My Last Day

I got a card and a $30 gift card from staff/management, which I think is really nice. And unexpected.

Today was my last day of work before I am on maternity leave. Fuck yes!!

Four boys came in, apparently on bikes, and one had their bike stolen. I saw nothing and I felt terrible. A friend of theirs recognized the bike being driven by the perp and took it back. The cops were called, but they arrived a half hour later and didn't make a report. (Maybe this is the hood).

While ringing up a woman probably not that much younger than myself, I started smelling what I thought might be really bad pot ( hey, it's been awhile). She asked me if she smelled kind of like skunk. Her dog just got sprayed. I told her she did.

I watched my manager put his hand on an unknown child's shoulder as he was walking by. Creepy. The kid looked weirded out .

Me, the new guy, and manager got out 25 minutes late.

Almost Done Here

An older lady, whom I've seen before, asked how I was doing standing all day. She has never inquired about my well-being before. She said in Russia, where she is from, the preggos (my wording) get 2 months before their due date and one year off after. It is unbelievable to me that the good ole' U.S of A. doesn't have maternal and prenatal care like that. I guess we enjoy guilting our workers and making folks work till they die. She hesitated at my register and then noticed the customer behind her and said,
"Next time."

I shared my tragic news with a fellow couponer: I washed a high-value store coupon in my washing machine. I had forgotten to take it out of my uniform pocket. She had the appropriate response.

We were really busy today. And I got three customers who were very difficult:
1) The Russain woman who can't speak enough English to understand me when I tell her how to use her Link card.
2) The Indian family who can't do math, based on how much stuff they needed me to put back. They let their toddler eat 2 Dum-Dums while checking out, then all 5 of them took swigs out of the warm 2 liter they bought.
3) The 2 youngish kids, early high school, who couldn't get their Link to work. I had to void out their order and re-ring. They weren't annoying, they just held up my line.

Feels weird to say "tomorow is my last day."

China, Those Bastards

Late in the evening a regular of mine came in. We chatted for awhile and commiserated about being pregnant. She said when she was pregnant she asked her husband for a backrub almost everyday for two months. And he said she didn't need it. She cried and he went to sleep. I told her about Sunday night wherein my hubs smacked my foot and I cried and then I cried while watching Law and Order.  (FYI, he rubbed my feet). She quietly asked if I was worried I wouldn't love the second kid as much. Yes, I am worried. She said she was too, and she was glad I had those fears too. And then she said I shouldn't be worried, because as soon as her next one was born, she loved it.

My ankle hurts. I think I pulled something.

My manager is a mumbler. And he called me two names I did not like.

The Halloween Candy

We put the Halloween candy up on the supers today. It seems a little early to me.

Both my coworkers left early. Why are they allowed to do that?

A regular saw me in the aisle and said,
"Oh my goodness! You're pregnant!"
"Yup."
"When are you due?"
"August 18th. Or whenever."
"Oh my goodness! How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good. Except my feet are swollen and my back hurts."
"Oh well, you know you shouldn't buy new shoes right now."
"Yeah, I wasn't going to because they are so swollen."
"Your feet will never be the same ."
"My feet shrunk back down after my first pregnancy."
"What?! This is your second baby? How old is the first one?"
"Yeah, you saw me during the first pregnancy. My oldest is 19 months."
"Really?! I thought you were in high school."
Right on.

I was in Cosmetics tonight.

We're Almost Done Here

The guy who was supposed to be in Photo showed up two hours late. And he leaves two hours early because he takes public transportation. When he came in, I think he was buzzed. Listen here, I know you gave your two weeks, but really? Really? Makes it hard for me to work with him.

We were super busy. I rung up a woman who was using coupons either very well or kind of suspiciously. She was annoyed when I made sure her items weren't  travel size. But then she said she would rate my customer service well on the receipt survey.

The coupons I was going to use last night were still in the parking lot when I got to work. I made my new fave co-worker take my wet coupons. Obviously he is a team player.

Kids In A Cart

I look over and there are 3 kids, maybe six or seven years old, who are all in the same cart. Unattended. In the front of the store. Their mom is shopping while on the phone, while wearing a tight tee and short-shorts.

A young guy came to my register and he seemed mildly disoriented. I suggested it might be because he was wearing a sweatshirt and it is 80 degrees outside.

I try not to judge, but when someone buys Red Bull, condoms, and boil ointment all together, I do.

The Vault

I had a customer who was having a hard time functioning. She had me ring up and void several items. She is the reason why I had so much overstock .

I feel icky. If I feel this way before work tomorrow, I'm calling off.

Lay's has a few new flavors. Cappuccino is one of them. So is Mango Salda, Bacon Mac N Cheese, and Wasabi and Ginger .

Yellow Screens

My screen at the register turns yellow sometimes. It gets darker yellow, later. Sometimes it turns a greenish hue.

I forgot my work shirt! I could have sworn I put it in the car...but when I got to work I realized  forgot my shirt and my sweater. I had to wear a too-small pharmacy tech shirt. Ridiculous.

I was five minutes late. Which is totally annoying.

I'm on vaycay!

Male Extreme Couponers

Male Extreme Couponers are pretty rare. But tonight I rung up two sets of two of them. The first set were Indian guys buying Centrum. Their total was $224 and then I swiped the in-store coupon and brought it down to about $136. They had about 15 manufacturer coupons, which I took because they has an equal number of coupons and items. They paid with two store gift cards. Then one of the guys put $300 on a store gift card. It made me a little suspicious, but maybe that was part of his budget plan.

The second set of two were also Indian, and they got the Dasani water, which was on sale, baby wipes, toilet paper, and one jug of mouthwash. He kept talking about a total he wanted to hit. I swiped two Pampers coupons before I realized he wasn't actually purchasing that item . He wanted me to use a Cottenelle wipe dispenser coupon on toilet paper and I told him no. He also didn't realize that if one uses a coupon received from an item one is purchasing, that coupon will not print out again. This stressed him out a great deal. He redeemed 40,000 points, which got him $50 off. Also, he had a stand- up accordian binder which held his alphabetized coupons. I have a Trapper-Keeper.

Beauty

An older woman and younger woman came to my register. Possibly mother-daughter. They had a big order and while I was beeping away the older woman said to me,
"Wow. You are beautiful."
"Oh thank you. Right on."
"You should be on some kind of poster of beautiful pregnant women."
Looking back, that seems like kind of a weird thing to say, but I very much appreciated the sentiment so I said,
"Oh! That is so nice."

An older woman (70ish) wanted to buy some Bonine, and she needed to run to the car to get some more money. When she returned, she said she was buying it because she has been dizzy all day. I immediately sympathized with her. She asked if I have ever experienced that and I told her about the few times I have. And about my sister, who used to suffer a lot from dizziness. We talked briefly about how awful it is,  (she seemed glad to be talking to someone who understood) and then about her osteoporosis. She mentioned she was from Chicago but lives in Toronto, which is why she doesn't have a rewards card .

I noticed a few shifts I was trying to get rid of have been crossed out. And the new girl's name is written in. I am hopeful .

The Canadian

I rung up a guy who seemed like he had an English accent. He asked for cigarettes (Marlboro lights) and when I ID'd him I found out he is Canadian! He mentioned that he normally pays almost $20 for a pack. I reminded him that a $20 got him snacks and smokes. He asked his friend, who lives here, if I could accept tips. (I cannot). He left some of his change anyway, so I jokingly asked if thats how he tips. They came back a few minutes later, and I asked
"What happened?"
He asked if we had a grapefruit... And he held his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. I had no idea what he wanted until he said something about blunts. I told we don't sell singles and I sent them to another store.
He called me ' love' and said 'cheers'. Very nice.

Tags

The new girl was at the Register and I was in Cos. She seemed alarmed by this. The manager gave me tags to do; I had to make them, and put them up. Everytime I try to make tags, I always face adversity. This time was no different. First, many of my items didn't scan. Then I put the wrong paper in the printer. Then it took me a long time to put them up. Bummer.

I rung up the new lady and she behaved just like a regular customer, it was astounding. Before she used her Rewards card, she starts fussing about the price.
"Type in your Rewards card." I said.
"I don't have it with me."
"So type in the phone number", I said, somewhat dumbfounded. Hadn't she been doing this all day?  She typed it in, and I rung her up under her brother's name, with the employee discount added on. Before doing so, I had to wait for her to grab several items seperately (grab one thing, rush to the register, rush away to grab another ) like we are on some Grocery Grab N Go game show.

I did not finish all my tags. It is what it is.

Toilet Paper Showdown

A customer told me he probably would buy toilet paper for his house, but he has decided not to. Because his teenage girls are almost grown, and they use up all the paper and don't buy any. He was heading to a hotel and his girls think he was heading home. With toilet paper.

The manager I have never closed with (maybe once) was closing. We got out on time.

What Is Happening?

My co-worker is being transferred for a variety of personal reasons.

We got a new manager, who seems pretty hip. But he's never done a WIC check.

I actually let a younger woman touch my belly. Weird. But I also told her being pregnant is like swallowing a sack of ferrets.

I Might Have To Choke You Out

I was so salty for the first hour or so...too many customers were bad listeners. And my feet are swollen.

I got "paid" for my purchase today. I got candy, tea, toilet paper, and baking soda. And with my coupons I paid $1.39. Then I got a $1.50 coupon back.

Before I came in to work, I called my boss to tell him I wouldn't be able to cover the shift tomorrow night. When I checked the schedule, I was alarmed to find my name on that shift. I was very upset. I felt ignored and pressured. I texted my boss to tell him I wasn't coming in. So there.

Mustard Gas

I cleaned the bathroom with the company toilet cleaner and Comet. Then there was a weird smell. And I thought I might be poisoning us all.

This asshole customer came in looking for the "body spray powder from Michael Jackson". It took me a while to understand what the fuck he was asking for, and every wrong answer I gave him the more rude he became. What he was actually looking for was Gold Bond body spray. By Shaquille.

My co-worker called in to say he was in jail and/or police custody so he couldn't come in.

Fourth Of July

We weren't as busy as I expected. But the night felt super-long. As does my work week.

