Man, I have GOT to get it together . . . .

Lots been happening, both to your Unknown Cashier and around the store itself.

Where we left off:

"I'm getting ready to go and also getting pissed and grab my things to throw in a bag; and put a knitting needle right between the first and second finger of my right hand. It only went in a half inch or so, and it hurt but didn't bleed. That sort of had me concerned but what the heck and besides the cab is here."

I try to make it bleed on the way there and at various times throughout the evening. I kept wiping it with the antiseptic sheets we have at each register.

I get home from a harrowing day and go to bed dead tired. The next morning as I am getting dressed I notice this line up my arm. But also I see a wide red line heading towards the elbow. I know what it is so off to emergency with my hand having little spider lines of red radiating away from the hand, and the one large one heading to the north.

THAT one concerns me. I was taken in my Mr. Unknown Cashier, and I told him it best to go to work and I'd call him if anything untoward happens. I waited around a little while but when they do come in to see me, I'm told right off the bat that its blood poisoning. Rather then keep me there they hook me up to an IV line. This is controlled by a pump that delivers the correct dosage over a few days. I had to change the bags myself when they were empty, but that wasn't too bad. That went on for three days and then I had to switch to oral antibiotics for another ten days.

* * * * * 

So, as to the store:

Not sure what they are up to there. The cashiers get trained and then stay for a couple of months or so. When the young ones find out that it is work they seem to want nothing to do with it. No, this does not, by any means, include everyone nor all young people.

Too many of them stand at the register for only a few minutes at a time. Then they go wandering off somewhere, sometimes to return items, other times to socialize. I don't know how many times I have looked up to find myself the only cashier there. It really is annoying when they crouch down so they don't get seen. Sorry, they may fall for it but I don't. I'll just send you a customer.

Other times I see them texting and drinking various fluids (which were NOT supposed to be  allowed).

I really feel like this store is on its last legs. They don't seem to care. I mean really care. The mood in the store seems to be more forlorn than anything. Like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Something's in the air but no one knows what. Now, this is MY opinion but that's what it feels like. Customers are having to wait longer, we have lost a lot of loyal customers. I'm sure that is because of the waiting in line when you are on your way home from work.

More later.....

So, once again, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???

I apologize for anyone reading who may have missed my unique form of writing. Its been a hectic fall.

It was decently busy at the store and then things happened. On September 15th, I finally got an early Sunday morning shift. I was happy with that because you've got a shift in by noon and still have the rest of the day to do stuff.

Well I was only there about 90 minutes when I started to feel pretty lousy. I honestly thought I may be having a heart attack. I felt like I wanted to throw up so asked to have someone cover while I went to the washroom. Nothing.

I get back to the register, am there for maybe 20 minutes when I start to feel lousy again. I asked if they could get someone to cover for me. (Which sucks, you finally get what you wanted and you can't keep it.)

Anyway, I headed for home and then asked my hubby to take me to the hospital. Long story short, it was a kidney stone. NEVER had symptoms like THAT before. So they decide to admit me on a short stay. That means you're there for 72 hours and you get better or they fling you into a ward.

So off to my room I go about 11:30 at night. They keep checking on me because, as it turns out, my pulse rate is running at 42. Which is fantastic, if you compete in Triathlons.

They determine, after 71 hours, that that must be normal for me and no blood tests indicate a heart attack. So on September 18th, off home I go.

The following Wednesday, I get a call at 3:10 asking why I'm not there.
"Because I'm not scheduled."
   "Yes you are."
"No. I'm not."
   "Well, I'm looking at the schedule right now and it says you are."
"Well, I'm looking at the schedule right now and it says I'm not."
   "Well, you must have seen it before it was ready."
"Uh, no."
  "Well, we're stuck, its busy, and I have no one here."
"Well, its going to take me an hour to get there."
  "Okay, then get here as soon as you can."

