The First Day of Fall

Today is the first day of Fall and we were expecting a visit from corporate. So last night I baked cupcakes with chocolate frosting and leaf sprinkles and brought them to work. More than I expected were consumed, which is good because it means people listened to me when I told them to have a cupcake.

Julia

A curly-haired woman came in today. She was buying Perrier Sparkling water. She told me she "didn't need a bag or anything" and she had a very peculiar voice. Nasal and harsh and just a tad familiar. I looked her over while she was punching in her pin number and saw a name tag. She was the older sister of a friend of mine in elementary school. She was the cool and slightly inappropriate sister whom we all tried to hang out with or avoid at all costs, depending on her mood. I don't think she recognized me. It is kind of creepy the way people's paths cross and then criss-cross.

Employee Discount

If you have an employee discount card, most likely you are an employee. Or you know an employee. So you understand the hardships we face when ringing customers up. If you have an employee discount, you should start the transaction by getting off the damn phone. You should also let me know you have a discount by telling me before I grab your merchandise and start ringing. When I have to move to a different register because you failed to notify me about your discount prior to me scanning an item, you should thank me instead of continuing to talk on the fucking phone. You could also acknowledge me by exchanging pleasantries, such as "Thank you",  "Have a nice day", or, "Have a good one". Also, I don't mind if you look at me during this transaction. Perhaps a head nod, or some eye contact. Really, anything that lets me know that you are aware of the services being provided. Dang, I love those fucking employee discounts.

I Try To Be Friendly

Some old guy wanted to kiss me today...he was just "teasing" but he asked if he could. Probably because I have a lipring. I am really glad I don't work in sales where I have to wow the customers and laugh at their stupid and mean jokes. I do have to maintain a sense of customer satisfaction and sometimes that kills me. People seem to think they can say anything to me; be it sexual, racist or condescending in nature.

I bought Ben & Jerry's ice cream today (for $2.99 each) and I have a $2-off-two coupon. I bought them on my lunch break (which took longer than expected because a co-worker forgot my employee discount and had to get it voided, then got distracted by an argument about what Kim Kardashian is really famous for). I clocked in, then put them in the walk-in freezer (not the one in the break room). When I clocked out and went to go get it, I was startled by the wall of milk. It was four or five rows deep, stretching across the width of the fridge. Each stack was a milk crate taller than I am. I tried to squeeze through but my chest wouldn't fit and I was afraid of getting stuck. I went to go ask my manager if they were arranged in a particular way already, she said no, and I commenced moving them. Towards the end a male co-worker came in to help. Finally. I was able to get enough of them moved so I could squeeze through and open the freezer door just a smidge. That's what I get for not using the nasty break room facilities. It was like a really cold game of Tetrus.

My Son...He Died

As soon as I walked in the door this morning my boss greets me by telling me to help the woman in camera. Anyone who comes in that early needing special attention is usually difficult. I told her to wait while I clocked in (at 8am on the dot!).
She shows me a picture of a young man and woman standing in front of a sweet ride. They are dressed up and she is wearing a corsage and I assume it is a prom-type picture. She proceeds to tell me in broken English she wants a 4x6 of the image (it was a little bigger than wallet-size) and she wants the woman cropped out. I told her I would see what I could do. I head over to the scanner and realize it is broken (surprise, surprise) and as I'm going to the other one she tells me the man in the picture is her son. As I was about to tell her how handsome he is, she says he died. She starts tearing up. While I am trying to crop the woman in the photo out as best I can, I realize this woman has now started to cry. Although her English is broken, I am able to understand that her son has died about a year ago, on the 17th. She has other images she wants to enlarge and her husband had told her not to bother coming in because he says no one would understand her because her English is so bad. I finally get the image up, and I am starting to crop, and she realizes that it would be impossible to cut the woman in the photo out without cutting off some of her son's leg off because they are standing so close together. She tells me that she does not know what has happened to the woman, she has her own future.
As she is realizing that perhaps our scanners cannot work photographic materials, she says she does not want me to try any further. I give her the geographic location of a nearby camera shop. She asks how much she owes for the services I have rendered. I told her nothing because I really didn't do anything. She thanks me and goes shopping.
About twenty minutes later she comes to my register with six pencil eyeliners (she does the cat-eye like me!), eight pairs of knee-highs and a Giant Hershey Almond Chocolate Bar. I ring her up for everything and she gives me the chocolate bar. She says "Its for you. For being so nice and sweet!" I thank her repeatedly, because I love my chocolate. As she is leaving she tells me not to drive to fast. I am assuming her son died in a car accident.

The New Kid

I was put in charge of training the new kid on the register, this afternoon. I'm pretty sure I did a terrible job. I forgot to tell him a lot of important things. But he doesn't spaz out like I do, so I'm sure he'll be fine.

$24

Early this morning, (like, before school), this girl came in and studied our gum section. She was pretty small, and maybe in 5th or 6th grade. She bought a Covergirl lipstain and gum. And she spent $24. When she saw her total, I expected that she would ask me to void a few items, but she just dug deeper in her coin purse. And she paid exact change, which I like. But $24?! My parents would not have let me walk around with that much money, let alone spend most of it on gum.

These two sisters came in and asked for a price check on various items in their cart. Which then they didn't want. The more talkative sister asked for the $2.99 item in the coffee section.
"It was $2.99 but nothing was there. But we would like to know what it was."
I checked for them, and they seemed unclear on what I had said, so they looked around and pretended I didn't say anything. Then she asks me for a delicious mint.
"They are small and fruity and minty. And they are delicious. What are they called?"
"I have no idea. Icebreakers, Altoids, Mentos? I don't know."
"They are in that family." Then she went to look at the mints. Tic-Tacs was what she was talking about. I also sold her a few packages of mints on clearance. She bought them out an asked for more. Very unclear on the concept of clearance. She calls a few hours later to ask if we have her mints. She can't find them anywhere and she wants to know what we did with them. I told her I didn't have them, and I know she walked out of the store with them.