Tori Amos was on the Tonight Show this evening and I felt floods of anger come rushing back. Now my extreme hatred for Tori Amos is not because I hate celebrities in general, I even like some celebrities, no I hate Tori Amos for a very specific reason... she is a high maintenance needy bitch, and I know this from first hand experience.
I have met her, as a matter of fact I ran an event for her at one of my previous assignments, I have met tons of celebrities because of these events we did. Everybody was great but Tori Amos. She needed special colored sharpies to sign with, she needed special bottles of water because she can only take one sip from each bottle, she can't put on her own chap stick, ah yes and she is fake, I promise you that she is a big fake who pretends to love her fans. In the elevator out of the store she was so exhausted and never wanted to have to deal with fans again, but as we exited a fan found her and she was nothing but a big fake full of smiles as her people ushered this fan away.
Anyway, I never say bad things about the people I work with, and honestly all of the celebrities and authors I have worked with from Tommy Lee, to Jane Fonda, to Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris and Jerry Lewis, even Wofgang Puck have all been amazing to work with, and every event was so much fun. I was miserable with the Amos event, and I can't even see or hear her music without the anger rising inside of me. It really was that bad. I haven't even mentioned half of the misery that is Tori Amos!
Thank Goodness...
Well, thank goodness the season premiere of The Office is on tonight. I need a laugh because I had a bad day. No customer issues just a bad day in general. There are some days when I get frustrated and I yell, there are some days when I get stressed and I freak out... and there was today when I was close to tears, and work never gets me close to tears. I am not kidding, it was a really bad day.
It started with the fact that I couldn't sleep last night, I could not fall asleep and when I did drift off for a couple of minutes I was quickly awakened by either a noise or a weird and scary dream, I think I got about 20-30 minutes of sleep last night and it was so frustrating. It was at the point that this morning I was counting down that if I fell asleep at this point I would get X number of minutes sleep. I finally gave up around 10:00 am and made an attempt to get my contact lenses out of my eyes. I just recently got contacts and have been having an immense amount of trouble getting them in my eye. Since I didn't have to be at work until 11 I had about an hour to try to get my lenses out, but there was no success.
I was so tired on the train that I was dozing off while reading my book (go figure) so I decided to put my Ipod on so that would at least have noise blaring so that I could be awake and not sleep past my stop. The first half of my day was a bit rough, I was dragging a little bit but I made it through and got a few things done. At around 2:00 however, my contacts started to really bother me, I spent about 45 minutes with a mirror in my office trying to pull, slide, pinch, and prod my lenses out but I was not able to and my eyes were bright red, and I had burst a blood vessel in the right eye. I decided to go to the bathroom and see if the lighting and mirror was better in there, my eyes were watering and I could barely open them, so when I walked in and plopped my ass on the sink I didn't see that somebody had wiped there really dirty hands on the sink, and now I literally had crap all over the seat of my pants. I was able to get my contacts out and then I noticed the crap, I was so unhappy that I almost cried and then I almost threw up.
I had a three o'clock meeting that I was just loopy for, and I had an offsite event this evening that went until 9:00pm, I could barely sty awake for either the meeting or the event, and I think I dozed off for a bit in my office.
Now that I am home, I can't really fall asleep, but at least I can get a good laugh because The Office is on, I guess there is something positive about this day.
And don't forget... Support the Rabid!
It started with the fact that I couldn't sleep last night, I could not fall asleep and when I did drift off for a couple of minutes I was quickly awakened by either a noise or a weird and scary dream, I think I got about 20-30 minutes of sleep last night and it was so frustrating. It was at the point that this morning I was counting down that if I fell asleep at this point I would get X number of minutes sleep. I finally gave up around 10:00 am and made an attempt to get my contact lenses out of my eyes. I just recently got contacts and have been having an immense amount of trouble getting them in my eye. Since I didn't have to be at work until 11 I had about an hour to try to get my lenses out, but there was no success.
I was so tired on the train that I was dozing off while reading my book (go figure) so I decided to put my Ipod on so that would at least have noise blaring so that I could be awake and not sleep past my stop. The first half of my day was a bit rough, I was dragging a little bit but I made it through and got a few things done. At around 2:00 however, my contacts started to really bother me, I spent about 45 minutes with a mirror in my office trying to pull, slide, pinch, and prod my lenses out but I was not able to and my eyes were bright red, and I had burst a blood vessel in the right eye. I decided to go to the bathroom and see if the lighting and mirror was better in there, my eyes were watering and I could barely open them, so when I walked in and plopped my ass on the sink I didn't see that somebody had wiped there really dirty hands on the sink, and now I literally had crap all over the seat of my pants. I was able to get my contacts out and then I noticed the crap, I was so unhappy that I almost cried and then I almost threw up.
I had a three o'clock meeting that I was just loopy for, and I had an offsite event this evening that went until 9:00pm, I could barely sty awake for either the meeting or the event, and I think I dozed off for a bit in my office.
Now that I am home, I can't really fall asleep, but at least I can get a good laugh because The Office is on, I guess there is something positive about this day.
And don't forget... Support the Rabid!
Pain and Punishment
During Rush I was bad, I didn't go to the gym, it was about four weeks and I did not work out. No running, no lifting, no nada. I was bad! So, last week when my friend DB called me and asked me to go to the gym I said that I would. Little did I know he was going to kick my ass at the gym so hard that I would hurt for a majority of the week. The words "You can do my workout" seemed innocent at the time, until i was struggling to do squats with a twenty pound weight. I was sweating and hurting and quite possibly crying but was really to tired to know for sure. And while I was sore at the gym, that wasn't the worst part, the worst part was Sunday through about Wednesday.
I woke up on Sunday morning and I could barely get out of bed, I was so sore, my abs hurt, my arms hurt, and I couldn't figure out a way to get comfortably out of bed. I had T-Rex arms, you know I couldn't extend them from the elbow. It wasn't pretty but I was still able to manage to have a decent day and move around and do normal things. Monday was a different story, Monday was Rush at another store, and it was a busy Rush, I was working on the floor all day, when I woke up I could barely put my shirt and tie on, as I was walking out the door I struggled to throw my bag over my shoulder, and the train ride was painful because there were no seats available.
When I got to Rush, I ended up working on the register, which meant I was lifting and bagging books. It is hard to lift and bag books with two lame arms. It was a long day, and about four hours into the shift I was in so much pain I had to excuse myself from the register and pop some Advil, which helped for a little bit, but I was still in pain. The pain lasted into Tuesday, but I forced myself to go to the gym and run, it was hard but I couldn't let this evil workout kill me, so I went to the gym, I was sore but I ran for 45 minutes and did abs and a light arm workout. It felt good to be back at the gym.
So on Saturday morning, I asked DB if he wanted to go to the gym, we did, he kicked my ass again, and as much as it hurt it also felt good. I guess I am a glutton for punishment, but hopefully in the long run it will really make me feel better.
I woke up on Sunday morning and I could barely get out of bed, I was so sore, my abs hurt, my arms hurt, and I couldn't figure out a way to get comfortably out of bed. I had T-Rex arms, you know I couldn't extend them from the elbow. It wasn't pretty but I was still able to manage to have a decent day and move around and do normal things. Monday was a different story, Monday was Rush at another store, and it was a busy Rush, I was working on the floor all day, when I woke up I could barely put my shirt and tie on, as I was walking out the door I struggled to throw my bag over my shoulder, and the train ride was painful because there were no seats available.
When I got to Rush, I ended up working on the register, which meant I was lifting and bagging books. It is hard to lift and bag books with two lame arms. It was a long day, and about four hours into the shift I was in so much pain I had to excuse myself from the register and pop some Advil, which helped for a little bit, but I was still in pain. The pain lasted into Tuesday, but I forced myself to go to the gym and run, it was hard but I couldn't let this evil workout kill me, so I went to the gym, I was sore but I ran for 45 minutes and did abs and a light arm workout. It felt good to be back at the gym.
So on Saturday morning, I asked DB if he wanted to go to the gym, we did, he kicked my ass again, and as much as it hurt it also felt good. I guess I am a glutton for punishment, but hopefully in the long run it will really make me feel better.
Kitchen Confidential: Or Why I Could Never Work In A Kitchen
After ten years in retail I figured I had seen everything, dealt with all the crazy customers, and dealt with all the high stress situations of Rush and Holiday and very angry customers. However, after reading Kitchen Confidential, I realized that I would be absolutely miserable as a line cook, or a chef.
Here is the main difference... in a single day I can help 300 customers, but we always encourage all of our employees to focus on a single customer at a time, that way you don't lose your focus and you can help people more efficiently. I always try to help people as they arrive. In a kitchen you need to focus on helping multiple people, you need to make sure that all of a tables meals are up at the same time. Oh yes, and that is just one table, you actually have multiple tables at once, so timing is key, and multitasking to the next level is necessary. Whenever I go into a new job, I am confident I can handle it, I am generally confident in my abilities, but man I don't think I could handle working in a kitchen. That definitely seems to be really hard work with some really crazy people.
I have to say, I did enjoy the book, I got a new appreciation for the restaurant business. Anthony Bordain is an interesting character as you may know from his television show. Quite honestly, he comes off as a bit of an asshole, but a lovable asshole, who you are rooting for. It was a good read and a veryentertaining read. I am now on to reading Blindness by Saramago, it is much different than Kitchen Confidential, but i have heard many positive things about it.
Here is the main difference... in a single day I can help 300 customers, but we always encourage all of our employees to focus on a single customer at a time, that way you don't lose your focus and you can help people more efficiently. I always try to help people as they arrive. In a kitchen you need to focus on helping multiple people, you need to make sure that all of a tables meals are up at the same time. Oh yes, and that is just one table, you actually have multiple tables at once, so timing is key, and multitasking to the next level is necessary. Whenever I go into a new job, I am confident I can handle it, I am generally confident in my abilities, but man I don't think I could handle working in a kitchen. That definitely seems to be really hard work with some really crazy people.
I have to say, I did enjoy the book, I got a new appreciation for the restaurant business. Anthony Bordain is an interesting character as you may know from his television show. Quite honestly, he comes off as a bit of an asshole, but a lovable asshole, who you are rooting for. It was a good read and a veryentertaining read. I am now on to reading Blindness by Saramago, it is much different than Kitchen Confidential, but i have heard many positive things about it.
It Is Dead
In the midst of my day on Friday, I went to sit down in my office for a working lunch. I was planning on re-doing my schedule for next week because I forgot that Friday was a Holiday a I needed to give a few employees that day off accordingly. I grabbed my sandwich from ABP (grilled chicken and mozzarella with tomato) and my water and pull up the schedule on my computer.
Now, my computer is so old it runs Windows 95. It makes odd animal noises when I turn it on in the morning, and incessantly clicks and growls. I am serious when I say that it takes a good 5-10 minutes to load a web page or an Adobe page. It is crazy and I have been complaining about how old and crappy my work computer is since I started at my new store. I was used to my old store where every manager had at least one new computer, but for nine months I didn't make a big deal out of it because all of the files, templates, and other things I needed were on the old computer, and because it didn't have a USB port or a CD ROM drive it was hard to get the files off of it.
Anyway, back to my story, I sat down with my lunch to do my schedule, and about 10 minutes into working on the schedule my computer unexpectedly shuts down with a weird buzzing noise and a puff of smoke. I was taken aback by this noise and the fact that my computer actually smoked. I was confused and not sure what to do so I stared at it for a few minutes before I tried to turn the computer back on. It didn't turn back on so i turned it around to see if the plug was loose, then i crawled under my desk to see if the surge protector was plugged in. All seemed to be in order, so I tried to turn the computer back on, at this point I have a really bad feeling, and as expected the computer does nothing.
I call my boss who is much better with the technology thing then I am, and he takes a look at it and literally calls the time of death at 3:04pm. There was no hope it looks like it overheated and considering it was 12 year old it was time for it to go. In my head I did a little happy dance, but then I was also slightly distraught, i had so many things on that computer that I needed. How would it be possible to live without my schedule template? How can i do payroll without my adder-upper? This was a major problem, but i was also happy at the thought getting a new computer, and not having to deal with an old piece of crap.
Ah, but my dreams of a new shiny computer were dashed when my boss told me to take the extra computer from M's office and hook it up. It wouldn't have all of the same stuff as I had on mine but it should work. I does work, and it does run on Windows XP so it is much nicer than what I had. It is a step up so I can't really complain! Now, I just need to recreate all of my work. I guess RUSH was ushered in by exploding soda cans and ushered out by a smoking computer. Just a few weeks in the life of managing a bookstore!
Now, my computer is so old it runs Windows 95. It makes odd animal noises when I turn it on in the morning, and incessantly clicks and growls. I am serious when I say that it takes a good 5-10 minutes to load a web page or an Adobe page. It is crazy and I have been complaining about how old and crappy my work computer is since I started at my new store. I was used to my old store where every manager had at least one new computer, but for nine months I didn't make a big deal out of it because all of the files, templates, and other things I needed were on the old computer, and because it didn't have a USB port or a CD ROM drive it was hard to get the files off of it.
Anyway, back to my story, I sat down with my lunch to do my schedule, and about 10 minutes into working on the schedule my computer unexpectedly shuts down with a weird buzzing noise and a puff of smoke. I was taken aback by this noise and the fact that my computer actually smoked. I was confused and not sure what to do so I stared at it for a few minutes before I tried to turn the computer back on. It didn't turn back on so i turned it around to see if the plug was loose, then i crawled under my desk to see if the surge protector was plugged in. All seemed to be in order, so I tried to turn the computer back on, at this point I have a really bad feeling, and as expected the computer does nothing.
I call my boss who is much better with the technology thing then I am, and he takes a look at it and literally calls the time of death at 3:04pm. There was no hope it looks like it overheated and considering it was 12 year old it was time for it to go. In my head I did a little happy dance, but then I was also slightly distraught, i had so many things on that computer that I needed. How would it be possible to live without my schedule template? How can i do payroll without my adder-upper? This was a major problem, but i was also happy at the thought getting a new computer, and not having to deal with an old piece of crap.
Ah, but my dreams of a new shiny computer were dashed when my boss told me to take the extra computer from M's office and hook it up. It wouldn't have all of the same stuff as I had on mine but it should work. I does work, and it does run on Windows XP so it is much nicer than what I had. It is a step up so I can't really complain! Now, I just need to recreate all of my work. I guess RUSH was ushered in by exploding soda cans and ushered out by a smoking computer. Just a few weeks in the life of managing a bookstore!
I Thought It Was Over
I thought that my Fall Rush was over, I made it through and we had a fairly successful Rush at my store. Then today my boss got that evil smirk on his face when he called me into his office. I knew this was going to be fun for him and not fun for me. He loves to torture me whenever he can!
When I got to his office, after dealing with a really obnoxious customer who didn't understand the meaning of, "I am sorry, but the last day for returns was Monday," he was smiling from ear to ear. I knew this was going to be good/bad! Oh, and it was, next week I have to go to one of our stores where the students have yet to arrive. In other words I need to put in three more days of RUSH at another store! Three more days of fun with students, three more days of long hours, three more days of RUSH.
Oh man, is he going to owe me for this one!!
When I got to his office, after dealing with a really obnoxious customer who didn't understand the meaning of, "I am sorry, but the last day for returns was Monday," he was smiling from ear to ear. I knew this was going to be good/bad! Oh, and it was, next week I have to go to one of our stores where the students have yet to arrive. In other words I need to put in three more days of RUSH at another store! Three more days of fun with students, three more days of long hours, three more days of RUSH.
Oh man, is he going to owe me for this one!!
Violence is the Answer, Isn't It?
Today was one of those days when I just wanted to kick all of the customers. I was tired and cranky, and we somehow managed to return close to $40,000 in textbooks. That's a lot of books that I shelved, help them find, sold, and now i have to take them back, re-shelve them, and probably return some to the publisher. It doubles the work and that alone makes me angry.