My co-worker came in 6 hours late and drunk! He didn't have his work shirt. And he was a mess.

There was about an hour or so when it felt like 'anything goes'. My co-worker was drunk, my customers were in a good mood, and there wasn't a lot of supervision. But then I remembered that in a corporate setting, nothing goes. And there is always a camera on us.

July Third

We were WAY busier than I thought we would be. There was a lull from about 5-7 then it got kinda crazy.

I went on lunch and about two minutes into it, my least favorite co-worker came in and ate his chips really loud. It seemed like he was also on lunch because he ignored the calls.

Super-Busy

We were super busy all night. I didn't get to start facing until 11:30. Then we had to stay late because we supposedly have a visit tomorrow.

Luckily I have tomorrow off.

The Big Storm

 I worked during a huge storm that darkened the sky, flooded the streets, and made the rain come down in sheets. It was intense. There was a clap of thunder that startled me .

We had extra people, which was nice. But only one of us, not me, got out early.

A Latino man came to my register, as he was putting a pad back in his pocket. He wanted to make sure he was buying the right thing. His anxiety was funny and kind of heartwarming.

I've been getting dizzy a lot today. At work.

A woman was wanting to buy formula that wasn't on her WIC check, and I rung her up for. Then I realized the price difference and then I noticed that I rung her up for the wrong formula. I already wrote the price in, and I had my manager white it out. She didn't want the  formula on her check, for some reason. Her boyfriend came in and fussed, but accomplished nothing.

It was raining lightly when we left.

Change Of Pace

I was in Cosmetics with the new 'girl'. (She is actually a full-grown woman).

I worked on ad tags, and faced, and covered breaks. And we got out early!

Dasani

An off-duty employee bought 8 cases of Dasani water. No coupons. I don't think Dasani is that good .

We were super-busy tonight. And my register was slow. So I called IC3 a lot.

At the beginning of my shift my store manager had a lot of questions regarding his duties surrounding my maternity leave. There are few. He was nice enough to show me where I could find benefits information. I have to remember to register at the hospital and to call my benefits people.

I told an older guy buying a card that I liked the card he chose. And I wished him a Happy Anniversary because that was the kind of card he was buying. He looked confused, then said,
"That's not a birthday card?"
 "No sir. It's an anniversary card."
"I have to find another card. It is her birthday, not our anniversary. She 'll think I'm not paying attention."
"Yeah. Right on. "

A guy bought a little over $100 worth of forever stamps. I wonder what he was mailing?

Overstock

Once again, I got stuck with a bunch of overstock. I think some of it was because the new manager cleared out a bunch of crap from behind the register.

Several men were purchasing 'feminine sanitary' products. So sweet!

A guy with a slightly waxed moustache came to my register. During our transaction, he asked how I was liking the foggy weather. I told him I like it, but it makes it hard for my clothes on the line to dry. He said he liked wet jeans, I said it reminded me of camping, especially if there is sand involved.
 " That's my jam." He said .

I Think I Might Be Getting Sick

A possibly Russian woman came and tried to use her Link card. She wanted cash back and her card didn't go through. I was trying to explain that to her and because she doesn't speak English, she didn't understand. The guy behind her swiped his card for her. She didn't get it, and she didn't thank him, and she only worried about getting her $20 cash back. The whole transaction really irritated me. Especially because she didn't speak English. I know it's not p.c for me to say that...

Did You Say 'Dishes' Or 'Douches'?

She said 'douche' so when she got to the register without cups and bowls, but with Summer's Eve products, I finally understood. I told her and her man what I thought she had said, and they got a good chuckle out of that.

Several people called me 'ma'am'. Which made me feel old. And it reminded me of my aunt.

Big Storm

The sky darkened much earlier than it should have, and the heavens opened up. The rain soaked my customers and got water in my basement. Our sales of batteries, candles, and flashlight went up slightly.

My friend came in, with her family, to scan in photos for a family event. I did not really get a chance to chat with her.

I told my co-workers about my suspicious customer...they were slightly worried for me.

I'm Tired

Some girl had the nerve to ask why my kids are so close together (in age).

A guy acting suspiciously while at the register was still in our parking lot when we came out. Forty minutes later. He saw what car I got into. Perhaps I should be worried?

I had my manager ring me up, which was good because he needed to total void it. Because my card didn't go through! Because my bank got bought out by another bank and I can't seem to get my card to work. Which makes me real mad.

My Photo regular came in and made me very tired. But while I was scanning her photos, I ordered 100 prints off my own. On our app!

Wednesday and Thursday

On Wednesday I covered the day shift . From 9 am to 4:45pm.
I complained about a co-worker to management, because my list of grievances was growing.
I did my PPL on money laundering.

Today we were really busy. And lots of people were buying condemns. I rung up an old man for some K-Y jelly. He wanted to use a store/manufacturer coupon plus a manufacturer coupon. He got his boxers in a bunch about that. He claimed that we needed better wording on the coupons, and/or lawyers.

Someone asked if we were hiring. Sometimes I'm glad I work there.

A kid was trying to purchase a whole bunch of junk food but had to put several items back. And my overstock grew from there.

A guy came in and bought $500 worth of $50 Visa gift cards. His first payment card didn't go through, but it did match his ID. The second card matched and went through. I think it was all legit, but it seemed suspicious. He came back later trying to buy more cards. Very suspicious.

20% Off Coupon

An employee came in and made two transactions. She purchased 3 packages of Charmin toilet paper. She had a coupon for $1.50 off 3. Despite the fact that she already used her manufacture coupon, she handed me a store/manufacturer coupon. I should not have taken it, by I did anyway. And it worked! Which is totally frustrating. Her second purchase was similar, but she used a coupon for a 12 pack. Even though she was buying a six pack, the coupon worked. I don't really like this woman, and I don't know why I took her wrong coupons. And I don't know why the register let me do that.

I have to be back to work at 9 tomorrow, so I'm going to bed.

Canvas Prints

I have a lot of hostility towards my workplace and co-workers and customers. It was hard to stay calm today; and in fact, I yelled at my manager because he wanted to know why I couldn't find the 'wet floor' sign. I have a lot of hostility towards my co-worker because he holds up the operation. He is kind of a dick and asks too many questions. I have a lot of hostility towards customers who have a Link card but can't speak English.

 My new schedule has me working six days in a row. I anticipate sleep deprivation.

Two older customers correctly guessed that I am carrying a boy and that I am 7 months. It was alarming.

I was moved to Photo because the guys don't trust the other guy coming in. I took the opportunity to order a canvas print. And I assembled it myself. I spent way too much time on my phone. So weird.

Friday The 13th

Today is Friday the 13th and possibly a full moon, which would explain a lot.

The guy in Photo had jury duty, so he wasn't there.

A few days ago the woman in Cosmetics was saying that she always faces like we have a visit coming. I can personally attest to the fact that this is not true.

Deadly Flip-Flops

While I was facing I saw a warning label on the children's flip-flops. (The Hot Wheels and Barbie ones). The warning said that this product contains substances known to then State of California to cause birth defects and cancer. How would get contaminated? By wearing them? Or eating them? A little disturbing.

 A woman I was ringing up said I was "totally adorable" which I thought was very sweet. She asked if I liked working here. I said,
"Well, I'm a mom and wife first, and I have this job because it's a job. And we get health insurance . But it's an ok job. Sometimes I like it."
"Good for you!"

My Kids Won't Be Like That

The first customer I had was one of my least favorite regulars. She always takes a long time at the register because she has to argue and fuss and do the math really slow. She leans on the counter and asks about things that are none of her business. She  gets into loud and stupid arguments with her whiny daughter. Today was no different.

One of the youngish, hipster girls I see regularly asked,
"Do people always tell you their pregnancy stories?"
"Yes, thank you for noticing! There is something about pregnancy that makes people get crazy. Even I have trouble not saying stuff to ladies I think are pregnant. Because God forbid she is just chunky."
"Yeah, that happened to my friend. She cried a lot."
"That is exactly the kind of thing I'm trying to avoid."

You Go, Honey

I had an awkward interaction with two (high school?) boys. One boy started chatting with me about how they look. They were both wearing black t-shirts and khakis. The chatty one asked if they looked like brothers. They did not, which I said. But I did let then know they were matchies. And the tall one said,
"But I'm the cute one. , right?"
I guess I made a face that said he was the cute one, and he yelled ,
"Ooooohhhh!" And laughed. Which I felt really bad about. But he was, to me anyway. So awkward.

I rung up a gay/flamboyant guy; during the transaction my register kind of froze. He was fussing about it tying into the kind of day he was having. He and I had some funny, bitchy dialogue.

I was 37 minutes late because my husband's workday lasted too long. I called ahead to let them know. And then I got a chance to talk to a co-worker I haven't seen in awhile.

The pharmacy is leaving their overstock in the aisles. Let the fights begin.

A Mix-Up

My crazy regular came in to print her photos. She called ahead to see if I could help her. I asked my manager to talk to her. I ended up helping her for almost two hours. We chatted and I chose her photos. It was exhausting.

"Did You Start Lactating Yet?"

A customer actually asked me that. While he grabbed his man-boob . Awkward.

A couponer and I revealed ourselves to each other. She used a coupon, and I said that I need to get that coupon out of my binder. There was a brief pause and she started to say
"Are you one too?"
"I am. I have the Trapper-Keeper with the baseball card holders. "
We talked about past and current deals and I told her what cashiers to a avoid. We had some giggles. It's always nice to meet another.

The women's bathroom smelled like a mix between a vet's office and what I think an outdoor crime scene in July would smell like. When I investigated. I saw that someone had gotten poop splatter on the outside of the toilet bowl. And on the floor. And the wall. It smelled so bad I had to pull my shirt over my nose.

The new manager was here.

On My Smartphone

Something terrible happened to my laptop. So now I'm on my smartphone.

I rung up a guy who was on his phone and he was saying that "the Kings were on his ass". Not his ass, his friend's. I didn't know the Kings were up this far.

My crazy-ass co-worker got Employee Of The Month! I'm kind of surprised but also a little proud of him. He really wanted it.

