Graeme's Holiday...Day''s Two and Three

The only problem with working every day is that I'm so tired!! Because I'm finishing at 5:30pm, it means that my friends are popping over for coffee an awful lot...I don't mind, infact I'll go so far as to say I enjoy it, but it does leave me hyped up for the rest of the night!! Never mind!!!

So anyway, in shop based news...

I did the double banking...s**tting myself the whole time!

I did the Easter Card uplift.

Sue from Millbrook popped in and sorted something out to do with declaring the coupons that I just could not sort out.

Once I've done my PI's today (2 of 'em) then they are done for the week.

Once Babs and Martha have done their bits this morning, all the stock is worked ready for tomoro's delivery...even the big silver cages.

The Easter stock uplift is being dealt with today as well, and thats all that I really have left to do.

I'm both shocked and surprised!!!

ok, thats it for now. I promise to have non-work related posts next week!!!

Graeme's Holiday...Day ONE

ok, so its the first offical day of Graeme's holiday.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Actually, it hasnt been that bad. I went in yesterday and did a bunch of paperwork and stuff, so today went pretty well.

I counted the money. I will never again be able to touch that much money. And I had to put it all back *pouts*.

6 of the 8 PI's for this week are done...just Alcopops/Beer and tins to do.

Summer toys are booked in and on display. It took me AND Mel to actually build the stand *blushes*.

Event stands are cleared and ready for 1/2 price Easter Eggs in the morning, and the promo ends are nearly done.

I am tired.

I know that no-one really wants to know about all this, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Graeme may pop here, so it just keeps him informed of whats going on!!!

I've also dealt with a minimum of 2 attacks of the bitchiness between staff. That is the worst bit of it all. The rest, well, I just got on with it, but when its 'he said, she said' crap between people I need to keep sweet so that they dont walk out, thats MUCH MUCH harder. *tips hat to Graeme for not simply shooting the lot of us*

I now have to do my sodding housework...bleugh...maybe I'll leave it...and then do two lots tomoro!!!!!

SPRING EQUINOX!!!!

yup, 'tis the first day of spring. Not that you'd know it from the weather, what with the bitter wind chill and the short flurries of snow we've been having, but the start of spring none the less.

As anyone who knows me will tell you, the first day of spring is where my mood lightens, I get my s**t together and I stop taking the aforementioned s**t. Given whats been going on in my life these last few weeks this is a good thing. Phil is gonna have to adjust to not being able to treat me like he does (I think maybe out of habit, I've taken it for so long that he thinks nothing of treating me badly) but other than that, for the next six months at least, I shouldn't hit bottom again!

I also got my groove back on at work today. When I got there, there were 3 extra cages in the stock room (now gone), 5 stocktakes to do (all done), far too many soft drinks to reduce (I THINK I got 'em all), and stock to work (a fair bit of it done). I rock. There is no doubt about this. I also ache, but that I'll get over. When I'm in a funk, my work suffers, and I find that so hard to live with, I like to be able to take pride in my work, and lately I havent been able to. I can today which has definately brightened my mood.

We have also started selling BIG-ASS cans of Red Bull, this too has contributed to my hyperness!!!!

And, today, Amy bought me a fridge magnet that says 'My family tree is full of nuts'!! So true, and I want fridge magnets, cos I've finally got a fridge that I can fill with my boys paintings and other things, so I NEED magnets!!!!!

In other news.......

I have had a fantastic phone call with Amanda. Its grounded me and put me back in my own skin.

I DIDNT fall out with Phil today, for the FIRST TIME in about 19 days (in a row, yes folks, IN A ROW, not that I sat with my calander tonight to work it out or anything)

I'm blogging again (in case no-one noticed...............I'M AN ATTENTION SLUT, PAY ATTENTION!!)

I intend to TT tomoro!!!!

My boy is wonderful, thou pushing me a little of late!!!

I may be addicted to !'s!!!!

Ebay is evil and is going to end up costing me THE EARTH...but I love it anyway!!!

And theres something else, that I should shout from the rooftops, but I'm not gonna, cos every girl needs a secret!!!!!!!!

Happy first day of spring everyone!!

