Never work in a bagel shop. I don't know if it was me, the job, or the owner, but it was the worst job I have ever had.

I was just out of college, and didn't want to wear a tie.
I thought this would be a fun, temporary stint.

I would get to work at 4:30 a.m. I would pack bagels, and talk to the only female in the joint. Well, I didn't know it at the time, but the owner like this girl, along with every girl that walked into his shop--including high school girls. Yea, the dude should have been but put down?

Even though my intentions were innocent; I was just young and liked to talk to the fairer sex, and people my own age, Dodger(the owner) had it out for me.

He had me doing all the lousy jobs. My favorite was rotating the freezer. He would give me this job when he was really angry with his personal life. It entailed taking every package out if a 10 X 20 foot freezer (crammed with product. 6" of top clearance.) and basically repacking--when
I waked in at 4:30 a.m. I was so young, and naieve, I didn't know he was angry with me. And for some reason, he kept the dead rats he killed in the freezer? I don't know why, but he liked to kill rats. He would chase them around the shop and grab them with his bare hands, and feet. He would then put them in plastic bags, and keep them in the freezer. I never asked why. Kinda didn't want to know? I do remember him wiping up the blood, and thinking, they deserve better than Doger. Still have red dreams?

Aa to the bagel machine, I never saw one. We rolled out the bagels, and pinched them together. Boiled them, and baked them. (I did get the recipe out of another employee, because I thought they tasted great. Will post if anyone wants, but need to find it.)

I put up with this owner for too long. I finally realized I need to right some wrongs. It was the late 90's and technology was expensive--meaning he didn't have cameras. Now I should have just quit, but I needed some revenge. Since this is a public forum, let's just saw my revenge was a keen interest in the front counter, and the cash register.
Yes, I was finally making a good salary. I'm not proud of it, but looking back it still feels good.

Today, my shinagigans would be impossible because of the proliferation of cheap surveillance devices. Guys of my generation(basically the 80'-90's) would look for gravy, especially if treated horribly. I wonder how that has affected the economy today? Back in the day, if you had a gripe, and willing to take some real risk; you could get revenge. (I saw other guys doing what I did--basically being horrid employees in the end, but they all went into this weird denial? I guess it's human nature to not admit someting like this? ("This"--could be just cleaning the register keys. They can get so sticky? And my ip is open sometimes, and I think my neighbor is a Reaver?)

Anyway, the last I heard, Dodger (the 45 year old jerk) was caught the second-third time trying to give flowers to high school girls, and he sold his store to someone. The sale was unrelated to being a creep. He would stand at their cars, dusted in flour, didn't believe in bathing, with his bouquet of flowers. He didn't understand why the 16 year olds didn't want to date him.

The only thing I miss was the fresh onion bagels, with 1/2" fresh lox, creme cheese, and onions. I would sneak out two and eat them in my chit box. Thinking, "I need to go to graduate school!", and "Why does my head hurt?". I was a bit neurotic, and thought I had an aneurism.

(if buying bagels, buy them the dozen. You will save money, and they freeze well. )