Showing posts with label Stingwich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stingwich. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Day Forty Two
I came to work early before my 8am shift. I was tired, again. Last night I split a bottle of wine with a friend whose ex-boyfriend cheated on her a few months ago. Breakups are hard and there is a process that follows the demise of most long term relationships. This wasn't the hang where you get your friend drunk so they don't have to feel anything, it was a follow up. You don't leave until your friend is done talking and you have cussed enough about her ex to increase her morale. That's what friends are for, even if it means sleep deprivation.
I told my first customer to "have a nice day" without asking him to pay for his groceries. He laughed as he took out his credit card. Awesome. I wasn't looking forward to another day like this.
Withdrawal: Stingwich
I had made several stingwiches up to this point. All good looking sandwiches of varying type and packaging. None of them had been eaten. I decided to ask around to see if anyone's lunch had been stolen lately. I talked to Elvira, Vitamin Girl and Pedantic Joe* (who left cashiering for working in grocery) and it seemed that no thefts had been made lately. I also found out that a lot of people have started locking up their lunch bags in the lockers. Did a rumor of a sandwich laced with Ex-Lax scare the selfish lunch thief from stealing food from the fridge? I shouldn't have told Crazy Red Head Vegan about the stingwich, but then again, if the thefts have stopped because of her warning then I should consider this mission a half success. I don't have to have the satisfaction of knowing that someone has downed 2-3 doses of Ex-Lax because he stole a sandwich that wasn't his and who knows, maybe this is somewhat illegal. What if the thief had an allergic reaction to the drug? Then I would be in deep shit. No pun intended.
*traitor
Old Lady #13
An old lady in a purple muumuu with a bandana over her head came into my line with a lot of groceries. After checking her out I asked her if she would like help going out to her car. She said, "Yes." Sweet Nate came along to push her cart but when he got close to it she wouldn't let him push. She just let him walk her to her car while she pushed her cart. It was a funny thing to see. Nate told me that she let him help put the groceries in the trunk but she was putting in groceries too. She let him put the grocery cart back but only because he offered. I wondered if she had issues with getting older and didn't want anyone to think she needed help. Maybe she was a feminist, letting men help when she says so! I envisioned the woman on the retro "Yes We Can" poster, except elderly and in a purple muumuu.
Old Lady #14
Another old lady came into my line with a ton of groceries as well. This woman let people help her. I shared the story of the woman with the purple muumuu with this lady.
OLD LADY: One of the perks of getting old is retiring and having people do things for you!
ME: Right? I kind of want to be old right now.
OLD LADY: No you don't. The thing that stinks about getting old is that your looks go away.
ME: I would think that depends on who's looking.
OLD LADY: I used to get complimented on my full lips. Not so much anymore.
ME: Well I think you're pretty!
OLD LADY: Aw! Thank you dear.
She smiled and walked away with Nate pushing her cart. She needed to hear that. I thought about how I might age. Would I think that I'm unattractive just because I'm not young anymore? Nope. I plan to be aware of what beauty is at every age.
Stynk Eye
The Infamous Patti came into work with what looked like pink eye. She assured us that it was a stye. Still, it was hard to look at Patti's face. I urged her to go get an eye patch so that she doesn't frighten customers into thinking they are going to take pink eye home with their groceries. Roz had Patti do a lot of office work because of the stye, increasing head cashier duties for O.C.Daisy. Daisy was still in training mode and made mistakes so she was too humble pie to do the things that irritate me.
Update: Miranda and the Gang
Miranda and her sisters came through my line today. It was Miranda's birthday! I bought lollipops for the girls as usual and I gave Miranda a second one for her special day. I let them know that I was only going to be there for two more weeks. When I told grandmother that I was a musician she told me that she went to the Eastman School of Music for voice when she was young. Awesome! She wished me luck with my career and they left to celebrate with cake and ice cream. People like Miranda and her family are what I will miss the most about working in this place.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Day Thirty Six
First Written Warning
Upon arrival I was notified that I had received my first warning. I had to sign and confirm that I had received this warning because my till was $10 over the previous day. This means someone did not get their change back. I felt bad about that. My first verbal warning was a money issue as well. Money issues. I am yet to be warned or reprimanded officially for being late...more than 30 times.
Observation
Whenever big grocery stores have giant sales, Hawaiian decor is always involved. Every time. The employees wear flowered leis and palm trees go up everywhere. Who started this trend anyway? Do sales whisk us away to a wonderful place where we have not a care in the world? No. Does anyone ever end up saving enough for a Hawaiian vacation? No. Yet, the bright colors and fake ocean sounds somehow make us all of a sudden covet this lower priced thing we don't need. Only in America. Just an observation.
Mad Kathy and Buffalo Lady
Buffalo Lady came into the my checkout line. The store wasn't very busy so I was happy to give her all of the attention in the world. The cashier next to me, a cool older lady named Kathy, joined in the conversation as well. Buffalo Lady spoke exuberantly, again seamlessly weaving through unrelated topics like depression drugs (she takes Cymbalta), people who love to climb like this guy named Chad (that she knows), social mixers at brain injury conferences, roller coasters and cat sitters. I am sure I am leaving something out. All we did was smile and nod, egging her on to keep talking. Eventually more customers came along so that brought Buffalo Lady's senseless monologue to an end. We said our goodbyes and Buffalo Lady skipped along happy as a clam. Kathy then turned to me.
KATHY: She reminds me of when I used to take acid. [she smiled]
MIRANDA: [I laughed] Acid?
KATHY: No, I'm kidding. I never took acid. I took amphetamines. [she walked away to help a customer]
Stingwich: Day Three
The same two suspects from yesterday came to work today. Tomorrow we all get paid, so maybe they are out of money and a little hungry. I worked early and decided to leave the sandwich in the fridge. Maybeit would disappear by the next day. I'm crossed my fingers.
Update: Jacob
Jacob walked up to me when things weren't busy. He sang me this song:
He told me this is our song now. I think I'm officially Jacob's work hag. I love about gay boys. If you're looking for someone to dance and sing with they are always down. They are just happy and a joy to be around. You can't say that about everybody. Jacob worked at the register across from me today, which put me in a good mood until this one customer came into his line. She was fine until Jake asked her how she was doing that day.
WOMAN: I am just great! Are you going to Chick Fil-A today? That's where I'm going!
Jacob went silent. Today was "Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day." Loads of people would file into Chick Fil-A today to support a company that was openly against same sex marriage. I looked at Jacob's face. He was hurt. He didn't say a word to her until he handed her a receipt.
JACOB: Have a nice day.
Jacob frowned at me then looked down. I was enraged. A grocery store is not a place for politics. It is a place where people of all beliefs, backgrounds and orientations should be able to walk into to fulfill a basic need in life: to feed oneself. It just so happens to be a very HUGE thing we all have in common. Grocery stores, in my mind, celebrate what we have in common. Jacob was kind to that woman even though I bet he didn't want to be. I wanted to grab that woman by the hair and lead her out of the store before I kicked her out on her ass as I would scream, "Keep your Fox News bullshit at home, heifer!"
Alas, I did no such thing. I looked at Jacob.
ME: You okay?
JACOB: No.
ME: Did she say she is going to Chick Fil-A?
JACOB: Yeah.
ME: Then she'll die soon. You can marry who you want after that. It wont be long.
He smiled. That was all I needed to see.
Update: Heartless Lucy
I found Lucy writing a letter. She told me it was her two week notice. I have never heard of anyone handwriting a two week notice. Apparently the manager said that handwritten letters are okay. Lucy told me she hated this job and couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. I usually can't stant hearing Lucy talk, but I asked her why she hated her cashier job so much. She said it didn't pay much and she was always tired. She was moving north to Denton, TX so she could be closer to school and the drive would be too much. I then asked her about her dog she was giving up. She found it a home, thank goodness. Hopefully the new owner would take much better care of this puppy than she did. That was the only reason I chatted up with Lucy, to make sure the dog was okay. I couldn't care less about her complaints and I can't say I'm sad that she is leaving.
Old Lady #11
I was hungry and kind of tired by the time this old lady came into my line. As I packed her groceries her bottle of wine slipped out of my hand and fell into the bag, slamming against the counter. The boom caused me to shout at the old lady.
ME: OH MY GOD!
OLD LADY: [covering her ears] Oh!
ME: I am so so so sorry! I didn't mean to yell. That just startled me and woke me up!
OLD LADY: Oh I understand! I wish I had something to wake me up like that on my last hand of bridge!
I stopped bagging to laugh. Who else would say something like that but an old lady?
Grumpy Gill
Grumpy Gill was the one who hired me to be a cashier. He was very personable when I met him. He seemed like he loved his job, like he loved being a manager and that he really believed in the company. I like working for people like that. Somehow I felt that the only person I was truly letting down was Gill. I felt like every tardy made him more and more disappointed in me. No matter how many times I would smile at him and say hello, he never genuinely smiled back. I knew that he knew I could do better. I did like this job and I would show up on time if they weren't so lenient.
Today was different though. Grumpy Gill walked up to my line to help bag groceries. He smiled at me and said hello! He asked me how I was doing and I told him I was great! He said, "Great!" This was so huge. Gill had not smiled at me in a month. I had no idea what made him so happy at that moment, but I was glad he had some joy. He is usually so super serious. I decided from then on that I would make more honest attempts to try to care to be on time. Gill's smiles are rare but so wonderful to see. The effort to be more punctual would be worth another one of those smiles.