Now, when you are a complete ass about returning books that makes me even angrier. So I have decided that violence is the answer! Next semester I will let you return books if you are pleasant and kind, and made an honest mistake. If you bitch about anything I will kick you! if you complain about prices even as I am giving you money back I will kick you! And keep in mind i have to pay people to do these repetitive tasks so if you didn't return your books i could keep my overhead down and in turn keep book prices down. But you don't understand this so you deserve a swift kick in the shin. Ah yes, and if you don't have a receipt even after I told you three times you need one, I will kick you twice!
I know you are all reading this and going, god you are a cranky little man, and while this is true, I generally go into work in a fairly good mood, at least once I am caffeinated. But after the repetitive stress of... "but why can't I return this book" or "can I buy this today and return it tomorrow when the book I ordered online comes in" you want to scream. you are tired of it and you just want it to end, you want to throttle the customers but you can't. So you go home and blog and vent and you feel a bit better, plus tomorrow the answer is NO!
Now, when you are a complete ass about returning books that makes me even angrier. So I have decided that violence is the answer! Next semester I will let you return books if you are pleasant and kind, and made an honest mistake. If you bitch about anything I will kick you! if you complain about prices even as I am giving you money back I will kick you! And keep in mind i have to pay people to do these repetitive tasks so if you didn't return your books i could keep my overhead down and in turn keep book prices down. But you don't understand this so you deserve a swift kick in the shin. Ah yes, and if you don't have a receipt even after I told you three times you need one, I will kick you twice!
I know you are all reading this and going, god you are a cranky little man, and while this is true, I generally go into work in a fairly good mood, at least once I am caffeinated. But after the repetitive stress of... "but why can't I return this book" or "can I buy this today and return it tomorrow when the book I ordered online comes in" you want to scream. you are tired of it and you just want it to end, you want to throttle the customers but you can't. So you go home and blog and vent and you feel a bit better, plus tomorrow the answer is NO!
Two Short Blurbs
1) Remember when Britney was bald, it was a post way back when she went nuts and shaved her head. Well, that was less shocking then how HORRIBLE her performance on the VMA's was! Yeah I know I am guilty of falling into the pop culture trap but this was just horrifying, she ended her career because she can't even lip sync properly!
2) Even if your Uncle Bertha has a complication from a surgery tomorrow is still the last day you can return your textbooks at my store. I have been telling all of you this, and come Tuesday I GET TO SAY NO! I love Tuesday, it is the one time in retail that it doesn't matter what's up, the customer is not right and they can't make a return. It is sweet revenge!
2) Even if your Uncle Bertha has a complication from a surgery tomorrow is still the last day you can return your textbooks at my store. I have been telling all of you this, and come Tuesday I GET TO SAY NO! I love Tuesday, it is the one time in retail that it doesn't matter what's up, the customer is not right and they can't make a return. It is sweet revenge!
No Clothing?
OK, so the weekends at my store have been a little weird, I definitely know that the students are back. If you remember last week I had a customer come in not wearing any shoes. He didn't understand why he needed to wear shoes, and I was confused as to why he would walk across the city without them.
Well, Mr. No Shoes was back today, and not only was he not wearing any shoes, but he was wearing a dress, I kid you not, he was in the store with no shoes on and wearing a dress. I am not going to pretend i understand what is going on here, he may be unstable or he may be a freshman rebelling from the standards of society that he feels are suppressing him, but I had to kick him out of the store again, and tell him that he needed to wear shoes next time he came in.
This wasn't the only crazy sight today, I was standing on the lower level, talking to a few of the employees when a girl comes down just wearing a bathrobe and slippers. Yes, she apparently decided to walk across campus wearing what she got out of the shower with to buy her textbooks. I guess it was laundry day. I just stared as she walked past me, and saw all of my employees do the same. I guess she wasn't really breaking any real rules, other than you seriously don't wear your bathrobe out in public, let alone to you campus bookstore. I let her shop, buy her books and leave the store, but I was still very confused.
I guess these freshman are just finding themselves and expressing their true personalities, as in they are all crazy!
Well, Mr. No Shoes was back today, and not only was he not wearing any shoes, but he was wearing a dress, I kid you not, he was in the store with no shoes on and wearing a dress. I am not going to pretend i understand what is going on here, he may be unstable or he may be a freshman rebelling from the standards of society that he feels are suppressing him, but I had to kick him out of the store again, and tell him that he needed to wear shoes next time he came in.
This wasn't the only crazy sight today, I was standing on the lower level, talking to a few of the employees when a girl comes down just wearing a bathrobe and slippers. Yes, she apparently decided to walk across campus wearing what she got out of the shower with to buy her textbooks. I guess it was laundry day. I just stared as she walked past me, and saw all of my employees do the same. I guess she wasn't really breaking any real rules, other than you seriously don't wear your bathrobe out in public, let alone to you campus bookstore. I let her shop, buy her books and leave the store, but I was still very confused.
I guess these freshman are just finding themselves and expressing their true personalities, as in they are all crazy!
New Toys
There are very few moments when I actually act like a valley girl, but when really cool technology comes outs I reserve the right to act like a fool, so here it goes...
OMG, Apple is coming out with new I-pods, I love my I-pod it is the best thing ever, it comes with me everywhere but the new I-pod Touch is so cool. All of the new I-pods except the shuffle will have video, the nano is really cute, an the classic seems to take the place of the video. But the Touch is on a whole other level, it is the awesome looking I-Phone without the phone getting in the way.
I want one, I need one, but is it really necessary to get one... the answer is a resounding YES! Damn you Apple you really know how to market your stuff.
Check out the new I-pods they are so awesome... http://www.apple.com/.
OMG, Apple is coming out with new I-pods, I love my I-pod it is the best thing ever, it comes with me everywhere but the new I-pod Touch is so cool. All of the new I-pods except the shuffle will have video, the nano is really cute, an the classic seems to take the place of the video. But the Touch is on a whole other level, it is the awesome looking I-Phone without the phone getting in the way.
I want one, I need one, but is it really necessary to get one... the answer is a resounding YES! Damn you Apple you really know how to market your stuff.
Check out the new I-pods they are so awesome... http://www.apple.com/.
Controlled Chaos
Last night I got home fairly early, I made dinner, ironed my clothing, and posted to the blog, then I sat down on the couch and turned on the television. Within a matter of minutes I was laying on the couch, and just a few short moments following I must have been snoring. It was about 8:30 pm when I last looked at the clock. My phone rang several times, but I didn't wake up until close to 1:00am.
I moved to my bed, set my alarm, and went back to sleep. When my alarm rang this morning I felt well rested and ready for a crazy day. I got a good 10 solid hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep, which is very rare for me. I usually get about 3-5 good hours a night. I am very lucky that I got some good sleep last night, because today was definitely controlled chaos.
I love the term controlled chaos because it is the best way to describe a well organized and executed rush (and Holiday season). When you are working with the public there is always the opportunity for chaos, when you pack 1500 students and their parents into a store there will always be chaos, and then only way you can survive is by controlling it. You need to plan and organize and prepare and this is what I call controlled chaos. Today was controlled chaos, there were hundreds of students looking for books, and supplies, we had all of our registers running, and every single employees was working from open to close.
It was busy, it was crazy, but it went smoothly, it was the definition of controlled chaos. And you know what, it was fun. Deep down I do love Rush. When its done right, Rush is a fun time. A little controlled chaos really does get the blood pumpin!
I moved to my bed, set my alarm, and went back to sleep. When my alarm rang this morning I felt well rested and ready for a crazy day. I got a good 10 solid hours of mostly uninterrupted sleep, which is very rare for me. I usually get about 3-5 good hours a night. I am very lucky that I got some good sleep last night, because today was definitely controlled chaos.
I love the term controlled chaos because it is the best way to describe a well organized and executed rush (and Holiday season). When you are working with the public there is always the opportunity for chaos, when you pack 1500 students and their parents into a store there will always be chaos, and then only way you can survive is by controlling it. You need to plan and organize and prepare and this is what I call controlled chaos. Today was controlled chaos, there were hundreds of students looking for books, and supplies, we had all of our registers running, and every single employees was working from open to close.
It was busy, it was crazy, but it went smoothly, it was the definition of controlled chaos. And you know what, it was fun. Deep down I do love Rush. When its done right, Rush is a fun time. A little controlled chaos really does get the blood pumpin!
S is Back!
S is back in Boston, S IS BACK IN BOSTON! Yes, the summer is over and the students are back and that also means that S came back to Boston to finish up his last semester in school! That makes me very happy!
Blue Light???
So over the past 24 hours, some interesting things have been said that I have witnessed, here are a few of them... they all made me laugh!
1) Crazy sold separately! Uttered by HCB in regards to a customer who was asking random questions about whether all of his books were sold together or separately!
2) Did a Disco Ball Throw Up All Over You? A customer in regards to the shirt that J@A wore to his other job the previous evening.
3) To Stupidity and Beyond... OK, I said this one regarding a really stupid customer who refused to believe that I was giving her the right information. There was a hand motion that went with this and we were all laughing in the aisles (see I am funny).
4) I have to run the light is about to turn blue! An unnamed drunk friend said this to me at 3:30 this morning. Are you confused? Yes so was I, this friend never drinks and had some to drink the previous night, and he was crossing the street, and the light was about to turn GREEN. This is by far the funniest thing I heard in the past 24 hours.
And one more thing that I didn't hear but I read off of our 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said Page A Day Calender...
Job Interviewer: Do you have any questions about the position?
Job hunter: What happens if I wake up in the morning and don't feel like going to work?
I am always amazed at what people will say!
1) Crazy sold separately! Uttered by HCB in regards to a customer who was asking random questions about whether all of his books were sold together or separately!
2) Did a Disco Ball Throw Up All Over You? A customer in regards to the shirt that J@A wore to his other job the previous evening.
3) To Stupidity and Beyond... OK, I said this one regarding a really stupid customer who refused to believe that I was giving her the right information. There was a hand motion that went with this and we were all laughing in the aisles (see I am funny).
4) I have to run the light is about to turn blue! An unnamed drunk friend said this to me at 3:30 this morning. Are you confused? Yes so was I, this friend never drinks and had some to drink the previous night, and he was crossing the street, and the light was about to turn GREEN. This is by far the funniest thing I heard in the past 24 hours.
And one more thing that I didn't hear but I read off of our 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said Page A Day Calender...
Job Interviewer: Do you have any questions about the position?
Job hunter: What happens if I wake up in the morning and don't feel like going to work?
I am always amazed at what people will say!
No Shoes, No Service... No Really
Well Rush is here, and the sales haven't been great, but the customers have definitely been entertaining. I had a foreign customer yell at me in a language that I did not comprehend and then stick her hand in my face. I had a 17 year old snotty student throw a book at one of my employees because she thought we were ripping her off (I banned her from the store). I had a customer put a pile of books on hold come back and put another book in the pile, then pick up all the same books and ask to put them on hold again.
My favorite however, this weekend, a man came in in shorts a tank top and NO SHOES! I approached this gentleman and I asked him if he could put on his shoes back on and he informed me that he didn't have any. Well sir, I will need to ask you to put on shoes or carefully leave the store. As most people know it is dangerous to walk around in public without shoes on, we have escalators and glassware etc etc. Now, my store is not very close to housing, you have to walk at least a few blocks to get to the closest apartments. Or, even worse you need to go down to a t-station, get on a dirty train, come up from a station and walk into my store with NO SHOES! I mean the options here are just disgusting.
Now, this gentleman with NO SHOES, refused to leave my store when I asked him too, he said it was discrimination. Well, not sir it is not I am just asking you to put a pair of shoes on for your safety. I don't want for you to get hurt in my store (and then sue me). He reiterates that he doesn't have shoes so I kindly ask his size so that I could bring him a pair of flip flops that we sell, but he refuses to wear them. Since he refused to wear them I tell him once again that he is going to have to leave the store. We have a sign on the door saying you need to wear shoes sir, I know this may seem wrong to you but it is for your own safety, I need to ask you to leave, and please do me a favor and take the elevator and not the escalator. The last thing I need during Rush is a man with NO SHOES on getting his toe stuck in the escalator. He gets frustrated with the conversation, storms off and goes up the escalator.
Now, i hate shoes more than most people I know, but when I go out in public (as in outside of my house) I will wear shoes. The only time it is acceptable to not wear shoes in public is at the beach, or maybe in a yoga class. Otherwise, shoes are a necessity, and if you don't like shoes wear flip flops or sandals. Why would you think it is okay to go into a store without shoes on! I was very confused by this man. Oh, and NO SHOES is all in caps in this post to convey my shock, I kept walking around the store going, why would he wear NO SHOES out in public, and how far did he walk in the city with NO SHOES!
My favorite however, this weekend, a man came in in shorts a tank top and NO SHOES! I approached this gentleman and I asked him if he could put on his shoes back on and he informed me that he didn't have any. Well sir, I will need to ask you to put on shoes or carefully leave the store. As most people know it is dangerous to walk around in public without shoes on, we have escalators and glassware etc etc. Now, my store is not very close to housing, you have to walk at least a few blocks to get to the closest apartments. Or, even worse you need to go down to a t-station, get on a dirty train, come up from a station and walk into my store with NO SHOES! I mean the options here are just disgusting.
Now, this gentleman with NO SHOES, refused to leave my store when I asked him too, he said it was discrimination. Well, not sir it is not I am just asking you to put a pair of shoes on for your safety. I don't want for you to get hurt in my store (and then sue me). He reiterates that he doesn't have shoes so I kindly ask his size so that I could bring him a pair of flip flops that we sell, but he refuses to wear them. Since he refused to wear them I tell him once again that he is going to have to leave the store. We have a sign on the door saying you need to wear shoes sir, I know this may seem wrong to you but it is for your own safety, I need to ask you to leave, and please do me a favor and take the elevator and not the escalator. The last thing I need during Rush is a man with NO SHOES on getting his toe stuck in the escalator. He gets frustrated with the conversation, storms off and goes up the escalator.
Now, i hate shoes more than most people I know, but when I go out in public (as in outside of my house) I will wear shoes. The only time it is acceptable to not wear shoes in public is at the beach, or maybe in a yoga class. Otherwise, shoes are a necessity, and if you don't like shoes wear flip flops or sandals. Why would you think it is okay to go into a store without shoes on! I was very confused by this man. Oh, and NO SHOES is all in caps in this post to convey my shock, I kept walking around the store going, why would he wear NO SHOES out in public, and how far did he walk in the city with NO SHOES!
Pop Goes the Soda
As I have mentioned, Rush has pretty much begun. One of the important things is that we all report to work at 8am every day to get the store ready for business. I am not usually awake and fully functioning by 8am, so I need a little kick in the pants.
I generally can wait until I get to work to drink my one Diet Coke I am allowed to have a day in order to prevent additional kidney problems. I never keep soda in the house because I will be tempted to drink more than my single soda. But because of the crazy schedule I decided to buy a 12 pack so that I can have my soda on the way into work. I had a bunch of things in my hand on the way back from the supermarket today and I was talking on my phone. I got to the top of my three flights of stairs and was searching for my keys when I lost my grip on the fridge pack of soda and I watched as they tumbled down the stairs in slow motion and about halfway down the three flights cans started to burst and spray soda in every direction. Streams of brown carbonated liquid were flying out in every direction coating the walls and floor. This was quite possibly the funniest and messiest scene that has ever occurred in the stairway of our condo.
It was such a huge mess that it took almost an entire roll of Bounty paper towels to clean up! Ah, the joys of RUSH have begun with a bang, or at least a burst.
