Shocker

I got a message on my answering machine from Mom. My uncle died, her brother. Apparently he got up to go to the bathroom and collapsed on the floor. The coroner thought it was a massive heart attack (heart and blood pressure problems do run on that side of the family). Mom thought this happened yesterday and aunt has not called back with the autopsy results. He will be cremated and Mom was uncertain if he will be buried. No funeral plans have been set yet. I will miss his funny xmas letters from Spokane, WA where flowers grow bigger than here. I think he is a year older than Dad and just celebrated his birthday 4 days ago, so I would say he died at age 73.

Excitement at work

Last night two coworkers were arrested and taken in handcuffs. One gal marked a bunch of $400 purses down to $5 and her husband came and bought them. Then another got in the game doing price overrides for the gal's husband. Yeah, I can see how the camera people would get suspicious of a guy buying a bunch of top of the line purses. Stupid people.

Then a coworker and I saw a giant fuzzy camera and tripod go by, then later left. I thought they were a news crew interviewing shoppers. No, Ray Liotta was here in the Men's department by himself and I missed it. One coworker thought they were filming a training video by the register then asked, Is that Ray Liotta? Nobody got his autograph and he walked out of the store w/out fuss. I guess they are still filming his movie in Perry.

Otherwise I struggled to stay awake all day. Later.

Happy Inauguration Day

I forgot the Inauguration was today so I got up at noon. I watched the commentary of the speech President Obama made. Naturally I had to watch it so got online to watch the rerun on the internet. I was touched it made me cry. I liked the last part where he said that a man who 60 years ago would not have been served in a restaurant in this city has now taken a sacred oath. I also liked the part about our patchwork is our strength not our weakness. Those ideas are the things that make us Americans, we survive the worst and dream towards the best. If nothing changed there woud be no butterflies (I read this saying in a catalog and like to repeat it). If FDR can get us out of the Great Depression that crippled the world and win a two front war, I think President Obama can get us out of this mess.Later.

Spring is here

We got summer tan tops in the women's clothes. Spring is here.Got a safety matters email addressed only to me. To make sure accidents don't occur, stabilize mannequins before changing clothes and get help lifting heavy objects. Neither apply to me. I wonder if anyone from my store is reading my journal when talking about slippery boxes falling on my head last week.Got a "Friendly Reminder" reprimand from assistant store manager about the rules on breaks. The email was only adrressed to me so I call it a reprimand. No breaks before noon or after 6 PM for proper floor coverage. Work 4 hrs get a 15 min break. Work 6 hrs get 30 min lunch. Work 7 hrs get 1 hr lunch with 15 min break (unless we are busy then we get knocked down to 30 min lunch and no 15). During 15 min breaks we are not allowed to leave the store nor buy anything (cuz we are still on the clock). If we are scheduled to leave at 5 PM or 6 PM, we get no 15 min break even if we work over 7 hrs. THESE PEOPLE ACTUALLY EXPECT US TO REMEMBER ALL THIS!Got to know one guy helping with markdowns. He is from California and worked in international business moving to Ohio, Michigan, Florida, St Petersburg in Russia, and then came here to attend family matters for a few months. Then he got trapped here during the economic downfall and the retail store was the only place who would hire him. Guess this place doesn't need many international business majors with Russian wives on their payroll. Been busy straightening the stockroom. Not as cold as last week so no coat on. Well later.

Fun in the snow

It is snowing outside. I took it started right before I left work cuz the streets had not been plowed. It is so much fun to drive in the center of the road cuz I can't see the lines. How often does one get to do that? I drove very slow forcing the people behind me to zoom pass. I notice a lot of revving from trucks and Suv's making them fishtail when they turn. Then snow flies up when they try to stop. I skid every time I try to stop so I am not speeding up. Then someone had to turn right causing the 3 cars ahead of me to to slide and hit the curb cause this was on a curve (turning left). The one in front of me (Suv) hits the curb so hard he goes over and plops back down on the road. I have to hit the curb to keep from spinning as I try to slow down (turning the wheel to follow the curve), only I just brush it gently (I was going 25 at this point). Hitting the curb is also a good way to stop the car if you are skidding. I notice the Suv driving slower after that until he got to go through a yellow light and I had to stop. No more curb hitting or skidding cuz a snowplow appeared so the road was less snowy. Home again, jiggety jog. I'll have fun tomorrow brushing all the wet snow off my car.

Events of the day

Came to work to be bored to tears and freezing so hang around the guy in the next section to warm up. He is from Mexico and moved to Texas 30 years ago. He moved here 15 years ago. I'm astonished he moved to colder climate. He laughs. He likes it here. He is fun to talk to. He complains how wives can be married for years and not know their husbands' sizes. Look at the labels in his closet before you leave the house if can't guessimate.

I saw the assistant manager working at a cash register. I asked what she was doing there. Having fun, she replies. My lip is sore today but getting better. Frodo cut my lip pawing at my face this morning. I tasted blood and got out of bed so Frodo would stop. He does this when the alarm clock goes off and I don't want to get up, which is every morning.It picked up after lunchtime and had to help several people at once. I found out I helped the parents of a security guy the other day. I was happy they were happy with me even if I was busy at the moment.
Saw a guy with a huge coat that is dwarfed his head. I commented he looked like a movie character in his coat when he noticed my staring. I explained that was a compliment (don't you want to look like a famous movie star). He looked at me weird and said thank you. People seem so shocked at my friendliness.