An actual blog post!!!!!

ok, so I haven't blogged for a couple of reasons, one is that when you have actually sat and thought about how you would dispose of someone, its probably not a good idea to blog about it! Another is that the chaos in my life just lately has stunned even me, its like it has a target to reach, and is trying to beat it...if my life were work, we'd have beaten bugdet by about £1,000,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, a proper blog, about the good things in my life, cos a few have happened lately.

Good thing number 1...I went and got my hair cut. It is actually a really cute cut and I love it and am really happy with it. So happy in fact that it is also now a nice deep red colour again!!!

Good thing number 2...I got my paypal verified so I can get addicted to ebay!!!

Good thing number 3...My friendship with my neighbour is going from strength to strength, not bad for some one who hasnt made a friend outside of her job or school for about 7 years!!!

Good thing number 4...I am now the proud owner of a pink Nindento DS Lite!!!!!!!!!

Good thing number 5...I WENT OUT...IN PUBLIC....AND HAD A DRINK...AND I DIDNT GET IN TIL 1 AM...FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 10 MONTHS!!!!!!!

Good thing number 6...I have permission to be in a relationship now from my ex-husband...HAHAHAHAHAHA the world is MINE!!!!!!

Good thing number 7...I seem to have found my sense of humour again.

Good thing number 8...I have cleared the air with my best friend. I dont ever want to have to do it again, but I am so happy I did, and so happy that things are back as they should be.

Good thing number 9...I had Chinese take out for the first time in about a year!

Good thing number 10...I had 9 good things to report!!!!!

Oh, and I am now Graemes 'second-in-command' at work, I am a Senior Shift Manager...Its a pig, but it rocks too...I got a promotion (dances a lil!)

Thats it for right now, but then I want to have some wine tonight, so maybe I'll post a drunken post later!!!!

tired, wired, and generally crazy!

We'll start with the tired, which is a no-brainer as I worked tonight!!! On the plus side there wasnt that much to do, and our sales were amazing for today over 7K!!!!!!! Thats actually all there is to report about work!

The wired then, that to has to do with work, and the fact that I am sat up waiting for a very important phone call (yes, I know its 12:30am, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!), and that I have just finished Thomas Harris' 'Hannibal Rising'. IT IS FANTASIC!!! Any fans of Thomas Harris' work will love it, I could barely put it down to go to work, but I figure that its not the sort of thing I can get a Dr's note for!!! But, despite having to put it down for 5 hours, I started it today, and finished it today, and its stunning. Its plot-line is based on Hannibal Lector's childhood and early adulthood, one imagines it is trying to explore the sort of experiences that lead to such a diabloical character that he created with Lector. Its gripping, gory and definately the sort of book you try to read while the sun is up. Having just read Karin Slaughter's 'Faithless' yesterday, I'm surprised I can sleep with the light off!!! I highly recommend Karin Slaughter to any fans of Patrica Cornwell or Lee Child, and I recommend Thomas Harris' books to EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD. I picked up my first one when I was 12 and have been hooked since. I shouldnt really have bought it but I couldn't walk past it and not own it. I know that the library is a wonderful resouce and so on, but frankly, I'd rather own the books that are gonna become my best friends than have to give them back to someone who couldnt possibly love them as much as I do!

To any newcomers to this blog, yes I am a book freak, and I'm proud of it. To illustrate this I should mention that any month in which I read less than 20 books, at least 10 of them completely new to me, is a slow month. If I could get paid to read all day every day, that would be my absolute dream job. I spend more on books a month than I actually spend on clothes, shoes, and cigarettes combined. But at least its not money wasted. The only books in my house that have only been read once are the ones I've bought this month. Most of my books have been read at least 5 times, and some of them I have been reading and re-reading since I was 12. And still I never tire of sinking into another world, another time, another life. Either I take escapism too far or I am a bit on the odd side!!!!

Tired now

I'm so tired, I should be asleep, instead I'm wired from working.

Work was actually reasonably easy tonight, I LOVE it when the delivery is completed by the time I start, it makes my job much easier. Thou I'd love to know who got what looks like some sort of tar on our floors, it didnt matter what I did, it wasnt coming off!!!

In other news, today, me and my boy went to town, and he bought his bus ticket all by himself!!!!! He's growing up so fast!!! He stepped up, asked for a 1/2 to town, and then handed over his money and took his ticket. Bless him. I figure that if he's determined to be independent then I might as well help him to be, rather than blocking him from it. Its exciting for me, because he's such a strong willed, well adjusted little boy, who is growing into a young man right in front of me. In the same breath its terribly heart breaking as he needs me less and less, and he's only 5!!!!!

