Benefits

You know those jobs that have special little benefits?? Some people might call them bribes, but whatever...those jobs where people will give you a little something so things go their way. I am sure politicians get it all the time. I, on the other hand, have never had one of those jobs. That is, until yesterday.

Yesterday I had to take one hell of a road trip for work. I was all over the state of Ohio collecting samples for micro testing. We have a field crew who always does this type of thing, so I am always behind the scenes in the lab just running the samples. I have very little client contact except over the phone. Well, turns out that this one client who is located in Ohio (and many other states) did not want the field crew to collect their samples. For some unknown reason it was important to them to have a certified Microbiologist doing the collecting. It's a once a month deal and takes about twelve hours to drive up and go to all of our locations. Tarp and I rotate the trip so it really doesn't come up that often. Tarp had gone the last two times to get the route down, so yesterday was my first trip.

I put on my lab's hat and roll out the door. I was actually supposed to wear one of the lab shirts as well, but seeing as how I do not own one, I went with the classic white T. I believe I was representing the company well...anyway, I roll into the first two stores with no big fan-fair. I take my frozen custard samples and head out to the next store. When I arrive at the third store I notice the manager is rather chatty. I talk to her as I am working...just random chit chat. Then she asks me how I like driving around all day for a living. I tell her that I actually don't do this for a living, that I am a microbiologist, but that they were having one of us collect all the samples. Everything changed. She started being sooo nice. Then...THEN she is like, " So, have you ever had our frozen custard?"(huge grin on her face which tells me she is thinking this will make sure her results come back as clean) I tell her that I haven't and she is all like, " Well, THAT won't do! You can have whatever you like!" So...I walk out of that store with a HUGE waffle cone filled with chocolate vanilla swirl. The manager so wanted to add sprinkles and hot fudge...but I thought it might be a little difficult to handle on the road. (I do have limits...although you would not have known it if you had seem me driving threw your town with my mapquest propped up against the steering wheel in one hand while the other was holding my waffle cone up to my face....)

So, maybe my free ice cream was not that big of a deal, but it was basically the first time I have ever been given something just because of what I do for a living...maybe I should never go into politics. Then again...I never mentioned to her that even though I am a microbiologist...I don't actually do the FOOD micro...we ship them out to our other lab...so you know...I wasn't running her samples either way. He he....maybe I would be a great politician!