DB and Slob deserve a big hand for trying to keep in touch. Many happy returns of the day to you Slob, for the 18th.
I'll try to post some snaps, but I still can't figure out how to label them in Blogger.
In case I can't label them these are snaps taken recently at Adelaide's Botanic Park.
Boy, have the last few months been eventful. Adelaide is not as big as Melbourne and Sydney, so jobs, especially in advertising and media are virtually non existent. In the meantime, I have had some very interesting jobs. Must tell you all about them.
My first job was in fibreglass factory working a 12 hr shift rolling thermal wool into bales, packing them in cartons and putting them onto pallets. The air was full of fibreglass dust and cigarette smoke. Sometimes I had to go to the "shot room" where a huge cast iron bucket weighing 140 kilos was kept. Whenever the fibreline was disrupted, the molten glass would be diverted into this bucket. You'll be surprised how fast this bucket would fill up. The noise is unbearable since the air explodes around the molten glass. Whenever it filled up, I had to pull this bucket out and push another bucket under the falling globules with my bare hands! No point wearing protective glasses, since they fog up in no time with the amount of steam inside the room. I would then use the forklift to take this bucket, now weighing in at 400 kilos outside and empty it. Almost got hernia in this job.
Decided it was just too dangerous a job so left it to look for another job. Guess where I got my next job - in a slaughterhouse. When being recruited, I was asked to name any job that I did NOT want in this place - I stressed that I would not like to work with intestines and shitbags. Guess which dept I was allotted - OFFAL!
For 2 weeks, my job was to turn cooked sheep stomachs inside out. When the sheep are slaughtered upstairs, their stomachs and other parts of their digestive systems are sent down a chute to our dept, where they would fall into a giant tub at the rate of 1 every 5 to 7 seconds. One person would immediately put them up on hooks in an assembly line. The next person in line would cut open the stomachs, yet another person would take the stomachs with much less shit than before and throw them into a giant cauldron which would wash them and partially cook them. Not good enough to eat, but so that any shit that remained inside was sterilised.
This machine would at regular intervals literally vomit out about 200 sheep stomachs into another tub. My job started here - I would take these stomachs and turn them inside out and pack them neatly into boxes for export to places like China, where these things are much sought after. Why would I turn them inside out? - Because the inside looks far better than the outside.
I would have to turn these awful things really fast or another 200 stomachs would be puked out by that horrible machine.
The first 2 days I did not look at the stomachs, to keep from throwing up. After the first week I could even breathe inside that room.
I learnt a few things about sheep and shit - for instance
1. In the Offal room, the shit really does hit the ceiling.
2. Sheep are grass fed or grain fed
3. Grass fed sheep shit is really nice compared to grain fed sheep shit. When you pierce the stomach, grass shit bursts out like a a very warm water balloon all over your knife hand, and has a peculiar shitty smell. Grain shit on the other hand is lighter in colour, has the consistency of hot tar. Boy, you really need to coax the stuff out even after piercing 3 times. It smells funny too.
4. I now know how shit smells when it is cooked
5. Even with the stomachs cooked, you can clearly make out what that particular sheep had for lunch.
6. Sheep are not the woolly white cuddly creatures they are made out to be in fairy tales and the movies. Their fur is literally covered in foul smelling shit
Turning those stomachs caused my fingers so much strain that they were swollen all the time. I can wear my wedding ring again, after a month of not working there.
My next job was cutting the stomachs and draining the shit out.
One day I was told to go to the slaughter floor and pull the kidneys out from the carcasses - a really tough job till you get the hang of it.
One day I had work in the larynges - where we send the sheep for slaughter. It was interesting work - actually worked with shepherds and sheepdogs. My job was to lift each sheep and push it into the specially designed conveyer before they get stunned with a stiletto type gun and then get their throats slit. These sheep are not light. They are so heavy that it is impossible to lift them or make them move if they dont want to. The only correct technique is to shove two fingers under the tail bone (and just above the arsehole) and lift. Unfortunately for me, since it was my first day, I frequently missed my target and got shat on. Please remember, that when sheep are scared to DEATH, those GOLEE CHURAN like balls dont come out. ALL that comes out is a hot wet mass that immediately starts to feel cold in the biting cold weather.
The final 2 weeks of my job I had to push the sheep carcasses in the chiller rooms - ALL 3500 of them? That was so tough that I lost 6 kilos in 2 weeks. I would frequently drop of to sleep on the drive back home. This place was at Lobethal in the Adelaide Hills region about 50 km outside Adelaide. The speed limit for most of the ride on the Princes Highway and SE Expressway, was 110kmph. I had a great time driving there.
I now have a job as a trainee bus driver for the Adelaide Metro. Before I start driving my own bus I have to get my Heavy Rigid License. The test is in an articulated bus which is 60 feet long. I'll try and post a snap of the bus I drive.Going round roundabouts is an artform in this monster.I have failed twice for careless mistakes, and will hopefully make it in my third and final attempt.
Otherwise, its back to turning sheep stomachs
The first snap is of dylan at fancy dress party where he cam as Elvis.
Enough for now.