Upon arrival I was notified that I had received my first warning. I had to sign and confirm that I had received this warning because my till was $10 over the previous day. This means someone did not get their change back. I felt bad about that. My first verbal warning was a money issue as well. Money issues. I am yet to be warned or reprimanded officially for being late...more than 30 times.
Observation
Whenever big grocery stores have giant sales, Hawaiian decor is always involved. Every time. The employees wear flowered leis and palm trees go up everywhere. Who started this trend anyway? Do sales whisk us away to a wonderful place where we have not a care in the world? No. Does anyone ever end up saving enough for a Hawaiian vacation? No. Yet, the bright colors and fake ocean sounds somehow make us all of a sudden covet this lower priced thing we don't need. Only in America. Just an observation.
Mad Kathy and Buffalo Lady
Buffalo Lady came into the my checkout line. The store wasn't very busy so I was happy to give her all of the attention in the world. The cashier next to me, a cool older lady named Kathy, joined in the conversation as well. Buffalo Lady spoke exuberantly, again seamlessly weaving through unrelated topics like depression drugs (she takes Cymbalta), people who love to climb like this guy named Chad (that she knows), social mixers at brain injury conferences, roller coasters and cat sitters. I am sure I am leaving something out. All we did was smile and nod, egging her on to keep talking. Eventually more customers came along so that brought Buffalo Lady's senseless monologue to an end. We said our goodbyes and Buffalo Lady skipped along happy as a clam. Kathy then turned to me.
KATHY: She reminds me of when I used to take acid. [she smiled]
MIRANDA: [I laughed] Acid?
KATHY: No, I'm kidding. I never took acid. I took amphetamines. [she walked away to help a customer]
Stingwich: Day Three
The same two suspects from yesterday came to work today. Tomorrow we all get paid, so maybe they are out of money and a little hungry. I worked early and decided to leave the sandwich in the fridge. Maybeit would disappear by the next day. I'm crossed my fingers.
Update: Jacob
Jacob walked up to me when things weren't busy. He sang me this song:
He told me this is our song now. I think I'm officially Jacob's work hag. I love about gay boys. If you're looking for someone to dance and sing with they are always down. They are just happy and a joy to be around. You can't say that about everybody. Jacob worked at the register across from me today, which put me in a good mood until this one customer came into his line. She was fine until Jake asked her how she was doing that day.
WOMAN: I am just great! Are you going to Chick Fil-A today? That's where I'm going!
Jacob went silent. Today was "Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day." Loads of people would file into Chick Fil-A today to support a company that was openly against same sex marriage. I looked at Jacob's face. He was hurt. He didn't say a word to her until he handed her a receipt.
JACOB: Have a nice day.
Jacob frowned at me then looked down. I was enraged. A grocery store is not a place for politics. It is a place where people of all beliefs, backgrounds and orientations should be able to walk into to fulfill a basic need in life: to feed oneself. It just so happens to be a very HUGE thing we all have in common. Grocery stores, in my mind, celebrate what we have in common. Jacob was kind to that woman even though I bet he didn't want to be. I wanted to grab that woman by the hair and lead her out of the store before I kicked her out on her ass as I would scream, "Keep your Fox News bullshit at home, heifer!"
Alas, I did no such thing. I looked at Jacob.
ME: You okay?
JACOB: No.
ME: Did she say she is going to Chick Fil-A?
JACOB: Yeah.
ME: Then she'll die soon. You can marry who you want after that. It wont be long.
He smiled. That was all I needed to see.
Update: Heartless Lucy
I found Lucy writing a letter. She told me it was her two week notice. I have never heard of anyone handwriting a two week notice. Apparently the manager said that handwritten letters are okay. Lucy told me she hated this job and couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. I usually can't stant hearing Lucy talk, but I asked her why she hated her cashier job so much. She said it didn't pay much and she was always tired. She was moving north to Denton, TX so she could be closer to school and the drive would be too much. I then asked her about her dog she was giving up. She found it a home, thank goodness. Hopefully the new owner would take much better care of this puppy than she did. That was the only reason I chatted up with Lucy, to make sure the dog was okay. I couldn't care less about her complaints and I can't say I'm sad that she is leaving.
Old Lady #11
I was hungry and kind of tired by the time this old lady came into my line. As I packed her groceries her bottle of wine slipped out of my hand and fell into the bag, slamming against the counter. The boom caused me to shout at the old lady.
ME: OH MY GOD!
OLD LADY: [covering her ears] Oh!
ME: I am so so so sorry! I didn't mean to yell. That just startled me and woke me up!
OLD LADY: Oh I understand! I wish I had something to wake me up like that on my last hand of bridge!
I stopped bagging to laugh. Who else would say something like that but an old lady?
Grumpy Gill
Grumpy Gill was the one who hired me to be a cashier. He was very personable when I met him. He seemed like he loved his job, like he loved being a manager and that he really believed in the company. I like working for people like that. Somehow I felt that the only person I was truly letting down was Gill. I felt like every tardy made him more and more disappointed in me. No matter how many times I would smile at him and say hello, he never genuinely smiled back. I knew that he knew I could do better. I did like this job and I would show up on time if they weren't so lenient.
Today was different though. Grumpy Gill walked up to my line to help bag groceries. He smiled at me and said hello! He asked me how I was doing and I told him I was great! He said, "Great!" This was so huge. Gill had not smiled at me in a month. I had no idea what made him so happy at that moment, but I was glad he had some joy. He is usually so super serious. I decided from then on that I would make more honest attempts to try to care to be on time. Gill's smiles are rare but so wonderful to see. The effort to be more punctual would be worth another one of those smiles.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Day Thirty Five
STFU
Today, as I was checking out a customer a woman in another line was talking on her cell phone, VERY LOUDLY. I tried to ignore it but she was so loud that I couldn't engage in a conversation with the customer in front of me. I stared at her cashier, JV, who shot me a similarly annoyed look back. I eventually shouted as loud as this woman to try to get a point across.
ME: [yelling] OKAY MA'AM. YOUR TOTAL IS $12.76!
[she swiped the card]
ME: [still yelling] CREDIT OR DEBIT?!!
Nothing. No reaction from the loud woman, she just kept talking really fucking loudly. My customer and all the other customers were annoyed. How deaf was the person on the other end? Eventually, a golden opportunity came along. She turned enough to be in my line of sight. I waved my hand to catch her full attention. Once I had it, I brought my pointer finger to my lips.
ME: Shh!
She was all of a sudden aware of how loud she was being. She looked around and saw all of the people around her glaring at her. She apologized and quieted down. JV smiled at me and my customer laughed, telling me, "Good job."
Old Man #11
An old man and his wife came into my line with a dark roasted turkey that rang up for $8.99. He immediately shot off to check the price and came back to tell me that it rang up wrong.
ME: Sorry about that. I'll give it to you for $6.99
OLD MAN: Don't make it sound like you're doing me any favors.
ME: You're right. No favors for you.
He was grouchy and unamused by my last comment. After leaving, this man came back in. I was almost expecting him to tell the manager that I was rude but instead, he said that his wife lost her prescription sunglasses. My manager looked in lost and found and saw nothing. A minute later another customer came up to me and said said that someone left their sunglasses in a cart. I laughed. Not doing him any favors, huh?
I took the glasses, walked over to the old man and asked him if these were the one he was looking for. He looked at me with gratitude and said yes, that they were very expensive. He thanked me a couple of times then left. He acted nothing like the man who went through my line. He smiled, he was gracious. Why couldn't he be that way from the start?
Day Thirty Four
New Rules
It had been a while since my behavior had inspired new rules to be enforced. As I walked up to my register at the beginning of my shift, Patti stopped me to let me know that there are new rules concerning cell phones at registers. Cell phones used to be allowed in our drawers or in our pockets but lately, employees (meaning me) have been checking texts and browsing the web at the register too much. Patti was so cute, she tried to open the employee manual and show me a highlighted sentence where cell phones are not permitted.
ME: Patti, you really don't have to do that.
PATTI: I was told I had to show everyone that line.
ME: Let's pretend you did.
PATTI: Now they are saying they will give you a written warning if you are caught with your cell phone at a register!
ME: Patti. If they fired me at this point they would be doing me a favor.
Patti laughed and dropped the manual on my register. I'm assuming this rule was enforced by one of the old ladies. Probably O.C.Daisy. Good for her, trying to take this job so seriously. I'll be sure to ruin her efforts.
Old Lady #9
ME: How are you today?
OLD LADY: I'm good as long as it doesn't rain before I get home.
ME: Is it going to rain today?
OLD LADY: My knees say it's going to rain.
ME: Your knees?
OLD LADY: Yes.
ME: It looks sunny outside. Are you sure your knees didn't mean sunny or partly cloudy?
OLD LADY: 100% chance of rain.
It rained that afternoon.
Update: Ryan
Ryan was one of the head cashiers today. He used to be in the army, which is a blessing and a curse. Boot camp and his super disciplined workout regimen gave him one of those fat-less muscle-y bodies that inspires a slack-jawed stare, even in an ugly green t-shirt. The downside to his being in the army is the way he lets everyone out on break. To Ryan, you are on break as soon as he says so. To Ryan, it is your fault if you kill your break time cleaning up your register before you go into the store or the employee's lounge. To Ryan, If you're on a 15 minute break, you start walking back at 13.5 minutes. To Ryan, lunches are 30 minutes and NO LESS. You will be paged if you are a second late.
