The Graveyard

Friday, July 17, 2009

I know what it probably was although it usually takes a long time for anything like what they are talking about to happen. I think the lady should just forget the whole thing. I certainly don't miss that job after seeing this.

2 minutes 14 seconds

Thursday, August 14, 2008

I awoke Wednesday and sat up at the end of my bed for a minute. Looking at the clock I thought "I can't do this anymore..."
A lot more has happened and it's all not that good.

So tomorrow I start up with an old profession of mine, Painting.
I'm a little nervous but

the kicker is, I'll make more money. So hopefully it works out.

As far as being a graveyard worker? Maybe with another
company.
But I doubt it.
I've seen too much and it's hard to explain...
Maybe someday.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The new system is not working everyone says.

(Exit from Mt. Hope last year when they were fixing the sidewalk)

There was a woman upset today when their family showed up 15 minutes early. The set up was put near the garden of trinity, but without a tent. Because the tents that people paid for, were being used at two other areas. The next funeral complained about seeing a casket in the open set up with no tent where her father was going to be. They had been to Mt. Hope before and used a tent. The casket would have been gone if they hadn't shown up early. We had 5 burials today and all took a lot longer because of the new system. Another family was waiting for us and stuck around worried about flowers. I had to give a guy a ride to the burial in the back of the park because he used the bathroom and they left him there, he must of said he would walk?
Brad operated the backhoe today, even though I'm pretty sure it was my turn to dig.
He ended up having to stay later than everyone else.
Had a little problem putting the casket into the back of the hearse. It sat on a rolling casket device which is made to stay on the cart with rubber stoppers. We usually only need two to do this but we improvised and picked it up from the middle. It was not light, I'll tell you that.
The lady complaining asked who our boss was to the counselor. But she didn't notice us having troubles with the casket luckily. It was the cart that was the problem. I got out of there before I could hear everything. I was in so much of a hurry that I forgot the flowers until Ron said something about them. So we got out and continued to hear the woman irate about what was happening without a tent.
Days like these are not much fun.
I even told that very counselor because she asked what was wrong earlier on that day. I could tell at about 10:00 am, exactly what kind of day I was about to have. I said to her "The way this day is going", "anything that could go wrong, will..."
It's a feeling I get and I didn't even mention everything that happened here. But I think the few thing's I stated might be clear enough. It's numerous thing's, combined all together.
Everyone talking and acting like they want to quit.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Sorry about no pictures. I keep forgetting my camera!
My co-workers all speak of quiting or getting fired. A lot of things are changing, maybe it's for the better?
I call it the "Witness Burial" although that's not what they call it.
It's simply moving the tent over the hole and setting up a memorial area. So people can have their service right were their loved ones are going to be buried. This of course does not come without a cost. I believe it's $100 U.S. dollars extra.
This is only one of the changes, with possibly more to come?

Being a backhoe operator has become somewhat of a burden now.
It's a good thing that Brad (co-worker) and I had switched on and off using the backhoe. Because I really felt the need to take a break from it.
Just a couple days...
I appreciate the break but I could tell earlier,
that it wouldn't be fair to leave all the responsibility on him. He was a little frustrated and I don't blame him. He brought up the fact, after I was supposed to meet him at the grave to dig, but the dump truck didn't want to start. Big Surprise!
It took me about ten minutes just messing with the battery wires on the truck. I even had help, but he gave up about five minutes into it. I don't blame him either. Anyways, he said it gave him time to think about how little we were getting paid to work at a graveyard. And everything we have to deal with.
All I could do is agree.
Yet like every job almost, they expect their employees to bend over backwards and do flips for them?

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

No new pics, for I have failed to show up a number of days. Although they are not in a row, they are adding up.
The pay isn't there, so I am unhappy with the way things have gone.
Looks bad on my resume!
If I go through another interview, they will see how little I was paid and think I maybe satisfied with only a small raise.
Not to happy with this way of thinking, they are messing with my life?
Not a good idea. I might just have to leave.
They are going to lose a good worker if they continue.
Say good riddance?