So, I am thinking about the buses and decide to call a cab, seeing as its important that I get there. I'm getting ready to go and also getting pissed and grab my things to throw in a bag; and put a knitting needle right between the first and second finger of my right hand. It only went in a half inch or so, and it hurt but didn't bleed. That sort of had me concerned but what the heck and besides the cab is here.

I try to make it bleed on the way there and at various times through the evening. I kept wiping it with the antiseptic sheets we have at each register.

Later on they come to me to tell me because I was 'called in' I have the right to work the 4 hours.
An emphatic 'no' to that one.

LONG ENOUGH. CONTINUED LATER TODAY

Don't let your shopping end like this

Someone sent this to me and I had to pass it on.

Did you REALLY need that salt?

Its upsetting, but we need to pay attention. And don't be afraid to do something.

Any Ninja's looking for a part time job?

Saw this the other day and asked permission to use it. The artist actually wrote me back personally and said yes.









He only asked that I add a link to his page. I love his humour. Lots of stuff to do with cats too.

http://www.savagechickens.com

I have the next two days off as well as yesterday, which sucks in this kind of heat. I'd gladly work on these days. Only have an air conditioner in the bedroom and reading gets tiresome after a few hours.

Oh well, its supposed to get nicer by the weekend. RAIN ! ! ! ! !

It'll get rid of the humidity and pollution.

We will return to your normal channel the next time I'm here.

And this was post number 

200 ! ! ! ! ! ! !

This should be OUR motto. AND, being who you are !

Saw a sign the other day. It expresses my philosophy on what our relationship should be with customers.

"We take care of our customers or someone else will"

How easy is that???!!!

* * * * *

Friday night was all by myself so I decided to go to the local 'Art Crawl'. I've heard of it before and sometimes seen the crowds while going past. But, this time, a friend had some of her pictures on display and I wanted to see them in a real gallery setting. Plus, I wanted to support her.

So another friend picked me up at the house and off we went. Got pretty decent parking two blocks away and we walked back to have a look. We rounded the corner and there were people everywhere. It was almost impossible to walk on either sidewalk. You sort of had to jump into the flow, go along till you saw something and then you jumped out. If you were lucky you ended up on the gallery side and you were right there. Other times you jumped out on the street side and then had to hide behind a tree or something and wait until a space in the crowd became available and you forced your way across.

Great atmosphere!

Anyway, the reason I started this particular story is:

I may have to start doing autographs ! ! ! ! !

I hadn't been there for more than ten of my 75 minutes on site, before a lady stopped me and asked where she knew me from. I mentioned the store name and she said 'That's right!!! I remember you as being the one who always makes me smile.'

She was the first of nine customers that recognized me that evening ! ! ! !

How cool is that?????!!!!

To be 'famous' for who you are?

I mean, I walked two blocks up the street and two blocks back down the other side and that many people 'knew' me? That's one person every 8 minutes! ! ! ! ! !

Lets see a movie star top that in an atmosphere outside their normal one.

Have a GREAT day ! ! ! ! !

Customers Are So Cool Sometimes . . . . . .

You would have thought there was full moon today. I don't know how else to describe it. All kinds of 'different' people in the store.

It was quiet at first so it was suggested I 'do something'. I cleaned all the registers, twice, and all the magazine racks once. Then it started to get busy.

Chapter one:

I had some regulars and then one older lady who just seemed a tad off. The questions she asked were  . . . . . . . . . . . . well, strange.

She didn't seem to be all there. She wanted to know if I had coffee for her to drink. She made it sound like she thought that I had it at my register. I explain where it is and she goes off to explore. Twenty minutes go by and she comes to the end of my register and sits on the chair we keep there for a few of the older people to sit on when they are tired. She is right at the end where my customers exit and there is barely enough room for them to get by. She pulls out a container of soup and starts to eat it.

She explains to me that she only got a half container of soup and I said she should have put it in the small container as I will have to charge her for the large one. She says she already paid for it. Now I did not know this and when she first came over to sit down it didn't appear like she had a bag. She had bananas in the top of the buggy and a sort of mess of purse with her and some kind of tag, turned backwards, around her neck.