I like Ryan, I really do. We usually laugh a lot and are pretty chummy but today when he walked over to me mid-sandwich to tell me my break was over, I couldn't help but chew slower, move slower and take a few extra seconds to stretch, slowly. Cashier jobs are hard on the back and even if you make your own lunch or snacks, the breaks never seem long enough. Not all of us have Apollo's belt to help us stand up for eight hours a day. My lunches lately began to seem more and more like 25 minutes and breaks were more like ten, so I made a point of announcing to Ryan what the clock on my phone says before I walk away.
ME: It's 3:40PM and I am going on my break now.
RYAN: It's actually 3:42 and your break started at 3:40.
ME: It's 3:40PM and my body officially went of break as of right now.
RYAN: Two minutes ago.
ME: I'll be back at 3:55, whatever that means to your watch.
When I came back, he said I was a minute late and I told him his watch is fast. Ryan is a hard working, punctual, ultra disciplined 20 year-old in the Army, I get it. I think it's so adorable that he wants to apply these qualities at his job. I'm sure this disciplinary business will get him somewhere someday, but for now I'll be here to patronize him every time he wants to shave a minute off my breaks.
Old Lady and Old Man #10
An elderly couple came into my line. The old man was in a motorized cart.
OLD MAN: Remember me? I was sitting over there watching you eat!
OLD LADY: Stop creeping the girl out.
OLD MAN: I was just waiting for you to finish shopping, she was eating over there where I was waiting. [he looks to me] She takes forever.
OLD LADY: Every time I thought I was done you told me to get something else!
OLD MAN: And you took a long time getting it!
ME: Cut it out kids or I will turn this car around!
They stopped, they laughed and they forgot one more thing, of course.
Credit Debbie
A little girl came into my line with a bunch of candy from the bulk section. After I gave her the total, she handed me a credit card.
ME: Did your mom or dad hand you this credit card to use here?
GIRL: [spoken with snoot] Actually it's MY credit card.
This girl looked no older than eight years old. I couldn't help but think this was a scene from Home Alone. She had a little bit of makeup on and was wearing a black t-shirt with "Lights, Camera, FABULOUS!" written in pink glitter on the front. Interesting. Maybe her parents are letting her play "adult" and putting a little bit of money on a prepaid card. Maybe this kid's parents are well to do and swiping a credit card is the most strenuous activity this girl will have to do until she grows old. Either way, where are this little kid's parents?
It had been a while since my behavior had inspired new rules to be enforced. As I walked up to my register at the beginning of my shift, Patti stopped me to let me know that there are new rules concerning cell phones at registers. Cell phones used to be allowed in our drawers or in our pockets but lately, employees (meaning me) have been checking texts and browsing the web at the register too much. Patti was so cute, she tried to open the employee manual and show me a highlighted sentence where cell phones are not permitted.
ME: Patti, you really don't have to do that.
PATTI: I was told I had to show everyone that line.
ME: Let's pretend you did.
PATTI: Now they are saying they will give you a written warning if you are caught with your cell phone at a register!
ME: Patti. If they fired me at this point they would be doing me a favor.
Patti laughed and dropped the manual on my register. I'm assuming this rule was enforced by one of the old ladies. Probably O.C.Daisy. Good for her, trying to take this job so seriously. I'll be sure to ruin her efforts.
Old Lady #9
ME: How are you today?
OLD LADY: I'm good as long as it doesn't rain before I get home.
ME: Is it going to rain today?
OLD LADY: My knees say it's going to rain.
ME: Your knees?
OLD LADY: Yes.
ME: It looks sunny outside. Are you sure your knees didn't mean sunny or partly cloudy?
OLD LADY: 100% chance of rain.
It rained that afternoon.
Update: Ryan
Ryan was one of the head cashiers today. He used to be in the army, which is a blessing and a curse. Boot camp and his super disciplined workout regimen gave him one of those fat-less muscle-y bodies that inspires a slack-jawed stare, even in an ugly green t-shirt. The downside to his being in the army is the way he lets everyone out on break. To Ryan, you are on break as soon as he says so. To Ryan, it is your fault if you kill your break time cleaning up your register before you go into the store or the employee's lounge. To Ryan, If you're on a 15 minute break, you start walking back at 13.5 minutes. To Ryan, lunches are 30 minutes and NO LESS. You will be paged if you are a second late.
I like Ryan, I really do. We usually laugh a lot and are pretty chummy but today when he walked over to me mid-sandwich to tell me my break was over, I couldn't help but chew slower, move slower and take a few extra seconds to stretch, slowly. Cashier jobs are hard on the back and even if you make your own lunch or snacks, the breaks never seem long enough. Not all of us have Apollo's belt to help us stand up for eight hours a day. My lunches lately began to seem more and more like 25 minutes and breaks were more like ten, so I made a point of announcing to Ryan what the clock on my phone says before I walk away.
ME: It's 3:40PM and I am going on my break now.
RYAN: It's actually 3:42 and your break started at 3:40.
ME: It's 3:40PM and my body officially went of break as of right now.
RYAN: Two minutes ago.
ME: I'll be back at 3:55, whatever that means to your watch.
When I came back, he said I was a minute late and I told him his watch is fast. Ryan is a hard working, punctual, ultra disciplined 20 year-old in the Army, I get it. I think it's so adorable that he wants to apply these qualities at his job. I'm sure this disciplinary business will get him somewhere someday, but for now I'll be here to patronize him every time he wants to shave a minute off my breaks.
Old Lady and Old Man #10
An elderly couple came into my line. The old man was in a motorized cart.
OLD MAN: Remember me? I was sitting over there watching you eat!
OLD LADY: Stop creeping the girl out.
OLD MAN: I was just waiting for you to finish shopping, she was eating over there where I was waiting. [he looks to me] She takes forever.
OLD LADY: Every time I thought I was done you told me to get something else!
OLD MAN: And you took a long time getting it!
ME: Cut it out kids or I will turn this car around!
They stopped, they laughed and they forgot one more thing, of course.
Credit Debbie
A little girl came into my line with a bunch of candy from the bulk section. After I gave her the total, she handed me a credit card.
ME: Did your mom or dad hand you this credit card to use here?
GIRL: [spoken with snoot] Actually it's MY credit card.
This girl looked no older than eight years old. I couldn't help but think this was a scene from Home Alone. She had a little bit of makeup on and was wearing a black t-shirt with "Lights, Camera, FABULOUS!" written in pink glitter on the front. Interesting. Maybe her parents are letting her play "adult" and putting a little bit of money on a prepaid card. Maybe this kid's parents are well to do and swiping a credit card is the most strenuous activity this girl will have to do until she grows old. Either way, where are this little kid's parents?
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Day Thirty One
Stingwich Reconn. #3
Before my shift began I stopped by the break room to drop off a salad in the fridge. Elvira was in there, eating a sandwich. I asked her if she had heard of any recent lunch robbery. She told me her lunch was stolen the previous week. She had to buy food and that was tough for her since she had just moved to a new apartment with her son. Money was tight. I felt bad for her.
No more reconnaissance, it's go time.
I went to my register and talked about the lunch thief with O.C.Daisy (now in a foot brace). I told her that I planned to buy sandwich materials and Ex-Lax after work to make a stingwich. She totally dug the idea. We brainstormed ways of covering up the laxative by means of crushing or grinding the drug. Daisy said I should make different types of sandwiches and use different containers. This was the best conversation that she and I had ever had. She was being really nice and wasn't full of bitterness like she usually is. Maybe there is a chance for friendship here.
Richard Gere: Part One
So, this song comes on:
I was tired enough to be goofy enough to start busting a move in front of the registers. I was also too tired and goofy to realize anyone else might be watching. From around the corner came an older female customer who decided to join me in the dance. She was ready to check out so I pulled her cart into my line while doing some dance move that could only be described as a slow motion seizure. When I turned around to face my customer, who was having a great time, I noticed I had another spectator: A younger version of Richard Gere dressed in medical scrubs, holding a basket full of vegetables. He smiled at me.
Heart: melted.
I told my customer, who kept grooving, to check out the guy who looks like Richard Gere in the register behind her. She inconspicuously walked over to his register, pretending to choose a magazine she wanted to buy. After checking the guy out, she walked back to me.
WOMAN: [handing me the magazine] No wedding ring and you're right, he does look like Richard Gere. He also looks good in those scrubs.
ME: Right? Doctor, I'm HURTIN'.
WOMAN: Yeah, we need mouth to mouth here.
I couldn't have asked for a better person/wingman to have this inappropriate conversation with. I saw him walking away after purchasing his vegetables and I wondered why I had not ever seen him here before. Maybe he is back from vacationing for half of the summer. Maybe he is one of those Doctors Without Borders. He came home and needed to fill his fridge with vegetables because he is an animal loving vegan. The version of this guy I have created in my head is quite the catch.
Maybe one day he will see past my ugly green t-shirt and carry me out of the store like this:
O.C.Daisy, Klepto Sue and Nil, The Girl Whose Name We Can't Pronounce
I found out why O.C.Daisy was being so nice earlier in my shift. She was given some head cashier duties for the day and was training two new employees. It was amazing to watch her be nauseatingly fake nice to the new people.
I was approached by a fellow cashier/grocery worker named...well I can't ever pronounce it...I'll call her Nil for now. Nil joined me in witnessing the spectacle of O.C.D.'s aspartame demeanor and I found out that she knew one of the new trainees. Apparently the new girl, Sue, used to work at another health food store in Denton, TX called The Cupboard, and she was fired for showing up late and for participating in a situation involving theft. Nil was a coworker of Sue at The Cupboard and was adamant in her refusal to be a reference on Klepto Sue's application. Nil is a cool, honest, sincere and hard working person, she didn't strike me as a gossip or a liar so I believed her. Klepto Sue later came over to help me bag groceries when the lines died down. She was friendly and personable but I remained leery.