I generally can wait until I get to work to drink my one Diet Coke I am allowed to have a day in order to prevent additional kidney problems. I never keep soda in the house because I will be tempted to drink more than my single soda. But because of the crazy schedule I decided to buy a 12 pack so that I can have my soda on the way into work. I had a bunch of things in my hand on the way back from the supermarket today and I was talking on my phone. I got to the top of my three flights of stairs and was searching for my keys when I lost my grip on the fridge pack of soda and I watched as they tumbled down the stairs in slow motion and about halfway down the three flights cans started to burst and spray soda in every direction. Streams of brown carbonated liquid were flying out in every direction coating the walls and floor. This was quite possibly the funniest and messiest scene that has ever occurred in the stairway of our condo.
It was such a huge mess that it took almost an entire roll of Bounty paper towels to clean up! Ah, the joys of RUSH have begun with a bang, or at least a burst.
Row Row Row My Boat
I am really sad that summer is over, this past weekend was definitely the last weekend I had of the so called summer. So, I went with a few friends to make the best of the weekend, and we went out to Rockport to Kayak out to Thacher Island. We woke up really early on Sunday morning but by the time we all got together we were on the road by 10. We arrived in Rockport around 11 and found the kayak place, although finding a restroom was a bit more difficult.
We were out on the Kayak by 11:30, it was a great kayaking day, it was warm and partly sunny. We took a nice leisurely pace out past the straights and into the Atlantic, the ocean was nice and calm, we pointed our boats towards the two lighthouses on the island and enjoyed the day. It is very peaceful when you are out in the middle of the ocean, especially out off of Rockport, we are the only six people within sight. The last time I had gone kayaking off of the cape, it was packed, and the island you kayaked too was packed because there was a ferry that brought fat people with their coolers to the island. When we got to Thacher Island there were two people leaving and we were the only kayaks on the dock.
We pulled our boats up the dock and and walk around the island, there are two lighthouses on the island, and one of them is open for you to go in and go up to the top. It is abandoned but still in very good condition. We walked up the stairs to the top where you get amazing 360 degree views on the Atlantic, the island, and Cape Ann. It is as beautiful as nature can be. We also went out on the deck surrounding the lighthouse and took some pictures. It was a great sight and a great late summer adventure. We wander around the island a bit more and see the sights, we were on Thacher Island for over an hour and we only run across two other people (the caretaker and a friend).
Now the only problem with kayaking to an island is that you need to kayak back to where you came from. The current and wind was with us on the way back but the water was a bit choppier and there were a few more motor boats on the water so we had the fun of paddling through the wakes. We decided about one mile from the straights to race all the way into the bay and see who could win. We paddled our asses off and me and my kayak buddy A won but by the time we got there we were exhausted. The two of us have the worst form and the least experienced so we were exhausted. But the important thing is we won the race!
I just started kayaking this year with Dill when we were on the Cape and I am glad that I did because it is tons of fun. I can't wait until the spring and summer next year when I will hopefully have more time to kayak and enjoy. This will be another one of my favorite spring/summer activities.
We were out on the Kayak by 11:30, it was a great kayaking day, it was warm and partly sunny. We took a nice leisurely pace out past the straights and into the Atlantic, the ocean was nice and calm, we pointed our boats towards the two lighthouses on the island and enjoyed the day. It is very peaceful when you are out in the middle of the ocean, especially out off of Rockport, we are the only six people within sight. The last time I had gone kayaking off of the cape, it was packed, and the island you kayaked too was packed because there was a ferry that brought fat people with their coolers to the island. When we got to Thacher Island there were two people leaving and we were the only kayaks on the dock.
We pulled our boats up the dock and and walk around the island, there are two lighthouses on the island, and one of them is open for you to go in and go up to the top. It is abandoned but still in very good condition. We walked up the stairs to the top where you get amazing 360 degree views on the Atlantic, the island, and Cape Ann. It is as beautiful as nature can be. We also went out on the deck surrounding the lighthouse and took some pictures. It was a great sight and a great late summer adventure. We wander around the island a bit more and see the sights, we were on Thacher Island for over an hour and we only run across two other people (the caretaker and a friend).
Now the only problem with kayaking to an island is that you need to kayak back to where you came from. The current and wind was with us on the way back but the water was a bit choppier and there were a few more motor boats on the water so we had the fun of paddling through the wakes. We decided about one mile from the straights to race all the way into the bay and see who could win. We paddled our asses off and me and my kayak buddy A won but by the time we got there we were exhausted. The two of us have the worst form and the least experienced so we were exhausted. But the important thing is we won the race!
I just started kayaking this year with Dill when we were on the Cape and I am glad that I did because it is tons of fun. I can't wait until the spring and summer next year when I will hopefully have more time to kayak and enjoy. This will be another one of my favorite spring/summer activities.
Ouchie
This summer I have been having some work done on my mouth, I have bad teeth, and i hate the dentist and this combination has lead to some cavities and other things that need to be done, so since July i think I have had 8 dental appointments, and i still have, let me see-
1) Deep cleaning, scaling
2) Stitches removed from my gums following the scaling
3) One more cavity to be filled
4) Mold to be made for a whitening tray
5) Post whitening getting a chipped tooth filled
I am sure that after all of this I will have to go in for followups and eventually another basic cleaning in January, and once every three months after that. Now that i found a great dentist, who understands that i am horribly afraid of the dentist, and is very kind to me I really need to go because i never want to have to go through all of this again.
While the dentists have been great, i still have pain and soreness from all the procedures and I have been able to eat properly for weeks, plus talking at work following all of the procedures has been rough. it will be great to not have bleeding gums and sensitivity in my wisdom teeth, and a brighter, whiter smile will also be very nice. Ah yes, and probably starting in January i am going to try Invisaligns so that I can have straight teeth, my teeth all moved when my wisdom teeth came in, and if i spent 3 years in braces in high school i really think I should have straight white perfect teeth. I am so jealous of my sister who has and always has had perfect teeth with very little work ever needed, not even braces.
1) Deep cleaning, scaling
2) Stitches removed from my gums following the scaling
3) One more cavity to be filled
4) Mold to be made for a whitening tray
5) Post whitening getting a chipped tooth filled
I am sure that after all of this I will have to go in for followups and eventually another basic cleaning in January, and once every three months after that. Now that i found a great dentist, who understands that i am horribly afraid of the dentist, and is very kind to me I really need to go because i never want to have to go through all of this again.
While the dentists have been great, i still have pain and soreness from all the procedures and I have been able to eat properly for weeks, plus talking at work following all of the procedures has been rough. it will be great to not have bleeding gums and sensitivity in my wisdom teeth, and a brighter, whiter smile will also be very nice. Ah yes, and probably starting in January i am going to try Invisaligns so that I can have straight teeth, my teeth all moved when my wisdom teeth came in, and if i spent 3 years in braces in high school i really think I should have straight white perfect teeth. I am so jealous of my sister who has and always has had perfect teeth with very little work ever needed, not even braces.
RUSH
Yeah, i am sure I have mentioned RUSH before, it is when all of the students arrive back on campus, and wreak havoc on my life. OK, so they don't mean to make me crazy it is just a side effect of the students and their parents all mobbing one place at the same time.
The students started arriving this week, we are in the final preparation stages and while we are ready for the students physically, we are still preparing mentally for the onslaught. The sales in the store have been incredibly strong this summer, we have had some great tourist traffic, but now there is a huge switch in the business. Now the transactions take place on the lower level, it doesn't matter how pretty the floor looks, what matters is that all the stock is on the floor, we can't sell books and supplies out of the back stockroom.
The customer for RUSH is very different. They are stressed, they are starting classes, and they are shocked at the price of textbooks. We try to cushion the blow by providing used books and also a membership program that gets them a rebate at the end of the year, we also hold sales on other items in the store during RUSH week. This is because we have the potential to have a new customer for four years if they have a positive experience in the store on their first visit.
With so much going on it is amazing that any of us keep our sanity, we have two to three weeks of insanity and we all work very long hours and are busting out butts to get all of the work done, we even have a single day where we do $250,000 on 12 registers, this is one crazy day. Much like Christmas it is all hands on deck for the next few weeks and I bet I will have some interesting retail stories.
The students started arriving this week, we are in the final preparation stages and while we are ready for the students physically, we are still preparing mentally for the onslaught. The sales in the store have been incredibly strong this summer, we have had some great tourist traffic, but now there is a huge switch in the business. Now the transactions take place on the lower level, it doesn't matter how pretty the floor looks, what matters is that all the stock is on the floor, we can't sell books and supplies out of the back stockroom.
The customer for RUSH is very different. They are stressed, they are starting classes, and they are shocked at the price of textbooks. We try to cushion the blow by providing used books and also a membership program that gets them a rebate at the end of the year, we also hold sales on other items in the store during RUSH week. This is because we have the potential to have a new customer for four years if they have a positive experience in the store on their first visit.
With so much going on it is amazing that any of us keep our sanity, we have two to three weeks of insanity and we all work very long hours and are busting out butts to get all of the work done, we even have a single day where we do $250,000 on 12 registers, this is one crazy day. Much like Christmas it is all hands on deck for the next few weeks and I bet I will have some interesting retail stories.
I Am Slow
My reading has really slowed down this summer, I think part of it is because it is really hard to read on a hot train, and also because unlike the winter there are so many other things you can do in Boston. Anyhow... I just finished reading The Know It All, its a book about a man who reads the encyclopedia from A-Z but it is much more than that, and obviously it is very interesting to see what he focuses on and what he learns.
The concept of the book seemed really interesting at first and a few former employees recommended it, so I decided to buy it. After reading it I realize what they were talking about; this book is unique, informative, and extremely funny. The author does a great job of intertwining random encyclopedia facts and entries with events in his own life. The stories in his real life are comical and interesting. He does everything from join Mensa and attend a crossword convention to being interviewed on Crossfire and going on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'.
The random facts were my favorite part of the book, he picks some of the strangest entries but ties them into the book flawlessly. Overall, this book was a quick and very enjoyable read with a unique setup and concept.
Oh yes, and I also love his last paragraph, it ties the book up so well, and it makes you think about what you have read. I am of to my next challenge, but it will not be reading the encyclopedia from A-Z!
The concept of the book seemed really interesting at first and a few former employees recommended it, so I decided to buy it. After reading it I realize what they were talking about; this book is unique, informative, and extremely funny. The author does a great job of intertwining random encyclopedia facts and entries with events in his own life. The stories in his real life are comical and interesting. He does everything from join Mensa and attend a crossword convention to being interviewed on Crossfire and going on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'.
The random facts were my favorite part of the book, he picks some of the strangest entries but ties them into the book flawlessly. Overall, this book was a quick and very enjoyable read with a unique setup and concept.
Oh yes, and I also love his last paragraph, it ties the book up so well, and it makes you think about what you have read. I am of to my next challenge, but it will not be reading the encyclopedia from A-Z!
Apparently I Should Live in London
S is away for the next two weeks, he is in Europe, which is worse than NYC because I can't talk to him on the phone everyday, this makes me very sad, but in his first post from London he mentioned that I should live there, I guess all things are short, which would work quite well for me, check it out...
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=17108188
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=17108188
No Seriously, That Is Just Stupid
I have been really good lately (since the outburst in NYC) at controlling my anger. So much so that both S and C are really proud of me. But today on my way home from work I slipped back a little bit, I was sorry for doing it but it needed to be done.
I left work today and went downstairs to the train, i put my pass in the machine and went in, I reached into my bag to grab my book and immediately realized that I had left my book on my desk at work, so I leave the station, and go back up to my office and grab my book, in about five minutes I am back down at the station and put my pass in the machine again. I walk forward but the gate doesn't open... WTF... I try again and look at the screen, which says "Pass Already Used" well yeah it has been but it is an unlimited weekly pass. I go to the attendant, the same attendant I see every day leaving work. I explain the situation and he tell me I have to wait 20 minutes, like seriously WHY? He told me there is no way for me to prove that it is my pass and it could have been passed to me.
No ass, I told you what happened and I see you every day. I am not lying please just let me in because I just want to go home. He tell me there is nothing he can do and that I have to wait at least 20 minutes. Well why does my unlimited weekly pass now suddenly have limits? He then recommends that I go purchase another weekly pass if I don't want to wait, UMMMM NO! I am not going to spend another $15 on a weekly pass, and I make him and half of the station aware of this. He then moves on to pretty much calling a poor tourist stupid because she can't figure out how to buy a pass on the new asinine machines, so much so that she looks at him and says, "Hey asshole, you know I can read right." At least I wasn't the only guy pissed off with this guy.
As he is distracted with this woman, a train approaches and I take my chance to mix into the crowd and jump onto the train behind another pass user. I don't feel guilty... and I hate the T.
I left work today and went downstairs to the train, i put my pass in the machine and went in, I reached into my bag to grab my book and immediately realized that I had left my book on my desk at work, so I leave the station, and go back up to my office and grab my book, in about five minutes I am back down at the station and put my pass in the machine again. I walk forward but the gate doesn't open... WTF... I try again and look at the screen, which says "Pass Already Used" well yeah it has been but it is an unlimited weekly pass. I go to the attendant, the same attendant I see every day leaving work. I explain the situation and he tell me I have to wait 20 minutes, like seriously WHY? He told me there is no way for me to prove that it is my pass and it could have been passed to me.
No ass, I told you what happened and I see you every day. I am not lying please just let me in because I just want to go home. He tell me there is nothing he can do and that I have to wait at least 20 minutes. Well why does my unlimited weekly pass now suddenly have limits? He then recommends that I go purchase another weekly pass if I don't want to wait, UMMMM NO! I am not going to spend another $15 on a weekly pass, and I make him and half of the station aware of this. He then moves on to pretty much calling a poor tourist stupid because she can't figure out how to buy a pass on the new asinine machines, so much so that she looks at him and says, "Hey asshole, you know I can read right." At least I wasn't the only guy pissed off with this guy.
As he is distracted with this woman, a train approaches and I take my chance to mix into the crowd and jump onto the train behind another pass user. I don't feel guilty... and I hate the T.
The Sinister Staffer
I added a new link to the blog roll because I ran across it on Waiter Rant, and I thought it was very funny. She works for a staffing agency, and it reminded me of all the awful interviews I have had, like the ones I describe in "The Not So Artful Interview" and all of the crazy people who apply for jobs like the ones I describe in "Mobey On My Pocket." Take a look at the Sinister Staffer link in the blog roll and enjoy!
First Days Back...
The first day back to work always sucks, I have had three first days back so far this summer because of the trip to Indiana and my two vacations this summer. I did really well last week when it came to staying away from my store, I didn't go in once, and I didn't call. This is probably why today was one of the worst days back I have had in a long time. I had no idea what I was walking back into this morning, and my boss wasn't even there today to give me a hand.
There wasn't one major thing that made the day hard, it was just a number of things that were going on. I walked in this morning to three new employees sitting in my office waiting to be trained. Training is really hard as on a day when you are expecting it, OK well maybe not hard but it is time consuming. Paperwork alone takes at least an hour if you read the employee handbook with them. Then of course you need to give them a tour of the store, introduce them to people, get them a locker and a register sign on, get them acquainted with the rules and systems, show them how to ring on the register, etc. So I spent a majority of my morning working on the unexpected training. Of course the training was interrupted by numerous phone calls and on conference call that I needed to participate in because my boss was out today.
Once I finally completed my portion of the training and brought the new employees to there departments in the store, it was close to 1:30 and I needed to complete their paperwork and redo the schedule so that the employees knew when they needed to come into work this week. This took about one hour and then I needed to do the sales reports for last week. By this time I needed to run my 3:00 departmental meeting, this always takes about an hour.
So by 4:00 I had still not had a chance to read my email, or check my voicemail. I had to check in on the store and oh so many other things a manager needs to do on the first day back. I left at 6:15 this evening and I was exhausted. Tomorrow is going to be like my First Day Back Take 2. I wish I was still on vacation!