To be honest, she gave the impression of someone shy of the required number of cookies to make a dozen. She finishes off the soup and the next thing I see she is eating a self serve salad. As she had picked around the bananas I can now see a bag AND a receipt. I apologize for being rude to her. Several times, as I feel pretty bad about the way I talked to her.

I go on serving customers and she starts to ask me innocuous questions. I am still serving customers and she is not really asking at the best time for me. I try to answer and eventually she ends up asking if there is a place to put the garbage. I said 'yes, in the garbage pail here' and I shove the bin out to the other side so she can put her stuff in there. I didn't want to touch it as it was all messy and I'm handling another customers groceries. She then turns and goes back through the register causing several people to have to move to accommodate her.
end of chapter one



Any who, it comes the end of my shift and I have a half hour to play with while I wait for my husband. So, off to get a few of the end of the week specials.

As I'm going around the store I am greeted by three customers looking for information. I help them out and continue on the way to the register. I suddenly remember that I need teriyaki sauce for some beef jerky I am making. As I head into the aisle I hear two young men talking about how they need some soya sauce and they show up at the shelf at the same time. I showed them where it was and thanked them for reminding me that I needed sauce as well.

One sees the uniform and says if I work here I must know all the dirty little secrets. I do the old 'look both ways to make sure no one is listening' , turn to tell them something 'witty' and draw a complete blank. So I just said "actually, there aren't any" to which they laughed. I did tell them about the blog though and they sounded interested in it. Lets see if they join!

Gotta get that number up again ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !


Pictures make it pretty: A winter sunrise that looked like a fire as well.

Ding Dong the Botch is Gone! !! ! !

Now we can get back to normal.

I don't think it is right to go in a cash drawer when the cashier is no there. I don't care who you are. Unless you have at LEAST one other employee watching your hands how do I know what you have done?


She even changed it up that our cash drawer had 5 bundles of $100.00 each consisting of 4 tens and 12 fives. We hardly ever use tens. In fact I've heard that we often send them back to the Money Company Guys because we need more fives. (as an aside, I hope the next bill they turn into a coin is a ten not the five. We just don't use tens that often.)


You open a tray to start and your float consists mostly of coin rolls and few bills???? WTF. We weren't allowed to buy $60.00 worth of fives.May not sound like much, but after 6 years there you sort of learn how much money you're going to need and when. And the last Friday before a long weekend, you kinda need enough money to do cash-backs.

Anyway, she's gone and know our 'new' head cashier can start to make the job her own. I'll keep you posted on that one.

* * * * *

Had two separate occasions where I was dealing with an older customer and the customer behind had a comment about my treatment of them. Both on the same day!

The first one was a lady who wasn't really keeping her money in a good place in her wallet. Too much cash was showing and it was all in one place. I gave her a few tips on that and she thanked me and left. When I apologized to the behind customer, he said no, that was all right and then told me I should have been a nurse. "The way I handled that was so caring!"

Then later a lady came in with a couple of toddlers and a baby. The kids were behaving but the baby was getting a little fussy so I started to talk to him. He'd make these complain noises and I'd said I know what you mean. Then he'd make another sound and I'd have some other comment to make. He sure stopped fussing and listened to me like I knew what I was talking about.

I love doing that with babies. The customer behind her told me I should have been a teacher.

* * * * *

Oh yeah! And sometimes if I'm too early I'll sit out on the wall where our doors open and just greet the customers. I know so many of them so its quite fun to do and most times I get a chuckle and a thank you. But yesterday, I see this guy walking towards the store, fancy suit, WHITE shirt, clipboard and all official looking. Just a few days before we had had some big wigs in and everybody is running around like the Queen and the President have just come shopping. SO I sort of think this guy may be from head office and, never one to miss a chance to make a smile, I greeted him too. Well he looked a little surprised then gave a small, genuine chuckle and asked how I was. To which I replied "just terrific, thanks!"

Lets see if anyone hears about that one.

* * * * *