I'd intended to cook Mycroft a nice dinner, to celebrate his finishing his exams and being back with us.
But work sort of put the kybosh on that plan. And instead I was eating a semi-warm wrap at ten thousand feet, or however high planes fligh. Or fly. Spelling....
Anyway, he cooked for me/all of us, instead. Which was lovely. Ably abetted by John.
My day really wasn't that bad. The bloke had given himself up - so he wasn't that bothered about being escorted 'home'. Wasn't angry or anything. He...well, he didn't seem that bad, in the grand scheme of things. Averagley homophobic...thought he was God's gift, so immediately found it odd that I didn't fancy him. Slightly amusing, trying to convince everyone he was the officer and I was the prisoner. Sadly he didn't have a warrant card...
Sherlock was very pleased to see me home - I mean, they all were. But Sherlock wanted to ask me a million questions. Including 'If he was bad, you should have just thrown him out of the plane'.
John didn't sleep much the night before - as you've all seen, so he was looking a bit zombie-fied by the time we went to bed. But I was inexplicably awake. Which has meant I've been a zombie today. But that was fine, as we headed out, and it was a lovely day. We went along the river.
Saw a man with an Eagle.
Got a boat way out to North Greenwich, just because we could. Sherlock likes seeing the police boats (Why don't you have a boat?) and, on the way back, we stopped at the Maritime Museum, because we hadn't been there before.
Mycroft liked the incredibly old, incredibly detailed models the best, and the strange star-map...thing, below. Sherlock liked the swords. And blunderbus, and guns which fired 7 bullets at once...
Once we were done, and had sheltered from a thunderstorm by stopping for coffee, we headed home. Where I promptly fell asleep. Which means I'm awake now... the cycle continues.
Mycroft wants to find a job for the summer. John and I are both very much in favour of this, but it's not an easy economic climate to find a first job. Especially when it'll only be for the summer...
He's pondered just going for a shop job - as in supermarket. He's thought about maybe seeing if a computer/IT place might take him on as additional technical help for customers (John and I will lay bets on how long before he goes on a killing spree amongst unfortunate technically illiterate folks...). I suggested being a waiter...or asking if he could help in a coffee shop (providing I get family discount.) Not a chain one, but a little indy nice one. Or a bakery.
Anyway, he's thinking. I'm sure he'll find something.
92 comments:
If he ends up working at Starbucks, will you start going there?
Only to drag him out...
I think we both know who would lose that battle.
Starbucks?
Indeed.
Sounds like a good day, all round. :)
Best of luck with the summer job hunting, Mycroft. I'm sure you'll get a lot of value out of the experience.
And good luck to you all in your couch-hunting--assuming that's on the schedule for tomorrow! :)
There are lots of really different summer jobs and internships out there specifically aimed at teens. Your local library may have lists or books which would help you find one.
L, if you're still awake, you might enjoy watching the video over here: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/198876/rare-color-film-shows-what-london-looked-like-in-1927/ I, at least, am vastly amused by "The all-powerful hand" bit.
I'd say 7 out of 10 young people I know who've found a summer/part time/first job in recent years were in some way known to the employer. Not necessarily "Family member X knows Y and Y needs someone," (though sometimes like that.) Sometimes at an establishment where the kid or their family is known, at least by sight; or somewhere that a person who attends their school already works and can vouch they at least aren't known axe murderers, or where a friend works who can alert them when a job is opening up and if there are "magic words" the interviewer wants to hear. Sometimes they get jobs assisting coaches or instructors whom they have had. Some young people tutor, though if you work through a company rather than individually you usually have to drive, here.
Good luck, Mycroft! The second job is usually much easier to get than the first.
formerlyAnon
The first job is usually the hardest, but it's also nice to get the experience under your belt. My brother's first job was one I passed down to him, helping a blind engineer with his computer work. The little brat far surpassed me and ended up working IT for the scientists at the lab. :)
fA - I would be happy for him to work in any of the delis/coffee shops/bakeries we frequent. ;) However, they might decide it's not worth the risk, having all seen how much food Sherlock can eat! They may fear for their stock, if Mycroft knows all their secrets...
RSF - There are lots of really different summer jobs and internships out there specifically aimed at teens. Your local library may have lists or books which would help you find one.
Really? I...have never heard of that. Or imagined the library could help. Plus, like I said, so many jobs which used to be 'first jobs' for people are now taken by others who just need to be working, so will take an 'entry level' job, even though they are more qualified than that.
He doesn't really want an internship. But you never know, something might turn up that changes his mind.