There wasn't one major thing that made the day hard, it was just a number of things that were going on. I walked in this morning to three new employees sitting in my office waiting to be trained. Training is really hard as on a day when you are expecting it, OK well maybe not hard but it is time consuming. Paperwork alone takes at least an hour if you read the employee handbook with them. Then of course you need to give them a tour of the store, introduce them to people, get them a locker and a register sign on, get them acquainted with the rules and systems, show them how to ring on the register, etc. So I spent a majority of my morning working on the unexpected training. Of course the training was interrupted by numerous phone calls and on conference call that I needed to participate in because my boss was out today.
Once I finally completed my portion of the training and brought the new employees to there departments in the store, it was close to 1:30 and I needed to complete their paperwork and redo the schedule so that the employees knew when they needed to come into work this week. This took about one hour and then I needed to do the sales reports for last week. By this time I needed to run my 3:00 departmental meeting, this always takes about an hour.
So by 4:00 I had still not had a chance to read my email, or check my voicemail. I had to check in on the store and oh so many other things a manager needs to do on the first day back. I left at 6:15 this evening and I was exhausted. Tomorrow is going to be like my First Day Back Take 2. I wish I was still on vacation!
RIP Sparky
My Aunt's dog Sparky had to be put down today. He was 13. I still remember when they brought the little fur ball home 13 years ago. He was a Shih Tzu and I really thought that they should have named him Shihs-Kabob, cute huh! Instead they named him Sparky and he was the first dog I remember in the extended family, I now have my God-Dog Cody, and my own two cats. But back then it was just Sparky and he quickly became a part of the family.
As the years passed and people moved on and off to college, he really became my grandmother's dog, she was the one person who would stay home all day with him and they kept each other company. Unfortunately, he was having heart problems and the decision was made to put Sparky down today, he was having trouble getting around and presumably in pain.
I know that I was close to tears when Bob was sick, and crying when I had the choice of surgery of putting him down. Animals are part of the family and are in your heart. When they get sick it is like a member of the family is sick. I know that Sparky is in a happy place now in Doggie Heaven and I wish the best to the rest of my family who has to deal with the loss.
As the years passed and people moved on and off to college, he really became my grandmother's dog, she was the one person who would stay home all day with him and they kept each other company. Unfortunately, he was having heart problems and the decision was made to put Sparky down today, he was having trouble getting around and presumably in pain.
I know that I was close to tears when Bob was sick, and crying when I had the choice of surgery of putting him down. Animals are part of the family and are in your heart. When they get sick it is like a member of the family is sick. I know that Sparky is in a happy place now in Doggie Heaven and I wish the best to the rest of my family who has to deal with the loss.
MFA- Hopper Exhibit
Yesterday I went to the Museum of Fine Arts to see the Hopper Exhibit. I have been wanting to see the exhibit since it started a few months ago, but I have not had the chance. The exhibit ends in a couple weeks so I took the chance yesterday to go and I loved every minute of it. I am not an art specialist and I am not sure of the terms that people use to describe art, but I do know what I like. I have always found architecture beautiful, and even the simplest buildings are impressive in some way.
I like Hopper because his focus was always the geometric buildings and the simplest scenes, his most well known painting "Nighthawks" is iconic and yet it depicts a very simple scene.
I like Hopper because his focus was always the geometric buildings and the simplest scenes, his most well known painting "Nighthawks" is iconic and yet it depicts a very simple scene.
There is a lot written about this painting, about the loneliness of big city living, about freedom and being trapped, about existentialism, and the overall human condition. Is this cafe welcoming, (note there is no entrance) what is the relationship between these people. You get to explore all of this at the exhibit as you examine this iconic painting hanging two feet in front of you on a gallery wall in Boston. This is what really amazes me about exhibits at the MFA, the paintings are actually there.
There was a wide collection of amazingly realistic paintings of all different landscapes, from the lighthouses in Maine, to a street in Truro and Provincetown two beautiful towns on the cape in Massachusetts. As well as many scenes from his native New York City. My favorite painting was "Early Sunday Morning."
This is a painting that depicts something that is rarely seen in a big city. It is calm but it also continues on forever. There is no sign of the chaos of the city, yet somehow you expect people to start streaming into the painting and the day to begin.
I was glad I got to enjoy my day yesterday at the museum, it was definitely one of the highlights of my vacation so far, and if you are in Boston between now and August 19, I highly recommend going to see this exhibition.
Plummeting To My Death
I am on vacation this week and during my August vacation I usually do things around the house and around Boston. This weekend I went to the pool and the beach because it was really warm and nice, today it is kind of cool and cloudy but that's fine because I am currently waiting for the Comcast man to arrive and hook up phone service.
I noticed last week that it is cheaper to have Phone, Cable, and Internet for $99.00 a year then the $134 that I was paying for the two services. So, today I wait for the phone service to be hooked up, and i will have a house phone for a year until the package price increases.
Now one of the things that I enjoy doing on my August vacation is to go out on my back deck and read for a bit. Usually, I read while doing laundry, or after I get back from the gym or something else in the city. Well this year if I were to go read my book out on my back deck I would plummet to my death. (See its not like I am going sky-diving). No, I will plummet to my death because the back deck has been torn down to be replaced, but it was supposed to be finished weeks ago, and still if I walk out of my back door I will fall to the first floor decking, which is the only thing completed.
If the deck was taking longer because of a problem with the structure, while I would be frustrated, I would still understand. However, the deck is taking forever because the contractor has not been here in days. He is generally coming once a week. If he had told this up front then we would have probably gone with a different contractor, or at least been prepared for this. It drives me nuts because today is actually a perfect day to be sitting out on my back deck and reading a book while i am waiting for the Comcast man who is supposed to be here between 11 and 1. It is now 12:30, I wonder if he will actually be on time or if I will be waiting around for him to arrive too.
ETA: The cable man was late by like two hours but i do have a house phone as part of a cheaper package, and the deck man arrived yesterday around 1, it started raining at 2:20 so he left, he didn't finish much so I will still plummet to my death.
I noticed last week that it is cheaper to have Phone, Cable, and Internet for $99.00 a year then the $134 that I was paying for the two services. So, today I wait for the phone service to be hooked up, and i will have a house phone for a year until the package price increases.
Now one of the things that I enjoy doing on my August vacation is to go out on my back deck and read for a bit. Usually, I read while doing laundry, or after I get back from the gym or something else in the city. Well this year if I were to go read my book out on my back deck I would plummet to my death. (See its not like I am going sky-diving). No, I will plummet to my death because the back deck has been torn down to be replaced, but it was supposed to be finished weeks ago, and still if I walk out of my back door I will fall to the first floor decking, which is the only thing completed.
If the deck was taking longer because of a problem with the structure, while I would be frustrated, I would still understand. However, the deck is taking forever because the contractor has not been here in days. He is generally coming once a week. If he had told this up front then we would have probably gone with a different contractor, or at least been prepared for this. It drives me nuts because today is actually a perfect day to be sitting out on my back deck and reading a book while i am waiting for the Comcast man who is supposed to be here between 11 and 1. It is now 12:30, I wonder if he will actually be on time or if I will be waiting around for him to arrive too.
ETA: The cable man was late by like two hours but i do have a house phone as part of a cheaper package, and the deck man arrived yesterday around 1, it started raining at 2:20 so he left, he didn't finish much so I will still plummet to my death.
Fat Cat
I put Tipsy on a diet. She is my female cat and I felt she was getting too fat. She doesn't like the special diet food, but she has no choice if she wants to survive. Like my mother says its not like she can drive to McDonald's and order a Double Bacon Cheeseburger and Fries. She can't cheat on her diet even though I have caught her trying. A couple days ago I saw her trying to pull food out o the pot of food I was cooking when I had turned my back, and today she tried to lure a big dumb bird to the window with some odd kitty cackling noise.
Bob doesn't seem to mind the diet, but she just looks at me with disapproving eyes, if she only understood that it was for her own good. Oh well, I guess I can't reason with the cat, especially a fat one who is bitchy because she is on a diet.
Bob doesn't seem to mind the diet, but she just looks at me with disapproving eyes, if she only understood that it was for her own good. Oh well, I guess I can't reason with the cat, especially a fat one who is bitchy because she is on a diet.
Water Country, Water Country, Water Country... Have Some Fun
Yes, that is one of the most annoying jingles on Boston Television, right after "Bernie and Phyl's, Quality, Comfort and Price... That's Nice." Now why am I commenting on this jingle, well it's because on Sunday I went to Water Country in New Hampshire for DJ R's Birthday.
So Sunday morning I got up early and met up with the group at Dunkin Donuts on Mass Ave, we needed to grab some food. As soon as i walked in, before I even had any caffeine I ran into Bible Lady who graced all of us with how she was about to eat the bible, and how she missed me at my old store. I was not in the mood so i stood by the door and held it opened for her, hoping she would get the hint. She eventually did and we were able to grab breakfast and get on our way.
I was not sure how a group of fifteen 25-35 year olds would do in a water park that was meant for 8-15 year olds, and figured that this could be an interesting time. I love roller coasters and rides, but I had never been to a full fledged water park. We got there at 10:30, changed, and went to to the first water slide. This was a nice easy trip on a tube made for five people down a splishy splashy tan slide that didn't even get a scream out of me. The water was a bit cold though! While waiting in line for the next ride one member of the group whose self control is always limited, got pissed and yelled out the F word in the middle of a group of children. This is one of the things I was afraid of but the parents didn't turn on us at that moment which was a relief because I was expecting to be run out of the park with flaming torches by the end of the day.
We continued riding the rides until we decided to break for lunch and then get back in line for Geronimo. This was the only slide that was scary, all of the others I was able to get through without a problem. Geronimo, however, is about 15 stories straight up, you lay on your back with your ankles crossed and you arms crossed over your chest and the attendant pushes you down the slide. At one point you are in complete free fall, and no part of your body is touching the slide. You are all the way down in a matter of five seconds but it is still a scary five seconds and even I yelled an obscenity my first time down, it was fun though so i did it three more times during the course of the afternoon. I think five of the fifteen people opted out of this ride, and the rest of us did it a few times, some got right on while others had to think about it for a few minutes.
The Wave Pool was the final stop of the day, and it was also very fun, the weird thing is that the waves in a wave pool go from side to side they don't come in from in front of you instead they come from the left and the right. As someone who loves to swim in the ocean, I found this very hard to get used to and swimming in these waves with tons of little children in tubes was also a difficult task. Once you got into the swing of things and out past the six foot mark where most parents did not allow their kids it became a lot of fun and also some really good exercise, I am glad that I am a good swimmer, I can see how people can drown here.
Overall, I do have to say that Water Country, Water Country, Water Country, is a place where kids of all ages can have some fun! The day ended and we didn't even drown one another!
So Sunday morning I got up early and met up with the group at Dunkin Donuts on Mass Ave, we needed to grab some food. As soon as i walked in, before I even had any caffeine I ran into Bible Lady who graced all of us with how she was about to eat the bible, and how she missed me at my old store. I was not in the mood so i stood by the door and held it opened for her, hoping she would get the hint. She eventually did and we were able to grab breakfast and get on our way.
I was not sure how a group of fifteen 25-35 year olds would do in a water park that was meant for 8-15 year olds, and figured that this could be an interesting time. I love roller coasters and rides, but I had never been to a full fledged water park. We got there at 10:30, changed, and went to to the first water slide. This was a nice easy trip on a tube made for five people down a splishy splashy tan slide that didn't even get a scream out of me. The water was a bit cold though! While waiting in line for the next ride one member of the group whose self control is always limited, got pissed and yelled out the F word in the middle of a group of children. This is one of the things I was afraid of but the parents didn't turn on us at that moment which was a relief because I was expecting to be run out of the park with flaming torches by the end of the day.
We continued riding the rides until we decided to break for lunch and then get back in line for Geronimo. This was the only slide that was scary, all of the others I was able to get through without a problem. Geronimo, however, is about 15 stories straight up, you lay on your back with your ankles crossed and you arms crossed over your chest and the attendant pushes you down the slide. At one point you are in complete free fall, and no part of your body is touching the slide. You are all the way down in a matter of five seconds but it is still a scary five seconds and even I yelled an obscenity my first time down, it was fun though so i did it three more times during the course of the afternoon. I think five of the fifteen people opted out of this ride, and the rest of us did it a few times, some got right on while others had to think about it for a few minutes.
The Wave Pool was the final stop of the day, and it was also very fun, the weird thing is that the waves in a wave pool go from side to side they don't come in from in front of you instead they come from the left and the right. As someone who loves to swim in the ocean, I found this very hard to get used to and swimming in these waves with tons of little children in tubes was also a difficult task. Once you got into the swing of things and out past the six foot mark where most parents did not allow their kids it became a lot of fun and also some really good exercise, I am glad that I am a good swimmer, I can see how people can drown here.
Overall, I do have to say that Water Country, Water Country, Water Country, is a place where kids of all ages can have some fun! The day ended and we didn't even drown one another!
Indianapolis, Indiana
I had a business trip this week, usually I get to go to fun places like NYC, or Baltimore, or Chicago. This time I had to go help open up a series of stores in Indianapolis, Indiana. We are taking over the management of a few stores in the area, and are working on preparing them for back to school Rush which starts in three weeks. I spent a majority of my week leading the employees in the textbook department and running reports and shelf tags. The current employees are not used to the new system and because of the transition.
I always love business trips, I love working with new people, I enjoy my dinners in the hotel restaurant sitting at the bar with my book, and most importantly I love to walk into a new store and kick some ass. This store was a bit different, they have been transitioning for 10 weeks now, and a number of different managers, I was on the team with J from Delaware and S from Ohio State, they got to the store on Monday and I didn't arrive until Tuesday. They were amazing, and did exactly what I do when I get into a store to help out, they made a game plan and attacked. It was great to walk into a well oiled operation, but I quickly noticed that if J, S, or myself did not take control then nothing would get accomplished. So, I took over the floor operations on the text book floor. I soon met M, who was going to be the person taking over the store. M was going to be great for the store, except that she needed to take some control. There is just so much to do. We worked 16 hour days from Tuesday through Friday and got tons of stuff done. J was amazing, she is one of those rare female managers that can be direct and do what needs to be done, and also be a ton of fun. We got along great and spent a good bunch of the time we had off either in the gym or at the hotel bar.
As usual however, this business trip was not all fun and games, when I got there on Tuesday, I called the hotel to make sure things were all set because I knew that I would be checking in late. However, when I got to the hotel, they had no room for me. On Thursday morning I didn't receive a wake up call from the hotel, and overslept my 6am meeting time. Ah yes, and the two hour flight to Boston somehow turned into 4 plus hours on the plane. So it was the usual trip for me.
Indianapolis is an interesting place, it is a supposed city, but there is no traffic, and at about 9:00pm there is nobody on the street. I went for a walk one night in downtown and I didn't run into anybody, the bars and restaurants were all empty it was all very very odd. Anyway, I am trying to combine a week's worth of stuff all into one post and I am not being very successful, so I am going to end this post and hope that my next post is slightly more successful...
I always love business trips, I love working with new people, I enjoy my dinners in the hotel restaurant sitting at the bar with my book, and most importantly I love to walk into a new store and kick some ass. This store was a bit different, they have been transitioning for 10 weeks now, and a number of different managers, I was on the team with J from Delaware and S from Ohio State, they got to the store on Monday and I didn't arrive until Tuesday. They were amazing, and did exactly what I do when I get into a store to help out, they made a game plan and attacked. It was great to walk into a well oiled operation, but I quickly noticed that if J, S, or myself did not take control then nothing would get accomplished. So, I took over the floor operations on the text book floor. I soon met M, who was going to be the person taking over the store. M was going to be great for the store, except that she needed to take some control. There is just so much to do. We worked 16 hour days from Tuesday through Friday and got tons of stuff done. J was amazing, she is one of those rare female managers that can be direct and do what needs to be done, and also be a ton of fun. We got along great and spent a good bunch of the time we had off either in the gym or at the hotel bar.