I needed Daisy to swipe her card and enter code on my register for a return. The whole time she stood there, she grumbled about how Crazy Red Head Vegan had not come back from a break and I don't remember what else. I have begun to tune O.C.D. out as soon as she starts talking shit about others. As soon as she walked back to her trainees it was all half-toothed smiles and "Hiiii darlin'!" Ridiculous.
Update: Crazy Red-Head Vegan
It turned out that CRV took longer than a 15 minute break because she is having ANOTHER bad day. She began to tell me a sob story about how the love of her life has been deployed.
ME: Your boyfriend is in the military? Which branch?
CRV: He is not my boyfriend, he is in the Navy.
ME: Oh, so this is a guy you like? What about your boyfriend?
CRV: We broke up.
ME: Again?
CRV: We didn't really get back togeth-bla bla bla bla bla bla...
She kept talking and I stopped listening. She may have said something about writing letters. I don't know, I don't care. I don't give a shit about her drama anymore.
Petty Duke
A guy from the produce section came up front to notify one of our managers that there was a woman sampling one grape from each of the bags of grapes. All of the cashiers looked to the back of the store and surely enough, there she was, still plucking grapes. Daisy walked back to tell her that she can't do that. We all went back to doing our jobs but then a guy from the bulk section caught my attention. Petty Duke had made her way from the produce section to the bulk section. She stuck her hand in nearly half the bins she walked by, sampling nuts, dried fruits and candy.
There is a fine line between sampling and stealing and Petty Duke was crossing it. Our store allows sampling in the bulk section, but customers are supposed to ask bulk section workers for assistance. O.C.D. went up to her again and told Petty Duke to stop. I tried to figure out whether this woman was underprivileged or cheap. It was more likely to be the latter. She ended up buying a lot of food at Klepto Sue's register. How perfect.
Before my shift began I stopped by the break room to drop off a salad in the fridge. Elvira was in there, eating a sandwich. I asked her if she had heard of any recent lunch robbery. She told me her lunch was stolen the previous week. She had to buy food and that was tough for her since she had just moved to a new apartment with her son. Money was tight. I felt bad for her.
No more reconnaissance, it's go time.
I went to my register and talked about the lunch thief with O.C.Daisy (now in a foot brace). I told her that I planned to buy sandwich materials and Ex-Lax after work to make a stingwich. She totally dug the idea. We brainstormed ways of covering up the laxative by means of crushing or grinding the drug. Daisy said I should make different types of sandwiches and use different containers. This was the best conversation that she and I had ever had. She was being really nice and wasn't full of bitterness like she usually is. Maybe there is a chance for friendship here.
Richard Gere: Part One
So, this song comes on:
I was tired enough to be goofy enough to start busting a move in front of the registers. I was also too tired and goofy to realize anyone else might be watching. From around the corner came an older female customer who decided to join me in the dance. She was ready to check out so I pulled her cart into my line while doing some dance move that could only be described as a slow motion seizure. When I turned around to face my customer, who was having a great time, I noticed I had another spectator: A younger version of Richard Gere dressed in medical scrubs, holding a basket full of vegetables. He smiled at me.
Heart: melted.
I told my customer, who kept grooving, to check out the guy who looks like Richard Gere in the register behind her. She inconspicuously walked over to his register, pretending to choose a magazine she wanted to buy. After checking the guy out, she walked back to me.
WOMAN: [handing me the magazine] No wedding ring and you're right, he does look like Richard Gere. He also looks good in those scrubs.
ME: Right? Doctor, I'm HURTIN'.
WOMAN: Yeah, we need mouth to mouth here.
I couldn't have asked for a better person/wingman to have this inappropriate conversation with. I saw him walking away after purchasing his vegetables and I wondered why I had not ever seen him here before. Maybe he is back from vacationing for half of the summer. Maybe he is one of those Doctors Without Borders. He came home and needed to fill his fridge with vegetables because he is an animal loving vegan. The version of this guy I have created in my head is quite the catch.
Maybe one day he will see past my ugly green t-shirt and carry me out of the store like this:
O.C.Daisy, Klepto Sue and Nil, The Girl Whose Name We Can't Pronounce
I found out why O.C.Daisy was being so nice earlier in my shift. She was given some head cashier duties for the day and was training two new employees. It was amazing to watch her be nauseatingly fake nice to the new people.
I was approached by a fellow cashier/grocery worker named...well I can't ever pronounce it...I'll call her Nil for now. Nil joined me in witnessing the spectacle of O.C.D.'s aspartame demeanor and I found out that she knew one of the new trainees. Apparently the new girl, Sue, used to work at another health food store in Denton, TX called The Cupboard, and she was fired for showing up late and for participating in a situation involving theft. Nil was a coworker of Sue at The Cupboard and was adamant in her refusal to be a reference on Klepto Sue's application. Nil is a cool, honest, sincere and hard working person, she didn't strike me as a gossip or a liar so I believed her. Klepto Sue later came over to help me bag groceries when the lines died down. She was friendly and personable but I remained leery.
I needed Daisy to swipe her card and enter code on my register for a return. The whole time she stood there, she grumbled about how Crazy Red Head Vegan had not come back from a break and I don't remember what else. I have begun to tune O.C.D. out as soon as she starts talking shit about others. As soon as she walked back to her trainees it was all half-toothed smiles and "Hiiii darlin'!" Ridiculous.
Update: Crazy Red-Head Vegan
It turned out that CRV took longer than a 15 minute break because she is having ANOTHER bad day. She began to tell me a sob story about how the love of her life has been deployed.
ME: Your boyfriend is in the military? Which branch?
CRV: He is not my boyfriend, he is in the Navy.
ME: Oh, so this is a guy you like? What about your boyfriend?
CRV: We broke up.
ME: Again?
CRV: We didn't really get back togeth-bla bla bla bla bla bla...
She kept talking and I stopped listening. She may have said something about writing letters. I don't know, I don't care. I don't give a shit about her drama anymore.
Petty Duke
A guy from the produce section came up front to notify one of our managers that there was a woman sampling one grape from each of the bags of grapes. All of the cashiers looked to the back of the store and surely enough, there she was, still plucking grapes. Daisy walked back to tell her that she can't do that. We all went back to doing our jobs but then a guy from the bulk section caught my attention. Petty Duke had made her way from the produce section to the bulk section. She stuck her hand in nearly half the bins she walked by, sampling nuts, dried fruits and candy.
There is a fine line between sampling and stealing and Petty Duke was crossing it. Our store allows sampling in the bulk section, but customers are supposed to ask bulk section workers for assistance. O.C.D. went up to her again and told Petty Duke to stop. I tried to figure out whether this woman was underprivileged or cheap. It was more likely to be the latter. She ended up buying a lot of food at Klepto Sue's register. How perfect.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Day Thirty
Old Lady # 8
A sweet old lady walked into my check out lane with her husband. As the husband unloaded groceries the old lady asked me how my morning was going. I replied, "So far, so good." I told her how had woken up early, walked the dogs, harvested some tomatoes, ate a good breakfast, did some chores and did a little bit of singing before coming to work.
OLD LADY: [in a gritty voice] Singing?! I used to love singing. I loved it. What voice are you?
ME: Believe it or not, [I said in my low voice] I am a soprano.
OLD LADY: Really! I was an alto. I was in my school's glee club and I would sing everywhere I go. Everywhere. It would drive him nuts. [pointing at husband]
ME: Do you still sing anywhere?
OLD LADY: I sang for a little bit in church, but it didn't last too long. I ruined my voice. I had to quit from smoking too much. [she then gave me a stern look] Do you smoke?
ME: No.
OLD LADY: [pointing her finger at my face] Good. Don't do it. Don't even start. You'll ruin your voice.
I felt bad for the old lady. When she talked about how she used to sing, it was with the bittersweet affection one would have when speaking of a lost love. Her voice, filled with regret, sounded like sandpaper being rubber against wood. I do have a couple of singer friends who smoke that are currently doing alright, so I wondered if this old lady just smoked several packs a day. Maybe to the point of almost eating the cigarettes? I heeded her warning, but I am also allergic to cigarette smoke so knew this would not be a problem for me. The couple paid for their groceries but before she left I had to ask this lady one last question.
ME: What was your favorite song to sing? [I handed her the receipt]
OLD LADY: [she smiled from the fond memory of her response] The Hallelujah Chorus. [taking the receipt and squeezing my hand] Have a wonderful day.
Buffalo Lady
It was busy for a moment in the store so my line was backed up. While checking out a customer, I heard a lady down my line talking to a girl in front of her. The string of enthusiastically told, unrelated conversational topics was unmistakable. I looked up to see Buffalo Lady, smiling as usual. I kept an eye on the teenage girl in front of her, praying that she would be kind and thankfully she was. Eventually it was Buffalo Lady's turn to check out. I was totally ready for this.
BUFFALO LADY: Hellllllllo!!! You know, I once met a lady who the most beautiful long black hair. I asked her where she came from and she said that she came from [she paused for suspense, then with eyes wide open]...BANGLADESH!
ME: Ooh! Isn't that something?
BUFFALO LADY: Let me tell YOU something. My cat loves to eat my dinner food. I don't know why I buy her food at all! [slamming counter for emphasis]
ME: My dad used to feed my cat rice with a little bit of beef curry when I was a kid.
