Happy New Year

Took kids home after forcing them to help pick up. Nephew about lost all his toys refusing to pick up. I placed them on a high shelf and explained to sister that they can give them back when they choose.



I will be sleeping at midnight, was up all last night coughing so am very tired now. I have to get up early to go to work. Happy New Year Everybody.

Adventures in babysitting

Picked up niece and nephew and loaded the car. Took them grocery shopping and they were so well behaved I bought them doughnuts and new books. They both pushed the cart while I guided. Nephew wanted to push by himself crying endlessly, but I stated that they both push or I push. They packed their xmas toys and enjoyed playing with my collection of toys too. They watched a couple movies nephew hasn't seen before. One niece had not seen before. I worked on my xmas village houses and they watercolored. Niece thought they were going to help me with xmas houses, but I said they are not touching my houses. Nephew is better at drawing and writing his name. Niece did well writing with a paintbrush, until nephew knocked over the water and ruined her work. Bedtime was quiet with me sitting nearby telling them to shush. All is quiet.

Sister in hospital

Sister apparently caught a bug (virus or bacteria?) during her trip to China and its keeps inflaming her system. She is coming home today so will babysit the kids overnight to give her rest. I intended to go shopping on my day off so they will have to come along. Kids are so funny about packing. They pack a ton of toys, blanket, and pillows. I have a ton of toys, blankets, and pillows so all they need is clothes and toy they sleep with. Perhaps they can help bake my cookies and cream brownies for the big family xmas Sunday.

Night shifts

Started working night shifts this week. Usually I worked day shifts in the holiday rush. Very quiet at night while daytime is busy. I would have thought night would be busier with people getting off work. Guess they come on the weekends instead. Guess housewives, nightworkers, and retired people outumber dayworkers. Oh well, started putting xmas things away. Got to finish my xmas village houses before putting them away. I will get plenty of days off next week so here's hoping my cold goes away. It's been 2 weeks and still lingering on.

Had a Lovely Christmas

Spent Christmas day with Mom and my brother. Mom came early in the morning so answered the door in my robe and jeans. Mom made herself comfortable while I finished dressing. She turned the volume on the TV a little loud and I prayed the neighbors were not home to hear it. How do you explain to people that I have neighbors who might not like the high volume of my TV, is everybody in the family deaf? Then I had to toss the garbage and stop at Walgreens for more cold med. When will this cold end, it's been a week already. Next Mom helped me set a proper table and prepare the ham. Brother came as ham was done cooking and so we ate. Opened gifts next. Watched movies on TV until supper time and watched more TV. Quiet time I appreciate or we end up fighting. Then Mom went home so hugged good-bye (see I have manners). Brother and I watched more TV until bedtime. He slept on my guest bed with flannel snowman sheets and snowman blanket. He woke when I did and ate breakfast together. When Princess Bride was over on the TV he went home.    

Meowy Christmas

Meowy Christmas to one and all.

Important visitor

We had an important visitor at my store. The Governor wih his son. Many whispering to point him out.



And BTW, when a sales clerk asks a customer if they want gift receipts and customer says nothing: Does that mean yes or no? Some want them and others don't. How am I supose to know which.



I have the same problem with a family member. This person won't answer questions, just goes along with the flow of other people plans w/out a word from said person. And then said person complains later. Excuse me, do you not realize you have a voice. I really don't know what you are thinking, until you speak. Now do I buy cinnamon rolls or not? Pick one.



Later.

Ah-choo

Which is worse, a migraine, a cold, or both at the same time. I feel terrible. But nobody is going to do my laundry so have to do it myself. And have to go shopping for more cold medicine. Being single sucks. Medication gets me by.

Well managed to do laundry, paint on my xmas village high school and post office, shopped for xmas day dinner, and now cuddling with a cat in my lap. He wanted to play, but I was too dizzy after my adventures. I need rest.

Quite a day

Had the pleasure of being placed on the opposite side registers than I was scheduled so my breaks and departure time were not on the list of the managers in charge on the new side. Had to flag down a manager every time my break came up (good thing I had that memorized). 2nd break I was told I could not go because other people were taking their break. Ok, I'll wait. One gal was sent over to the other side to relieve someone and behold, she came back to me cause I was the person she was suppose relieve (I was just on the wrong side). So got my break anyway. Had a splurge of customers right when I'm suppose to leave (no overtime this week) and I'm in front so everyone lines up in front of me. Manager took over my register so I could go. And in 8 hours I get to do it all over again. I notice many customers wishing me a Merry Christmas after I say, Have a good day.

Bob Feller gone

Guess Bob Feller won't be renting cars from my old job anymore. I won't be missing him.

Customer comment

Ringing up a customer, I get the comment: (my store chain) is a store where they treat the customers like gold but treat the associates like crap. She must be judging another store in the chain because my coworkers who have been here for years do not share that opinion. I even asked them.

Question of the day

Am I just too senstive being horrified viewing a tied up dog outside alone at an apartment complex in the frigid cold jerking on the rope while the poor dog paced back and forth. Poor thing. TV said it was 7 degrees today.

Blizzard warning

Wake up while it's still dark to find a blizzard warning to the west of me on TV. Ok, I'll deal with that driving home. It is raining outside, light drizzle. No big deal. Then after the sun emerges, the rain turns into ice/sleet. I leave work to find my car is covered in ice and doors iced shut. I kick/hit doors and scrape ice away with keys for 25 minutes before I finally pry one open. It is quite the feat to kick a door several times and not slip on the ice while doing it. A manager comes out with his remote start key fob and starts scraping his windows. My de-icer is frozen in the can so I do my best to get the ice off. Manager comes around to help scrape my windows. How nice. My frozen face squeaks out a thank you. I'm ready for cocoa.