As usual however, this business trip was not all fun and games, when I got there on Tuesday, I called the hotel to make sure things were all set because I knew that I would be checking in late. However, when I got to the hotel, they had no room for me. On Thursday morning I didn't receive a wake up call from the hotel, and overslept my 6am meeting time. Ah yes, and the two hour flight to Boston somehow turned into 4 plus hours on the plane. So it was the usual trip for me.
Indianapolis is an interesting place, it is a supposed city, but there is no traffic, and at about 9:00pm there is nobody on the street. I went for a walk one night in downtown and I didn't run into anybody, the bars and restaurants were all empty it was all very very odd. Anyway, I am trying to combine a week's worth of stuff all into one post and I am not being very successful, so I am going to end this post and hope that my next post is slightly more successful...
31 of 36 Hours
Only one book can bring about the mayhem that occurred this past weekend, and I have to say even though I was exhausted, I loved every single minute of the madness.
I guess the best way to go over this night is to go through a bit of a timeline. We have been taking reservations for this book for close to nine months and planning a party for about six months. The final two weeks were chaos with shopping and planning and reservations for the book coming in at a frightening clip.
On Friday I got to work at 7:30 to open the store for the regular business day, which was anything but regular. Early on in the day customers started pouring in wanted to reserve the book and get information on the party. All the while we were trying to iron out the final details, finish proofreading and finalizing the information sheet and making copies.
At 6:30 when the store closes for the regular business day I run over to the hotel and check in and I am back in the store in five minutes. By closing time we had close to 400 reservations. From 6:30- 9:00pm, the trade manager and myself work to transform the store into Harry Potter Party Central. We planned a trivia contest and scavenger hunt, we prepared crafts for the children of all ages including wand making and coloring. We also had a bookseller reading the first book, and the creative attendees could write their own ending to the series.
By 9:00 the rest of the general book staff reported back to the store to help put the finishing touches on the party and put out the food and refreshments. At 9:45 all of the remaining booksellers came in and we had a quick meeting and then opened the doors to the customers waiting at the door. We were expecting a couple hundred people since K Square is not the biggest and most accessible location in Boston. As the night proceeded and people were participating in the all of the activities it became obvious that we underestimated the total turnout. The energy was contagious as the book release drew closer. By 11:30 we had well over 400 people in the store and started lining people up in two lines to get the book. People with reservations went in one line and walk in book buyers went in the other. With 10 minutes to go we revealed the books from under a few tablecloths to a cheer from the crowd. With five minutes left we mad announcements leading up to 12:01 and at midnight the crowd started a countdown right until the official release. At this time we had over 500 people in the store.
In less than an hour we sold almost 300 books to delighted fans, and the best part was that every customer was smiling and a delight. They were all thrilled to be at a party and getting some of the first copies of the book.
At approximately 2:30 am the store was almost back to normal and we were ready to open the following day, the only thing was my trade manager couldn't find his keys. I finally got to the hotel at 3:00 in the morning and needed a bite to eat. I was sleeping by 4 and had to be back by 8 to open the store. When the alarm went off i was in no mood to move and get out of bed but I was so happy that I decided to get the hotel room.
I was back in the store by 8:15 and by the time we were ready to open the doors at 10 we had people waiting to purchase the books. This trend continued all day as we sold another 250 copies of the book through out the day.
We sold over 500 copies of the book and I worked 31 out of 36 hours. It was quite the experience.
I guess the best way to go over this night is to go through a bit of a timeline. We have been taking reservations for this book for close to nine months and planning a party for about six months. The final two weeks were chaos with shopping and planning and reservations for the book coming in at a frightening clip.
On Friday I got to work at 7:30 to open the store for the regular business day, which was anything but regular. Early on in the day customers started pouring in wanted to reserve the book and get information on the party. All the while we were trying to iron out the final details, finish proofreading and finalizing the information sheet and making copies.
At 6:30 when the store closes for the regular business day I run over to the hotel and check in and I am back in the store in five minutes. By closing time we had close to 400 reservations. From 6:30- 9:00pm, the trade manager and myself work to transform the store into Harry Potter Party Central. We planned a trivia contest and scavenger hunt, we prepared crafts for the children of all ages including wand making and coloring. We also had a bookseller reading the first book, and the creative attendees could write their own ending to the series.
By 9:00 the rest of the general book staff reported back to the store to help put the finishing touches on the party and put out the food and refreshments. At 9:45 all of the remaining booksellers came in and we had a quick meeting and then opened the doors to the customers waiting at the door. We were expecting a couple hundred people since K Square is not the biggest and most accessible location in Boston. As the night proceeded and people were participating in the all of the activities it became obvious that we underestimated the total turnout. The energy was contagious as the book release drew closer. By 11:30 we had well over 400 people in the store and started lining people up in two lines to get the book. People with reservations went in one line and walk in book buyers went in the other. With 10 minutes to go we revealed the books from under a few tablecloths to a cheer from the crowd. With five minutes left we mad announcements leading up to 12:01 and at midnight the crowd started a countdown right until the official release. At this time we had over 500 people in the store.
In less than an hour we sold almost 300 books to delighted fans, and the best part was that every customer was smiling and a delight. They were all thrilled to be at a party and getting some of the first copies of the book.
At approximately 2:30 am the store was almost back to normal and we were ready to open the following day, the only thing was my trade manager couldn't find his keys. I finally got to the hotel at 3:00 in the morning and needed a bite to eat. I was sleeping by 4 and had to be back by 8 to open the store. When the alarm went off i was in no mood to move and get out of bed but I was so happy that I decided to get the hotel room.
I was back in the store by 8:15 and by the time we were ready to open the doors at 10 we had people waiting to purchase the books. This trend continued all day as we sold another 250 copies of the book through out the day.
We sold over 500 copies of the book and I worked 31 out of 36 hours. It was quite the experience.
Neither Here Nor There
I have to say I really love Bill Bryson, and while I still have to say that my favorite Bryson book is I'm A Stranger Here Myself, I really did love Neither Here Nor There and it really made me want to go take a tour of Europe. When I recommend Bryson books at my store I always describe where they got me in trouble for laughing out loud... I'm A Stranger Here Myself was soda out of my nose funny, and A Walk in the Woods was get in trouble during Jury Duty funny. Neither Here Nor There was laughing on the T funny (and getting weird looks). I think that the best part about Bill Bryson's books are that they are not only funny but they transport you to the place he is writing about. While reading In A Sunburned Country I wanted to travel to Australia to see for myself all of the places he was describing with such vivid details.
A Week That Ends in Friday the 13th
What a week it was this week at my store. I was back from vacation on Monday and I was not happy with the way my store looked. It is always hard to return and see things that don't meet your expectations. It wasn't really any body's fault it was just a lack of direction because of the store manager's were on vacation last week.
I got in early on Monday and walked the floor and wrote down the things that needed urgent care. I compiled a list and then looked for all of the things that I was expecting in my box from the other managers. There was one piece of paper in my box, i was getting quite frustrated at this point. I decided that I would follow up with each manager one on one and then discuss my expectations of them as a group at our Wednesday manager's meeting. Hopefully, by this point I would have the expected paperwork.
Once the day got started I realized that this week was not going to be an easy one. We had a number of sick calls one employee had broken her foot, one had a migraine, and one ended up having to leave because her roommate was in the hospital (sadly this roommate passed away later this week). The schedule was going to be a mess this week, especially since I had another employee on vacation, and began training one on Monday as well. By the end of the week the schedule had not gotten better as a matter of fact it was worse as one manager had a medical emergency and one employee failed to show up.
Now while the schedule was a mess, and getting things accomplished was almost impossible we were still able to get the basics completed early in the week and get caught up with meetings and paperwork, and by the end of the week, even with very few people we were able to make some progress on the lower level. We actually got a number of displays up in the dorm section and cleaned out a majority of the conference room.
Now that I got through the frustration of returning to work, and survived the first week back I feel I need to discuss a couple of the difficult customers that have arrived in my store straight from the loony bin this week:
1) Snapple Lady- This woman comes in and buys two Snapple's a day, she has actually be coming in for a while now and she was always a bit nuts but this week she had a break and has completely lost her mind. On Tuesday she came up to me and asked if I was the store manager then she proceeded to yell at me in the middle of the store about how I am part of a conspiracy to make her fat because I am putting chocolate at every register, and she has no place to put her bag so she needs to buy chocolate. I am not sure I understand her reasoning and why she needs to buy the chocolate. But a conspiracy, I mean come on its retail lady, we make money on impulse buys, just because you are too darn stupid to realize what we are doing is not my problem.
2) Critical Sweatshirt Woman- Today was the critical sweatshirt woman, who works at the university. She asked for some help selecting a sweatshirt for a guy and every time I showed her a sweatshirt there was something wrong with it. This one is too frumpy, too thick, too blue, too grey, she didn't like the sleeves on one, and the imprint on the other. She wanted this one in a different color with a different font on the front. OK, well lady this is a college bookstore, we carry items that are approved by the university, and there are only so many arms in a college bookstores clothing department. She did end up buying a sweatshirt however, just not one that I recommended.
I had so many other ones today it was ridiculous but I guess I wouldn't have anything to write about if the Snapple lady and the bible lady didn't exist!
I got in early on Monday and walked the floor and wrote down the things that needed urgent care. I compiled a list and then looked for all of the things that I was expecting in my box from the other managers. There was one piece of paper in my box, i was getting quite frustrated at this point. I decided that I would follow up with each manager one on one and then discuss my expectations of them as a group at our Wednesday manager's meeting. Hopefully, by this point I would have the expected paperwork.
Once the day got started I realized that this week was not going to be an easy one. We had a number of sick calls one employee had broken her foot, one had a migraine, and one ended up having to leave because her roommate was in the hospital (sadly this roommate passed away later this week). The schedule was going to be a mess this week, especially since I had another employee on vacation, and began training one on Monday as well. By the end of the week the schedule had not gotten better as a matter of fact it was worse as one manager had a medical emergency and one employee failed to show up.
Now while the schedule was a mess, and getting things accomplished was almost impossible we were still able to get the basics completed early in the week and get caught up with meetings and paperwork, and by the end of the week, even with very few people we were able to make some progress on the lower level. We actually got a number of displays up in the dorm section and cleaned out a majority of the conference room.
Now that I got through the frustration of returning to work, and survived the first week back I feel I need to discuss a couple of the difficult customers that have arrived in my store straight from the loony bin this week:
1) Snapple Lady- This woman comes in and buys two Snapple's a day, she has actually be coming in for a while now and she was always a bit nuts but this week she had a break and has completely lost her mind. On Tuesday she came up to me and asked if I was the store manager then she proceeded to yell at me in the middle of the store about how I am part of a conspiracy to make her fat because I am putting chocolate at every register, and she has no place to put her bag so she needs to buy chocolate. I am not sure I understand her reasoning and why she needs to buy the chocolate. But a conspiracy, I mean come on its retail lady, we make money on impulse buys, just because you are too darn stupid to realize what we are doing is not my problem.
2) Critical Sweatshirt Woman- Today was the critical sweatshirt woman, who works at the university. She asked for some help selecting a sweatshirt for a guy and every time I showed her a sweatshirt there was something wrong with it. This one is too frumpy, too thick, too blue, too grey, she didn't like the sleeves on one, and the imprint on the other. She wanted this one in a different color with a different font on the front. OK, well lady this is a college bookstore, we carry items that are approved by the university, and there are only so many arms in a college bookstores clothing department. She did end up buying a sweatshirt however, just not one that I recommended.
I had so many other ones today it was ridiculous but I guess I wouldn't have anything to write about if the Snapple lady and the bible lady didn't exist!
Finally...
I have always said that my brain is full of useless song lyrics, if only there was some use for all of these useless song lyrics. Well, now there is, and I am frighteningly good at the new show on NBC called "The Singing Bee"
The main idea behind this show is you have to sing the remaining part of the song properly after the band stops (or at least the next line). The person who can do this properly out of a group of six can win $50,000. It is like the easiest way to win money on television, as a matter of fact I have been training my entire life for this show.
I need to go online and find out how I get on and I am going to set records!
The main idea behind this show is you have to sing the remaining part of the song properly after the band stops (or at least the next line). The person who can do this properly out of a group of six can win $50,000. It is like the easiest way to win money on television, as a matter of fact I have been training my entire life for this show.
I need to go online and find out how I get on and I am going to set records!
Back to the Grind
After a week of vacation on the cape where the biggest issue was whether I should go to the pool or beach, or should I wear flip flops tonight, I need to go back to work tomorrow morning. I had such a nice 9 days off from work, I wish I were independently wealthy and never had to work.
I did fun things like hang out with friends, lay by the pool and get a tan, make some new friends, kayak to the lighthouse, go out and have some drinks, relax, go to the movies, etc etc. Now tomorrow I have to deal with things like payroll, and meetings, and conference calls.
Which sounds better to you?
I did fun things like hang out with friends, lay by the pool and get a tan, make some new friends, kayak to the lighthouse, go out and have some drinks, relax, go to the movies, etc etc. Now tomorrow I have to deal with things like payroll, and meetings, and conference calls.
Which sounds better to you?
The Opposite First Date
A few months ago I posted about a really bad first date. A long drive with very little talking, and pool playing etc. Well a couple of weeks ago i went on the opposite of this miserable first date, I actually went on an amazing first date with a great guy. This is a hard post to write because i don't want to jinx anything that i may have with this person.
I met J over three years ago when Arg was his roommate and even though we didn't really hit it off at that time i do remember that i thought he was cute. We have run into each other over the past few years but never really talked. A couple of weeks ago we bumped into each other and sparks went off. It was definitely a weird experience but something felt right. At the end of the night he asked if he could take me out to dinner, I agreed and was looking forward to the dinner.
The following day he called around lunch time to confirm our date and then actually came to my store to take me to lunch as well because I was having a rough day at the store. It was nice to get out of the store for a bit and we got to know each other a bit more and enjoyed each others company. We made plans to meet at 8:00 that evening at his place in the South End so that he could take me to Stella (one of his favorite restaurants).
We got to the restaurant and the hostess was able to take us within fifteen minutes even though there was a two hour wait and we got a great table in the back by the window where we could people watch and enjoy the evening. He ordered an amazing bottle of white wine to start with and we shared that while we decided on our meals. The entire time the conversation was free flowing and we were both laughing and having a great time. We ordered dinner and finished off the bottle of wine. We never stop talking (at least until the fantastic food arrived), and even mumbled a few words as we devoured our amazing entrees. The check arrived and he was a gentleman and wouldn't let me pay for anything no matter how much I insisted.
After dinner we walked down to Union because in the course of conversation at dinner I mentioned they had the best Pomegranate Martinis I have ever had. We stopped in for a martini and continued talking about things we got into an animated conversation about television and I found out that he loves American Idol and 24 as much as I do, although I think season 1 of 24 is the best and he thinks season 2 is the best. We talked about vacations and how he loves planes and loves to golf (OK he lost a point there). We talked at Union for over an hour and it felt like just a few minutes. We even made a few friends at the bar.
We ended the date walking down the street, sitting on a park bench under the stars, talking for a little bit more and then a simple kiss goodnight. I am not joking when I say that this was almost a perfect first date, and we have had other amazing dates since. And even the simple things like him helping me pack for vacation last week have been so much fun. I hope that things work out but there is no pressure and only time will tell...
I met J over three years ago when Arg was his roommate and even though we didn't really hit it off at that time i do remember that i thought he was cute. We have run into each other over the past few years but never really talked. A couple of weeks ago we bumped into each other and sparks went off. It was definitely a weird experience but something felt right. At the end of the night he asked if he could take me out to dinner, I agreed and was looking forward to the dinner.
