The kicker to this long awful day is that he is now making about $100.00 less a week than he was in the past. More hours, harder work, less money. Yea, that's the ticket. (It will pick up in the summer when bread sales soar, but until then, geesh...)
The Bread MobileThe reason for the job changes is that Interstate Brands aka Wonder Bread was baking all the Great Value Bread for all the Wal-Mart stores. They had been doing this for fifteen years. Suddenly, Saralee came in and made a lower bid and took over the Great Value line. Now, I know this may seem trivial and boring, but it really made an impact on our lives since Wal-Mart is The Breadman's main stop and pretty much supported our family. Plus, this means that a new company is making the Great Value bread and it will be different than consumers have been buying and eating and probably liking pretty well. So, if you try the bread and don't like it - TELL SOMEONE!!!!
It also rained today and The Breadman hates to be wet. Hates it. That is an understatement. He is a bear when it rains and he has to be out in it. So, rain compiled with a longer route, a longer day, less money and rain equals one terribly horribly cranky Breadman.
It is going to be one loooooong week. *Sigh*
Oh...I'm sorry to hear this. We just got hubby's pay check and it is $102 less....due to insurance. I hate having to have the school's isurance...we are now paying $1700.00 a MONTH for vision, health and dental!!! I think we are going to have to drop two of them......it does this every year. He only gets about a $30 pay raise each year....so, that means it REALLY went up $132!!! Hang in there, it has got to get better.
ReplyDeleteMorning Shara...Sad to hear about hubby's "more work, less pay, more aggravation day"...hey that almost sounds like a song...let's work on the lyrics and sell it to say, Tim Magraw, and then we can all stay home and play! I've been moaning about the fact that I didn't get my raise this past December...and didn't get my Christmas bonus...2 things that I depend on each year...and can't really complain to the boss cause I work in a very small business...not even a "Mom 'n Pop"...just a "Mom" small retail shop. This is gonna be a hard year for all of us...gotta hang in there! *elaine*
ReplyDeleteboy that sucks big donkey weinies.
ReplyDeleteI did the bread stocking thing w/my brother-in-law when he did bread and it is probably the most underappreciated job in the world. No one notices when it IS stocked and looking pretty, but let the stock run low...... I feel for Curtis!!!!
:-( Suckful. More suckful on the way over here too. This time they are reevaluating our already suckful health plans.
ReplyDeleteShara, So sorry to hear that. Poor breadman!! Hopefully it will get better soon!
ReplyDeleteMy brother for years was the Potato Chip Guy, so I completely know what you're talking about with taking over routes, etc. He worked crazy hours. It made me want to be much, much nicer to the people I see putting their goods on the shelves at the store. Good luck this week. (and I LOVE my swap goodies via Sarah - thank you!!!!)
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to have some insight into my blogging friends, Shara. But I wish things could have been better for the Breadman! I am in this little bubble sometimes and when I stick my head out I get really nervous with our economy! Ya'll are stretching yourselves enough as it is. I can't see how his company can rationalize that backward thought of more work but less pay, poor guy! Sometimes you begin to wonder "how can we tighten this belt even more without strangling ourselves!". I hope that things will get better for him. Who knows maybe there is a reason that he is on this new route and it will be a wonderful thing and it will improve your life and change it in a great way and if he wasn't on this new route it would have never happened....
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately that is how WalMart works, which is why some people (me included) refuse to shop there. All those low prices come at a cost to people who make (and deliver) the products. Sorry it's affecting you guys.
ReplyDeleteShara,
ReplyDeleteI hope your husband's week is getting better!! It sounds like it was a pretty crappy day on Monday!
Lori
Oh I am very sorry, we've been through so much that I have totally been there and know how awful it is...esp the change in $$$ and the longer hours for LESS pay argh!
ReplyDeleteHope it gets easier quickly! Jeepers creepers that's a long day!
chrisx4
Well, ya know, if you'd quit spending so much time saving money thrifting and cutting coupons; get busy and have a litter of kids; and learn how to work the system - you'd be eating surf-n-turf every night and the breadman wouldn't have to work!! ...just busting on you - hope this doesn't attract too much negative attention to your blog!!
ReplyDeleteI know you guys will be fine - keep smiling 8-)
Ugh, what a mess. This economy stinks! The company should give them a GPS so they don't have to wander around when they change their routes. It just makes sense! Grrr.
ReplyDeleteMy company, Sprint, is laying off 8,000 poeple. AGAIN. It's been every year. My husband I both work there so it's doubly scary. Hopefully one of us will make the cut.
Bah.
Okay, boohooing over. Good luck to the Breadman! I hope he makes the route his own and starts enjoying his work again.