first week at the Orleans Recreation complex

I was 18 and got myself a job at the Orleans Recreation Complex just outside Ottawa Ontario Canada. I was really proud of myself, the only other jobs I had before this had been packing groceries at the Loeb, fast food at Burger King and delivering the news paper door to door.

The first couple shifts I was there I was really eager. I wanted to impress my superiors and show them my worth. I met a bunch of new people and felt like a part of the group right away.

The Orleans Recreation complex at the time had 2 swimming pools, 2 hot tubs, 10 racketball and squash courts, 2 ice rinks, a daycare, a library, 3 halls, a cardio room and a full free weights gym. My job specifically was to be an ice attendant and help the zamboni driver move nets during ice resurfacing. I was called operations - this way it was in my description to complete maintenance on any part of the building inside and out.

The new people at the "PLEX", as we called it, were always given the horrible jobs. So anytime there was something to mop up or garbage that needed to be changed or worse, the rookie had to take caare of it. Rookie's were also called scum.

Now that you have the premis... I'm scum and I'm eager. My supervisor at the time tells me that I have to go clean a mess up in the men's washroom upstairs. So I go and get the mop and bucket, and follow this 'fearless leader' off to the can. When we get there I find the maintenance man, Dan Desero, replacing the bricks in the wall around the urinals. This is the first time I ever met Dan. My supervisor, Earl, tells me I have to mop up the residue from the floor.
Without hesitation I wring out the mop and start slopping up. While I'm working away at the floor, earl asks Dan acouple questions about the bricks that have been replaced. Dan says without hesitation, "What do you want Earl?" with an irritated tone.
Earl walks over to the urinal and leans over to inspect the work that was done.
Dan looks at me with an irritated expression, like Earl has no right to question anything Dan works on. And Dan takes advantage of the opportune moment.
Dan smirks as he hoofs Earl in the ass and pushes him head first into the urinal. Dan lets out a howling laughter. It was either because Earls head went in the toilet, the hollow noise his head made when it knocked against the porcelain, or maybe a bit of both.
I wasn't sure how to react. I stood there in shock as Earl screamed out "You could have broke my neck!". And Dan pointing and laughing and calling him names. Dan then looked at me and said, "that was funny! you should be laughing! What's wrong with you?" .

And this was how I was introduced to the best and worst place to ever work.