Karen's Letter After Two Months Working

September 20, 1994

Dear Jack,

I am doing very well at work, excited as ever. I enjoy it thoroughly. I have made a list of different procedures to always refer to. We get soil in from Washington D.C. They have an identification for the samples, five samples at a time, like how deep it was dug. Here is an example:

I have to hit the dirt. It sits in the freezer until I prepare it for the chemists, so it is frozen. I get the clear plastic cylinder in the plastic bag, which I had to weigh before hand and write the weight on the bag. When all of the dirt is in the bag, I have to weigh it in grams then subtract the mass of the bag. I then set up the grinder, put dry ice in the pan and grind the dirt in the pan and dry ice on top. I have to pour it in the grinder three times then put it in the plastic container which I also weigh in advance and write down. When I'm done I pour it into the container and put a lid on it. The lid is loose otherwise it will explode because the pressure is too much.

Thank you ever so much. Without your support, I would not be where I am now. I enjoy my job so much! The prep sample room I work in is sloppy, so I started a while ago organizing the area. I have only done a small amount so far.

I know how to use the riffler (not electric), plus three other machines. It took me three weeks to learn the procedure of paperwork. I have it down though. I can do it quickly. I have a drive everyday to look forward to what awaits me. I keep myself reminded how important this job is to me, so I keep my ears and eyes open but my mouth shut.

Being there at Medallion helped me tremendously socializing and learning how to learn. I give credit to Patience Garner and Matt Cottle. Patience mostly. I learned about having a relationship and having one all the time is very difficult, a lot of pressure. Meaning if I break up, I don't have to run out and find someone. Thought I would share one of the things I learned. One of the many.

A lot of the people who come there about my age have absolutely no idea of how important being responsible is. I can never stress that enough. They take the training course doing a "half ass" job and barely pass through. They get in job club and sit there with their hands up their rear - both not one. Then when they finally get a job, and move out on their own, they will get in the same mess again. It makes me upset because they make it so complicated, when it is really not. Also a lot of those people who are my age or so are very insecure. They do what everyone else is doing. It is absolutely pathetic.

Job Club - a group of people who meet while they look for jobs, usually at a community rehabilitation center. The people in a job club will read want ads, make phone calls, write resumes, and try to set up interviews. Someone from the rehabilitation center will be the leader of the job club in case people need help.

I am an independent woman. I need not depend on anyone. I do it on my own!

Once again thank you. Your friend,

Karen

P.S. Last week I got a 50 cent raise. I make $6.00/hour now. My title is Laboratory Technician One.

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