I bet Mycroft could make a small fortune doing tutoring over the summer if you wanted to keep him away from Starbucks, Greg. He could probably find many willing pupils at school who haven't done as well as they hoped in exams - or certainly as well as their parents hoped. :) Perhaps he'd want to steer away from school work for a break though and try something completely different. Good luck with it all anyway.
Have fun bouncing on furniture if that's what you're up to today - or more likely stopping Sherlock from doing the same. ;)
I actually think that's a really good idea. It would be useful/instructional for Mycroft to see what problems 'ordinary' people experience!
I think it's good for everyone to have experience of working with the public - as a shop assistant, bar staff, barista, whatever - it gives you a whole new perspective on why you should treat people with respect.
Nameless - I agree. I think Mycroft does too.
Sherlock has had his shoes confiscated for jumping on sofas with them on.
How many strangers have you had tut at you for that? ;-)
I hope you find exactly the right sofa and Sherlock finds a better way of assessing them :-)
I don't think he thinks there is a better way... He wants to make sure it isn't too puny!!
We have at least toned down the colour choices...
I didn't think his choices before were all that garish.
Mycroft, noodling around the web I found a couple of sites that might interest you. http://www.studentjob.co.uk/ had a lot of listings for older students, but also things like "lice assassin".
And while the listings at the other vary, they do a nice job of letting you know about categories, for example: http://www.e4s.co.uk/docs/summer-outdoor-jobs.htm
I can say that working at an amusement park, you'd definitely get a lot of experience dealing with the public, but be wary of how they arrange to pay you. Been there, done that, and boy, did they find ways not to have to pay the raises you were supposed to get each month!
The only thing about lots of retail/customer service jobs is that they can be very intellectually boring and repetitive, which would probably be a challenge for Mycroft to deal with. But they teach you all kinds of things about how people behave.
Ella
I always thing dull unexciting colors are the way to go with furniture, as there is enough visual interest added by the debris of daily life. But some people are perhaps tidier than I. I hope you pick something with a near equivalent in a catalog, so the nosy Internet (um, me) can get a look at what you've chosen!
formerlyAnon
I like strong colors for furniture myself, in single solid colors for large pieces--I like to save patterns for accents, or to go with subtle monocolor patterns. But It's all about what makes you feel comfortable, in the end, isn't it?
I'm guessing Mycroft might be better than some of we less-intellectually-gifted sorts at working with and for people less intelligent - he's probably spent most of his life learning how to interact productively with those less intelligent! It IS a special kind of hell, though, when the person who does the scheduling isn't up to the task, and is your boss, and is not receptive to assistance, and the results of that roll downhill to ruin everyone's life.
formerlyAnon
I think he needs something local, which sort of puts amusement parks out of it - but I'm curious, what sort of raise were you supposed to get, and why didn't you get it??
We...might have picked a sofa. Colour is still under debate. I want brown.
What are the options, color-wise? (And what shade of brown?)
Brown is a nice, cosy color. And won't compete with the wallpaper.
(Did anyone see the Australian men's final? I'm watching a replay now, sort of, in the backgound. Painful.)
fA
Accent pillows in All The Colors, for a compromise.
fA
I thought leather would be good. Mycroft agreed. The others didn't. I like a sort of cocoa brown. Sherlock isn't letting the lack of actual options cramp his style...
The dogs seem to have claimed the old sofa cushions for their beds. Even though they don't really fit on them.
Leather looks and feels luxurious and it's easy to keep clean, but it's also easy to damage and sticky to sit on in summer. Pros and cons!
I like the idea of a rainbow of pillows, fA. :)
Leather gets all sweaty when you sleep on it, which is why I prefer cloth, but pleather is just plain bad all the way around.
As for the amusement park, the come on was a ten cents per hour raise each month, (May, June, July, August, September weekends) but what they didn't tell you was that you collected it as bonus money and only if you made it all the way to the very end of the season. Otherwise, you lost out. For people who had to go back to school, or who had parents who wanted to pull them out for vacattions, etc., the criteria was very hard to meet. We ended the summer with less than a third of the people who had started at the beginning and the rest all new hires we were training as we went along.
Maybe Mycroft can find work in a restaurant kitchen? Or as a teen "ambassador" for one of the museums? The local museums and the aquarium here have some really good programs for teens, both volunteer and paid.
I want orange.
Orange throw pillows on a deep brown couch would be very striking--and wouldn't show dirt or dog/degu hair as much. ;)
I think I would prefer a job where I come into contact with the public a lot. I've never really done anything like that. There were very few people at the Big House, and school isn't exactly a broad spectrum of society.