BUFFALO LADY: Did you know that chili peppers are hotter when they are smaller? I bought the wrong size and I was crying when I ate it! I'm telling ya, freezers are only cold when the door stays closed!
ME: Ice is always cold. Go for the ice.
I handed her a receipt and she waved goodbye before leaving. I wish I could have let her keep talking. Maybe next time when it is less busy I will let Buffalo Lady cut loose.
Old Man #7
Another old couple walked into my line. Once it was time to pay, the old man, who looked like Carl Reiner, frowned at the credit card reader.
ME: Hit the green button if you want to pay with credit.
OLD MAN: I can't read it. I can't see anything on this darn thing! [He lightly backhanded the reader]
OLD LADY: Take off your sunglasses, dear.
Roz
Roz isn't a far cry from the Monster, Inc. character of the same name.
Roz is our bookkeeper. She stays in a locked office counting money all day long and wears a sweatshirt with the company logo on it. She smells funny and seems grouchy all of the time. Not necessarily mean, but grouchy. I used to call Roz every morning to find out when my shift started. I usually check the schedule for the next day whenever I countdown my till at the end of a shift but sometimes I forget to look. When that happens, I wake up at 7am and give Roz a call. At first, I thought she was cool with this. After once calling three days in a row for my schedule, Roz finally griped at me.
ROZ: Miranda! You need to copy down your stinkin' schedule! I don't have time for this.
Okay, damn...I made sure to never call Roz ever again after that. I copied my schedule or took pictures of it with my phone. Today, Roz stepped out of her office and looked at me.
ROZ: Miranda? You didn't call today. How did you find out when your shift started? [she smiled]
First of all, I wasn't aware that Roz could smile. Second, was Roz being funny?
MIRANDA: I took a wild guess?
ROZ: [she turned to Cake Eyes] Miranda didn't call today.
MIRANDA: I'm sorry, I will make sure I call you every morning from now on.
ROZ: [smile now gone] You better not.
Funny Roz went back into her office. Perhaps she is more than an old grouch. Maybe she has an interesting story to tell.
Stingwich Reconn. #2
I still had plans to take down the sandwich thief. I learned that the sandwich thief not only stole sandwiches but other food items as well. Everything except vegetables was at risk for being robbed from the break room fridge. I also had recently gathered information on a couple of suspects. One of them was one of the guys who worked in the bulk section. I had caught him a couple times reaching into the bulk bins to grab a quick snack, an activity that can only be best described as "grazing". Bulk Boy came into my line to purchase, of all things, a sandwich. I read the label: roast beef. So sandwich thief may have bought his sandwich today. Has he turned a new leaf? Has he reformed or do I have the wrong guy? There IS also Jay from the meat department. He never buys anything and never brings in a lunch. Jay also looks like he doesn't give a shit about some random person going hungry due to a stolen lunch. Just a hunch.
Update: Cute Guy, Maybe (Not Really)
It had been weeks since I had seen Cute Guy so I asked Patti what the deal was. Apparently CG got called into the office for being late everyday. It wasn't just that, he always had a bad attitude and took really long breaks. Our general manager just tried to address this to him, not necessarily fire him for it. This is darn near the most difficult place to be fired from your job. CG didn't feel like being reprimanded, I suppose, because he decided to quit.
It is possible that CG is just a brat but I don't think that is what it is. I thought about how his mom died recently. He was living here in Texas because his mom lived here. His dad, the president of our company, lives on the West Coast. He has no reason or means to stay in Texas unless he is getting an allowance from his rich dad. I hope he is okay, wherever he is.
Restraint
A woman was unloading groceries on the belt and when she wasn't looking, her son picked up a carton of eggs out of the grocery cart.
WOMAN: [to her son] Put that back, NOW. You drop those eggs and I will MURDER you. Do you hear me? [the boy didn't put down the eggs, so she walked over and slapped her son on the arm, taking the eggs out of his hands]
I was so disgusted. Her son was mentally retarded. How could this woman be so acidic and say such a horrible, unloving thing? I didn't know what to say. Eventually that carton of eggs was in my hands. I wanted to hurl the eggs at this woman's face, but they made it into a plastic bag instead.
I gave her no eye contact for the rest of the transaction. Instead, I tried to smile at her son but he never looked at me, his eyes remained pointed to the floor. My heart sank. I wondered if his mom was always like this. Was this how she was raised? Did her mom or dad use death threats in lieu of simple commands? Was she mad that she was dealt this card? She was clearly not capable of learning the right things from having such a wonderful kid. I bet it is difficult, but there is no excuse for talking to a kid like that.
I didn't hand her the receipt, I just put it down somewhat within her reach. I didn't say goodbye or wish her a nice day. I just silently wished that she would become a better human being.
A sweet old lady walked into my check out lane with her husband. As the husband unloaded groceries the old lady asked me how my morning was going. I replied, "So far, so good." I told her how had woken up early, walked the dogs, harvested some tomatoes, ate a good breakfast, did some chores and did a little bit of singing before coming to work.
OLD LADY: [in a gritty voice] Singing?! I used to love singing. I loved it. What voice are you?
ME: Believe it or not, [I said in my low voice] I am a soprano.
OLD LADY: Really! I was an alto. I was in my school's glee club and I would sing everywhere I go. Everywhere. It would drive him nuts. [pointing at husband]
ME: Do you still sing anywhere?
OLD LADY: I sang for a little bit in church, but it didn't last too long. I ruined my voice. I had to quit from smoking too much. [she then gave me a stern look] Do you smoke?
ME: No.
OLD LADY: [pointing her finger at my face] Good. Don't do it. Don't even start. You'll ruin your voice.
I felt bad for the old lady. When she talked about how she used to sing, it was with the bittersweet affection one would have when speaking of a lost love. Her voice, filled with regret, sounded like sandpaper being rubber against wood. I do have a couple of singer friends who smoke that are currently doing alright, so I wondered if this old lady just smoked several packs a day. Maybe to the point of almost eating the cigarettes? I heeded her warning, but I am also allergic to cigarette smoke so knew this would not be a problem for me. The couple paid for their groceries but before she left I had to ask this lady one last question.
ME: What was your favorite song to sing? [I handed her the receipt]
OLD LADY: [she smiled from the fond memory of her response] The Hallelujah Chorus. [taking the receipt and squeezing my hand] Have a wonderful day.
Buffalo Lady
It was busy for a moment in the store so my line was backed up. While checking out a customer, I heard a lady down my line talking to a girl in front of her. The string of enthusiastically told, unrelated conversational topics was unmistakable. I looked up to see Buffalo Lady, smiling as usual. I kept an eye on the teenage girl in front of her, praying that she would be kind and thankfully she was. Eventually it was Buffalo Lady's turn to check out. I was totally ready for this.
BUFFALO LADY: Hellllllllo!!! You know, I once met a lady who the most beautiful long black hair. I asked her where she came from and she said that she came from [she paused for suspense, then with eyes wide open]...BANGLADESH!
ME: Ooh! Isn't that something?
BUFFALO LADY: Let me tell YOU something. My cat loves to eat my dinner food. I don't know why I buy her food at all! [slamming counter for emphasis]
ME: My dad used to feed my cat rice with a little bit of beef curry when I was a kid.
BUFFALO LADY: Did you know that chili peppers are hotter when they are smaller? I bought the wrong size and I was crying when I ate it! I'm telling ya, freezers are only cold when the door stays closed!
ME: Ice is always cold. Go for the ice.
I handed her a receipt and she waved goodbye before leaving. I wish I could have let her keep talking. Maybe next time when it is less busy I will let Buffalo Lady cut loose.
Old Man #7
Another old couple walked into my line. Once it was time to pay, the old man, who looked like Carl Reiner, frowned at the credit card reader.
ME: Hit the green button if you want to pay with credit.
OLD MAN: I can't read it. I can't see anything on this darn thing! [He lightly backhanded the reader]
OLD LADY: Take off your sunglasses, dear.
Roz
Roz isn't a far cry from the Monster, Inc. character of the same name.
Roz is our bookkeeper. She stays in a locked office counting money all day long and wears a sweatshirt with the company logo on it. She smells funny and seems grouchy all of the time. Not necessarily mean, but grouchy. I used to call Roz every morning to find out when my shift started. I usually check the schedule for the next day whenever I countdown my till at the end of a shift but sometimes I forget to look. When that happens, I wake up at 7am and give Roz a call. At first, I thought she was cool with this. After once calling three days in a row for my schedule, Roz finally griped at me.
ROZ: Miranda! You need to copy down your stinkin' schedule! I don't have time for this.
Okay, damn...I made sure to never call Roz ever again after that. I copied my schedule or took pictures of it with my phone. Today, Roz stepped out of her office and looked at me.
ROZ: Miranda? You didn't call today. How did you find out when your shift started? [she smiled]
First of all, I wasn't aware that Roz could smile. Second, was Roz being funny?
MIRANDA: I took a wild guess?
ROZ: [she turned to Cake Eyes] Miranda didn't call today.
MIRANDA: I'm sorry, I will make sure I call you every morning from now on.
ROZ: [smile now gone] You better not.
Funny Roz went back into her office. Perhaps she is more than an old grouch. Maybe she has an interesting story to tell.
