The Rose Farm

On Friday 1st February Wade rang to say he had a job for me. I
could not believe it! He wanted me to sign the paper work right
away. But I had just been down town and had only just pulled
into my driveway so he bought the paper work out to me to do.

The job was at The Rose Farm and it was to be 7.30 a.m. to
3.30 p.m. with overtime if you were good enough each day and
overtime at the weekend too.

I arrived to find that there were four of us employed for the
period up to Valentine's Day. It turned out that the girl
showing us what to do was Ted's (from Euchre) daughter in law.
I had met her when she and her husband came to cards a couple
of times.

We were to wrap the roses in cellopane and sticky tape that and
put them back into clean buckets of water, ten bunches to a
bucket, ten roses to a bunch. They had already been bunched.

We were working in a cool room where the temperature was 2
degrees. I had put on my beanie so there was no problem with
my ears. I forgot a coat but another supervisor lent me hers
as she did not need it and I was wearing socks and sneakers.
But I found that after one hour my hands were so cold that they
began to hurt and go numb and I could not feel the cellopane or
pull the tape right, so I had to take a break and warm my hands.

They brought in a bucket of warm water but after another hour I
knew it was impossible to continue it was just too painful.

I have never quit a job before in my life and I was so sorry but
there it was. They didn't seem surprised. I guess they have a
lot of people who can't handle the cold.

I went straight to Wade and told him what happened.

It has been six hours since I left and my fingers are still
tingly! I took a pair of gloves but it turned out it was not
possible to wear them and do the work. I left one glove behind!
(They never retuned it either!)

If the cold had not have got to my hands first I think I would
have only lasted till lunch time (1 p.m) anyway as the work was
done standing up and after the two hours there and a further 50
minutes standing in the dole queue line my back was aching!

The doctor has only recommened me to stand for twnety minutes
before a break and fifty minutes sitting before I have to stretch
my legs.

Also we were told that the work was daily from 7.30 a.m. to
5 p.m. and we might even have to work till 6 p.m.! Right then I
was thinking how can I tell them I need to leave at 4 p.m. at
the latest to get to Centerlink to put my form in. Turned out
that wasn't a problem. I don't know how Angie does it. She
must have great circulation.

I wonder if I was the only one to quit and how long the others
lasted as Sharon said she had back problems and Pete was also
having trouble with his hands getting cold. The only one who
seemed OK was Ryan.

Saw Pete next day he lasted till lunch time.

Wade said the other girl quit at the end of the day as she had
problems standing, like me.