The following day he called around lunch time to confirm our date and then actually came to my store to take me to lunch as well because I was having a rough day at the store. It was nice to get out of the store for a bit and we got to know each other a bit more and enjoyed each others company. We made plans to meet at 8:00 that evening at his place in the South End so that he could take me to Stella (one of his favorite restaurants).
We got to the restaurant and the hostess was able to take us within fifteen minutes even though there was a two hour wait and we got a great table in the back by the window where we could people watch and enjoy the evening. He ordered an amazing bottle of white wine to start with and we shared that while we decided on our meals. The entire time the conversation was free flowing and we were both laughing and having a great time. We ordered dinner and finished off the bottle of wine. We never stop talking (at least until the fantastic food arrived), and even mumbled a few words as we devoured our amazing entrees. The check arrived and he was a gentleman and wouldn't let me pay for anything no matter how much I insisted.
After dinner we walked down to Union because in the course of conversation at dinner I mentioned they had the best Pomegranate Martinis I have ever had. We stopped in for a martini and continued talking about things we got into an animated conversation about television and I found out that he loves American Idol and 24 as much as I do, although I think season 1 of 24 is the best and he thinks season 2 is the best. We talked about vacations and how he loves planes and loves to golf (OK he lost a point there). We talked at Union for over an hour and it felt like just a few minutes. We even made a few friends at the bar.
We ended the date walking down the street, sitting on a park bench under the stars, talking for a little bit more and then a simple kiss goodnight. I am not joking when I say that this was almost a perfect first date, and we have had other amazing dates since. And even the simple things like him helping me pack for vacation last week have been so much fun. I hope that things work out but there is no pressure and only time will tell...
I Know I am Weird (AKA My Dislike of Bookmooch)
You will notice a few posts ago that I am trying to get rid of some of my old books, so I posted a few on www.bookmooch.com. Everybody I talked to loves this site, the main idea is you post books you want to get rid of and put up a wish list of books you want to get. This is in theory a great idea, and I understand why people like it. But I am picky (and weird) and certain things about books bother me. I like the way a new book smells, I never get books from a library because they smell funny. I also take very good care of my books even when I am reading them and it bothers me to see books with a broken spine or terribly bent pages.
I have received two books so far from Bookmooch
1) Notes from a Small Island
2) Club Dumas
Both of these books were in awful condition and Notes from a Small Island not only looked like it went through a garbage disposal but it also smelled like it has spent a week in a dumpster. I am not exaggerating here, I won't even put this book back on Bookmooch because I don't want to send it back out and have people think that I may have done this to the book.
My other problem with this site is they are a bit snotty. when I first joined I didn't get the email, the site said not to email them because it was not there fault that it was the fault of the email provider I was using. OK, well it didn't go into the SPAM folder and I never got it so I joined under a different name and got the email, I got it amazingly fast but it wasn't the site because they said so! Ah yes, and my favorite thing from Bookmooch occurred the other day, when I accidentally clicked on the wrong button because the page was slow to load I got this message after I corrected my mistake:
Please do not add books you do not intend to give away
When you added your book a minute ago, an email was sent to the people who have this book on their wish list, and they will now be frustrated that the book is not actually available.
Only add books into BookMooch you really intend to give away.
Well I know that's why I took the book off, can't you be nice about the message you send, now that I don't like the site I think I am just going to add and remove books to piss them off. OK, I won't but I am done with Bookmooch, I know I am weird but that's the way I am.
oh yeah, does anybody want a really smelly copy of Notes from a Small Island!
I have received two books so far from Bookmooch
1) Notes from a Small Island
2) Club Dumas
Both of these books were in awful condition and Notes from a Small Island not only looked like it went through a garbage disposal but it also smelled like it has spent a week in a dumpster. I am not exaggerating here, I won't even put this book back on Bookmooch because I don't want to send it back out and have people think that I may have done this to the book.
My other problem with this site is they are a bit snotty. when I first joined I didn't get the email, the site said not to email them because it was not there fault that it was the fault of the email provider I was using. OK, well it didn't go into the SPAM folder and I never got it so I joined under a different name and got the email, I got it amazingly fast but it wasn't the site because they said so! Ah yes, and my favorite thing from Bookmooch occurred the other day, when I accidentally clicked on the wrong button because the page was slow to load I got this message after I corrected my mistake:
Please do not add books you do not intend to give away
When you added your book a minute ago, an email was sent to the people who have this book on their wish list, and they will now be frustrated that the book is not actually available.
Only add books into BookMooch you really intend to give away.
Well I know that's why I took the book off, can't you be nice about the message you send, now that I don't like the site I think I am just going to add and remove books to piss them off. OK, I won't but I am done with Bookmooch, I know I am weird but that's the way I am.
oh yeah, does anybody want a really smelly copy of Notes from a Small Island!
Please Don't Get Naked In My Bookstore
I admit it, a flaw with my current store is that we have no fitting room. Yes, this is very annoying and I understand that you want to be able to try on some clothing you may be purchasing. Therefore, I understand if you want to take off a shirt and try on a sweatshirt over an undershirt. Please feel free to do this in the back of the store where the mirror is. This is fine and I really don't mind.
Recently however, I have seen multiple guys trying on shirts and then taking them off and walking around shirtless in my store. People, haven't we ever heard of no shirt, no shoes, no service. It is not appropriate to be walking around my store with your shirt off. Now, today a young foreign gentleman crossed the line...
I came out of the back stockroom and ran face to chest into a man wearing just his underwear, I am not even joking. He was taking off a pair of shorts that he had tried on and he must have also tried on a shirt. After I regained my composure I kindly asked him to please put his clothing on as this was a public environment and his behavior was not appropriate. He redressed and I apologized for not having a fitting room and told him that he could buy these and try them on at home and return them if they did not fit. I think I was still in shock from this for a good hour after he left.
The moral of this story is... PLEASE DON'T GET NAKED IN MY BOOKSTORE, OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC PLACE!
Recently however, I have seen multiple guys trying on shirts and then taking them off and walking around shirtless in my store. People, haven't we ever heard of no shirt, no shoes, no service. It is not appropriate to be walking around my store with your shirt off. Now, today a young foreign gentleman crossed the line...
I came out of the back stockroom and ran face to chest into a man wearing just his underwear, I am not even joking. He was taking off a pair of shorts that he had tried on and he must have also tried on a shirt. After I regained my composure I kindly asked him to please put his clothing on as this was a public environment and his behavior was not appropriate. He redressed and I apologized for not having a fitting room and told him that he could buy these and try them on at home and return them if they did not fit. I think I was still in shock from this for a good hour after he left.
The moral of this story is... PLEASE DON'T GET NAKED IN MY BOOKSTORE, OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC PLACE!
3 Hours and Still Nothing
I had to work today, I was nice to one of my managers who didn't look at the schedule and on Thursday realized that he was working Saturday when he was supposed to do a charity walk. Because of graduation and prep etc today was day 16. My patience was running low, especially since two of my managers are on vacation next week and I have to do cash and sales and run the GM department. Needless to say if a customer was anything but perfect today they would probably rub me the wrong way.
I was doing quite well for a majority of the day and then at 4:00 I got paged up to the customer service desk, E was helping a customer with a ring and apparently this had been going on for a half hour and showed no sign of being finished. Class rings run upwards of $700.00 and there are a few different things you can get, so I understand it being a long transaction. But at 4:30 this transaction was becoming a bit excessive, and at 4:40 they "left" without buying a ring.
Around 5:00 I finally break away from the register and go down to the lower level and run into the ring people that I thought had left. They are talking to one of my sales associates about graduation regalia, this is also a big purchase so they once again had a lot of questions. My sales associate who is helping them breaks away for a moment and comes up to me in the back room and says that she is going to kill these people because they have been asking her every question imaginable for close to a half hour. I told her that she has at least 40 more minutes to look forward to if the ring was any sign.
Yes, it was about 5:30 when they decided to not buy regalia at this time but took some information and moved on to the diploma frames. At this point I am getting frustrated because if they took an hour on each of the previous non-purchases then this non-purchase could put us well over closing time and on day 16 I was not going to let it happen. We made a 15 minute announcement and a 10 minute announcement and walked the floor and reminded people we were closing in 5 minutes and then made a closing announcement!
At 6:05 the store was clear... except for my FAVORITE CUSTOMER! I went downstairs to help the associate and try to speed them along. They are asking about the exact procedures for framing the diploma and i walk them through it as quickly as possible. Then they can't decide which frame, M is trying to help them and move them along and I need to run upstairs and help them close out the registers so they can get home. It is now 6:22 and I see the customer coming up the aisle and moving toward the door, but then he stops and looks at a table of shirts. I go down and ask him if he needs anything, and I notice that he has no frame in his hand.
Son of a bitch, what a waste of our time, I payed to have people help this ass for three hours and he didn't buy anything. His consultants that were with him didn't buy anything, they just wasted my time. I just can't imagine why they spent three hours in my store. I also just can't imagine how long it would take these guys to decide on what car to buy, or a house! Their poor realtor!
I was doing quite well for a majority of the day and then at 4:00 I got paged up to the customer service desk, E was helping a customer with a ring and apparently this had been going on for a half hour and showed no sign of being finished. Class rings run upwards of $700.00 and there are a few different things you can get, so I understand it being a long transaction. But at 4:30 this transaction was becoming a bit excessive, and at 4:40 they "left" without buying a ring.
Around 5:00 I finally break away from the register and go down to the lower level and run into the ring people that I thought had left. They are talking to one of my sales associates about graduation regalia, this is also a big purchase so they once again had a lot of questions. My sales associate who is helping them breaks away for a moment and comes up to me in the back room and says that she is going to kill these people because they have been asking her every question imaginable for close to a half hour. I told her that she has at least 40 more minutes to look forward to if the ring was any sign.
Yes, it was about 5:30 when they decided to not buy regalia at this time but took some information and moved on to the diploma frames. At this point I am getting frustrated because if they took an hour on each of the previous non-purchases then this non-purchase could put us well over closing time and on day 16 I was not going to let it happen. We made a 15 minute announcement and a 10 minute announcement and walked the floor and reminded people we were closing in 5 minutes and then made a closing announcement!
At 6:05 the store was clear... except for my FAVORITE CUSTOMER! I went downstairs to help the associate and try to speed them along. They are asking about the exact procedures for framing the diploma and i walk them through it as quickly as possible. Then they can't decide which frame, M is trying to help them and move them along and I need to run upstairs and help them close out the registers so they can get home. It is now 6:22 and I see the customer coming up the aisle and moving toward the door, but then he stops and looks at a table of shirts. I go down and ask him if he needs anything, and I notice that he has no frame in his hand.
Son of a bitch, what a waste of our time, I payed to have people help this ass for three hours and he didn't buy anything. His consultants that were with him didn't buy anything, they just wasted my time. I just can't imagine why they spent three hours in my store. I also just can't imagine how long it would take these guys to decide on what car to buy, or a house! Their poor realtor!
Books Books Everywhere
Okay, it is official I have too many books so I am exploring other options to get rid of some of the books that I am not going to read again. I am not sure what the best way to do this would be, especially since all online sites require some shipping. I posted a few general "crappy" books on http://www.ebay.com/ and I am wondering how they will sell and I posted a list of about 15 books on http://www.bookmooch.com/. This site allows me pretty much to trade books that I am not going to read for books that I am going to read, but this doesn't solve the problem of having too many books.
Any other ideas?
Oh, and if you are wondering what books I am getting rid of please just ask and I can post.
Any other ideas?
Oh, and if you are wondering what books I am getting rid of please just ask and I can post.
At Least My Patrons Are Not...
...drunk!
I was reading some blogs the other night and I came across (http://standingonthebox.blogspot.com/) the man who writes this blog not only has to deal with the general public, but he has to deal with the drunken general public. He is a bouncer at a club, it is kind of funny!
I was reading some blogs the other night and I came across (http://standingonthebox.blogspot.com/) the man who writes this blog not only has to deal with the general public, but he has to deal with the drunken general public. He is a bouncer at a club, it is kind of funny!
What Did I Want to Write About
I was sitting at work today and remembered something I wanted to post. I know it had something to with my job, and probably graduation weekend, and the crazy customers, and the fact that they make such a mess while shopping, but I am really not sure what it was...
But let me discuss messy shoppers for a moment...
Is it seriously necessary to throw things on the floor, do you need to pull the large out from the bottom of the pile and unfold all of the smalls and mediums above it? Do you need to move items from one rack to another rack, I mean they are right next to each other? When you try something on, is it really that hard to put it back on the hanger?
Messy shoppers drive me nuts, it makes no sense to me, when I walk into a store I never make a mess, I am careful to put things back if not perfectly then at least neatly. Do you seriously want to buy a sweatshirt that has been trampled on because the customer before you discarded it on the floor?
Please it is basic decency, be neat and respectful in any store to the staff and the merchandise. We would really appreciate it!
The same rules apply to books, especially since books are made of paper and get damaged easily, so if you walk by and knock a book on the floor please at least pick it up and put it on a table, don't step on it and don't kick it. If you decide that you don't want a book please put it back where you found it and do not shove it violently between the shelf and the wall. I have seen all of this and it makes me crazy!
That's all, and this was not what I was going to post about but it is what I posted about, still have no idea what I was thinking about posting though!
But let me discuss messy shoppers for a moment...
Is it seriously necessary to throw things on the floor, do you need to pull the large out from the bottom of the pile and unfold all of the smalls and mediums above it? Do you need to move items from one rack to another rack, I mean they are right next to each other? When you try something on, is it really that hard to put it back on the hanger?
Messy shoppers drive me nuts, it makes no sense to me, when I walk into a store I never make a mess, I am careful to put things back if not perfectly then at least neatly. Do you seriously want to buy a sweatshirt that has been trampled on because the customer before you discarded it on the floor?
Please it is basic decency, be neat and respectful in any store to the staff and the merchandise. We would really appreciate it!
The same rules apply to books, especially since books are made of paper and get damaged easily, so if you walk by and knock a book on the floor please at least pick it up and put it on a table, don't step on it and don't kick it. If you decide that you don't want a book please put it back where you found it and do not shove it violently between the shelf and the wall. I have seen all of this and it makes me crazy!
That's all, and this was not what I was going to post about but it is what I posted about, still have no idea what I was thinking about posting though!
Two More
I was at my old store today (which looks amazing) and while I was looking at the tables I came across two more books that I wanted, and since the discount was still going on I decided to buy them. The two additions are:
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage and
The Know It All by A.J. Jacobs
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage and
The Know It All by A.J. Jacobs
A Big Book Shopping Spree
The joy of working for a bookstore is that every once in a while we get out extra discount which brings our regular 35% discount to 45%. The one saving grace of this graduation weekend was that we also got our extra discount. Back in the winter around Christmas I bought myself 12 books on this discount, well this time I didn't get twelve book but i came close (11). Now I have some more reading to do in the next six months.
Non-Fiction Purchases
Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson
The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost (Its travel writing dirty people)
Complications by Atul Gawande
American Vertigo by Bernard-Henri Levy
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
Fiction Picks
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Everyman by Philip Roth
Blindness by Jose Saramago
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
Terrorist by John Updike
Oh yeah, and in other book news I finished Blink and I was pleasantly surprised. I am now reading Founding Brothers and so far so good.
Non-Fiction Purchases
Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson
The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost (Its travel writing dirty people)
Complications by Atul Gawande
American Vertigo by Bernard-Henri Levy
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
Fiction Picks
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Everyman by Philip Roth
Blindness by Jose Saramago
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
Terrorist by John Updike
Oh yeah, and in other book news I finished Blink and I was pleasantly surprised. I am now reading Founding Brothers and so far so good.
Learning From My Temper
I just got off the phone with my ex-bf who lives in NYC. He called me because he just got my text message from Saturday night and wanted to know what happened. We got caught up a bit and then talked about Saturday night. Of all the people in my life he really knows me the best, not only because we dated for 7 months and have been friends ever since but because he is a lot like me.