The oldest pharmacist ever was leaving the store when he turned around and said
"You're a very pretty girl."
"Oh, thank you. Thank you."

My personal transaction was really long today. Because my co-worker accidentally pressed the wrong button. And then my coupon didn't go through and he had already pressed 'payment'. We had to void it twice! But I saved 65% so it was worth it.

Two people asked if we were hiring. I work in a very desirable location.

Planning Ahead

I tried to make my list for my field trip tomorrow, but I had too many customers and things to do. Hopefully I can get my shit together for tomorrow.
My work BFF is working tomorrow and I am not, but she quite a trauma the other day. I hope she is doing ok.
Tomorrow or possibly Sunday (which is tomorrow, I know) I think is my manager's last day. I'm totally bummed. He really had my back.

The torta guy came back. He had no tortas, but he wanted me to know he was making veggie ones.

I had a shoulderache, turning into a headache, almost all day. And I got really tired and cranky right before lunch. I thought I might pass out. But I didn't.

Late Tortas

We punched out 25 minutes late to even out our time cards. And because my manager doesn't manage his time well. And because we were busy and I didn't get my shit done early enough. And because the guy in Photo seemed to have a long to-do list.

An older woman (elderly) came to my register and after staring at me, she pointed to her lip and said,
"Doesn't this hurt the baby?"
"How would that happen?"
"Oh, well. I'm not trying to be offensive, but just call it mother's instinct."
"Ummm okay."
I don't know what she could have meant by 'hurt the baby'. Or 'mother's instinct'. Emotionally? I can't imagine.
Her friend was looking at the candy, and she set it in the pile with her stuff. So I rung it up. And she apparently did not want those extra pieces. And then she forgot that she didn't pay. I hate our customers sometimes.

A really obnoxious customer came in and demanded that someone price modify her photos because of what she thought she heard someone say her total was. I hate that woman. But she got her photos modified.

One of my fave co-workers got caught up by a narc who was buying cigarettes underage. So now we all had to sign some paperwork saying that we card anyone who looks under 40. Which is a crazy age. This is going to be rough.
We are also cracking down on what is allowed to be purchased using a WIC check. Finally.

A Mexican cook came in looking for plastic bags to bag his tortas. He started to explain what a torta was and I held up my hand,
"Sir, please. I know what a torta is. The bags you have in your hand should be fine, unless you have extra large tortas."
He told me he was working as a cook now, but he had a side business involving tortas, that he hopes to make into his sole source of income. I wished him luck, and a few minutes later he came back in with two tortas. For me! Sadly, they had some kind of chicken on them, which I do not eat. I asked him if they had meat on them and he said
"No, just the chicken."
Ok then. My co-worker gets these tortas. Apparently they were very good.  

Memorial Day

Our sales were not as good as expected, given the holiday.

The skanky girl that we should call the cops on came in again. I told my manager to call the cops, or watch her, or something. And mostly he did nothing while they were in the store, and when they left he asked why I hadn't taken care of it. WTF? I hate that girl.

The guy who covered Photo during the day shift had encountered many Iraqis trying to get their passport/ID photos done for cheap. Apparently he had been telling people all day that he could not print out their passport-size photos for less than what we charge for a passport. And people had been getting mad at him all day. He blew up one of those passports and left an angry note about our 'cheap customers'. He spelled words wrong and used poor grammar. I never got anyone who wanted me to preform that service for them.

I did get a guy who had previously been in our store, and who probably left his keys on the Photo counter. I had some keys by the register. but when I asked the guy what other cards he had on the key chain, he couldn't tell me. He asked me to please help him, and I told him I was trying to. And then I asked him if he knew what his keys looked like (they had key covers on them for easier identification).   He couldn't tell me anything else. So I didn't give him the keys. And I left a note in the office with his phone number so someone else could deal with it. His first name is the same as his last.

I got diapers, Doritos, and two candy bars for a $1.38 with my 'blanket' coupon. Thank goodness.

Moms and Prom

Apparently today is prom. I only know this because my co-workers told me so. And because our condom sales are up. A mid-shift co-worker told me that another co-worker told a mother who was shopping for her daughter (who was going to prom) that 'a lot of dudes are buying condoms for prom'. I   think my co-worker needs some more common sense. Even I wouldn't say that.

A woman who I think was about my age said I looked 'so young', as a response to me telling her I was working on baby number 2. I told her I was old enough to handle it and young enough to make it easier. She asked me how I took care of my lip piercing when it was new. And she asked what she should wash her derma piercings with, which she then showed me.

The woman in Cosmetics called off. The speculation is that alcohol is involved. My co-worker said she
'parties like a European',
meaning she goes out late, and parties well into daylight. He thinks she is hungover. My other co-worker thinks she went out to party tonight. Whatever happened to just getting a bottle a drinking at home after work?

An older woman came to my register with several bubble envelopes. Over the course of the transaction, she told me she sells stuff on Amazon.com. She started doing this when she and her husband moved in with her mother. Her husband had lost his job. But now he has one. She doesn't necessarily need the money (it would be nice, though) and she now just wants to get rid of the stuff.

I will be working on Monday.

Moms and Prom

Apparently today is prom. I only know this because my co-workers told me so. And because our condom sales are up. A mid-shift co-worker told me that another co-worker told a mother who was shopping for her daughter (who was going to prom) that 'a lot of dudes are buying condoms for prom'. I   think my co-worker needs some more common sense. Even I wouldn't say that.

A woman who I think was about my age said I looked 'so young', as a response to me telling her I was working on baby number 2. I told her I was old enough to handle it and young enough to make it easier. She asked me how I took care of my lip piercing when it was new. And she asked what she should wash her derma piercings with, which she then showed me.

The woman in Cosmetics called off. The speculation is that alcohol is involved. My co-worker said she
'parties like a European',
meaning she goes out late, and parties well into daylight. He thinks she is hungover. My other co-worker thinks she went out to party tonight. Whatever happened to just getting a bottle a drinking at home after work?

An older woman came to my register with several bubble envelopes. Over the course of the transaction, she told me she sells stuff on Amazon.com. She started doing this when she and her husband moved in with her mother. Her husband had lost his job. But now he has one. She doesn't necessarily need the money (it would be nice, though) and she now just wants to get rid of the stuff.

I will be working on Monday.

Moms and Prom

Apparently today is prom. I only know this because my co-workers told me so. And because our condom sales are up. A mid-shift co-worker told me that another co-worker told a mother who was shopping for her daughter (who was going to prom) that 'a lot of dudes are buying condoms for prom'. I   think my co-worker needs some more common sense. Even I wouldn't say that.

A woman who I think was about my age said I looked 'so young', as a response to me telling her I was working on baby number 2. I told her I was old enough to handle it and young enough to make it easier. She asked me how I took care of my lip piercing when it was new. And she asked what she should wash her derma piercings with, which she then showed me.

The woman in Cosmetics called off. The speculation is that alcohol is involved. My co-worker said she
'parties like a European',
meaning she goes out late, and parties well into daylight. He thinks she is hungover. My other co-worker thinks she went out to party tonight. Whatever happened to just getting a bottle a drinking at home after work?

An older woman came to my register with several bubble envelopes. Over the course of the transaction, she told me she sells stuff on Amazon.com. She started doing this when she and her husband moved in with her mother. Her husband had lost his job. But now he has one. She doesn't necessarily need the money (it would be nice, though) and she now just wants to get rid of the stuff.

I will be working on Monday.

Twenty-Two Notes

I left my note about this blog next to the Register and when I came back, it was gone. I hope the new guy didn't look at it. I hope it was just thrown away. I didn't sign it, or write down the website or anything actually incriminating, but I have very distinctive handwriting.

I rung up a woman who was dingy-looking. Her bangs were bleach/green and her black ponytail looked unwashed and greasy. She was wearing sweats and a too-big tank. I rung her up for $477 worth of single-serve Gatorades and Argo tea. Among other things. But most of it was non-essential, except maybe the fans. I IDed her for the cigarettes, but then I got this feeling that maybe she was using a stolen credit card. But there was really nothing I could do, because that would have been me profiling her. And we try not to do that.

I was so tired from about ten pm all the way till we punched out. I knew that I would stay awake far too long tonight, and that is what I am doing. I know that my exhaustion is affecting me in other ways too.

My 'friend' came in with her mom and the youngest of her four children, who is two months younger than my son. She wanted to know if she could get CDs of the images off her phone. She can, yes. She ended up needing 22 CD burned. That is more images than I thought her phone could hold. Gives me hope for my phone.

Poop

My drunken regular came in with his woman. He told me that there was a shooting a few blocks away. I told him my neighbor's house got robbed, and he asked if I was still living in a far-away suburb. I told him 'no', and said I was by the other store. He asked me again where I live and again I said 'by the other store.' By this point they were by my register and I said 'hi' to his lady. I was also trying to ring up a mentally disabled regular. The drunk kept asking where I lived, and waiting patiently, and his lady kept trying to get him to move along. I was trying to listen to the disabled guy as he told me his phone number. Finally the drunk and his lady left and the disabled guy asked what our conversation was about. I told him the drunk wanted to know where I lived.
"You don't have to tell anyone that."
"Yeah, I know."
"That's your personal business. He doesn't need to know where you live. You need your privacy."
"Yeah."
"You need your privacy."
"Thanks. Have a good day."

I rung up a woman who was purchasing a Lean Cuisine and a pack of air freshners. She asked me to open up the air freshners, which she said she needed because someone pooped in her car. And she tried to go to car wash but it was closed. I do not know if the pooper was a baby or an old person. Nor do I know if the poop ever touched the seats.

For most of my shift, my fetus was trying to claw his was trough my belly button. He was doing a lot of shifting. I feel gigantic. It is getting harder to pick things up off the floor.

Addictions

This guy overheard me talking to another customer. Me and the first customer were talking about the price of cigarettes and how proud of ourselves we are for quitting. Evidently her sister died from a cigarette-related disease. After she left the guy said that he felt like most humans need some kind of addiction. He told me he used to drink a lot of alcohol, mostly in his early and mid 20's. (He is 39). And  then he told me that he switched to Mountain Dew. Then he decided to move on to energy drinks. I told him I used to drink a lot and now I clip coupons.