I'm going to ask in a few local shops.
I'm sure it'll be a very education experience for you. Probably more so than school, honestly.
Yeah, can't avoid the public forever - they're everywhere, doing silly things, getting in the way ;)
Sherlock is desperate for you to work in an ice cream shop or a bakery. But he will eat your wages...
ICE CREAM!
One of my nephews worked in a bagel shop/bakery last summer, and he brought home a box of day-old donuts every day. :)
I think I'm going to start running to and from work.
I'm going to tell everyone good that they should employ Mycroft because he's not here to. How much money will he earn? Can I have a job and pocket money?
This one has LOADS of colours
http://www.sofaworks.co.uk/sofas/sensation
Those are certainly...a lot of colours, yes.
How much money Mycroft earns depends on how many hours of work they can give him, and how much they pay, kiddo. We won't know until someone makes a job offer with that information.
I hope to earn enough to rent my own flat, if you purchase that sofa, Sherlock.
Or at the very least, buy a large throw.
Or some sunglasses...
Ice cream shop was my first "real" job. We couldn't give discounts to others, but got a discount and limited freebies ourselves. You really CAN get tired of ice cream, counterintuitive though that is.
(Sending "boring" vibes toward the sofa selection committee, Greg. Luck.)
fA
That certainly is a very decorative sofa Sherlock. I think it works well in that photo, where it's in a very big, empty, monochrome room. I can't imagine it working so well in a smaller or more colourful room though.
Good luck with the job hunt, Mycroft. There's nothing quite like earning your own money to make you appreciate it :-) And I think you're right about working with the public (in fact, that might affect the places you apply to as well; not going to see much variety of the human condition stacking shelves in Harrods :-p)
Damn, and I was looking forward to a staff discount on my daily lunch of caviar and champagne.
Maybe Mycroft can get a job in a Greggs or Subway? Or maybe Dominos, to keep Sherlock happy :-)
Domino's is rubbish they don't even have ovens with flames or throw their dough. He should do ice cream or cakes. Or a proper pizza place
Just remember, Mycroft, if you get a job working with the public, you can't strangle them, no matter how tempting. People are very silly, and get upset over very small things, then take it out on the person who has the least control over the situation. Actually, thinking about it, it would probably be very good practice for going into politics, if that's what you decide to do.
Ooh that reminds me of a film where the owner of a pizza shop throws people balls of dough and then they throw it back to him and he catches them in his mouth, but I can't for the life of me think what it is now, - anyone?
Piplover, you are so right! It's so odd working with the public. You can't tell who simply has no manners, who's having a bad day and over reacting, and who is just not bright enough to understand. I've sometimes been surprised that the nicest people are actually having very difficult lives but have managed not to let it spill over.
And we will draw a veil over the times I've realized I've just said something incredibly stupid to the poor person trying to help me, because I was thinking of whatever-it-is from an entirely different angle than they were.
fA
Just remember, Mycroft, if you get a job working with the public, you can't strangle them, no matter how tempting.
He's got this far without strangling Sherlock, John or me. I think he'd be okay.
Ice cream shops can be fun to work for. I was a soda jerk for a while and I really enjoyed it. The regulars were interesting, and I worked in a place where my boss didn't mind if we invented new combinations. But whether you work primarily with the public (like a docent in a museum) or primarily in the back room, you'll still learn a lot on a first job about how people interact and what's expected. I've wanted to strangle co-workers quite as often as I've wanted to strangle the public. Local shops are a good option, though, because being able to walk to work is a joy. It gives you a good transition into the work day.
Sherlock, the sofa at that link definitely qualifies as garish. I like it, but I think I'd get tired of it very quickly if I had to look at it every day.
Sherlock has proven himself a little worried about Mycroft getting his own flat, poor kid. He said he isn't ever moving out, and Mycroft shouldn't either...because why would you, when you got fed and got all your washing done, right? ;)
It's a big age gap, Mycroft is always going to be doing things before Sherlock is ready, I grew up with older sibs 10, 12 and 14 years older than me and in that respect it was awful
I'm certain he'll understand when he's old enough to go ;) But yeah, it is hard.
We've told him no one has to move out, and wherever John and I are (hopefully in the same place!) they will both always be welcome to call their home. (But I'm still sure he'll a. move out and b. still treat the place like home - with ease!)
My understanding is that you can move out and still bring the washing home/time your visits for meal times and then walk off with half the contents of the kitchen cupboards. Plus anything else that might be useful.