C is a few years older than me and has been through a lot of things. He works retail as well and has a strong personality with my temper. Hmm, I wonder why we are no longer together! We talk on a regular basis and when I was stranded in the City because I was being a bitch I sent him a text, unfortunately he was away with his new bf and didn't have his cell phone.
The first thing out of his mouth when we started talking about Saturday was "What did you do?" He knew that I must have lost my temper and blown a gasket. We talked about things and had one of those rare heart to hearts about life, blah blah, full of cliches. It was a very Oprah and Dr. Phil discussion (he played both of those roles) and I was the dysfunctional guest. The one thing that he did say is that, "I need to learn from my temper." I don't need to learn from my mistakes in this case, I need to learn from my temper. The difference is that I need to know that I have a temper and I need to know what is going to trigger it. I also need to learn to walk away and take a deep breath. I need to do what I do at work and try to make a rational decision about my behavior.
Yes, I was aware of what I need to do, but I needed to hear somebody smack me upside the head with it. And it was better that it was somebody who has had the same problem as me. I know he has bad trouble with his temper and he is much more under control now. I need to learn from my temper and learn how I can control it. A walk a deep breath and removing myself from the situation a bit. Each experience (good or bad) gives us a chance to learn and grow. I need to use this as an opportunity to become a better person.
Thanks to C, who yelled at me in a loving way I get it now, its going to be hard work but it is something I need to do.
C is a few years older than me and has been through a lot of things. He works retail as well and has a strong personality with my temper. Hmm, I wonder why we are no longer together! We talk on a regular basis and when I was stranded in the City because I was being a bitch I sent him a text, unfortunately he was away with his new bf and didn't have his cell phone.
The first thing out of his mouth when we started talking about Saturday was "What did you do?" He knew that I must have lost my temper and blown a gasket. We talked about things and had one of those rare heart to hearts about life, blah blah, full of cliches. It was a very Oprah and Dr. Phil discussion (he played both of those roles) and I was the dysfunctional guest. The one thing that he did say is that, "I need to learn from my temper." I don't need to learn from my mistakes in this case, I need to learn from my temper. The difference is that I need to know that I have a temper and I need to know what is going to trigger it. I also need to learn to walk away and take a deep breath. I need to do what I do at work and try to make a rational decision about my behavior.
Yes, I was aware of what I need to do, but I needed to hear somebody smack me upside the head with it. And it was better that it was somebody who has had the same problem as me. I know he has bad trouble with his temper and he is much more under control now. I need to learn from my temper and learn how I can control it. A walk a deep breath and removing myself from the situation a bit. Each experience (good or bad) gives us a chance to learn and grow. I need to use this as an opportunity to become a better person.
Thanks to C, who yelled at me in a loving way I get it now, its going to be hard work but it is something I need to do.
Si Hablo Un Poco Espanol
My mother is from Cuba and I studied Spanish in High School and Spanish Literature in college. I can write a ten page paper on El Poema de Cid and carry on a fairly basic conversation in Spanish but today was a bit hard. About 5 minutes before clothing I get called to the book information desk as the manager on duty. It appears that the bookseller had a customer who needed a book to help her learn English but she spoke no English at all.
She shyly ask, "Hablas espanol" and I reply "Si you hablo un poco" (Do you speak Spanish, yes I speak a little). She immediately brightens up and launches into a full fledged explanation of the book she is looking for. At first I was able to get the gist of the conversation but as she felt more comfortable with my ability to understand she began speaking faster and using some vocabulary that was above my head so the interaction began more difficult.
Twenty minutes later I think I had exhausted all of my decent (not rude) words and directed this woman to the Boston Language Institute, no for those of you who know me, you know I am awful with directions in English, can you imagine where she will end up after I gave her directions in Spanish!
I think next time a customer asks if I speak Spanish I am going to have to say no because, Yo hablo un poco espanol, no mucho! (I peak a little Spanish, not a lot). But I guess it was good practice.
She shyly ask, "Hablas espanol" and I reply "Si you hablo un poco" (Do you speak Spanish, yes I speak a little). She immediately brightens up and launches into a full fledged explanation of the book she is looking for. At first I was able to get the gist of the conversation but as she felt more comfortable with my ability to understand she began speaking faster and using some vocabulary that was above my head so the interaction began more difficult.
Twenty minutes later I think I had exhausted all of my decent (not rude) words and directed this woman to the Boston Language Institute, no for those of you who know me, you know I am awful with directions in English, can you imagine where she will end up after I gave her directions in Spanish!
I think next time a customer asks if I speak Spanish I am going to have to say no because, Yo hablo un poco espanol, no mucho! (I peak a little Spanish, not a lot). But I guess it was good practice.
When Good Nights Go Terribly Wrong
This is a warning right from the top that this is not a happy nor really funny post, it is rather introspective and it is giving me a chance to sort out things in my own brain.
For the past month or so I have been grumpier than normal, work has been hard for me (a new feeling), I haven't been in a relationship for close to 10 months and lately I just feel very alone in Boston. It sounds like a crazy thing to say but with S moving away and the new job demanding more then I expected I feel like I am hanging on by a thread. I have been in what I guess I will call a funk (not quite depression but not happy either). I never want to wake up and get out of bed, but I can never fall asleep either. I am sure it is a number of things that are putting me in this tailspin but I need to gain control of them before I ruin the relationships and friends I still have.
This weekend was supposed to be fun, we were going to get together for S's twenty-tenth birthday in NYC, get together as a group minus P and have some drinks and celebrate. It has been a long time since we have had a chance to get together and this should have been nothing but fun. I will spare you the evil details of the evening but I managed to ruin what was potentially a great night. I inexplicable began getting pissed, I can't identify the reason all I know is that my bitchy meter went from 1 to about 50 over the course of two hours. At about 2 am S was screaming at me in the middle of Union Square and he was right in doing this I was being an uncontrollable bitch and I managed to ruin his Birthday. Not a good thing for a friend to do, especially since on a lot of days I feel like I am going to be lost without him in Boston.
Why am I pushing away those people who support me when I need them? I can't imagine surviving the things that I have gone through in the past 3 years if I didn't have S by my side for all of it. Deep down do I feel like I can deal with him living so far away better if I am mad at him? Rationally this doesn't make sense, things aren't going to change very much, we won't see each other as often, but if we do begin talking again, we will talk at least as much on the phone. Then again, I was in no way being rational last night, and I couldn't stop, I just got bitchier and I wanted to stop and calm down but I was furious. I was furious at nothing and I continued to be furious at nothing all morning.
I can't possibly be this self centered that I am ruining his birthday because he is no longer going to be in Boston. It was like a break, I saw myself doing these things and I couldn't stop and at the same time I felt horrible for doing them. I was disgusted at what I was doing to a friendship that has been building. Over three and a half years S and I have fought three times and all three have been in the last three months (two in the last two weeks).
Now I need to make it up to him, and promise that I will act like a respectable human being, but I wish I knew where all of the anger came from. Am I really that unhappy with my life that I am acting like a 2 year old? How can I control feeling that I can't identify the source to? Seriously, what is wrong with me?
For the past month or so I have been grumpier than normal, work has been hard for me (a new feeling), I haven't been in a relationship for close to 10 months and lately I just feel very alone in Boston. It sounds like a crazy thing to say but with S moving away and the new job demanding more then I expected I feel like I am hanging on by a thread. I have been in what I guess I will call a funk (not quite depression but not happy either). I never want to wake up and get out of bed, but I can never fall asleep either. I am sure it is a number of things that are putting me in this tailspin but I need to gain control of them before I ruin the relationships and friends I still have.
This weekend was supposed to be fun, we were going to get together for S's twenty-tenth birthday in NYC, get together as a group minus P and have some drinks and celebrate. It has been a long time since we have had a chance to get together and this should have been nothing but fun. I will spare you the evil details of the evening but I managed to ruin what was potentially a great night. I inexplicable began getting pissed, I can't identify the reason all I know is that my bitchy meter went from 1 to about 50 over the course of two hours. At about 2 am S was screaming at me in the middle of Union Square and he was right in doing this I was being an uncontrollable bitch and I managed to ruin his Birthday. Not a good thing for a friend to do, especially since on a lot of days I feel like I am going to be lost without him in Boston.
Why am I pushing away those people who support me when I need them? I can't imagine surviving the things that I have gone through in the past 3 years if I didn't have S by my side for all of it. Deep down do I feel like I can deal with him living so far away better if I am mad at him? Rationally this doesn't make sense, things aren't going to change very much, we won't see each other as often, but if we do begin talking again, we will talk at least as much on the phone. Then again, I was in no way being rational last night, and I couldn't stop, I just got bitchier and I wanted to stop and calm down but I was furious. I was furious at nothing and I continued to be furious at nothing all morning.
I can't possibly be this self centered that I am ruining his birthday because he is no longer going to be in Boston. It was like a break, I saw myself doing these things and I couldn't stop and at the same time I felt horrible for doing them. I was disgusted at what I was doing to a friendship that has been building. Over three and a half years S and I have fought three times and all three have been in the last three months (two in the last two weeks).
Now I need to make it up to him, and promise that I will act like a respectable human being, but I wish I knew where all of the anger came from. Am I really that unhappy with my life that I am acting like a 2 year old? How can I control feeling that I can't identify the source to? Seriously, what is wrong with me?
Off to NYC
S leaves tonight for NYC. I am very sad. But I am already going down there next weekend for his birthday.
You better come back to Boston after the summer or I am going to be very upset.
You better come back to Boston after the summer or I am going to be very upset.
Get Naked
No, this is not a post about how considering how hot it is I wish it were acceptable to walk around naked. Public nudity scares me, ugly fat people should not be able to be naked ever- let alone in public, and for that matter spandex should be outlawed.
OK, now that I am done with that politically incorrect and degrading rant, this post is about the book Naked by David Sedaris. I just finished re-reading it today on the train and it was just as funny as I remembered. I love his wry sense and his keen observations.
This book doesn't need to be reviewed, his essays are fun and to the point, and unlike Augusten Burroughs he is even "mom friendly." Yes, he is a gay man but I think most moms can handle this and it is not a centerpiece in many of his essays. So seriously, take some time out and read some David Sedaris (or re-read some and remember how much you like it).
I am moving on now to Blink by Malcolm Gladwell author of The Tipping Point. I hear it is very good, we shall see.
OK, now that I am done with that politically incorrect and degrading rant, this post is about the book Naked by David Sedaris. I just finished re-reading it today on the train and it was just as funny as I remembered. I love his wry sense and his keen observations.
This book doesn't need to be reviewed, his essays are fun and to the point, and unlike Augusten Burroughs he is even "mom friendly." Yes, he is a gay man but I think most moms can handle this and it is not a centerpiece in many of his essays. So seriously, take some time out and read some David Sedaris (or re-read some and remember how much you like it).
I am moving on now to Blink by Malcolm Gladwell author of The Tipping Point. I hear it is very good, we shall see.
Buyback Bonanza
Buyback happens a couple times a year when students are in finals. Usually, the spring buy is much larger because students are graduating or going home for the summer and cleaning out their rooms. The main idea behind buyback is that students can sell back books they don't want or think they will need for cash, and the bookstore then can sell them as used if we have orders for them or we can sell them back to our wholesale partner. The price is determined by the demand for the book. If we need it we will pay the student 50% of what they purchased the book for and if the wholesale company needs it they will get 10-30% of the list price of the book. Unfortunately, old editions and damaged books have no value. Can you see where this is going to cause a problem.
I love buyback it is a fun time and in my mind a fantastic service for the students. It is a win-win situation. You buy a book use it for four months and then return it for money at the end of the semester. We sell books at the start of the semester and then can sell them as used the following semester, saving the students money and increasing our margin. I can go on forever about the retail benefits of this program but i will stop here and begin a recap of why students think buyback is bad.
1) Ugh, do I actually have to bring my books all the way to the store to find out how much you will pay me for them? Can you create a spreadsheet and email them to me? Tell me the prices over the phone?
No, we have a couple off site locations where you can sell back your books but you will need to bring your books there I can't give out prices over the phone because the demand for books changes ever time one of you fellow (non-lazy) students brings back a book.
I can't create a spreadsheet specifically for you, nor can email you our entire 900 page list of books we are giving money back for, it a big university, there are a lot of books and a lot of students I can't do this for all of you, it is an impossibility.
Ah yes, and most importantly, I spent a majority of my days lugging books back from our off site locations on carts in sweltering heat, you lazy fat bitch get no sympathy from me. Put those books in a bag and carry them over. Walking is good exercise and believe me, YOU NEED IT!
2) Why are you ONLY paying me this much for this book, I didn't even use it.
Well lets begin with the fact that it is not my fault that you failed your class because you never even took the book out of the shrink wrap. Second, i don't decide the price I am paying you, it is a set price.
You cant haggle with me, I will show you my screen or my list and the price won't change, I am a big business not a sidewalk vendor. If you were buying a hemp necklace from a folding table on the street, then you try to haggle. If you are selling your books back to a large corporation, haggling will get you nowhere.
3) Can i leave these books with you, I don't want them?
No, if I wanted your books I would have given you money for them, I am now not going to be responsible for throwing away or recycling the books that you don't want.
4) Are these the only 30 books you buyback? Why can't you give me a full list?
No we buyback thousands of books dumb ass, some of you even have 30 books in one semester. This is our top 30 list, see in bold print where it says "The bookstore will give you CASH for these titles and THOUSANDS MORE!"
Another part of buyback i that we have competition in brick and mortar and online, so we have to aggressively market buyback on campus. We put up fliers on all the public bulletin boards (which have way too many rules). We email students, and we get the final exam schedule and pinpoint fliers to the big books and exams and flier outside of these exams. This is actually very easy except when the students get pissed. Things were going smoothly until I went to a business exam where students were receiving $84.25 back for their book. I was handing out fliers and telling them the amount when a woman grabs a flier crumbles in after she reads it and yells, get off of my campus, you shouldn't even be here!
Apparently, she bought the entire campus and as an entity contracted by the school to provide a service to students she felt I was not allowed here. And this powerful woman who bought an entire college campus apparently failed her business exam!!!
Buyback and finals sure brings out the best in people!!
I love buyback it is a fun time and in my mind a fantastic service for the students. It is a win-win situation. You buy a book use it for four months and then return it for money at the end of the semester. We sell books at the start of the semester and then can sell them as used the following semester, saving the students money and increasing our margin. I can go on forever about the retail benefits of this program but i will stop here and begin a recap of why students think buyback is bad.
1) Ugh, do I actually have to bring my books all the way to the store to find out how much you will pay me for them? Can you create a spreadsheet and email them to me? Tell me the prices over the phone?
No, we have a couple off site locations where you can sell back your books but you will need to bring your books there I can't give out prices over the phone because the demand for books changes ever time one of you fellow (non-lazy) students brings back a book.
I can't create a spreadsheet specifically for you, nor can email you our entire 900 page list of books we are giving money back for, it a big university, there are a lot of books and a lot of students I can't do this for all of you, it is an impossibility.
Ah yes, and most importantly, I spent a majority of my days lugging books back from our off site locations on carts in sweltering heat, you lazy fat bitch get no sympathy from me. Put those books in a bag and carry them over. Walking is good exercise and believe me, YOU NEED IT!
2) Why are you ONLY paying me this much for this book, I didn't even use it.
Well lets begin with the fact that it is not my fault that you failed your class because you never even took the book out of the shrink wrap. Second, i don't decide the price I am paying you, it is a set price.
You cant haggle with me, I will show you my screen or my list and the price won't change, I am a big business not a sidewalk vendor. If you were buying a hemp necklace from a folding table on the street, then you try to haggle. If you are selling your books back to a large corporation, haggling will get you nowhere.
3) Can i leave these books with you, I don't want them?