I helped the Pharmacy Manager get a coupon for Ziploc bags using his smart phone and our store app. I was pretty proud of myself.

A bunch of kids came in. One was the rapping Assyrian and one was the little guy. The little guy was wearing his rollerblades, and I told him to stay on the carpet. One of the other guys tried to use a 'school money' fake $10 bill to purchase some chips. He was oddly surprised I wouldn't take it. I think he might be slow. And the Assyrian is actually pretty good (at rapping).

The Thugs

The Newspaper Guy came in! He leans over the edge of the register to get all the old papers, then picks and chooses the ones he wants. I think he got two up-to-date papers. And he spent a little over $20 and he didn't use his member card.

The two thug kids came in. One had stolen a basketball from the park district and a basketball sleeve from the locker room. They were both smelling the sleeve, which I told them was weird. One of them told me that his former friend steals from our store, and locked him in the basement the other day. While he was in the basement, he was having an ashma attack and she was buying weed. The other kid dropped his bottle cap in the hole at my register. Which I had to dig around to get.
Another regular came in to tell me she killed a plant and to buy ice cream and cigarettes. And I had to tell the boys to move along three times.

Astro-Duct

I was salty when I came into work. And it didn't help that a co-worker, whom I get a weird vibe from, asked me four times how me and the baby were (are?). I apprectiate the concern, although not the questions about my ultra-sounds.

My fetus was moving around a lot today! Mostly right after lunch. It felt like he might be trying to claw his way out.

A woman in a cute trench asked me how far along I am. (Six monthes). She said she was six monthes too. (I couldn't really tell.) Then she told me this unneccessary story about a woman in her office. That woman has a friend who is 38 years old, and was pregnant with twins. Everything was going well, the fetuses were moving, but at the next check-up, the doctor had to tell her that the fetuses were dead. Unbelievable. And why would she tell me that? Probably because she was worried about it too.

I read an email in the office that said we weren't going to sell maps anymore. But I saw some in the magazine section. Which is nice, because sometimes GPSs' fail. Or lie.

A young-ish boy (late teens early 20's --I'm so old!) bought a roll of Duct Tape and Astroglide lube. He wanted me to know that he did not intend to use those two items together.

Tuesday

I rung up a woman who wasn't wearing a bra. But she was wearing slippers. And a low-cut dress, which made it easy to see the long, black hairs on her breast bone. Blech.

One of my managers told me he is leaving, which I am very annoyed about.

I showed my co-workers my new phone! And, of course, photos of my son. (I got the phone on Mother's Day and I have 124 photos already.)

Almost Mother's Day

We were really busy because of it being almost Mother's Day. And we sell cards, flowers, stuffed animals and gift cards. People spent anywhere from $4.35 to $58.

Several people wished me a Happy Mother's Day on account of my bump.

My co-worker was messing with my other co-worker in the hopes that he would see her snap. I told him he should knock it off.

A woman I was ringing up told me she liked "my look". Which I appreciate. I thought I looked pretty good today.

I had my chair, but I don't sit in it when I'm ringing people up. Today we were so busy I hardly had time to sit. And my back ached, and my hips hurt real bad and my bump felt huge. My co-workers were very helpful.

Right On

Within the first 30 minutes of my shift, I dropped a snowglobe in the bag and it got my customer's cards and gift bag wet. So I had to go back to the Hallmark aisle and pick out her new cards. I couldn't find one, and it took me a while to finish the transaction. I was so annoyed. So was my customer.

Yesterday I rung up a guy who said,
"Right on."
"Did you just say right on?"
"I did. Yeah."
"I say that too! My husband makes fun of me; he says people don't say that in this state."
"I was born and raised here."
"Me too. Right on! See ya."

My shift did not turn out as badly as I thought it would. My co-worker appreciates the fact that I am not (that) scared of customers, that I have some street smarts, that I like to joke around, and that I mess with people. Point is, we work together pretty well.

Maternity Shirts and Passwords

I locked myself out of the Register. Again. I had to ring up customers under my manager's ID. So I didn't get any suggestive sales. I have a feeling my manager didn't know how to get me back into the system, but he pretended he didn't because he forgot. I left myself a note by the punch-in clock.

We had a lunch fiasco, where-in I tried to give my co-worker the earlier time, which I thought she wanted. I verbally confirmed that I would take the nine pm lunch, she would take the 8:30 and the other woman would take 8 pm. 8 pm came round, and the other woman didn't take her lunch. 8:30 came around and I noticed the woman in Cosmetics was still there. At 9:05 I called the woman in Photo and she started to ask if the woman in Cosmetics was back yet. Just then the woman walked up. By this point I was very hungry, very cranky, and kind of dizzy. I got a little short with the woman in Cosmetics, asking her what she was doing. I won out on the lunch war on account of I am more aggressive and pregnant.

While I was under my manager's ID, I 'returned' an American Cancer Society donation. My customer thought he was hitting the cash back button. But he hit the donation button...and then I returned the donation as cash. That seems wrong to me. But I think we can do it. Maybe.

Today was Senior Discount Day, which meant we had a lot of old people milling around. One guy was wearing a button-up, a tie, and a sport coat. His button-up looked very similar to mine, which I pointed out to him, He looked annoyed, especially when I mentioned my shirt was a maternity button-up.

An Asian guy, whose first language was not English, was wearing a cap. His cap had a moose on it, and the brim read, " Speak Their Language". Which I thought was poorly planned.

This Senior Discount Day only gave 20% off on non-sale items. Which caused some unrest amongst the elderly.

Five Hours

I came in for a five hour shift today. There was a lot of confusion about who was working what shift and who should be doing what. And it seemed like there were a lot of people during the day. Night shift got screwed.

I got to work with one of my faves! He bought me a kingsize Kit Kat, which I shared with others. Now I want cheese. It was nice to see the day-shifters.

I wore my new shoes, which were not nearly as comfy as I was hoping. I should not buy shoes online. I got to sit in my chair.

About five Asian kids came in. One wanted two fifties for his $100 (what parent gives their young -10? -son?) Then they wanted ten tens. They got the fifties. They all bought a bunch of junk food, separately.  The lowest amount spent was $13 and the highest amount was $32. I will not be allowing my child to spend money like that. Coupons!

I Work In The Photo Department

I was in Photo tonight, which meant one of my favorite co-workers was on the Register. We chatted a little.

I just remembered that we were supposed to have a visit from a neighboring store manager. I don't know if or when we did. Which means I'm not sure if I was acting appropriately at the appropriate time.

I printed a 612-print order, of wedding photos. They were pretty gorgeous, and I realized they were professionally done. So I left a note to make sure someone gets them to sign the release form. Looking at those photos made me think about my own wedding, which was in my mother's backyard. And I had a twinge of regret and sadness for not having a big fancy wedding. But then I realized that my wedding fit me perfectly, and I am grateful I don't have debt because of it.

I took a child's passport today. He sat perfectly still on the chair, and he actually looked into the camera twice. And he was totally calm and relaxed. I told him mom that my kid was pretty awesome too, but there is no way he would have just sat there like that. She said he is almost always that chill.

I let one of my regulars know about this publication. Right on.

The Giggles

A neighborhood boy who wants to party and be a rapper, also wanted to purchase a pack of smokes. I told him he didn't need his ID because I knew him. He seemed surprised by that, which I thought was weird because he comes in a lot. He wanted to punch in his phone number for his rewards card, which I told him wasn't necessary because it doesn't really make a difference when one is purchasing smokes. He wanted to punch it in anyway. He was struggling, and then he said,
"Damn, I couldn't get my number because of some dumbness."
 I started giggling, uncontrollably. He said 'dumbness' a few more times because I think he was trying to test me, to see if that word was what was causing my giggles. I was doubling over on my counter, in front of the other customers. I like that guy, and I hope he understands that my giggles came on also because of my sleep deprivation.

Last night I got four hours of sleep. And I was able to take a two hour nap, but with the t.v on, during which I dreamt of murderous My Little Ponies. So today at work I was a little loopy, a little ornery.

Today I bought a big jug of Maxwell House coffee, on sale for $6.99, and I had a 50 cent coupon. I also got two packages of Bic Soliel razors, on sale for $5.99, buy-one-get-one-1/2-off. I had two high-value coupons, for $3-off-one. I paid $7-something. I'm ok with that price.

Sometimes working Friday or Saturday nights make me want to go party. Because it seems like everyone else is.

Chips

"Can I ask a question?" said the overweight Indian (?) boy, about thirteen years old.
"Sure" I said.
"Why would they make these squares of candy if the chocolate could touch each other and melt?"
"Well, I think any chocolate could melt. The manufacturers are assuming that people will keep the chocolate safe."
"Oh, ok."
"Did you have a store card?"
"My mom does. Should I punch it in?"
"Yeah."
" Isn't it awkward when there is rain and the sun shining through?"
"I'm not sure if 'awkward' is the right word. And I thought the sun went down."

My feet hurt a lot. Because I forgot to wear my insoles.

Today was one of the only workdays during this pregnancy that I felt nauseous. For a while. The baby was moving around A LOT. Not gonna lie, it kind of freaks me out. Like I swallowed a ferret. But it is still kind of cool to think about.

Crisis Averted

One of my regulars said he always needs a project. Jokingly, I said,
"Can't you watch t.v like everyone else?"
"Well, I could just go back to watching Mean Girls."
" I would go ahead and not tell people that."
He made a grimace face and the guy behind him busted out laughing. And now I feel kind of bad. Perhaps I shoud make amends.

The new guy stopped in again. Just like he did last night.

The Magazine Lady!

I was ringing people up and trying to mind my own business, when I noticed who was in my line. It was The Magazine Lady! I was so happy to see her! We had lost contact, and she was aggravated. I forgot how funny she is. She says I should start a Mommy Blog. I agree.

All my fears and my feelings regarding my co-worker were for naught because she quit this morning. So I got my panties in a bunch for nothing.

