Census

I'm slowing getting you updated on my life... I won't be joining in the Fill in The Blank Friday today, because the theme is books and I've read maybe a dozen in my entire lifetime.  I just don't think it would be fun for anyone to read on my little ol' blog.

So... In my last post I introduced you to my new niece, Cayden Taylor.  She was born one week ago today, so I posted about her before I told you about my week of training... because, well... I like to do things out of order as they are important to me.

I'm an official Census worker; government employee.  Last week I had to attend training Tuesday through Friday.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be... it was just a lot of anal paperwork rules and things of the sort.  It is the government, after all.  So my job is like this: I am free to work up to 40 hours a week if I so choose, but expected to work at least 20 hours.  I am assigned x number of 'cases', which are housing units that did not send in their Census questionnaire.  I have to go to the assigned address and fill out a questionnaire with them.  If no one is home, I leave a note telling them to call me, if they don't call, I go back.  It's a very easy seeming job until you come across the house where people are uncooperative.  People say they sent their in, and maybe they did.. but I've been assigned to the address for a reason... so, maybe they didn't.  Maybe it got lost in the mail, maybe your husband didn't mail it like he meant to, maybe you sent it after the deadline.  Who knows, all I know is that I'm at your house for a reason, so don't give me a hard time.

Several people have expressed their concern for me, a lady in her late 20's (OMG, that is not an easy thing to say late 20's, ugh)... going to door to door.  The Census Bureau has been very supportive to all of us stating that if, for any reason at all, we do not feel comfortable (dog, scary man, screams coming from inside the house, etc.) that I am to leave and make a note of why I left so they can determine if they should send someone back.  So I feel okay about it.

I've gone out a few times now and, in all honesty, it's the getting out of my house that is the hardest.  I get nervous.  People are NOT patient, or at least that is why I've come to believe about people.  The form I have to fill out with them is long and extremely cumbersome.  It takes 10 minutes, on average, to fill it out.  It's a tri-fold 8.5x11 sheet of paper, front and back.  So I feel like I'm a pain in their ass, and I am.  I just need to remember that I am there to do a job, and it's not my fault their form wasn't sent in or counted.  Once I knock on the first door it is a huge weight lifted and all the rest is cake.

So now, the only downfall of this is that, if I'm expected to work 20 or so hours, I need to get out some during the week and some on the weekend.  How do I incorporate my gym schedule into my newly busy work schedule?  I didn't make it to the gym at all this week, and that upsets me.  I really need to make it there at least 3 times a week.  I don't know how to do that yet.

That is all for now.