I have been gifted with a child moving moving out, and then back in, after taking a do-good-for-the-world job that doesn't pay a living wage. That will end soon and I will miss said child. But I am happy it's not permanent, and that it was a choice.
formerlyAnon
SH I can verify that it doesn't seem to matter how old you get, that is always true. I think my mother expects me to act like a college kid again now that I've gone back to school.
Also, unless the pay for summer jobs has changed enormously since my nephew's job last summer--and flats in and around London are 90% or so lower than those in the New York area--Mycroft won't be moving out anytime soon. ;)
Best of luck getting a job Mycroft. I've been trying for a while now myself, but I've got a job interview tomorrow, so my fingers are crossed.
Mycroft--a friend of mine sent this to me (the link, not the actual watch). It reminded me of you:
http://www.monochrome-watches.com/van-cleef-arpels-puts-the-poetry-of-the-planets-on-your-wrist-the-midnight-planetarium-poetic-complication/
Ella
Becca - good luck with your job interview.
Ella - that watch is awesome. I'd love to own it, but a) I don't wear a watch and b) somehow I doubt I could afford it ;)
The rest of you - have a good week.
Good luck Becca!
RR - Mycroft does have access to quite considerably funds. Although he doesn't use his credit card these days ;)
He did say "earn enough", though!
I think he was just being humerous, given Sherlock's questioning about earnings and interior decor choices.
Well, yeah, got that...
Jolly good.
how goes the day Greg? I hope its going as well as it can :-)
Do you have any after school fun planned John?
Good, ta. Meetings earlier, paperwork for court now. Hoping the rain stops so I can run out and get some lunch in a bit.
You don't eat when it's raining?
It's not a hard and fast rule.. Right now I don't want to eat enough to be worth going out in the rain for. And didn't fancy anything the canteen had on.
But now a crisis has struck the department - we have run out of teabags. So I might go and get both.
That is a real disaster Greg ;-)
Glad your day is going ok in the main :-)
we have run out of teabags
O_O
Hope you had a good day at school Sherlock. And aren't dragging John around in the rain
I had a whole comment types up about tea and teabagging but thought better of it.
Hope you're all home and dry now.
It's snowing here, yay!
Ella
Hahaha, I can assure you, no teabagging occurred ;) But tea bags were purchased before some sort of riot broke out amongst those weirdos who like tea, not a proper drink like coffee.
I am indeed. Home, dry, cooking stir-fry.
There was nearly a revolt in our office when we ran out of teabags. We've now stocked up.
We're now all looking vaguely at the free gift coffee maker we received with a stationery order and wondering what it's for ;)
The problem was that we had stocked up... and those thousands of teabags have been going strong for over a year! Meaning no one ever imagined there would be a day when there weren't any left.
*weirdo, and proud of it*
*drinks more tea*
*likewise*
*and likewise*
Tea is for when your taste for coffee goes off (for me, when sick or pregnant).
Possibly when you need to drink gallons of hot liquid and either can't hack the caffeine of proper coffee or the coffee available really CAN remove the stomach lining when consumed by the gallon.
I keep trying tea and it's fine. But it just isn't coffee.
formerlyAnon
The only reason I volunteered to fetch the tea was because I've been trying to cut down my coffee intake in the afternoons. So coffee all morning, then try to switch to mainly tea in the afternoon. I generally have at least 1 coffee about 5pm, but not much else.
Unless it's a bad day.
I was just trying to get a rise out of my weirdo husband ;)
We're now all looking vaguely at the free gift coffee maker we received with a stationery order and wondering what it's for ;)
SH--I think you'll find that that coffee maker is for sending to me. ;)
Ella
Apparently the better half is too busy to rise to your bait. Keep trolling, your luck may turn. ;-)
fA
ah, you miss all the looks I get here. He goes all stern, and his eyebrows clamber up into his hair.
SH - not expecting a police raid, are you?
I just know tea is superior, that's all.
See, readers, even though he's barely got a shred of caffeine in him, he still manages to raise a finger to type a message defending his piss-poor brew of choice ;)
Quite right, John. Quite right :-)
I just know tea is superior, that's all.
Incontrovertible. :)
L - of course, it's for the unexpected police raid. A bit like the Spanish inquisition.
I can assure you, if every raid I did started with a nice pot of coffee just waiting for us, I'd be far happier :) (Admittedly, I'd assume you'd pissed in the pot first... but you know... the thought that counts! ;) )
So we should set out the coffee maker with the grounds next to it and label it "For Coppers." Right. Noted.
Ella
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