Friday, June 13, 2008

We are now using a lowering device for all of our burials. Today the casket almost fell into the hole because the 116 pound 63 year old woman almost dropped it because it was to heavy for her. She is not fit for the job. I barely held it up. until someone from the other end had to come around and pick up her slack. Luckily no one was witnessing.
It's hard to explain but they want us to lower in the bottom of the vault first. Then use the lowering device which includes pliers to even work it(real professional) and then lower the lid and continue to get three to four loads of dirt from the field to cover it up.
We had 4 burials. Maybe I'll take pictures tomorrow to show you what I mean.
Today may have been the worse day yet for me while working at Mt. Hope.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

I worked 13 days in a row and got written up for being late yesterday. I just feel like the appreciation was not only gone but was never there to begin with. That is one thing that isn't different with this job. It has nothing to do with the write up either. We got bought out and there is plenty talk of there being change, but I'll believe it when I see it. They gave us a hat to wear saying "promises kept"? I have to say there has already been promises that were broken.
But what do I know I'm just a lowly grave digger making a little more than a McDonald worker.
I would think burying people is a big deal and not everyone is fit for the job. But I still get treated like I'm nothing.
I like the people I work with or at least most of them but the pay is not making ends meet for me.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

I worked at Mount Hope Memorial Gardens during the full weekend of Memorial Day.
Tomorrow will be the day that Veterans are supposed to be remembered?
It's turned into a monster like every other holiday there is out there!
I could not see much of a reason to be there on Sunday though. I highly doubt any of my bosses worked over the weekend.
But what they expect, is more than a burden.
They actually gave the sales people WD-40 to clean the bronze markers!
Apparently,they know very little about WD-40 and the effects it has on bronze?

It's weird how the hard workers always get over looked?

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A lot of digging and tons of frustration.

But things are actually good outside of work.

I just need to hang in there...

Thursday, May 08, 2008

I actually wish I worked the "graveyard shift"

It's weird to me that there is no shift, like the graveyard shift anymore?
Even if I wanted to work at night, I can't?
Instead I have to wake up at the same time as usual this Saturday!
Be there at 7:30 again and then again till memorial day.

I can't wait...

I wish to change things?

Thursday, May 01, 2008

There's a chance my Uncle may be buried at Mount Hope. If he did get buried there I guess I get a discount on the vault and I think the internment. I could be a witness instead of always doing the work. But I think if he did get buried there I would have to do the digging and the covering.
I would feel kind of obligated to do so.
But it may be too expensive to bring him that far.
We now have two seasonal employees working with us to help until the fall. I'm not going to say anymore about them. I'll be nice.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I can't wait until Thursday. Thursday I get the day off. The only reason I get it off is because there is one infant burial and they don't need me for that. Plus it's my birthday. I think I'll just sleep all day. I'm so exhausted lately that I can barely think.
It's been about a year and until my vacation I hadn't had a Saturday off. 6 days a week Non Stop.
I've buried so many people personally and dug so many holes I have lost track of how many. That kind of worries me a little. I feel I'm becoming more and more desensitized by it every day.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

I know I speak harshly about my place of employment. But I do realize that I'm better off. Not having a job at all, would not be good either? I feel as if I'm stuck, in a "dead end job" is all? I don't want that to happen again or ever. To anyone!

At the same time, I realize people are working hard for minimal pay. NOT RIGHT!

People get Labor Day off, but the real Laborer's do not?
Why would they taunt us like that?
Laborer's get no recognition at all.
Barely Any, that is, for a low worker like me...
Laborer's are the backbone of most places of business.
Without them, they would be basically be out of luck.

"Figure it out," they always say that, don't they?...
Here is everything but what you need to finish the job, but make sure and get it done by this date?
The materials we need though, are not there to complete the job?
The date has been moved forward to mother's day? It used to be Memorial day but they decided to change things.
Bla,Bla,Bla.

Complaining, really has never got me anywhere?

Yet I continue to do so??????

