Work...

I was employed for two years at a dog grooming shop. I never asked for the job or applied. One day this woman (Heather) calls me because she had heard good things about me and asked if I wanted the job. I told her I'd take it, and started working part time. After about a month of working part-time I began working more until it was a full-time position.

During this time I just did my job and did a damn good job at it. This woman raved how I was the best groomers assistant she'd ever had. Later she went on to ask if I wanted to be trained to groom. I was skeptical but had been working in a grooming shop since I was 16. I so badly had wanted to groom dogs, it was something I knew I'd be good at, and it was working with animals which I love. Well, I soon became pregnant with my 3rd son and during my pregnancy she was "training" me. The training she provided was not what I expected. It consisted of her leaving me with the dog with very little direction given to me. I was so confused and nervous I'd do something wrong. I didn't want to mess up a dogs hair cut when the costumer was paying good money to have them cut. My boss never even asked the dogs owners if it was ok that she had a trainee working on their dog. At least if she had told them that I would have felt somewhat better knowing they were ok with it if I made a mistake.
I came into work one day a week for FREE. I stood around waiting for her to instruct me on what to do most of the time. Once I had some direction I'd do what needed to be done. Nothing was ever good enough, even when I thought I did good. I would always leave angry! I was giving up time away from my boys to work for her for free. Not only was I grooming one of her dogs that she was being paid for absolutely free, but she expected me to clean her shop before I left to. What the hell!!! She was crazy! But she kept telling herself she was doing me a favor, and said it on several occasions.

On top of everything my boss's sister-in-law lives across the street from my family. My husband began to hear rumors, and they kept on spreading. A friend of my husbands told him who had started the rumor's. Not a big surprise who started them, my boss's sister-in-law. Certain things the woman spread were only things my boss knew about. For example my dogs, and cats. It was just one thing after another.

It all finally ended when I came back from maternity leave. I had worked a total of eight days, and she claimed I "wasn't living up to her expectations". I was so angry. I never asked to be trained to groom, and when she offered I thought she would have actually trained me rather then what she did and called it training. It's all upsetting to me. I feel like I've wasted two years of my life, and valuable time with my family.

But as for the dog grooming, I'm done with it. I'm stuck on what I'm going to do job wise. My first thought is to go to school for something. Right now I am still grooming my grandparents dog. I do a good job, even though my boss said I wasn't "living up to her expectations". I know I did good because of what clients said. I got a ten dollar tip the one day on a dog I groomed, they were impressed. So everything I learned from my first grooming job is what really taught me how to groom. I loved my 1st job at the grooming shop in Md. The only reason I left was because the owner closed the shop. Ms. Barb (the owner) taught me so much. Back then I enjoyed working, and loved my job. I can honestly say my recent former employer made me hate my job.

I am currently a stay at home mom, and have been since the beginning of August. I love being home with my kids, and wish it was permanent. But with the way the economy is I eventually have to work. Right now is my time with my kids, and trying to figure out what I will do job wise in the future. Most likely it will involve school.