Stingwich Reconn. #2
I still had plans to take down the sandwich thief. I learned that the sandwich thief not only stole sandwiches but other food items as well. Everything except vegetables was at risk for being robbed from the break room fridge. I also had recently gathered information on a couple of suspects. One of them was one of the guys who worked in the bulk section. I had caught him a couple times reaching into the bulk bins to grab a quick snack, an activity that can only be best described as "grazing". Bulk Boy came into my line to purchase, of all things, a sandwich. I read the label: roast beef. So sandwich thief may have bought his sandwich today. Has he turned a new leaf? Has he reformed or do I have the wrong guy? There IS also Jay from the meat department. He never buys anything and never brings in a lunch. Jay also looks like he doesn't give a shit about some random person going hungry due to a stolen lunch. Just a hunch.
Update: Cute Guy, Maybe (Not Really)
It had been weeks since I had seen Cute Guy so I asked Patti what the deal was. Apparently CG got called into the office for being late everyday. It wasn't just that, he always had a bad attitude and took really long breaks. Our general manager just tried to address this to him, not necessarily fire him for it. This is darn near the most difficult place to be fired from your job. CG didn't feel like being reprimanded, I suppose, because he decided to quit.
It is possible that CG is just a brat but I don't think that is what it is. I thought about how his mom died recently. He was living here in Texas because his mom lived here. His dad, the president of our company, lives on the West Coast. He has no reason or means to stay in Texas unless he is getting an allowance from his rich dad. I hope he is okay, wherever he is.
Restraint
A woman was unloading groceries on the belt and when she wasn't looking, her son picked up a carton of eggs out of the grocery cart.
WOMAN: [to her son] Put that back, NOW. You drop those eggs and I will MURDER you. Do you hear me? [the boy didn't put down the eggs, so she walked over and slapped her son on the arm, taking the eggs out of his hands]
I was so disgusted. Her son was mentally retarded. How could this woman be so acidic and say such a horrible, unloving thing? I didn't know what to say. Eventually that carton of eggs was in my hands. I wanted to hurl the eggs at this woman's face, but they made it into a plastic bag instead.
I gave her no eye contact for the rest of the transaction. Instead, I tried to smile at her son but he never looked at me, his eyes remained pointed to the floor. My heart sank. I wondered if his mom was always like this. Was this how she was raised? Did her mom or dad use death threats in lieu of simple commands? Was she mad that she was dealt this card? She was clearly not capable of learning the right things from having such a wonderful kid. I bet it is difficult, but there is no excuse for talking to a kid like that.
I didn't hand her the receipt, I just put it down somewhat within her reach. I didn't say goodbye or wish her a nice day. I just silently wished that she would become a better human being.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Day Fifteen
Hungover again...this time, from a friend's wedding reception. It would have been a shame to not take advantage of the top shelf open bar, so I partook. At work, my inner monologue was firing on all cylinders. I fought hard to pay attention to my customers and to keep myself from saying what I am thinking all of the time like the last time I felt this way. This extra effort somehow resulted in over-exuberance.
ME: What is this?
CUSTOMER: Wasabi aged cheddar...
ME: [eyes widened] Shut the front door! Wasabi Aged Cheddar?!
Don't get me wrong, I bet wasabi aged cheddar is the bees knees, but I would never get that excited about it.
Today was an incredibly busy day. Ten different customers didn't feel like ten customers, but like one long never-ending transaction. This didn't give me much of a chance to chat with customers. That was a bummer.
Update: O.C.Daisy and Sally Spec
I showed up to work with my hair down. I didn't put it up right away and I began to check out customers. OCD walks by and grumbles, "Gotta tie up that hair Miranda." Why was she grumbling at me? I thought she was cool, this wasn't her usual sweet reminder. Slightly annoyed, I didn't tie up my hair. Then Sally walked over to me.
SALLY: Daisy was bitching about you to Ryan (our head cashier) so here's a hair tie.
I was so confused. When the lines died down I walked over to Sally to inquire about what Daisy said. Apparently, Daisy told my head cashier about how she told me to tie my hair up and I wouldn't listen. Ryan scolded Daisy, telling her that she needs to let him handle things like this, that she is not a head cashier or manager.
Oh. My. God.
I immediately asked Sally if she had ever complained to anyone about coworkers having their hair down. She said no, that she likes leaving her hair down too...
Holy shit. Daisy is a fucking liar!! SHE is the one who wanted everyone else to tie their hair up. It all makes so much sense. She made it seem like Sally was the party pooper who complained about everyone's hair being down. She made me totally dislike Sally from the get-go, before I even had a chance to get to know her. Sally and I ended up being pals anyway, but wow, Daisy is a LIAR!
I told Sally the whole story about Daisy's false information. Sally laughed and told me that seemed like something Daisy would do. So, from what I have gathered about Daisy in the last week is that she talks shit about customers after they leave and she lies. She also calls every customer "darling" and it is so fake and forced the way she says it. Man, OCD is a piece of work. I wondered why that is. I was so disappointed.
Stingwich Reconn.
I brought my lunch to work today, a spinach mushroom pasta plate and a sandwich. I put it in the break room fridge at work, daring someone to steal it. I returned after four hours to find that it was still there. I heard that food theft had gone down, but not entirely. Vitamin Girl's yogurt was stolen, and enchiladas were recently stolen (made by a bakery chef for a fellow cashier). I tried to find out what days of the week these food item thefts occurred and how they were wrapped. Some were covered in cellophane with their name on it, others in tupperware. I figured that one Ex-Lax laden turkey sandwich on a random day wasn't going to do it. I would have to make several. I think one different sandwich a day over a two week period should do it. I'm debating leaving a tiny laminated message in the sandwich like, "You have been Ex-Laxed," or "Next time, make your own sandwich." I don't know, we'll see.
Rainbow Bright
This red headed young girl bought some snacks from the bulk section before her mom purchased a large order of groceries. The groceries were for the girl's 9th birthday party. She was wearing every neon color you could possibly imagine, and her clothes were also bedazzled. It was the kind of outfit that only a 9 year old could pull off. If I ever walked out in an outfit like that, my friends would have the permission to beat me with a 2x4, repeatedly.
The mom received ten dollars cashback from the transaction and handed it straight to her daughter.
GIRL: Yesssssssssssssss.
ME: Birthday money?
MOM: Yes. She gets $10 from us at every celebration. She is welcome to spend it however she likes, but if she puts it in the bank?
GIRL: You'll match every deposit.
ME: You'll double the deposit of any money she chooses to save?
MOM: Any money.
That is an amazing mom. What an awesome way to teach a kid the rewards of saving.
The G Word
I wanted so badly to ask Ryan, our red-headed, freckled and pale skinned head cashier, some sensitive questions. Eventually the lines died down enough for us to talk.
ME: So, Ryan...when you were growing up, were ever discriminated against or did you ever feel discriminated against for being a red-head? Were you ever called a "ginger"?
RYAN: Yes.
ME: How did it make you feel?
RYAN: It hurt my feelings at first. I felt like I was being called the "n word." I know the connotations are not near as negative, but it made me sad all the same.
ME: Hmm. So what about now? What do you think when someone calls you a "ginger" now?
RYAN: It's just annoying. It pisses me off, but I usually brush it off. I'm just a normal person. Some people don't care, for them it is a nickname or term of endearment.
ME: Okay, so...do you get excited when a red-head excels in life?
RYAN: What do you mean?
ME: Okay, for example, when we [pointing to myself] won the Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire and all of those Indian people were on stage accepting the award, I was so stoked.
RYAN: When we won the Oscar?
ME: Yes, that is how it works.
Hero was working next to me and he chimed in.
HERO: So when Ron Weasley scored Hermione in the last couple of Harry Potter movies were you proud?
ME: Or what about Shaun White? Is he your Malcolm X?
Ryan was laughing pretty hard and said no to all the final questions. I knew the G word has been used blatantly in comedy, like the South Park episode "The Ginger Kids" or the ginger supremacist parents of the guidance counselor in Glee. I wasn't aware that it ever hurt a kid's feelings. If it hurt Ryan's feelings as a kid, how many kids are feeling hurt by the G word now?
Lightning McQueen and the Chanteuse
Kids really kept me sane today. I had two customers with a kid who never uttered a word other than yelling out the ABC song at the top of his lungs, non-stop, not so much in the melody but on one pitch. His parents were embarrassed but I couldn't stop laughing.
I met another kid who loves the movie, Cars. He wore a Cars shirt and had a toy version of one of the movie characters in his hands.
ME: So do you like the Cars movie?
KID: [nods his head]
ME: What's your favorite car?
KID: Lightning McQueen.
ME: So then what's your favorite color? (thinking he would say red)
KID: Lightning McQueen says VRRROOOOM!
ME: So, red?
KID: Lightning McQueen.
ME: So, what's your favorite number? (thinking he might say 95)
KID: Lightning McQueen. [continues making vroom noises and brake sounds]
ME: Your favorite animal?
KID: Lightning McQueen!
ME: Right. I get it now.
Later on, a couple rolled up with their toddler seated in the grocery cart. This little curly haired girl was warbling nonsense melodies, the kind that only sounds beautiful coming from a child.
ME: Do you like to sing?
MOM: Oh she knows lots of songs! Wanna sing a song for her? What about "Five Little Monkeys"?
The mom tried to help the kid get started but the girl was shy, so of course I started singing too. We sang "Five Little Monkeys" together while I checked out groceries, with hand motions and all. When that song ended the kid would bust out with song after song, "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Old MacDonald." The transaction had long been over and we were still singing because no one else was in line at the time. Little did I know that I had an audience behind me, including Hero, Hero's customers, my manager, head cashier and other customers. The toddler and I had a show going, I think we should have put out a tip jar. Maybe next time.
ME: What is this?
CUSTOMER: Wasabi aged cheddar...
