Chocolates and pigs

Animal feed additives.  I knew more about the subject than I had expected.  As I  am constantly battling to keep my weight in check, anything to do with food gets my attention.  When you're on a diet, you have to make sure that it is a balanced diet.  So I had already read a lot about what type of food contains all the vitamins and minerals and anything else a body needs.  Animal nutrition is an art.  The animals are destined for human consumption and food safety regulations are very strict.  Most of the 'premixes' as the mixes of feed additives were called, made at the plant were for pigs.  In no time I got the hang of my new job. I had to.  Within 2 weeks I had to be "operational" because  one of my colleagues to be had resigned leaving within two weeks and her replacement wasn't due to start in her new job untill 4 weeks later, another was going on a 2 week holiday coinciding with the departure of colleague nr 1 and the third only worked half time.  But I managed.  Many colleagues came and went during the 6 years I worked there and I should have realised that unavoidably my day to go would come.  As it was I didn't see it coming.  But before that time, I performed a great many tasks : the normal things like answering the phone, taking the orders, placing purchasing orders, but also making and serving coffee, doing the shopping,  and to top it of f organising fairs and a seminar and making flight and hotel reservations.  In the end I was fired.  I did not take it very well.  I felt betrayed as I knew they had been hiring my replacement behind my back and probably 3 of my office colleagues knew I was going to be fired.
There I was : 54 and back on the street.  I was so determined to get back at work that it only took me 2 and 1/2 months to find another job, taking a pay cut of about 600 € a month after taxes, but a job nevertheless.  And a good job it turned out to be; with great new very young colleagues, young enough to be my daughters.  They were, still are I'm sure, very dynamic, motivated and intelligent and even goodlooking !  I forgot to say that I started my new job in a chocolate factory ! Not really a chocolate factory but a Belgian chocolates factory.  So again I start from scratch.  But I enjoy it very much.  The girls are a litle crazy, but so am I.  They work hard but also laugh a lot.  It is very nice working with them and I really love it, even though it is hard work.  But it never rains but it pours.  It had not been a good year for me except for the new job, and now it turned out the company had financial problems and at the end of August a large dutch company did a bid and effectively took over the factory in Brugge.  Obviously they had to reorganize and some of my new colleagues and me had to be let go.  So sadly I had to leave my "daughters" and was out on the market again.  But I"m still in touch with  the girls and we meet up from time to time so my short passage in the world of chocolate has not left me empty handed, or rather empty hearted I should say.