I heard we won't get anymore shipments until after inventory. Thank goodness. I hate working in the deep freeze backroom.Had a complaint about our 40% off sign. It was not here yesterday. I think it's manager doing it. The display shoes are not 40% off so I fixed the sign. Had little girl doing cartwheels in her bare feet. I told her I wouldn't do that cuz there are staples hidden in the carpet. We staple tags to the shoes so when we remove tags, some fall on the floor. Her parents were up in arms making her stop. She gets upset and crawls in mom's arms hiding her face. I'm such a meanie destroying her playtime. I saw my brother-in-law's sister and her husband. I said the last time we saw each other I worked at another shoe place, not much has changed. They now have all children out of the house and 4 grandchilden, almost 5. It slowed down so took lunch. Nothing else to report.

Much ado about nothing

Very quiet today at work, everybody came yesterday. Naturally everybody looks at the clearance shoes, but few buy them. Had my coworker with me so got a few things done. Manager came by twice to give orders for inventory prep. We had to check all the shoes had boxes, every style is displayed but if there is a single shoe left then take that off display and put it in the back, move shoe care in backroom to another shelf where it is in her chart of the department, and finally grab all the shoes off the clothing displays so we know what we have. Apparently the guys don't change displays cuz there were shoes we no longer have and two pairs I couldn't locate where the box was. Clothing guys don't always put the boxes of the shoes they take in the correct place. That would make things too easy. enjoyed my full hour lunch and 15 minute break. Security guy had his break interrupted. Some guy wanted to try on a ladies coat in the men's department. Security guy asked if the guy had mascara on. No. He will be right over. I forgot to put on my watch so had to guess at the time to return. Ran into a customer from the airport and chatted a few minutes. I explained this is the type of store where the customers often dress better than the workers. He laughed. Then went grocery shopping on the way home and ran into another airport person. I'm surviving, I say. Jobs are not plentiful at the moment, but I am applying for other jobs. Then home where took out Precious, on his harness, and ran into the stray cat that terrifies him. Since I had no watch we stayed outside for over an hour. I was freezing so I carried him back in. Now off to bed. Later.

Nightmare day

We had our big clearance sale today. We even opened a hour earlier than scheduled too. They shunned us about holding stuff for ourselves. No need to worry cuz we didn't have time for breaks to buy our holds. Natually everybody thinks everything in the store is half off. No, just the clearance is half of the clearance price. They also said we were are shorthanded today and I'm guessing cuz they didn't know 3 weeks ago when they made the schedules this big sale would occur. Had a guy argue over a sign. It said 40% off then had above it 50% off ("marketdown price" part was hidden by the frame of the sign) so that makes it 90% off the original price and he wants it 90% off the original price now. I'll solve the problem, I say, I'll take the sign down. I refuse to have this argument again. The clearance shoes are not 40% off the original price. Lifting the sign he sees the 50% off markdown price part. So anyway, I get someone wanting to argue over the price of candy from another section and since they are upstairs, I can't verify what sign she saw. The candy is originally priced, not 70% off. She leaves it behind for me to return upstairs cuz she don't want it now.

Last week I worked with my coworker so checked all the shoes to make sure they had proper tags. He did one display and I did the rest. That a**wipe marked things on sale that I discover are not on sale at all. I didn't have any problems with the tags I did. Then some clearance shoes are not in the computer at all so had to check the box for the markdown price and cut it in half. Had people throw a fit cuz 2 weeks the shoe they want was on sale and demand it be on sale at the same price now. Sorry. Forget it then, they storm off. Had the pleasure of ringing up someone who didn't speak English who didn't have his store credit card. I have to look that up first so voided transaction and started over after getting his card # looked up. As we closed I saw him at the men's cologne counter and I bet he didn't understand we were closed.

Had 3 ladies want me to hold their hand and walk around the area to help them find comfortable shoes for their men. I pointed out the clearance shoes stating they are all comfortable cuz I am helping 3-4 people at the same time. All day I helped several people at once. Called over to women's shoes to have someone cover my lunch break, cut to 30 minutes cuz we are busy. Oh, they can't help out, they are busy and shorthanded. Okay, I just won't have a lunch break then. No pee break, no snack break either cuz customers won't stop coming. I can't leave 10 people in my area w/out someone to help them get sizes.

Then someone wanted to exchange defective shoes they bought last July and have no receipt, plus we no longer carry the style. The man only worn them 3 times and now there is a hole in the sole, this brand usually lasts 2-3 years. I have to call a manager. She can't look the shoes up (no codes printed on the shoes to look up) so she calls the store manager who takes their number to get back with them on it. They don't want the shoes I grabbed out of the back if they can't do an even exchange. I mention to this manager (mine has the day off but she came this morning to put out signs and put out the rest of my clearance on the display) that I won't be getting a lunch break today cuz everybody is busy with their own customers. She looks at her watch shocked I have not had a break in 6 1/2 hours. She will get someone to cover me and next time call a manager before now. Okay, when customers go away I will. 7th hour approaches and I figure I was right thinking nobody is relieving me and the business slows down. Find gum under a display table I leaned against and on the sole of a display shoe. Then get a lady who won't leave my side pulling shoes on display asking if they are on sale. NO!, only the 2 tables are clearanced and half off the markdown price. Her husband needs a good and comfortable dress shoe, she just can't decide on one, is this on sale? Get relief in the form of "Just go" and told 5 clothes people I was going on break. If the men's clothing manager says his people will cover my area, it will be covered. When I ask personally they get real irritated about my request. Leave the clingy woman behind and take a small break eating chips, cereal bar, and can of pop. I didn't have time for a proper meal.

Then they didn't do the 15, 10, 5 minutes til closing announcements so I'm getting sizes for 3 people when they announce the store is closed. Quickly count my cash drawer and hear an announcement that women's clothes need help hanging things back up, then we can go. Women's clothes says they don't need help, they can hang clothes tomorrow. Wait for the last of the customers to leave and finally we can go home. I wonder what torture device they will come up with tomorrow.