ME: [eyes widened] Shut the front door! Wasabi Aged Cheddar?!
Don't get me wrong, I bet wasabi aged cheddar is the bees knees, but I would never get that excited about it.
Today was an incredibly busy day. Ten different customers didn't feel like ten customers, but like one long never-ending transaction. This didn't give me much of a chance to chat with customers. That was a bummer.
Update: O.C.Daisy and Sally Spec
I showed up to work with my hair down. I didn't put it up right away and I began to check out customers. OCD walks by and grumbles, "Gotta tie up that hair Miranda." Why was she grumbling at me? I thought she was cool, this wasn't her usual sweet reminder. Slightly annoyed, I didn't tie up my hair. Then Sally walked over to me.
SALLY: Daisy was bitching about you to Ryan (our head cashier) so here's a hair tie.
I was so confused. When the lines died down I walked over to Sally to inquire about what Daisy said. Apparently, Daisy told my head cashier about how she told me to tie my hair up and I wouldn't listen. Ryan scolded Daisy, telling her that she needs to let him handle things like this, that she is not a head cashier or manager.
Oh. My. God.
I immediately asked Sally if she had ever complained to anyone about coworkers having their hair down. She said no, that she likes leaving her hair down too...
Holy shit. Daisy is a fucking liar!! SHE is the one who wanted everyone else to tie their hair up. It all makes so much sense. She made it seem like Sally was the party pooper who complained about everyone's hair being down. She made me totally dislike Sally from the get-go, before I even had a chance to get to know her. Sally and I ended up being pals anyway, but wow, Daisy is a LIAR!
I told Sally the whole story about Daisy's false information. Sally laughed and told me that seemed like something Daisy would do. So, from what I have gathered about Daisy in the last week is that she talks shit about customers after they leave and she lies. She also calls every customer "darling" and it is so fake and forced the way she says it. Man, OCD is a piece of work. I wondered why that is. I was so disappointed.
Stingwich Reconn.
I brought my lunch to work today, a spinach mushroom pasta plate and a sandwich. I put it in the break room fridge at work, daring someone to steal it. I returned after four hours to find that it was still there. I heard that food theft had gone down, but not entirely. Vitamin Girl's yogurt was stolen, and enchiladas were recently stolen (made by a bakery chef for a fellow cashier). I tried to find out what days of the week these food item thefts occurred and how they were wrapped. Some were covered in cellophane with their name on it, others in tupperware. I figured that one Ex-Lax laden turkey sandwich on a random day wasn't going to do it. I would have to make several. I think one different sandwich a day over a two week period should do it. I'm debating leaving a tiny laminated message in the sandwich like, "You have been Ex-Laxed," or "Next time, make your own sandwich." I don't know, we'll see.
Rainbow Bright
This red headed young girl bought some snacks from the bulk section before her mom purchased a large order of groceries. The groceries were for the girl's 9th birthday party. She was wearing every neon color you could possibly imagine, and her clothes were also bedazzled. It was the kind of outfit that only a 9 year old could pull off. If I ever walked out in an outfit like that, my friends would have the permission to beat me with a 2x4, repeatedly.
The mom received ten dollars cashback from the transaction and handed it straight to her daughter.
GIRL: Yesssssssssssssss.
ME: Birthday money?
MOM: Yes. She gets $10 from us at every celebration. She is welcome to spend it however she likes, but if she puts it in the bank?
GIRL: You'll match every deposit.
ME: You'll double the deposit of any money she chooses to save?
MOM: Any money.
That is an amazing mom. What an awesome way to teach a kid the rewards of saving.
The G Word
I wanted so badly to ask Ryan, our red-headed, freckled and pale skinned head cashier, some sensitive questions. Eventually the lines died down enough for us to talk.
ME: So, Ryan...when you were growing up, were ever discriminated against or did you ever feel discriminated against for being a red-head? Were you ever called a "ginger"?
RYAN: Yes.
ME: How did it make you feel?
RYAN: It hurt my feelings at first. I felt like I was being called the "n word." I know the connotations are not near as negative, but it made me sad all the same.
ME: Hmm. So what about now? What do you think when someone calls you a "ginger" now?
RYAN: It's just annoying. It pisses me off, but I usually brush it off. I'm just a normal person. Some people don't care, for them it is a nickname or term of endearment.
ME: Okay, so...do you get excited when a red-head excels in life?
RYAN: What do you mean?
ME: Okay, for example, when we [pointing to myself] won the Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire and all of those Indian people were on stage accepting the award, I was so stoked.
RYAN: When we won the Oscar?
ME: Yes, that is how it works.
Hero was working next to me and he chimed in.
HERO: So when Ron Weasley scored Hermione in the last couple of Harry Potter movies were you proud?
ME: Or what about Shaun White? Is he your Malcolm X?
Ryan was laughing pretty hard and said no to all the final questions. I knew the G word has been used blatantly in comedy, like the South Park episode "The Ginger Kids" or the ginger supremacist parents of the guidance counselor in Glee. I wasn't aware that it ever hurt a kid's feelings. If it hurt Ryan's feelings as a kid, how many kids are feeling hurt by the G word now?
Lightning McQueen and the Chanteuse
Kids really kept me sane today. I had two customers with a kid who never uttered a word other than yelling out the ABC song at the top of his lungs, non-stop, not so much in the melody but on one pitch. His parents were embarrassed but I couldn't stop laughing.
I met another kid who loves the movie, Cars. He wore a Cars shirt and had a toy version of one of the movie characters in his hands.
ME: So do you like the Cars movie?
KID: [nods his head]
ME: What's your favorite car?
KID: Lightning McQueen.
ME: So then what's your favorite color? (thinking he would say red)
KID: Lightning McQueen says VRRROOOOM!
ME: So, red?
KID: Lightning McQueen.
ME: So, what's your favorite number? (thinking he might say 95)
KID: Lightning McQueen. [continues making vroom noises and brake sounds]
ME: Your favorite animal?
KID: Lightning McQueen!
ME: Right. I get it now.
Later on, a couple rolled up with their toddler seated in the grocery cart. This little curly haired girl was warbling nonsense melodies, the kind that only sounds beautiful coming from a child.
ME: Do you like to sing?
MOM: Oh she knows lots of songs! Wanna sing a song for her? What about "Five Little Monkeys"?
The mom tried to help the kid get started but the girl was shy, so of course I started singing too. We sang "Five Little Monkeys" together while I checked out groceries, with hand motions and all. When that song ended the kid would bust out with song after song, "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Old MacDonald." The transaction had long been over and we were still singing because no one else was in line at the time. Little did I know that I had an audience behind me, including Hero, Hero's customers, my manager, head cashier and other customers. The toddler and I had a show going, I think we should have put out a tip jar. Maybe next time.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Day Seven
SANDWICH THIEF!
When I get a summer job like this, my one hope is that I will not run into anyone I know, ever. I learned on my very first day that such would not be the case. One of the cashiers was a guy I go to school with. We had taken a class together. Even before that, I knew him as "Hero." A couple years ago, I was substitute teaching for another private teacher at a local high school. When I tried to leave at the end of the day, my car barely made it out of the parking lot. The gas tank was empty. I walked back to the band hall and sheepishly asked if anyone could drive me to the gas station. Hero was a student teacher at the time and offered to help. He filled up my one gallon carton for me and put the gas in my car when we got back to the school. If he didn't help I would have been screwed because I had a gig to go to. I couldn't remember his name until I worked with him at this store.
Hero told me today that someone stole his sandwich from the fridge in the break room. Someone stole Hero's sandwich.
Let me make something clear. Hero is my favorite person at this store. My FAVORITE. He is such a good guy. He loves his wife. His wife probably made him that sandwich, with love. I was filled with rage. His stolen sandwich is MY stolen sandwich. There is only one solution. A sting-wich. I am going to plant one in the fridge. I'm thinking sliced turkey with a little tomato, lettuce, pickles, sprouts and provolone with a spicy mustard...and laxatives.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold."
Rooster
I was checking and bagging this one lady's groceries when a man and his son walked up. The man was placing groceries on the belt and every once in a while the son would grab a loaf of French bread and place it on the belt as well. I noticed that this boy was mentally retarded. The dad would get frustrated and say, "No. NO. NO." Just like that, increasingly louder. This happened about 5 times. The dad was never kind or patient. I was so annoyed, so was the lady I was helping. I can't begin to understand how difficult it is to raise a child like this, but I have seen some amazing people do it, with much love and patience. I tried to say hello to the boy, but his dad said he doesn't talk. When it came time for this man to check out, he continued to have a hard time keeping his son from the French bread. Fed up with the dad's repetitive "NO," I decided to start whistling. I whistled this song:
The boy froze, listening. His dad said he loves Disney movies, and that is one of the DVDs he watches. It is hard to whistle when you are tearing up. I didn't know whistling a Disney melody would steal this boy's attention and I don't know what made me do it. The boy stood still and his gaze was fixed on the sliding doors. It was then that the dad was able to swipe his credit card. He smiled and said, "Thank you."
Gross.
A late 50-something year old man walks up while Billy Idol's "Dancin' With Myself" played on the radio. Sally Spec bagged groceries.
ME: Alright, the 80s station seems to be on.
CUSTOMER: Oh, you never lived a DAY in the 80s.
SALLY: How old are you?
ME: How old do I look?
SALLY: My age? 19?
ME: Correct.
SALLY: Yesssss. [walks off to help another customer]
ME: [to my customer] Actually I'm in my 30s.