We could have gotten out early, but there was a woman who wanted to use a whole bunch of WIC checks at 11:57pm. Which is ridiculous.

Today was actually a pretty good day.

Reasonable Accommodations

By 'reasonable accommodations', I mean that I got to sit in my chair today. Because I wasn't working on any project besides ringing people up. And when I was pregnant with my last kid, I also sat down a lot. So there.

My newest new coworker called himself my 'gaurdian angel' because he swoops in to save me from long lines and needy customers. Ridiculous.

I felt a little out of it and weird today. And my shift seemed really long, but not unbearable.

On my fifteen minute break, I painted my nails with Brilliant Shine by Revlon, in a sparkly lime green. (Maybe not the best choice for my skin tone)  It's a relatively new nail polish that doesn't need a top or undercoat. Which I love because I have hard time getting all my coats on without smudging one.

The midshift guy left early. Again.

I told two high school boys about that girl and how she was mean, and that my other co-workers agree, and they should stay away from her and her friends if they don't want to get involved with her bullshit and all that comes with her activities.

I am dreading my next shift because I have to work with someone new, and I'm not sure if she likes me, or if she thinks I'm too slow or... what. It is just really awkard working with her. I guess I will just mentally prepare myself for my lunch at a time I don't like, and my calls not being answered.

An obese man with a normal-sized head, arms, and hands, bought almost $50 of junk food. I tried not to assume that it was all for him, but I think it might have been.

A grandma was buying candy for her grandson. He started to open a package of gum, and I pointed that out to her. She took it away, and he freaked out. He yelled, and she spoke to him harshly in her (their) native language. He was too big for her to physically control, but she still ended up dragging him out of the store. I hope he didn't get the candy she bought for him right away.

A customer mentioned she was buying all this candy for her students. She said they were disturbed, and I said,
"Yeah. Right?"
"No, really. I work with the emotionally disturbed boys in the 8th grade."
"Oh, wow. Did we have this conversation?"
"We did. But that's ok."
"Sorry about that. I get a lot of customers."
She said that the kids she works with are in-residence. And they are very disturbed. I wanted to ask her for an example about their disturbing behavior. Maybe next time.

Fetal Movement

The fetus (baby?) was kicking and moving around a lot after my lunch. He seems to have moved up closer to my belly button instead of hanging out all the way at the bottom. Anyway, while I was ringing up a younger jocky-looking guy, I gasped and held my abdomen. I think I freaked him out.

Luckily there was a mid-shift today, because I asked her several times to watch the Register so I could run to the restroom.

One of my regulars came in with a baby not even a month old. Apparently that baby was hers. Her oldest is 20 (she had him when she was 17). She asked if I knew she was pregnant. I said I didn't really know, because she didn't have baby bump. She just looked kind of fat. And she had been wearing big winter coats. I told her only the last reason.

Me and the New Guy discussed other co-workers, and the madness of our customers.

Tomorrow night is the same crew.

Cop-Calling Anxiety

A group of girls came in and I had to tell one of them to leave or we would call the cops. But I can't call the cops so I was waiting on my manager. But my manager was too nervous to call, so I ended up looking like a lying hard-ass. I was told by a few managers to call the cops on her...obviously my manger didn't get that memo. The guys with these girls were the ones I had complimented to their mothers. One of them was annoyed that I let these girls scan their candy. The other was alarmed about them following them around. I told him not to hang out with them because he will get in trouble by association. And I mentioned his mom.

I'm not sure that the new lady likes me. My manager had two projects for me, so he pulled me off the register and put her on. It took me a long time to finish everything because I was ringing people up, helping customers, and getting stuck on other things. I apologized that it took me so long. Then I came back to the register so we could start closing. She said, as her face turned red and she started looking pissed, and said,
"The thing about that is, I was supposed to be in camera, and I was on the register all night. So I'm not going to close in camera."
I said,
"Thats' fine. No problem."
But then she left the register. So I stayed up there for another 45 minutes while she did overstock and took her lunch, I think. I told her I thought she might be from Undercover Boss. I hope she likes me.

Easter Clearance

I got kind of dizzy at the register. I'm kind of dizzy now.

Almost all the Easter stuff actually rang up as 50% off. I only had to price modify the plants. I was impressed with our system.

Evidently corporate has decided that different store managers (and the DM and a few others)  would check in on other stores. And they have a check-list and if your name gets written down too many times, you get fired. This sounds like a lot of work for everyone. No one came in tonight.

A really ghetto girl came in seemed either very high or kind of stupid. And she spit sunflower seed shells all in my candy aisle.

A almost-regular came in with shorts on. He is a pretty laced-up looking guy, but I noticed a tattoo on his leg. It was a group of three balloons-as-skulls. I told him his ink reminded me of Stephen King imagery. Which he seemed surprised, but pleased, about.

The woman in photo waited a while to start her closing duties. And she didn't even know what she was  supposed to do. But even though she started way late, she finished way early. I don't know how she did it, but I'm reluctant to believe she finished everything she was supposed to. Just sayin'.

Yesterday And Today

YESTERDAY:
Yesterday there was a series of egg fiascoes. We had (have) a strict limit of two, and that just stressed out the whole damn neighborhood.
A husband-wife team came in to get twelve dozen cartons of eggs. I told them absolutely not, and I had to call my manager to confirm this. Then the husband asked me if he could use his points,  but the register didn't say how many points he had, so I told him he had none. And he threw a little hissy fit, paid for his purchase, and saw his points on the receipt. Then he tried to make me feel stupid. Which didn't work.
A woman came in wanting to buy six cartons, which I told her was not possible. Again I had to call the manager. After some argument, the woman behind the egg bandit offered to purchase two cartons for her, if she gave her the cash. So now she gets four. And then the egg-buyer wanted me to get her eggs for her, which I would not do. She asked the guy behind to buy them for her, and he looked alarmed because he didn't know what was happening. I explained, and he declined her money. So this crazy egg-buyer got six cartons for $4.04.

TODAY:
I didn't greet a member of corporate as he came into the store because I was with a customer. Then management called me into the office and I thought I was getting fired. I was not, I just had to fill out a form verifying that I was a U.S citizen.
I mentioned to my tonight-manager that the last-night's manager said it was ok that I left my overstock. Because I was the last to clock out, and it was late. Apparently it was not ok that I left all that overstock and the store manager and his sister-in-law were pissed. And the last-night manager didn't tell them that he said it was ok, so tonight's manager said he would pass that on. Right on, man. Way to get my back.

Young Sir

Whoa, we were so busy tonight. And we were short. So I got out at 1:01 am.

One lady who seemed to be around my age started talking about babies. Becuase she noticed I was pregnant, and she has a WIC check for Enfamil. She guessed how far along I was because
"you seem kind of small to begin with and usually small girls are all belly but aren't that big"
"Oh, well, I feel huge most of the time."
I told her about my Cheeto obsession. And I told her my next goal is to get a burrito from my old neighborhood. She is the second person in two days who seem surprised I know that intersection.

My co-worker came in on his day off. He smelled really weird; like onions, smoke, b.o, general food, and something unidenifiable. Very weird. He convinced my manager to tell me to take a half gallon in place of a quart for a WIC check for another co-worker's wife. I wrote on the check and the reciept that the manager approved it.

It took me a long time to finish my overstock because my feet hurt again. And because no one helped me.

Stepford Wives and Rosemary's Baby

Today was actually kind of pleasant. We got to leave early. And I conversed with my manager in a way that didn't embarrass me.

The newish woman was working...she did o.k. I feel weird about telling her what to do because she is older than me. And sometimes she is not a good listener. And I'm pretty sure she likes me but I'm not 100%

The co-worker who was leaving when I was arriving gave me a backwards compliment. Today my make-up includes a slight cat-eye with black eyeliner and black mascara. I put my bangs in a pouf-clip. She said that she kind of likes my green eyeshadow (I wore that yesterday) because even though it looks crazy, I still look cute. What the hell kind of statement is that? And then she told me that I was an idiot for not wearing my eyeliner like how I have today, everyday. Uhhh, thank you?

I feel like my writing could be a lot better...than what I have been doing lately.

Friendship Dates

I helped a regular scan prints of himself, him and his girlfriend, and him and his daughter. This guy is kind of weirdo, and he remembers a phrase I said to him several months ago. He had several different orders and I told him that he should do one big order if he wants to save some money.

A woman came in and wanted to know how fast I could do a canvas print. I told her I would give me at least a half hour. She looked distraught. Then she had me call another store to check how long they would take. Another one said it would take an hour. So she waited while I scanned her image, printed out an 11x14, assembled the canvas, and framed it. While I was doing so, we talked about much we liked photos and photo gifts. I mentioned how important I think it is to take images of the seemingly mundane. I was printing a photo of her dad standing on the edge of a train, holding a bell. It was his job in the old country. At the beginning of our interaction, I was going to tell her that poor planning on her part doesn't constitute an emergency on my part. I was glad I didn't though, because we had a good chat.

I enjoy being in the photo department because I like looking at other people's pictures. I think printing out photos is underrated.

I Like Your Contrasting Patterns

Things seem just a little more 'thug-life-4-eva' when a certain co-worker is working.

The tweaker let the gangbangers in his car to check the subwoofers. The gangbangers stole his phone. The tweaker freaked out and came back in (our store) all stressed out wanting to use a phone. He also knocked on the door when we were closed, wanting a phone book. Really though, who would think it would be a good idea to let two thugs in your vehicle?

A woman came to my register and she was singing along with our background music. Then she let me know that she still had a photo of me from that day she had one extra photo left in her disposable camera. That day I was taking in her order for her disposable camera, and she had one picture left on her roll. So she took one of me with a goofy smile and two thumbs up. And when she shows people her Disney World photos, they have been asking who that girl is. We shared a few giggles over that.

There was a dance at a nearby school, which caused a lot of nonsense a girls wearing leggings as pants in my store.

It's Warm Out

The warm weather brought out a lot of activity and crazies and kids.

