The latest from Census training...

Yesterday we got to the saftey section of the Employee Manual!! We spent a large amount of the day talking about bizzare safety tips and a had lively 30-minute discussion on the correct way to get away from a dog that may want to bite you. It was a heated debate between the "run" vs. "back away slowly while not looking at its face" crowds. I was on the side of "spray the dog with the mace that we are not allowed to carry." But alas, I was alone in my principles. What's with all the dog people, sheesh?

Anyway, my favorite line from the manual was this helpful safety tidbit about returning to your car after working. And I quote:

"As you walk towards your vehicle, scan beneath the vehicle for persons waiting to charge out at your ankles."

How in the heck is a person going to fit under my car and have enough room to "charge out" from it? I seriously can't not laugh every time I read it. The visual is just too entertaining.

I also had a very detailed discussion with Bill, the 70-something year old man who sits with me at my table, about American Idol. He knew every single one of the contestants, first and last names and pretty much everything about every performance they had done. I was pretty impressed! If only Bill put this much effort into the training class!

And finally, let's take a quick poll, here. How many of you have heard the phrase "elevator eyes" before? This came up during our enlightening sexual harrassment discussion. For those of you who aren't hip to that, dude, elevator eyes is the term for what someone has when they look another person up and down, if you catch my drift. Nope, never heard of that one.

And that wraps up yesterday's work for the Federal Government. Today I will be trapped for 8 hours learning how to fingerprint people! The only advice we were given on prep for that was to "wear dark clothes." Roger that!