CUSTOMER: I never would have guessed, you're a VERY attractive woman. [I can only describe the look he gave me with the word, "Ew."]
Okay. What he should have said is, "You don't look your age." Does he mean to say that 30 year old women aren't attractive? Maybe he was just being nice, but I don't think so. I was grossed out. I do not like it when old dudes say shit like that to me while looking at me like that. If I was wearing some slutty dress and asking for it that would be one thing, but I was wearing a t-shirt with jeans and I had no make-up on. Ick.
So maybe there is a bit of a double standard here. If he looked like George Clooney I would have welcomed this compliment. This guy? Not George Clooney.
Operation: Elvira
I've got it! Elvira looks like she speaks Spanish. Maybe she'll be more nice and talkative if she speaks in Spanish! I tried to figure out some phrases in my head to say to her as she was leaving work. She walked by:
ME: Esta saliendo? Tenga un buen dia! (Are you leaving? Have a nice day!)
It was then that Elvira shot me an nasty look, I averted my eyes. She walked out of the store. That is not what I imagined happening in my head. I thought we would be instant chums, speaking in spanish all of the time. No, she laser shot me a look of pure hatred. What did I say? Maybe "saliendo" means "quitting" and I just said, "Are you quitting? Have a nice day!" Maybe I put an accent in the wrong place? Did I somehow sound sarcastic? Maybe Elvira doesn't speak Spanish. This operation failed. I'm starting to think my efforts are futile.
Hanz
Hanz has come into my line before but I never noticed his muscles until today, because he was wearing a lot less. He couldn't put his arms down by his sides because he was THAT MUSCULAR. He walked up and I, well...
ME: Hi! You...look like you work out. [bursts into laughter]
HANZ: [no response]
ME: I'm sorry. Are you a trainer?
HANZ: Yes.
ME: I could tell, because you're veiny. (Oh my god shut up Miranda) Where are you a trainer?
HANZ: I'm a personal trainer at (I wasn't listening, I was staring at his left bicep).
ME: So when we get customers looking to train somewhere, we send them to you.
HANZ: Right.
Of course I would happen to be working next to Crazy Red-Head Vegan when this all went down. She bags Hanz's small amount of groceries. Before he leaves:
CRV: Do you need help carrying those out? The bags look kind of heavy.
I laughed, Crazy Vegan laughed, Hanz did not. I wonder if he gets treated like this all of the time. Does he feel objectified or does he dig it when girls act incredibly stupid around him? I will behave better the next time he shops here.
Update: Sally Spec
Sally and I are getting along. She helps me out a lot and is fun to be around. Mid-shift, she lamented to me that she was thinking of working somewhere else, that she was sick of some of the people here. She mentioned Elvia and Speedy Gonzales being negative all of the time and apparently there are rumors flying around about her personal life. I have never heard these rumors, maybe because I am new or maybe because I don't engage in gossip with these coworkers. I told her she has to have something that makes the job interesting. I told her that every time I meet someone interesting or when I hear something interesting, I pull out a strip of receipt paper and write it down, and that is what makes work interesting otherwise I would be bored to death. She told me that Crazy Red-Head Vegan, some of the older ladies and I were the only people she liked working with and that she doesn't always get to work with who she likes. I was flattered. I hope she doesn't quit because of stupid people, but she is young and probably hasn't had to deal with this kind of drama before. I think I once heard a cowboy say, "Once you have dealt with bullshit, you can handle bullshit." If I had a hat, I would tip it to that.
When I get a summer job like this, my one hope is that I will not run into anyone I know, ever. I learned on my very first day that such would not be the case. One of the cashiers was a guy I go to school with. We had taken a class together. Even before that, I knew him as "Hero." A couple years ago, I was substitute teaching for another private teacher at a local high school. When I tried to leave at the end of the day, my car barely made it out of the parking lot. The gas tank was empty. I walked back to the band hall and sheepishly asked if anyone could drive me to the gas station. Hero was a student teacher at the time and offered to help. He filled up my one gallon carton for me and put the gas in my car when we got back to the school. If he didn't help I would have been screwed because I had a gig to go to. I couldn't remember his name until I worked with him at this store.
Hero told me today that someone stole his sandwich from the fridge in the break room. Someone stole Hero's sandwich.
Let me make something clear. Hero is my favorite person at this store. My FAVORITE. He is such a good guy. He loves his wife. His wife probably made him that sandwich, with love. I was filled with rage. His stolen sandwich is MY stolen sandwich. There is only one solution. A sting-wich. I am going to plant one in the fridge. I'm thinking sliced turkey with a little tomato, lettuce, pickles, sprouts and provolone with a spicy mustard...and laxatives.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold."
Rooster
I was checking and bagging this one lady's groceries when a man and his son walked up. The man was placing groceries on the belt and every once in a while the son would grab a loaf of French bread and place it on the belt as well. I noticed that this boy was mentally retarded. The dad would get frustrated and say, "No. NO. NO." Just like that, increasingly louder. This happened about 5 times. The dad was never kind or patient. I was so annoyed, so was the lady I was helping. I can't begin to understand how difficult it is to raise a child like this, but I have seen some amazing people do it, with much love and patience. I tried to say hello to the boy, but his dad said he doesn't talk. When it came time for this man to check out, he continued to have a hard time keeping his son from the French bread. Fed up with the dad's repetitive "NO," I decided to start whistling. I whistled this song:
The boy froze, listening. His dad said he loves Disney movies, and that is one of the DVDs he watches. It is hard to whistle when you are tearing up. I didn't know whistling a Disney melody would steal this boy's attention and I don't know what made me do it. The boy stood still and his gaze was fixed on the sliding doors. It was then that the dad was able to swipe his credit card. He smiled and said, "Thank you."
Gross.
A late 50-something year old man walks up while Billy Idol's "Dancin' With Myself" played on the radio. Sally Spec bagged groceries.
ME: Alright, the 80s station seems to be on.
CUSTOMER: Oh, you never lived a DAY in the 80s.
SALLY: How old are you?
ME: How old do I look?
SALLY: My age? 19?
ME: Correct.
SALLY: Yesssss. [walks off to help another customer]
ME: [to my customer] Actually I'm in my 30s.
CUSTOMER: I never would have guessed, you're a VERY attractive woman. [I can only describe the look he gave me with the word, "Ew."]
Okay. What he should have said is, "You don't look your age." Does he mean to say that 30 year old women aren't attractive? Maybe he was just being nice, but I don't think so. I was grossed out. I do not like it when old dudes say shit like that to me while looking at me like that. If I was wearing some slutty dress and asking for it that would be one thing, but I was wearing a t-shirt with jeans and I had no make-up on. Ick.
So maybe there is a bit of a double standard here. If he looked like George Clooney I would have welcomed this compliment. This guy? Not George Clooney.
Operation: Elvira
I've got it! Elvira looks like she speaks Spanish. Maybe she'll be more nice and talkative if she speaks in Spanish! I tried to figure out some phrases in my head to say to her as she was leaving work. She walked by:
ME: Esta saliendo? Tenga un buen dia! (Are you leaving? Have a nice day!)
It was then that Elvira shot me an nasty look, I averted my eyes. She walked out of the store. That is not what I imagined happening in my head. I thought we would be instant chums, speaking in spanish all of the time. No, she laser shot me a look of pure hatred. What did I say? Maybe "saliendo" means "quitting" and I just said, "Are you quitting? Have a nice day!" Maybe I put an accent in the wrong place? Did I somehow sound sarcastic? Maybe Elvira doesn't speak Spanish. This operation failed. I'm starting to think my efforts are futile.
Hanz
Hanz has come into my line before but I never noticed his muscles until today, because he was wearing a lot less. He couldn't put his arms down by his sides because he was THAT MUSCULAR. He walked up and I, well...
ME: Hi! You...look like you work out. [bursts into laughter]
HANZ: [no response]
ME: I'm sorry. Are you a trainer?
HANZ: Yes.
ME: I could tell, because you're veiny. (Oh my god shut up Miranda) Where are you a trainer?
HANZ: I'm a personal trainer at (I wasn't listening, I was staring at his left bicep).
ME: So when we get customers looking to train somewhere, we send them to you.
HANZ: Right.
Of course I would happen to be working next to Crazy Red-Head Vegan when this all went down. She bags Hanz's small amount of groceries. Before he leaves:
CRV: Do you need help carrying those out? The bags look kind of heavy.
I laughed, Crazy Vegan laughed, Hanz did not. I wonder if he gets treated like this all of the time. Does he feel objectified or does he dig it when girls act incredibly stupid around him? I will behave better the next time he shops here.
Update: Sally Spec
Sally and I are getting along. She helps me out a lot and is fun to be around. Mid-shift, she lamented to me that she was thinking of working somewhere else, that she was sick of some of the people here. She mentioned Elvia and Speedy Gonzales being negative all of the time and apparently there are rumors flying around about her personal life. I have never heard these rumors, maybe because I am new or maybe because I don't engage in gossip with these coworkers. I told her she has to have something that makes the job interesting. I told her that every time I meet someone interesting or when I hear something interesting, I pull out a strip of receipt paper and write it down, and that is what makes work interesting otherwise I would be bored to death. She told me that Crazy Red-Head Vegan, some of the older ladies and I were the only people she liked working with and that she doesn't always get to work with who she likes. I was flattered. I hope she doesn't quit because of stupid people, but she is young and probably hasn't had to deal with this kind of drama before. I think I once heard a cowboy say, "Once you have dealt with bullshit, you can handle bullshit." If I had a hat, I would tip it to that.
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