Despite all the ups and downs (lately, it's been mostly downs) I've had at UPS, I've gotta say, I really love my fuckin' job. Seriously. Being a UPSer kicks ass. My coworkers are awesome, at least, the ones that count. There's Aaron, of course, and Zamira, and Juan. And Alb�n too, o'course. Today, I stayed and helped out in Clerical. Shit, I need to break things down again, don't I?

The following is for those few strange folk who actually read this crap; for the sake of your sanity. I, of course, am used to the madness that encompasses the warehouse I work in and therefore don't nead any damn explanation as to how it works.

The UPS warehouse is headed by gringos (what we beaners call Anglo people) and is kept running by mexicans. Some slightly obsessed people claim racism among the UPS heirarchy, but I won't go into that now. It doesn't affect me anyway, I don't think. All I see around me are brown faces like mine, in either case. I know nothing of the preload shift, which starts at 4:30 AM and ends around 9:30. The only time I was ever present during the preload was way back when I got hired in May; back when I met Aaron and thought he wasn't that great (not that bad, I remember thinking, but not that great). We were both required to come in early for safety training and the like. Thinking back on that time now, and knowing Aaron like I do at this point... I think it's a miracle he even fuckin' showed up in the first place! Aaron's never up so early. Not now, anyway. But if he was as nervous then as I was, he probably didn't sleep at all for waiting. But I digress, I'm going off track.

Right. So that was the last time I set foot in the warehouse so early. Back in the training days. So I don't know how they run their shit. I work the Local Sort, which is the evening shift. The official start time is 5:30 PM, and it ends at 10:30, but of course there are exceptions. Like me. *sly grin*

When I was hired with Aaron, we both began to work at five, in the International Department. We stayed 'til past midnight. Back in those early days, our team consisted of us both, and Art, Alb�n, and Mayra. Art came in earlier than the rest of us and did the Holds.

Ok, backtrack here. "Holds" are packages we don't ship out. Domestic packages are a lot easier to flow through the UPS system than international ones. All you need on a domestic shipment is a receiving address. International requires a whole lotta paperwork shit and everything needs to be processed so the packages won't get held up in Customs. Still with me? Well, if anything, and I mean anything is missing, or done incorrectly by the customer on an International shipment, we hold it at the warehouse until we get the problem fixed. That's what Art used to do; deal with the customers during the day to get all that shit done and those boxes out of the warehouse. Eventually, Zamira was brought in to replace him due to an increase of volume. Art began to work with Aaron, Mayra and I at night. Then Mayra quit for a better job, and Art became a supervisor. It would've been hell for Aaron and me, so Zamira was moved to the night shift with us. Juan, who used to work in Clerical, was moved to International and took Zamira's old job in the day. Now, ever since peak in November, he's also been moved to the night shift. Except he's kind of an in-betweener. He comes in early enough to where he can still call customers and deal with the packages on Hold, but he can stay long enough to get only the International Express packages out. Express=Next Day Air, which means, of course, they get there the next day. Zamira and Juan get along very well; I'll bet their comradery rivals that of mine and Aaron's.

Because that's what this whole entry is about, really, how bad ass I get along with my coworkers and how I wouldn't rather work anywhere else; I love it where I'm at. But I was also getting deeper into that point: I wouldn't wanna work at any other area of the warehouse either. Tonight, I did some overtime to help out Clerical, even though that's not my team. I wanted the overtime, and they needed the help. And even though I get along alright with most of them (notice I stated most), it just wasn't the same. My people are, and always shall be (at least for now), Aaron, Zamira, Juan, and Alb�n. Ruben, my supervisor, can go to Hell and rot. He's been getting on my fuckin' nerves lately.

And I'm tired now, very tired, and very, very sore. Clerical's a tough job, at least the shit they had me doing. It irked me a bit, that tonight they seemed to take it easy because they knew they could lay a heavy hand on the International-team volunteer. They had me moving all the boxes for them and loading their trailers and shit. Not that I care. I appreciate the exercise. And like I mentioned, not all of the Clerks are asses, just a few. David's alright, and so is George and Cindy. Uh-huh... that's about it. Rick, Irma, Thelma.... I'd rather not comment about. Well, I will on Irma, at least. She's a bitch. A total whore. Can't stand her. Bitchbitchbitchbitchbitch. But I can block her out pretty well. Still, I'm glad I'm not in Clerical, and the worst I have to deal with are Ruben's cowardly chiding and Aaron's drunken escapades. And ironically, even though he can piss me off at times, it's Aaron that usually cheers my day right up. He's my most favorite coworker, maybe because we're less than a year apart in age, and we go to the same university and shit. Y'know, we're in the same point in our lives, even if we do have different views and values. I typed once here that he and I can never truly be friends, and I stick by that. But that doesn't mean we can't be comrades, at least at work. That's what he is to me. Es mi compadre. And Zamira is so sweet... I get along great with her too. I swear, I wouldn't mind wasting money on those two. Not a lot of money, mind you, because I'm kinda broke at the moment, but maybe some chips once and a while wouldn't hurt anyone, right? I just want them to know how much I appreciate having such badass coworkers around me; it's them that make my job worthwhile. Zamira, Juan, and Aaron. (And Alb�n; it's just that I hardly see the guy anymore.)