Project Updates (& Patrick Hates Clay Dust)

Hello Star Tugs,

Happy Friday!! And happy Midsummer day...I think. I hope you're all doing well. I'm pretty tired, the last few weeks have been pretty hectic for me, this one in particular with work. As I have said before, working Custodial has been given me a new appreciation for the work our janitors do to keep the buildings we work in clean. 

Patrick Hates Clay Dust

For example, I was cleaning the Art building on campus today with 2 full staff members, and I had to clean the pottery room. The clay dust was forming a mini smog/fog in the air because of the movements of the broom! We couldn't use a vacuum in there, because it would destroy the sweepers we have (I think, all I know is the Boss said not to use it, and I did as she said. After accidentally using it for a hot minute. Woops 😋). 

So back to the clay smog, me and the other custodial staff had to wear masks to clean in the room, and this was AFTER I'd already swept yesterday. We tried a shopvac today, which our boss kindly brought over. Unfortunately, the shop vac wasn't working and it started shooting clay dust back out through vents!! As my boss and supervisor were trying to figure out how to get a second shopvac to work, I jokingly sang "Hello darkness my old friend." I had the Pentatonix and Simon and Garfunkel version of that song stuck in my head most of today, and I'm listening to the Pentatonix version as I write. 

(Unrelated Edition: I shared an article with CC the Martian, shout out to them on Twitter, about Vertigo comics being shut down by DC, article for reference: www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-hc-dc-comics-vertigo-20190621-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3IiqFIlC6VvTm4poungZBYhYiqYdW3TvoFF_hP6-fV4rneTiahtTInBbQ

They responded with "Hello Darkness my old friend" while the Pentatonix cover was still playing. That honestly scared the shit out of me. We both freaked out when I told them) 

The smog began to resemble a brown cloud, and we had to leave the room and let it settle. I see why the Arts Building is the most hated building on campus to clean. And I'm pretty sure my group is going back on Monday. Yay.... *screams internally.* 😅 

Custodial workers have a lot of ridiculous stuff they have to deal with. Washing windows and sweeping might not seem like hard work, but its as tiring as any other job, I'd argue possibly even more than. Thanks Janitors around the world for keeping our lives a little cleaner. Especially if you have to clean a pottery room, that is a level of Dante's Inferno for Custodians. 

Submission

All right, I should probably discuss a project or else I will be having false advertising. I submitted a short today, "Ticket to a Wrong Time." I don't think I'm allowed to say who I'm submitting it to, so I'm not going to risk it. In any case, I feel good about the story. I wrote "Ticket to a Wrong Time" in my Writing Fiction class, based on the assignment of making a story based off of a headline. 

I chose one related to trains (because I'm me, have you seen my twitter handle? 😛) of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust in the UK doing a special test run with their steam locomotive Tornado, built in 2008, as they brought her up to 100 mph. Though in mine things don't go to plan..., but I'll leave it at that, so I don't spoil it. Fingers crossed it does well. This' actually the first time I've submitted a story professionally to a non-college based group. 

Blog Work? 

So one last thing before I wrap this up. I'm sorry that I haven't been consistent with my blog posts. Work/Real Life has been getting in the way recently. I'm sure that you all understand. 

I am hoping to personalize the blog a bit more, so it's not just the standard Blogger form. I'm not sure how well this will go, since I'm still relatively new to Blogger, so please bare with me, any advice would be appreciated. 

Well, that's about it from me for now. Please feel free to subscribe here for updates, or follow me on Twitter, @ConductorPat. I sometimes run polls, and would love to interact with my readers more. Thanks for reading. Keep Writing (&/or reading) and I'll see you on the Tramway!