No, if I wanted your books I would have given you money for them, I am now not going to be responsible for throwing away or recycling the books that you don't want.
4) Are these the only 30 books you buyback? Why can't you give me a full list?
No we buyback thousands of books dumb ass, some of you even have 30 books in one semester. This is our top 30 list, see in bold print where it says "The bookstore will give you CASH for these titles and THOUSANDS MORE!"
Another part of buyback i that we have competition in brick and mortar and online, so we have to aggressively market buyback on campus. We put up fliers on all the public bulletin boards (which have way too many rules). We email students, and we get the final exam schedule and pinpoint fliers to the big books and exams and flier outside of these exams. This is actually very easy except when the students get pissed. Things were going smoothly until I went to a business exam where students were receiving $84.25 back for their book. I was handing out fliers and telling them the amount when a woman grabs a flier crumbles in after she reads it and yells, get off of my campus, you shouldn't even be here!
Apparently, she bought the entire campus and as an entity contracted by the school to provide a service to students she felt I was not allowed here. And this powerful woman who bought an entire college campus apparently failed her business exam!!!
Buyback and finals sure brings out the best in people!!
Antonella and Sanjaya
Just when I thought I would be free of ever seeing Antonella and Sanjaya ever again as Idol winds down tonight they had to feature them. They even showed Antonella with her obnoxious full of herself friend walking around saying how great they are.
Just as my rage had subsided they have to force these three asses back on us! I am full of rage once again it all came rushing back!
Just as my rage had subsided they have to force these three asses back on us! I am full of rage once again it all came rushing back!
Fall Down Go Boom
A few posts ago I mentioned that I escaped my first rollerblading outing without incident. Since then I have gone rollerblading quite a few more times, usually on weeknights, and I have not had any problems. As a matter of fact I was getting very comfortable on my blades this year.
Today, I drove to my old store and parked my car and strapped on my Rollerblades. I headed for the bridge and down to the river for about an hour skate. I had my sunglasses on and my I-Pod blaring (oh yeah and no pads or helmet on). I was skating along nicely, but it was very busy down by the river because it is so nice out. About 500 yards up the path I see a group of people walking slowly but there appears to be enough room for me to go around them. as i approach I enter into the other lane to pass and see a man running with his dog.
CRAP! I am alongside this group of tourists walking calmly along the river and have a man walking with his dog approaching me on the other side, I try to speed up and jut barely get around the tourists and seem to avoid the running man, but unfortunately I get tangled in the dogs leash. I try to free myself but I loose my balance and head down right side first with left leg tangled with a barking dog. I hit the ground hard and I am like roadkill as the tourist walk around me without asking if I am OK. The man comes running over to claim his dog as I dislodged the leash from his hand as I fell. He asks if I am okay, and besides a few scrapes and probably some bruises I am fine, just a bit embarrassed. I wish I had seen this man before I went out for the pass but I didn't and now I am laying in the dirt on the side of the path bright red and somewhat battered.
The worst part is that I am still a 20 minute skate away from my car, so as embarrassed as I am I have to get back up on my skates and head back to the car. I skate tentatively for a few hundred yards and start to think that this is ridiculous. I hope I don't fall again but I was doing well so even though I fell down and went boom, I will be OK. I returned to my car without incident and took off my skates. But the worst part was still to come, I had to get home and clean out my wounds, as I scrub the gravel out of my knuckles with an alcohol swab and mutter and scream in pain at I decide that maybe I will take the rest of the week off from rollerblading. Or at least some time, because the threat of falling again and needed to clean out my wounds is a little bit unsettling.
Today, I drove to my old store and parked my car and strapped on my Rollerblades. I headed for the bridge and down to the river for about an hour skate. I had my sunglasses on and my I-Pod blaring (oh yeah and no pads or helmet on). I was skating along nicely, but it was very busy down by the river because it is so nice out. About 500 yards up the path I see a group of people walking slowly but there appears to be enough room for me to go around them. as i approach I enter into the other lane to pass and see a man running with his dog.
CRAP! I am alongside this group of tourists walking calmly along the river and have a man walking with his dog approaching me on the other side, I try to speed up and jut barely get around the tourists and seem to avoid the running man, but unfortunately I get tangled in the dogs leash. I try to free myself but I loose my balance and head down right side first with left leg tangled with a barking dog. I hit the ground hard and I am like roadkill as the tourist walk around me without asking if I am OK. The man comes running over to claim his dog as I dislodged the leash from his hand as I fell. He asks if I am okay, and besides a few scrapes and probably some bruises I am fine, just a bit embarrassed. I wish I had seen this man before I went out for the pass but I didn't and now I am laying in the dirt on the side of the path bright red and somewhat battered.
The worst part is that I am still a 20 minute skate away from my car, so as embarrassed as I am I have to get back up on my skates and head back to the car. I skate tentatively for a few hundred yards and start to think that this is ridiculous. I hope I don't fall again but I was doing well so even though I fell down and went boom, I will be OK. I returned to my car without incident and took off my skates. But the worst part was still to come, I had to get home and clean out my wounds, as I scrub the gravel out of my knuckles with an alcohol swab and mutter and scream in pain at I decide that maybe I will take the rest of the week off from rollerblading. Or at least some time, because the threat of falling again and needed to clean out my wounds is a little bit unsettling.
No Seriously I Hate the Train
My train ride home from work was horrifying. I am not sure if it was the T or the fact that Spring ceases to exist in New England but I waited in three very warm stations and rode three trains, two of which had no air conditioning. I waited for 10 minutes in K Square for the first train and got on with about 200 people, it was warm on the train but at this point not unbearable. What was unbearable was the fact that a man was blaring his music from a good ole fashioned 1980's boom box. I can deal with I-pods blasting in peoples ears but seriously keep your music to yourself.
So I witch to the Orange line to get home, and as I wait on a very hot platform and watch two trains go by I am furious because all I want to do is get home and take a nap. I get onto the next train which wreaks of god knows what, and it is close to 100 degrees. I actually get a seat but I begin sweating immediately and need to stand up in the middle of the floor, where I continue to sweat. I am now three stops from home and pretty much soaked through my dress shirt and the conductor comes on and says that this will be the last stop for this train and all passengers will need to get off.
Damn the T, why does this always happen? So I get off three stops before home and debate taking the walk, as a train approaches I decide to take the train I have already paid for and require this system to complete its job.
I just want to know where all of this money I pay every month for my pass goes to? From the time I moved to Boston until now a single fair has gone from 0.85 to 2.00, and the system seems to be worse, except for these cool plastic fare cards, that only work half the time. So, I do seriously hate the train!
So I witch to the Orange line to get home, and as I wait on a very hot platform and watch two trains go by I am furious because all I want to do is get home and take a nap. I get onto the next train which wreaks of god knows what, and it is close to 100 degrees. I actually get a seat but I begin sweating immediately and need to stand up in the middle of the floor, where I continue to sweat. I am now three stops from home and pretty much soaked through my dress shirt and the conductor comes on and says that this will be the last stop for this train and all passengers will need to get off.
Damn the T, why does this always happen? So I get off three stops before home and debate taking the walk, as a train approaches I decide to take the train I have already paid for and require this system to complete its job.
I just want to know where all of this money I pay every month for my pass goes to? From the time I moved to Boston until now a single fair has gone from 0.85 to 2.00, and the system seems to be worse, except for these cool plastic fare cards, that only work half the time. So, I do seriously hate the train!
I Win!
I beat the book, for a long time I was worried that I wasn't going to conquer The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano but six weeks (yes six weeks) after I started reading the book I finished. I know you are thinking that after six weeks I would have been able to finish War and Peace, but I really am a slow reader unlike what the people on my jury thought.
It was a hard read but I did enjoy the book. The Savage Detectives is a sprawling novel that is divided into three major sections. The opening and closing sections consist in the diary, written by one of the main characters García Madero, who along with fellow poets Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima set out to find the Mexican poet Cesárea Tinajero, who apparently disappeared in the Sonoran Desert in the 1920s.
The middle of the novel is very dense and it covers numerous characters over several continents and they narrate their experiences and interactions with the main characters over a twenty year period. I am sure that everybody will have a difficult time navigating through these page, however, these stories create a creative and incredibly well written novel.
Now, I am going to read something much easier to tackle I may even re-read some more David Sedaris, I was thinking about Blink by Malcolm Gladwell but I think I need a reading break, and a great laugh.
It was a hard read but I did enjoy the book. The Savage Detectives is a sprawling novel that is divided into three major sections. The opening and closing sections consist in the diary, written by one of the main characters García Madero, who along with fellow poets Arturo Belano and Ulises Lima set out to find the Mexican poet Cesárea Tinajero, who apparently disappeared in the Sonoran Desert in the 1920s.
The middle of the novel is very dense and it covers numerous characters over several continents and they narrate their experiences and interactions with the main characters over a twenty year period. I am sure that everybody will have a difficult time navigating through these page, however, these stories create a creative and incredibly well written novel.
Now, I am going to read something much easier to tackle I may even re-read some more David Sedaris, I was thinking about Blink by Malcolm Gladwell but I think I need a reading break, and a great laugh.
Full Moon??
There must be a full moon today because the customers were absolutely insane! I am serious I had two customers that must have been off of their meds, or were just plain nuts. I mean approaching Bible Lady nuts, yes like eating pages of the bible crazy.
1) A woman comes in and asks to see the GMM, I ask her if I can help her with anything because the GMM is busy with another customer. She says that she wants to buy a class ring and I tell her that any of the associates at customer service can help you complete an order for a class ring and I bring her up there so O can help her with the order. About halfway through completing the order she begins asking for the GMM again. O is understandably confused and since I was trying to fix the phones which inexplicably crapped out for half of the day, I asked her if I could help once again. She really wanted to talk to my GMM so when M finished with her customer I called her over to finish the order with Crazy McCrazypants!
I stand beside M, and help her with the order just in case Ms. Crazypants looses her mind and starts throwing things, I also assign a few tasks to the girls away from the desk to get them out of harms way. As we work on her order, we reach the part where we need to know her ring size. Most people don't know this off of the top of their heads so we have a series of rings on a big ring in all of the typical sizes. We explain that oddly enough your shoe size is a good place to start, but to also keep in mind that in the summer your finger may swell slightly due to the heat. She says she has a size seven foot, but she inexplicably shoves a size 5 ring on her finger. M looks in horror as this woman's finger turns all sorts of unnatural colors as she tries to pry this ring off of her finger. She goes to a size 5.5 and decides that it was too loose even though her finger was turning purple due to limited blood flow.
After changing her mind 8-10 times she decides to go with the size 5. M tries to talk her into a slightly larger size but she doesn't want the ring to fall off. Apparently, not loosing the ring was more important than not loosing the finger!!
2) G calls me out of my office because he has a customer who wants to make a return but it is past the 30 days. He fails to tell me that the customer wants to return electronics that she bought over two and a half years ago. Why me? I have to explain to this woman numerous times that our refund policy is 30 days and not 1000. I understand that she does not need these items and I am very impressed that she still has the receipts. However, only one of the items has not been discontinued. She kept wanting me to give her cash back for all four items and I explained that it was simply not possible.
I decided that the best I could do as a compromise, which was more then any other one of my managers would have been authorized to do was give her a $90.00 store credit for the one item that had not been discontinued. I was very friendly about this and explained that I was bending all of our rules for her on this opened electronic device. She was still furious and demanded to speak with my boss. HAHA, I love when people ask to do this! I explain to her that I am the boss, and she looks at me and tells me that there is no possible way that I am the boss, she has underwear older than me.
Ummm, GROSS! Ma'am, I am the person in charge of the store at this time and I am making an exception to my policy in and giving you close to $100.00 back on a gift card (merchandise credit). She responds with, "I hate you punk ass kids who think you can rip off your elders without even batting an eyelash." Now, I can feel the blood rushing to my face and I am forcing myself to bite my tongue because what I really want to do is actually be a "punk ass kid" and throttle her. But I keep my calm demeanor and explain that I can give her this credit now or if she likes I can give her a phone number she can call to speak with my regional (who will not give her any money back). She mumbles mean things about me under her breath and opts for the money instead of the phone number. I process the return for her and kindly tell her to have a wonderful day and to enjoy the weather.
Deep down, I hope she trips and breaks her hip, but I hope she does this after she is off of my property, because I don't want her to be able to sue me for falling down. Or maybe she will be run over by one of those punk ass kids on Rollerblades, and then they will steal her merchandise credit for 100 bucks.
Oh the joys of working with the public, every once in a while you end up with the nutty ones, and man oh man today did I ever end up with the nutty ones.
1) A woman comes in and asks to see the GMM, I ask her if I can help her with anything because the GMM is busy with another customer. She says that she wants to buy a class ring and I tell her that any of the associates at customer service can help you complete an order for a class ring and I bring her up there so O can help her with the order. About halfway through completing the order she begins asking for the GMM again. O is understandably confused and since I was trying to fix the phones which inexplicably crapped out for half of the day, I asked her if I could help once again. She really wanted to talk to my GMM so when M finished with her customer I called her over to finish the order with Crazy McCrazypants!
I stand beside M, and help her with the order just in case Ms. Crazypants looses her mind and starts throwing things, I also assign a few tasks to the girls away from the desk to get them out of harms way. As we work on her order, we reach the part where we need to know her ring size. Most people don't know this off of the top of their heads so we have a series of rings on a big ring in all of the typical sizes. We explain that oddly enough your shoe size is a good place to start, but to also keep in mind that in the summer your finger may swell slightly due to the heat. She says she has a size seven foot, but she inexplicably shoves a size 5 ring on her finger. M looks in horror as this woman's finger turns all sorts of unnatural colors as she tries to pry this ring off of her finger. She goes to a size 5.5 and decides that it was too loose even though her finger was turning purple due to limited blood flow.
After changing her mind 8-10 times she decides to go with the size 5. M tries to talk her into a slightly larger size but she doesn't want the ring to fall off. Apparently, not loosing the ring was more important than not loosing the finger!!
2) G calls me out of my office because he has a customer who wants to make a return but it is past the 30 days. He fails to tell me that the customer wants to return electronics that she bought over two and a half years ago. Why me? I have to explain to this woman numerous times that our refund policy is 30 days and not 1000. I understand that she does not need these items and I am very impressed that she still has the receipts. However, only one of the items has not been discontinued. She kept wanting me to give her cash back for all four items and I explained that it was simply not possible.
I decided that the best I could do as a compromise, which was more then any other one of my managers would have been authorized to do was give her a $90.00 store credit for the one item that had not been discontinued. I was very friendly about this and explained that I was bending all of our rules for her on this opened electronic device. She was still furious and demanded to speak with my boss. HAHA, I love when people ask to do this! I explain to her that I am the boss, and she looks at me and tells me that there is no possible way that I am the boss, she has underwear older than me.
Ummm, GROSS! Ma'am, I am the person in charge of the store at this time and I am making an exception to my policy in and giving you close to $100.00 back on a gift card (merchandise credit). She responds with, "I hate you punk ass kids who think you can rip off your elders without even batting an eyelash." Now, I can feel the blood rushing to my face and I am forcing myself to bite my tongue because what I really want to do is actually be a "punk ass kid" and throttle her. But I keep my calm demeanor and explain that I can give her this credit now or if she likes I can give her a phone number she can call to speak with my regional (who will not give her any money back). She mumbles mean things about me under her breath and opts for the money instead of the phone number. I process the return for her and kindly tell her to have a wonderful day and to enjoy the weather.
Deep down, I hope she trips and breaks her hip, but I hope she does this after she is off of my property, because I don't want her to be able to sue me for falling down. Or maybe she will be run over by one of those punk ass kids on Rollerblades, and then they will steal her merchandise credit for 100 bucks.
Oh the joys of working with the public, every once in a while you end up with the nutty ones, and man oh man today did I ever end up with the nutty ones.
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