I was ringing up a regular for his smokes, when his friend (who I recognized) asked how my kid was.
"The one on the outside is awesome, but the one on the inside is making my life difficult. Inside me, not inside prison. Just so we're clear."
They laughed.
My non-regular asked if I had remembered what his friend had said to me. I did not. But he remembered almost our entire conversation. Before I had a chance to tell him that was a little creepy, a youngish guy and girl came in. The newly-arrived guy was very happy to see my regular. They hugged and the new guy told his woman to get his number, and they were all chatty and happy, and kind of included me in their conversation. I guessed correctly that the newest guy had recently gotten out of lock-up.
He told me he didn't really understand computers...while he was looking at the pinpad.

My regular child-customer was trying to purchase a bunch of snacks for some girls he wanted to be friendly with, and a few of his guy friends. His Link card didn't go through. They all had to put their stuff back, and I could tell he was embarassed. He is a small guy, much shorter than anyone he comes in with. I think he has some street cred because his brother is in a gang.

Right before I went on lunch, three tall guys were at the register, after having spent some time talking about me farther back in the line. I think. And when I was ringing them up, they talked about the cars they were selling, how much money they make, and just generally being dicks. When my husband called, it was obvious I was taking a personal call. One guy told me, in a falsetto voice, not to take my personal calls. Then the guy asking for change wanted singles for his five. Because he was going to the strip club. I just looked at him crazy.

We got out on time.

Day Six

I am totally exhausted. Towards the end of my shift, I started to get really weird. And tired.

Day shift is way different than the night shift. I took a picture of myself, with a disposable camera, while I was in the parking lot, before I went to punch in. The sun was shining in my face and the parking lot was almost empty.

I was hoping to see some walk-of-shamers, but I was disappointed.

Day Five

I should be sleeping because I have to be at work at 8am. I'm covering for someone. And I told my manager that the odds of me being there on time were not good.

I like my co-worker, but she is really old-school. She is younger than me. And she doesn't believe in out-of-wedlock pregnancies/babies, or abortions, or the Morning After Pill. She and her family are very happy that I will be having my second BOY because boys are more valued in their culture.

The guy at One wanted me watch the register while he went to do his overstock so he could leave early. I told him no, because I wanted to make sure I got my stuff done. And he always takes a long time when someone lets him off the register. So there.

I just ate my newly purchased bag of Pirate's Booty. It was 2/$4. (2/$3.40)

Day Four

I saw a girl wearing a sweatshirt from the college I went to. I told her that I went to that school...
"and look where I am now."
It seemed like she was thinking about pretending to have not heard me, but then she asked what I majored in.
"Photography. Maybe I should have been a art business major or something."
"Yeah, well, I'm in a Fine Arts major, so thats' not much better."
Perhaps I should have told her I really didn't apply myself in college. Or that I partied a lot.

I had to be on the Register again today, because the new guy was working on the cooler. The register is ok...but because of the delay and the incessant questions on the card reader each of my transactions take longer than I think it should.

I got the lunchtime I wanted because I asked for it at 6:40, and the woman who also wants 8:30 doesn't know how to assert her lunches very well. I take advantage of that.

I saw two small children in the Hallmark aisle. They did not know each other but one kid got real close to the other kid. I asked the dad of one of the girls (I think I had gone to school with him) if they knew each other. He said 'no' and we shared some personal-bubble laughter about small children.

One of my regulars came in with his mom, and I told her that we really like him because him and his friend are usually pretty funny and he doesn't act a fool. I told her that whatever she is doing to help him act like that, she should keep it up. They both grinned.

One woman told me that she thought I would be a fun mom. Yes ma'am!

Day Three

I am tired and dizzy.

A woman came to my register and I feel like I should have made amends for possible past misdeeds. Although if she was in the neighborhood for the reason I think, she will be back.

I told a few of my regulars about my absurd day at the Social Security office.

My husband came in and bought me some Cheetos. I was talking to him in the other line when a girl I recognized came to my line. She was wearing almost-transparent white leggings with leapord print boy shorts. Totally inappropriate. She seemed to think it was odd that I would be making someone buy me Cheetos, until I told her he was my hubs. Then she asked if I lived in town. I like her because she isn't afraid to say whatever crazy-ass thing is on her mind, but in a respectful way.

Day Two

We sell Gak! I asked my younger co-worker if she remembered it from Nickolodeon. Which she does not.

I took and sold three passports today.

My purchase was pretty sweet. I got:
big canister of store-brand coffee ($4.99, $8.49 retail)
a Paas egg-coloring kit ($1.99)  buy two get 2000 points
a Paas egg cup kit ($1.99) buy two get 2000 points
two bags of regular Cheetos (2/$2)
one bag of Chester Flamin' Hot Fries (2/$2
a can of Arizona Sweet Tea (49 cents with a in-store coupon)
I had a $5 coupon, and my discount, and got 2000 points on this purchase.
I paid $5 and change. 70% off

I helped my manager in the candy aisle with the hopes that he would notice me doing stuff and playing nice. I'll let you know.

The Checkout

While I was at the register a disheveled woman came up. She told me not to touch her stuff, because she wanted to ring it up herself. So she swiped her stuff by my scanner and scanned her items. She didn't want help, but she did want me to help her with the bags. And then she tripled-bagged her stuff. She wrote a check, and wrote in the wrong date. And then she got fussy when I asked for her ID. When she asked for her smokes, she needed them from the middle of the shelf. Then she asked for my name, which I think she wrote on the inside of her pack.

I believe I might I have over-shared again, with my manager. I don't feel like I'm engaging in harmful gossip, just sharing what I people have said to me (I don't share secrets though). I just get really nervous because...I just do.

I worked with the new lady, who has been a regular customer of mine for about three years. So that's weird and cool.

I thought about Cheetos, but I didn't buy them.

Passport Collage

Today seemed really long. Probably because my manager let us out late.

I helped a guy get the right prints for his girlfriend's collage. When he was struggling with getting our app to work I had to call one of my co-workers. And I showed him my phone, which is the AT&T flip phone. He looked at me like I was crazy and told me to "stop it". He ordered the 4x4s. About a half hour later he comes back and we discuss the difference between the passport size photo and the wallet size. We had to go through his photos, and I typed the passport code in each time. By the time we finished, he was really high strung.

I had a lot of other things to write, but now I'm exhausted because I spent too long on our website ordering a photo card. And it took way too long.

The Age Of Aquarius

I always find it eerie when it is warmer upon my exit from work, then it was when I got there.

"9. It's a perfect time for a new look. Revamp your haircut or style. Make creative changes. You're extra attractive. Handle a chore you've been avoiding, and free space for something new. Consider all possibilities." My horoscope, from Chicago Tribune.
I read this during my lunch break, after I had gone to the salon for a treatment and cut and style. A few of my co-workers complimented me.

The new guy recognized my tattoo, and could correctly name the religion the symbol corresponds to. I was impressed. But then he told me about his past activities, which are illegal, and it made me wonder what kind of sense he had. What if I was a snitch?

Personal Fiascos

We weren't actually running late. But it felt like it. And I did have a little freak-out in the office that delayed us considerably.

I purchased the Finish dishwashing packs and Jet-Dry becuase I found a 'free-after-rebate' coupon in the Sunday paper a little while ago. I hope my employee discount does not interfere with my receiving of my check.

Gossip.

We were running late because we were gossiping.

I talked with a customer for about twenty minutes about our kid(s), our husbands, (or baby daddies), work, baby books, child-raising techniques, and other things. She seems like a cool lady.

A younger woman bought several (maybe 24) Maybelline eyeshadows. They were buy-one-get-one-half-off, which normally isn't a good deal. But the eyeshadows were unusually cheap ($1.79 for one, 89 cents for the other). Then she had points she could use (which gave her $10 free dollars). She ended up paying $16 for an over-$66 purchase.

I paid  $6.24 for
two bottles of body wash
two full-size bags of M&Ms
three Snickers 'eggs'
four cans of Campbells tomato soup
Less than I expected. I was pleased.

Her Soap Was Gone

A customer came in and she said she was missing a bag with dish soap and a pack of gum. She had previously called to let us know that. Then she said she would be in tomorrow. But she couldn't wait, so she came in tonight. She located the bag; it was in the parking lot and someone had run over the soap. We gave her a new soap.

I like to chit-chat at work. And sometimes I think I over-share. And I think I over-shared today. Dang.

Printed or Emailed?

"Would you like your receipt printed or emailed?"

"Uhhh, yeah"

That is not a yes or no question. But many of my customers believe that it is. So I just print their receipt. 

I reluctantly took a visa photo for a very pretty woman. She was forgien and had all the paperwork she needed so I knew exactly what I needed to do. I took her photo four times before she saw one she kind of liked. Then I had to reprint it becuase the image was too large for the size requirements. When I showed her her photos, so was really disappointed. At first I thought I did poorly. But she was upset about her face. Luckily her man was there to tell her how great she looked. (Which was true). 

The Man With The Terrible Smell

Actually, it was me. Which I feel bad about. For the first part of my shift I was just gassy with no smell. But by the second part of my shift, things had taken a terribly smelly turn. I blame it on the pregnancy. Possibly the burrito I had for lunch.

While I was getting the milk crates out of the cooler, one fell on my face. My bruise should be darker than it is, for how much it hurts.

If my manager really wanted me to finish that U-boat, he should not have told me to do it right before I went on lunch. After lunch I start closing.

I punched in two minutes late and punched out eight minutes late.

$114

I accidentally let a customer walk out on her $114 photo print charge. I rung everything up, price modified almost everything, and then told her the total. She was alarmed, then asked me to make sure all her envelopes were there. So I double-checked her stubs with her envelopes. Then I moved on to placing a new order for her. After that, I put the battery from her beat-up 35 mm back in the right way.
Then I went to take a passport for a wealthy couple who had distinct and wrong ideas about their images.
I totally spazed out when I realized I didn't receive payment for those photos. I called the customer, and got a busy signal! Not only does she not have a digital camera or a computer, but she doesn't have call waiting! I told her what happened, and she agreed to come back in. She was sad she didn't have time to go out to eat before going to her friends' to cat-sit. This woman should be my friend.

Who Ate The Last Doughnut?