We had a corporate visitor come by very late than expected. I greeted him at the door and then ran into him again as I went on my break. Oh, hello again. I think some coworkers are testy about my constant joy at working. Who wants to deal with a grouchy sales clerk, I ask you. Besides I'm sure they don't really want to hear about my money struggles, my papercuts, my migraines, or my bad knee that never heals. Let's just say I'm always happy at work (especially after being unemployed 7 months) and leave it at that.    

Feed the birds

I once saw a plague or t-shirt that had a squirrel dressed as a bird w/sign that read Feed the Birds. Well in feeding the squirrels that enjoy scampering around my balcony, some of the sunflower seeds I left outside are going to the Chickadees who also discovered them. The squirrel ears have gotten fluffy the past 3 days. I call the smaller one Gizmo and the larger one Gremlin.

Kitty stories

My store captured the tabby stray cat meowing in the ceiling tiles for 2 days. The animal shelter came by last night to pick up the cat and their humane trap.

In other kitty news: Took Frodo for a ride when his claws got caught in my sweater. He was playing with a loose string as I was petting him, and then I suddenly moved away. He landed safely on the desk and I unhooked him.

Semi-official

It is semi-official, I am hosting the xmas day dinner at my apartment for my Mom and brother. Now I have to clean my apartment. I feel like Pieces of April.



Have to get confirmation from brother who hates my cats so much he is now saying he is allergic to them. Excuse me, he has been around my sister's and my cats for about 12 years and now he is allergic to them. Well my brother-in-law who takes allergy shots every year was allergic to cats that they owned and this year, the allergy test said he is no longer allergic to them. They say allergies are pyschsomatic. I noticed since I moved into this apartment that my alleriges virtually disappeared. Funny isn't it.

Arguing w/customers

Had several arguements w/customers today. One had stated he wanted to exchange a pink dress he had bought for a purple one of a larger size. I can only do even exchanges of the exact same item with no price difference at my register. He debates both dresses are the same, just different sizes. Pink and Purple are not the same, he must go to customer service for his exchange. He don't want to walk that far and wait in line. Too bad. Next customer please.




Then I get a guy who fails to understand the question, Do you need gift receipts? A yes or no is enough of an answer. He goes into an essay answer how he doesn't have any gift receipts because he is buying these items, not returning them. I am aware of that, Are his items gifts for other people? No, he is keeping them for himself. Fine no gift receipts, that is all I needed to know. What are gift receipts? They are separate receipts printed to give to gift receivers so they do not know what the giver has paid for it until they return it. Oh. He never heard of that.



Next I get into a debate over a price that is wrong. And lady tells me this after the transaction has taken place and I wait for her signature on the keypad. She refuses to sign it because the price is wrong, what's wrong with us, this is horrible customer service to have a wrong price in our computer. Well, if she mentioned this before I swiped her credit card, I could have gone backwards to alter the price. But explain instead she needs to sign to continue on and I will call for a manager to do a price adjustment after the fact. To do a void after the fact requires a manager also. While I wait for a manager to appear (this is not a video game where people appear in 2 seconds), I start ringing up the people behind her setting aside her receipt and sack. Lady keeps asking when this manager is showing up cause she is waiting and as I look for said person coming, a man almost walks out the door w/out paying for his merchandise I just rung up. Even better, he is a thick accent foreigner who doesn't speak English well. Sir, I holler out, your total is $$$. Oh, he has to pay for his stuff now in a bag in his hands (I can sick security onto you or you could just pay). He gives me the money and I give his change. Page for a manager for the 3rd time. After the 4th time, someone comes up behind me to explain said item is not on sale. Oh yes it is, lady argues to the death and will not leave until she gets her way. Lady and manager both go to the said signed display and oh, said item is not on sale. Now lady doesn't want said item and demands her money back. Manager gives an extra percentage off for her long wait, which pleases lady. Void transaction and rering her items she is willing to buy.



I think this is long enough. Sorry if I appear to be complaining as many family members think I am. Actually, I'm just telling stories and not looking for advice to change jobs. I like my job. I skipped the stories of people telling I'm suppose to smile when they come to check out or get mad when I ask for ID when they wrote See ID on the back of their credit cards. LAter.

Xmas shopping

While working it snowed for several minutes with us poor workers nervous about removing a ton of snow off our cars when we leave. No fear, it melted after a hour. It was just a sprinkle anyway.

We had a sale I had to jump into the excitement shopping for xmas presents. I know I am broke and can't afford to buy food w/out borrowing from Mom, but I didn't buy gifts last year so want to buy something. Trust me, I'm spending more on sweaters, shirts, dress pants, and shoes for work. Now I have to start replacing make-up. My store doesn't have blue mascara so have to try another, less glamorous, store.

Now if my adult family members were not so picky I would enjoy this more. We were raised to say "Thank you" when our relatives gave us presents. As adults it is all: You got the wrong size/color/brand/style, your gifts are so cheap , why did you think I would like this it's so ugly, why do I have to buy you a gift in return, and my favorite, You don't know me to know what I like. Well whose fault is that. Complainers don't talk to me about anything other than my job, we don't do things together, and they don't read my emails cause I'm not interesting enough. And they can't figure out why I can't telepathically know what they want for xmas. And if you don't want to return the gift gesture, then don't. I don't have to buy you anything either, I just enjoy giving to people. I have no husband or children to spoil so you people get to be the objects of my affection. I cut out friend gifts this year and only buying for immediate family. Maybe next year I'll cut out family and mail packages to friends who say Thank you.