I’m currently working as a custodian for The Denver School of the Arts. I’ve been chronicling my experiences through social media and this blog post. I put a lot of my own complaints and frustrations down, primarily to accurately portray my true experiences. No filter. There are good days of course. One day, this could be sort of a memoir.
I refer to myself as The Teal Fairy because this is a character that I’ve created. I hope to one day write about The Teal Fairy going back to school to protect those that have the potential to grow and flourish. Schools need more fairies over firearms to ensure the safety of the youth. I also use The Teal Fairy persona as my way of expressing myself creatively outside of the written word.
Thank you for joining me on this journey!
Day Four Hundred & Fifty-seven: 9/24/2024
I called out of work yesterday, so I missed having to work on a Monday. Oh SHUCKS! I had a friend in town and we ended up partying a little too hard on Sunday night. So, when it came down to it I wasn’t up to working. However, I couldn’t do that again tonight. My boss literally reached out to me to confirm that I was working. However, I’m not working at The Denver School of the Arts.
I’m at the elementary school, like every Tuesday. At least for the remainder of this year and for probably a quarter of next year. Since I’m covering for a coworker I don’t really have a choice of where I work. So, until he no longer needs coverage I’ll be filling in. My boss and I were talking and he asked if it would be easier to rotate the coverage. Yes, that’s a possibility but it would make it much harder for the whole team. Why do that, if one person could just make it easier for everyone. I’m not going to be dishonest and say that I like working there.
There are aspects about the building that I don’t like. I’m not saying it’s better or worse than DSA. There are these little nuances that annoy me. It makes the job a bit more intolerable. I barely like being a custodian at all, but at DSA I’m this magical fixture. When I’m at the elementary school I feel like an odd creature.
Day Four Hundred & Fifty-eight: 9/25/2024
I’m back at DSA, thank goodness! I’m familiar with my space, I generally know what to expect and it’s my comfort zone. Granted, I’d prefer to work upstairs, but that option isn’t available to me. I think it would be less frustrating than having to deal with ridiculous teenagers. Today, some little twat drew a tally chart in the bathroom. Something to mark why you’re on the toilet. It wasn’t too difficult to remove, but I totally posted it on my Instagram account. I will use every opportunity to shame those that are acting out. Inappropriate language included.
On another note, we had our first performance. It was a Jazz Symposium. The director was happy with them. Especially since we are only in September, so there is plenty of room to improve as the calendar year progresses. These are his words. I didn’t hear how they were doing. As they played their instruments I was busy vacuuming the carpeted rooms. That process usually takes forty-five minutes to an hour.
All I want to do is complete my work so that I have downtime to complete other creative works. When some of my tasks can be fulfilled within a timely manner then there’s so much more time for my writings. Even though some of my writings have been suffering. I’m still allowing myself the time to sit in front of my laptop in hopes that the words will flow through me.
Day Four Hundred & Fifty-nine: 9/26/2024
It’s not that I don’t want to be helpful, but I really don’t like having to roam around the school trying to help a student find their lost item. I already have to walk the halls multiple times, I don’t need to add more to my steps because someone was thoughtless with their expensive items. Twice did I begrudgingly open up a classroom for someone. To no avail too! Basically they wasted my time.
I think I do most things in this building begrudgingly. I’m always grossed out by the trash that I have to collect from the outside receptacles. The metal lids are always scolding hot in the sun and it was in the nineties today. The heat also helps to percolate the stench of the trash. So by the time that I’m dumping it, it's just so gross. I deal with similar trash around the building too. Many times, the trash is wet. Dumped drinks spill and ferment with the rest of the substances. Barf!
You’d think that the bathrooms are the worst, but most of the time they aren’t too bad. The girl’s bathrooms are always a mess and the boy’s usually smell of urine. Except, they are far better then the ones at the elementary school. Lately I’ve been dealing with more improper use of tampons and menstrual pads placed around the space. Also graffiti. This is an art school, the stall walls are not the place to draw and doodle on.
All in all, I’ve become more and more indigent of the responsibilities that fall upon me. I’m grateful for the raises that I’ve received since I started, but not sure if this is where I want to be long-term. I only find joy in my appearance as The Teal Fairy. At least then, I’m expressing myself while I roam the halls.
Day Four Hundred & Sixty: 9/27/2024
No students today! Not a single student today! What a reprieve! What a wonderful respite from the mess that they make. It doesn’t mean that we get a night off or that we don’t have work to do. There’s always work…apparently. First, I want to vent about the ridiculousness that stemmed from my boss today.
We were reprimanded for changing out our trash liners on Thursday. The standard is changing the liners on Friday, but since we didn’t have students I suggested that we do it yesterday. If we were going to do detailed work today I thought it would be easier to check one time consuming task off our list. My crew lead agreed. It sounds like a good plan right?
Well, our facility manager made a huge deal about us changing the liners on Thursday rather than Friday. He specifically said that we shouldn’t have done that and to never do that again. I’m grateful that I wasn’t present for that conversation because I would have been extremely indigent and subversive. Possibly rude. Why the fuck does it matter?! My boss has some really annoying rules that are his and his alone. Like we aren’t allowed to use new towels or mop heads. Even though there are fresh ones in our storeroom. I’m willing to do this job, but don’t make it more difficult than it should be. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
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