Yes. That is a legitimate question. I was thinking about them in the office and next thing I knew the box was in the trash. Dang.

I was lookin' real rough today because I think I scratched my eye, so it was watering a lot. And looking kind of swollen. And I was feeling under the weather but came to work anyway. Which was a mistake because I felt terrible for most of my shift. And I had that sick-face on...my mouth was open, my lips were dry, my eyes were blurry...I was struggling. If I am feeling under the weather tomorrow around 1 or 2pm, I am calling off.

A group of guys came in a two of them wanted to buy a carton of cigarettes. I talked to two of them while the other ones were probably stealing stuff.

Spring Forward

There are a few signs in the office reminding folks that tonight is the time change: spring forward. Myself and a few other employee mimed the springing forward when we talked about it.

I am exhausted.

I stopped by the pharmacy to ask about buying our store brand Benadryl for my 13-month old. We had spent a few hours in the ER due to a rash, and the nurse told me to get Benadryl. But the box said not to give it to children under four. The pharmacist said I could give it to my son with a baby syringe, and only very little. How nerve wracking!

There was a broken bottle of Tim McGraw cologne, broken, in the clearance aisle. When I picked it up, it got all over my hand. So I smelled like dude for the last half hour a shift. It gave me a headache.

Poster Princess

The 16x20 that I printed came out really magenta. And before I got a chance to call the customer, she came in. She spoke English, but with many Spanish words, so I called my bilingual co-worker. Evidently she felt very entitled. For some reason she showed him her ID so he knew her name. She let him know she couldn't stay long because her family was waiting in the Mercedes outside. She wanted to us to know that the girl in the photo was the girl of a very rich and well-known banker. This woman wanted to keep the very magenta photo, for free, because she didn't want the photo circulating around. So we ripped it up. That magenta print lead me to try to open a ticket so I could get someone to help me fix the printer.
Before I had a chance to think things through, other people came to my department and were mean and difficult and interfered with progress.
Eventually I got the problem fixed, am I am totally proud of myself.

We have a new feature: a prompt on the register that asks the customer if they want a printed receipt or a emailed receipt. We are getting mixed reviews. I like it because of the environmental aspect. But I don't like it because of the extra step we have to take to get people rung up.

I was able to explain most, if not all, of our coupon policy to the new guy.

Lunch Time!

As it turns out, when I don't ask (or tell) my co-workers when I (or they) am (are) going on lunch, we have a cluster-fuck and people went on lunch late and threw off our whole evening schedule. If I don't ask people when they're going, no one has a conversation about their schedule, which affects everyone else's schedule. I give myself permission to schedule lunches within the first hour of my shift.

The woman in Cosmetics is irritaing me more and more. I hope our schedule changes soon so I don't have to deal with her as much. Or I'll just keep ignoring her like I am.

A unfortuante-looking couple came in and wanted new passport photos. I had just taken their photos last week, and they really liked them then. Today they decided that they couldn't see their eyes. And they decided that they didn't want to wear their glasses. Even though I told them that if they always wear them, they should be wearing them in the photo. But they didn't want to.

Germy Socks

Yes, I did take my shoes off. And I wasn't wearing them when I gave the girl at One her lunch. I didn't wear them during my lunch. And I took them off for a minute while I was facing. Because I need to get that shot in my foot.

I just realized I forgot to make the "Out of Order" sign for the stall in the women's bathroom. I will clean them, but I will not de-clog them. Plus, there was some yucky stuff in the garbage in the stall.

The Portrait People

There is husband/wife team who submit 11x14s of portraits. The portraits are sitting shots...the subject is obviously aware of the photographer. Some of these portaits need further color correction. The ones today were magenta. These portaits are of the staff and residents of a nursing home. If these are professional portraits, I can't understand why they are printing them at our store. And I always want to tell them that their images are either slightly out of focus or need more color correction.

I got four free items today.
The Kelloggs breakfast diet drink- free after in-store coupon.
A probiotic vitamin box- free after in-store coupon.
Nivea shaveing cream: buy one get one free, $3.22 for two and I had a $2-off-two coupon.
Nivea Men's Face stuff: buy one get one free, $6.99 for two, a $2 coupon off each.

I got almost $3 in PMs tonight. Every little bit helps.

Short (Sighted)

Good thing I don't put all my self-worth in my job. It seems that my co-workers don't think I'm lazy...but they know that I have a hard time getting certain jobs done. And they can see that I putter extensively. I get away with this behavior, for now, because I am pregnant. But I'm pretty sure I do work. I wonder if I could get another job that I'd be better at.

We were short tonight so I went to the Register for a few hours. Friday night is poppin' at our store. Sort of.

A guy came in and asked if my lip piercing hurt. He had the look of somone who injests a lot of chemicals. His fingers were stained with nicotine/tabacco. His face looked weathered from alcohol use and heavy drug dabbling.

An Assyrian noticed my eyes and wanted to know if they were real. They are. And apparently he thought they were breath-taking beautiful.

We have chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs (in a dozen egg carton) on a display. Some stoner guy thought they were normal eggs for a second.

I spent some time telling my co-workers about my coupon usage and deal-getting at a nearby grocery store. They were not as excited as they should have been.

Lunch

The fun has begun regarding folks on the other side of the register telling me how I should look. One of my regulars came up to let me know that I was 'skinny girl pregnant', meaning that I look pregnant not fat. Because to this woman, being fat is the worst thing possiable. I'm fairly certain that she has body dysmorphic disorder and/or a regular eating disorder (like anorexia or bulimia). I know that she has gotten a boob job and liposcution. She said with her first kid, she thought her and her husband would be together forever so she 'let herself go'. She blew up to 200 pounds. She kept emphasizing that it is important to keep one's weight down so as not to allow one's man to get away. Whenever she comes in she tells me how hot I am. Obviously she doesn't hold me to her own impossiably high standards. Which I appreciate.
A woman who was listening in to our conversation said that she wondered why women today didn't bounce back to their orginal weight after having kids. In 'her day' 'all the women' just went about their business and dropped all the weight very quickly. She said she left the hospital in the clothes she wore before she got pregnant...which I doubt. Her comments irritated me greatly. I suggested that people are eating a lot of processed foods these days, which can make it hard to lose weight.

There is tension between me and my co-worker regarding lunches. I want my lunch at a certain time, which happens to be the same time she wants hers. She is so passive-aggressive, and she is tricky. But I am aggressive, so we'll see.

I told my co-worker that I went to the pool today, but I couldn't really swim because I was trying to prevent my 1 year old from dunking. He said that he wants kids really bad, and he wanted me to know how lucky I am. I know.

Party Cake Peeps

That is the new flavor of Peeps I saw in the seasonal aisle.

A few minutes before we left, my co-worker made me really mad. I had put a bag of Epson salt in a spot with no mylar, where it didn't seem to go. But it seemed like a good spot. She asked if I had done that, why, and told me that she went to put it in the stockroom. I didn't apologize. And she said she didn't want out boss to say she couldn't face well. First of all, he does say that occasionally. And I take care off all kinds of stuff for her. I put up her stock, I answer her calls, I do her tags...She has no right to come at me like that. When she wants her lunch at 8:30, I'll be taking my lunch at 8:20. So there.

I spent too much looking at nothing...eyeliner, crackers, mylars which didn't mean anything...and I barely got my ad tags done. My boss asked if I was going to get them done, and I said 'no'. Which was true.

I overheard part of a phone conversation between the Head Pharmacy guy and presumably some old person. The Head called someone to tell them that a Tech had been to that person's house, that the Tech waited for ten minutes, and then they left. Our guy had to repeat several times what pharmacy he was from. When I poked my head in (to the pharmacy) to tell him that was an awesome overheard phone call, I startled him.

I spent most of my non-working day being sick. So I really didn't want to go in.

Short Staffed

My co-worker called off an hour and 45 minutes before her shift. She may or may not have a foot injury. There was wild speculation as to what could be going on with her. Because this is not the first time she has done this, I hope that she gets some kind of warning or write-up or something.

I still feel that the new guy is questionable.

What Day Is It?

The first thing my co-worker told me was that the Asian woman I helped yesterday came back in today. She wanted a full refund for her passports because I accidentally charged her for four sets instead of three she actually got. I told my co-worker that I hope she doesn't come back in looking for me. He said that she speaks very broken English. I told him that a person can still punch someone in the side of the neck even if they can't speak English. He laughed.

I helped two girls with their photo order, which I had to redo because there was gunk on the scanner which printed out on their photos. The image was a studio shot of mom and baby, and on the bottom of image were two hearts with baby faces in them. The baby was not as cute as they thought. Or as cute as mine. I'm just sayin'. I obviously did not say that to them.

During lunch, I read the paper. And I brought yesterday's paper with me, which I didn't notice until halfway through. It really threw me off.

I finished my closing duties early, so I was able to spend a half hour putting up ad tags. Not gonna lie, I was pretty proud of myself. I was moving really slow for most of my shift, and doing warehouse was hard because my back was spasming. But I don't feel as if I'm as lazy as I think my co-workers think I am.

Plan B

There is a note in the office that said we got a customer complaint because someone in Cosmetics laughed at a female customer because (or while) she was buying Plan B. I wonder if that is true. If it is, my co-workers need to work on compassion and commen sense. But it is possiable the customer misinterpreted the emotions during the transaction.
A younger woman, late teens or early 20's, asked me if I worked there. I admitted I do, and she asked me to help her find ' the morning'.
"The morning after pill? Plan B?"
"Yeah."
I showed her where it should have been on the shelf, and then had to ask the pharmacy. The pharmacy had it, and offered an only slightly less expensive store brand.
When I handed her the pill and started stocking other things, she stood there awkardly for a second. And then said
"Uhhh..."
I asked her if she needed anything else, and she wanted me to ring her up. Because the worker at One was a male. While I was ringing her up, I thought about making small talk, or asking if she had taken it before...but I decided against it. I was really casual and non-judgemental about her purchase, as I should be. She came back later in the evening to get hand soap.
After the pharmacy closed, I realized I should not have left the rest of the Bs behind the register. What if someone had needed it? Tomorrow I'll try to remember to grab those.