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

We were told at Mount Hope that we have the dirtiest vehicle's out of every park affiliated with us?
That's because we use the vehicle's regularly. We do way more burials than the other parks. If I'm not mistaken, we do the most burials, when compared to the rest...
All I'm saying is that there is a reason why our machinery is dirty?
It has to do with drainage failure. And I might as well mention, flat lands throughout the park does not help...
I would have to begin with, I take it as a compliment! :) Because it shows how much work we have actually accomplished. In every mud splatter there was hard work involved.
There's not much time between changing batteries, switching jumper cables from one vehicle to the next, to start half the equipment, rather than much else, worry about how it looks. Praying that anything works is the key? The Scissor Lift works sometimes? Sometimes? Especially, after it's been rigged so many times? (To where, you would have to know how it's rigged to get it to work properly?)
The Dump Truck is tricky? That's a secret I don't let out to often? Mostly because it's a pain in the arse to figure out!!!

I wont even get into the customer's that are expecting miracles?

Blah,Blah,Blah! I love my job...?

I shouldn't complain so much?!?

Sunday, April 13, 2008

A lot of people know of the hard times economically we are experiencing in Michigan.

It's really bothering me.

Which is why I cannot understand how people in the same company as me and are doing the exact same job, but they are making more money than me. I'm talking like 6 to 10 more dollars than me possibly even more? If this does not change soon I'm not sure of what I will do? Now that I have more seniority means of course more work. I didn't ask for this but I received just that and at the same pay, but I have no choice? Our particular contract has been void since July 2006 I believe.
The state doesn't seem to want anything to do with us, except to keep us burying people for minimal pay. Until someone buys us, I have no idea when that will be? Since I've been working there all I hear are promises of better things. But I have seen nothing...
The last Union meeting I was at, a guy asked me which park I worked at? I of course told him Mount Hope and he responded "Oh, Mount Hopeless huh?". I now know what he means by that.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

There is supposed to be a new guy tomorrow named Ron. Although he is not new, he used to work there for an extended period of time! I can't remember exactly how many years but it is more than a few.
He is still considered the "Low Man" as they say.
I don't consider anyone really lower than me. Only the ones that are higher concern me.
I'm somehow 2nd overall, as far as the grounds crew goes. I could, but I don't tell co-workers what to do. I remember what it's like to have someone tell me what to do at other jobs. I didn't like it and I assume most people don't respond to it very good. It works for me to just ask in a polite way, if they could possibly do something for me.
This job is different as far as the way we deal with each other. It's laid back. Do your job and you won't have a problem. I'm comfortable with everything but the pay. People doing the same job in my company are making considerable amounts of money compared to us at Mt. Hope.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

This is my 100th post to this site.

It's been a long road to be where I'm at.

I'm now the Steward for our particular graveyard, called "Mount Hope Memorial Gardens."

I've been the Steward for over a month or two, which consists of negotiations on how much they pay. It also touches on grievances that a certain employee may come up with, that employee can go to me for any complaint within 2 days of the incident. Instead of always going to the boss, which sometimes may feel more awkward. They can come to their Steward. Even being new to it I have to negotiate with people higher up. Medical,Dental as well.

Right now we are really short on workers. It's tough working at a job that barely provides the proper tools and equipment to do the job. But as soon as the backhoe broke down we got a replacement within a couple hours. Good job on getting what we needed there. That day was last Friday March 14. We worked a half hour later than usual. The last hour and a half, was one of the longest parts of the day in a long time. The feeling for me was that day, is my last and it was never going to end...
Certain days are like that though, right?

Anyways, I feel pretty stressed out so far the way this job is going.
I start my vacation yesterday but still I'm unsure if they need me at my job?
I've been holding out this vacation for about 6 months now and I feel I need this!

I'm second guessing myself on if it's even legal for me to take a vacation, short maned and all? I should know this being the Steward?
I feel bad for them working without my help. I thought about calling and knowing for sure if they need my help.
I've really put up with a lot as far as this job goes. But they have me right where they want me? I can't quit knowing it's so hard to find a job in Michigan which is, or was, number 1 in the United States hardest to find a job!

On top of that, two city's that I heard were also the worst in the United States were two that are in Michigan.
Which I would think most people would see these things and not want to move here?
I don't blame them. Businesses included.
So I see it as David Shipper is taking a chance as well by buying us after the reputation we've had as a company?
It goes too deep? I could go on for a long time but I have decided I'm done for now.
If you've read this far, seroiusly thanks for reading!!!

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