Passports

I must have taken four or five passports today. Someone asked if we take pictures for Indian passports. We do not. We are in the States, so we take photos for U.S passports. I wonder where everyone is going? I used to be super-awkward at taking passports, and now I am a little less so. But I noticed that people need more direction than what I give them. I just give them a count-down and hope for the best. This reluctance to pose people, and instruct them on how to stand, is why I do not work in a studio.
Our new camera works better with no flash, at least color-wise. Which I found very surprising. Because we are in a store with florescent lights, I assumed that we needed the flash to cut down on the green. But we do not. How pleasant!

I had a hard time catching my breath for almost my entire shift.

One of my former regulars found me in aisle 8. He was really happy to see me, and asked me to smell both his wrists. He had been spritzing cologne on him, and wanted me to help him choose one. I did, although when he spritzed what he had ultimately chosen, it smelled mostly of alcohol. He said he hoped what he had chosen would go well with his man-scent. Then he told me that he was in a currency exchange the other, sniffed the air, and looked around to see a women he had dated 15 years ago. He recognized her scent! I chose not to make a joke about him being a dog.
Luckily, I got a call to the photo counter. I pretty much followed him down aisle 8, and mentioned that I was going to awkwardly follow him. He said that given all the things hes' done and seen, that wasn't awkward at all.

I really hope this thing on my finger isn't the beginning of a wart. Yuck!

20 + 3

I took in an order for 20 rolls of film from an elderly regular. She had an ad paper coupon for 'buy one set of film prints get one free'. Both of us read it as 'buy one roll processing, get one free.' So I placed the order, and mentioned that the coupon might not work. She looked really stressed out, so I told her that she wouldn't have to pay full price. She said that she doesn't own a computer, so she doesn't do all 'that photo on the computer stuff'. Her camera is the store-brand one; customers can bring in the used film for processing and get another roll free.
My customer also told me that her now-deceased father-in-law had a darkroom, was a professional photographer (sort of) and had 4x5 or and 8x10 view camera with a hood.
She thought that I haven't been working there that long. But its' been almost five years. And I told her I remember waiting on her before. She said she thought she would have remembered a cute girl like me. She should have, obviously.

I made three purchases today.
1) I got my free-after-coupon purchase
2) 'Food'. And a gallon of milk
3) Clearance Valentine stuff

We got out on time. And I'm still going to be too late.

Valentine's Day!

We weren't as busy as I thought we would be, based on the nonsense that happened last night. And the night passed by pretty quick. But I clocked out at 1am, and that was only because I told the manager I was leaving.

The new guy's God and my God are not the same. And when I suggested they might be friends, he reacted with disbelief. He also does believes being gay is a choice, and that it is wrong and possibly a sin. When I suggested he might be a hateful asshole, he recanted. Sort of.
He asked why I didn't like another co-worker, and because I am an over-sharer, I almost told him a lot of things. But instead I kept most to myself, and gave him one good reason. Then I mentioned that I can be pretty difficult, and just because I don't like someone doesn't mean other people shouldn't or the disliked is a bad person.

I was really agitated by the end of my shift.

Tis Was The Night Before Valentine's Day

I don't remember any other Valentine's Day Eve during which we were SO busy! It was pretty much non-stop ringing up the whole evening.

Although I spent some time binding books and re-printing passports, and dealing with that women that no one besides me likes.

The new guy seems suspicious. And he seems to have trouble facing. But we all did at the beginning, so I guess I should cut him some slack.

I hope tomorrow is pretty busy, but I also hope the time goes by a little faster. We got out at 12:58 today.

Passover Frogs

We have one bay of Passover stuff. It includes a bag of frogs, crazy-straws with frogs on them, and matzah cards. I'm not sure if Passover stuff is supposed to be cute, but this stuff is.

I got paid $1.80 in our rewards points for my purchase today. And I paid 20 cents out-of-pocket. I got two boxes of St. Joesph chewable aspirin and two Russell Stover candy hearts. Sweet.

I had to do a lengthy return for my co-worker. I also had to leave the register to do a passport. In the meantime, I couldn't ring anyone up. And because we didn't bother getting any of the items, I had to punch in all the barcodes. It was a ridiculous return.

Some older white guy came in and wanted me to help him find sweatpants. So I said,
"For you? So...a large?"
"A large? For me"
I couldn't tell if he was actually offended. I think he was.

Snitches

I told my co-worker what a snitch was. And we discussed some nuances in the English language.

There was one fake eyelash string in Aisle 9. I hope the person who lost it took the other one off.

We had a mystery shopper tonight; I hope I didn't ignore him.

Apparently we all need to say our branded salutations, and if we don't we might get written up. People from corporate have been popping in, unnoticed. I'm pretty sure I'm about to get written up, because I rarely welcome people into the store.

Tonight I spent a total of $5 on:
1 set of 2 energy shots
a Scooby Doo kiddie pool, with a sprinkler
L'oreal conditioner.
I spent that little because I combined the 'free' offer, clearance prices, and manufacturer coupons.
Now, how am I going to blow that pool up?

I printed out our coupon policy.

Employee Of The Month

Congrats to the Employee of the Month! You know who you are. I didn't even know we were actually doing that...

I heard that the second pregnancy can sometimes be harder than the first. For the past few days I have been getting a little naseous at work. Heartburn, and shoulder aches, and headaches too. And I get really tired, in waves. I hope it doesn't get any worse! I don't get full-on sick, I just get really uncomfortable. Which is almost worse.

I feel kind of bad for the new guy because we told him when his lunch was instead of asking, sometimes I don't answer his calls, his seems like he wants to chat (and I do not), and his body is still getting used to working 8-hour-retail. Like I said, I feel bad for him...but not bad enough to do anything.

These entries aren't as good as they used to be, I feel.

Chinese New Year

One of favorite, crazy regulars came in. She needed a lot of attention. And she wanted me to make a card with a photo from her CD. She needed to me to put text on her card; it turns out that was harder than I thought. She had a long statement that she wanted, and I was having trouble fitting it on the card. I finally figured out that I had to make several different text boxes. Then she wanted a free 4x6, which I wouldn't give her. Then I told her I HAD to go on lunch. When she came in, I had about five minutes to help her before I had to go the register to give the new guy his lunch. She was highly upset by this. I called my manager to see if he could help her and he said
"No"
and walked away. I gave him a crazy look because I feel that even if the customer is kind of insane, there is no reason why he couldn't help her. He was appalled that she didn't know how to scan. And he was rude to me and the customer. I'm thinking about telling the store manager about it.
I finally got her card printed. She seemed pleased with the result. And she gave me candy from Chinese New Year.

The new guy was o.k. He seems like a quick learner and he likes to make fun of customers with me. He's a little bit of a close-talker, though.

Its' Late

I talk a lot to some of our customers, and I hope I don't stress them out. And I hope they don't try to avoid me because I talk too much.

We have a ton of stuff on clearance! A half aisle! But I told myself that I wouldn't buy a brand name unless I had a manufacturer's coupon.

My co-worker told me about a problem she had with a few other co-workers. She didn't want me to talk to them. And I told her that wouldn't have happened to me because I get a little aggressive when I don't get my lunch.

Short Couponing

We were short again. The mid-shift guy, who was also the new guy, stayed an hour late. While he was on the register, the rest of us put up the ad tags. Probably not enough of them.

I rung up an extreme couponer. She paid 48 cents for four Bayer 24 count aspirin and four Speed Stick deoderant. We don't allow cash back overage, so I had to modify the last $1 to 88 cents. She paid only tax. When my co-worker tried to ring her up, she scanned the coupons in a different order than I did. And she rung the items up as quantity. Then the b-1-g-1 coupon didn't scan the right amount. We voided it and when I rung her up, it worked out. She only paid tax. She was nice about it, and didn't try to tell me how to do my job. I'll probably see her again.

I think I might have chatted too much with my manager.

Short Today, Again

Because that fucking girl quit without a two-weeks notice, we were short again. I was at the Register and it was exhausting.

We have a new guy, and I said a few words to him, but didn't actually formally meet him. I noticed he was wearing jeans, though. Fyi, we don't have 'casual Friday'.

Two young boys and an older man were shopping. The older boy took charge because the younger one didn't know what was going on and the man doesn't speak English. Sadly, the boy didn't understand our ad paper when it came to the Sunday coupons. So they didn't get all the deals they wanted.

I had some pinching, piercing back pain again. And that weird pain in my right butt cheek.

A guy came in and asked if he could pay in quarters. I told him that money is money. He hurredly counted them out, then mentioned that he owns a washing machine. For 'rent', the ones people use when they don't have their own. But those never come in just one...I wonder if he really does own just one.

At about 11:40pm this guy came in, and he was kind of an asshole. When he typed in his phone number on the pin-pad, he turned it far away from me, like I wanted his number. Then when I asked if he had his ID, he said,
"What do you think?"
What the hell is that? I just needed to see it to compare to his check.
Also, he couldn't find everything, but he didn't want any help with it, he just wanted to be mad.

When we left (28 minutes late) it was snowing. Nicely. Everything was finely coated and it seemed so peaceful.

Blue Horoscopes

I pulled an evidently very important muscle in my left butt cheek. When I move a certain way, I get a stab of pain. And obviously that muscle goes all the up my back...so the pain does too. Dang.

A youngish friendly-looking woman came to my register. I noticed all her items had a blue label. Progresso, Red Bull...and a few other items. Then I told her I wasn't O.C.D.

I think a lot of resentments are being held by various employees.

A lot of kids were out really late. Some kids were with their parents because they were two and six, but there were a few middle-schoolers out. Around 9pm, 10pm, and almost 11 pm. I think that is crazy! My kids' bedtime is 8 pm and I wouldn't bring him outside after that. Unless there is some kind of emergency. God forbid. The kids were fussy and wild and high-strung. Because it was too late to be out.

I overheard a guy telling his friend that he has started reading his horoscope. And its' turning out to be true. Evidently the reader is finding new ways to think about life.

These entries would be much more detailed and interesting if I wasn't so tired when I get home. Also, I watched Snapped, and it was distracting.