I think thats possibly enough pointless rambling from me, I should never be allowed to talk or type once I'm this tired....I should just be locking in a room all by myself, until I sleep!!!!

An Open letter to customers of ___ ____ in __________.

(I wont actually mention the store name or location......I do like having a job!)

After dealing with your charming selves for nearly a year, I feel it is time to mention a couple of things.

First off, just because I work behind a till does not make me an idiot. I work in a shop, this is true, but it is my CHOICE, not because I am too stupid to work anywhere else. I am intelligent and capable, and 9 times out of 10, I generally have a higher IQ then you. The action of working behind a till makes me in no way inferior to you, and there is no reason to doubt that I am able to speak coherently or keep up with current events.

There is no reason to look at me in shock when I say something like 'Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening', it's just plain good manners, its not special treatment, its not because I am attracted to you, it is simply because I have manners and use them. It worries me that you find this so surprising. Looking at me like I've grown an extra head, or, my current favorite, looking up and saying 'WHAT?' is not necessary. Just because I am able to pay attention to you as I serve you, whilst you are oblivious to my existence is no excuse for being rude.

I do not appreciate trying to serve you your goods while you are chatting away on your mobile phone. Again, we are back to basic manners. How am I supposed to be able to ask you for the money you owe for your goods while you are busy making up with your girlfriend?

Also, if I ask you if you require anything else, I am generally referring to the tobacco products that are behind the till. I do not expect you to say......'yes, butter.' and then head down to the other end of the shop while other customers are waiting for you to come back just for butter. This is also bad manners! And by asking if you want to purchase anything else, I am, again, not signaling that I am attracted to you, but asking politely if you need anything else. Therefore, when you ignore me, and then 2 minutes later come back and say 'oh....I need (insert product here)', it makes me just a little cross. I understand that you don't really see me, that I am just white noise to you, but manners people, MANNERS.

If you have a problem with a member of staff, there is no reason to come and find me and tell me about it incessantly. For a start, you likely treated him with as much disrespect and indifference as you do me, and secondly, if you have a complaint, talk to management. Why you seem to expect me to send him home and run the shop on my own is beyond me. There is nothing I can do, expect waste 10 minutes of my shift listen to you repeat yourself.

When you are drunk, it is in no way amusing to see you come in, walk to a section of the store that I have actually faced up and start rearranging stock. You may think your funny, but your not, and I think its possible you have this problem in a lot of areas of your life.

Asking me if I would let you 'make love to me', 'take me home and **** me senseless', or 'bend over again so I can see your bum' in no way makes me think better of you. If I was interested in you, I would display this in some other way than asking you to leave the store. I am not at work for your amusement, or for you to hit on. Can I make this any clearer?

As for my collar. It is discreet. Most of the time, the buckle is tucked under my hair so it just looks like a chocker anyway. It is a symbol of the fact that I am comfortable with, and proud of, who and what I am. There is no reason to assume that it means I am either easy or 'making a statement'. Nor am I rebelling in anyway. It is not a 'phase', or just decoration. It is personal to me, and while I am happy to explain its symbolism to you, its impolite to ask. I don't ask you why you wear the absurd clothes that you do, or the ridiculous jewelry. At least mine is just plain black.

And finally, when I tell you something that you don't want to hear, for example, that we don't have any carrier bags, or that you can only purchase Lottery products with cash, I AM NOT LYING TO YOU. Why would I be lying about carrier bags? With all the effort I put in to be pleasant and polite, what makes you think that the words 'I'm very sorry but we are out of carrier bags' is actually me telling you that I am hiding them behind the till/out the back/up my ass. I am not trying to inconvenience you, I am letting you know something that is fact. There is no reason to lean over the till, into my personal space to check whether there are any bags there. And as for Lottery products, for as long as I have worked in retail, (6 years or so) LOTTERY HAS ALWAYS BEEN PAID FOR WITH CASH. It is store policy, and always has been. I am not denying you the right to a ticket or scratchcard, and I am not doing it for my own amusement. It is the way it always has been, and its just the way it is.

Oh, and one thing I forgot...

THE EGGS ARE IN THE MIDDLE AISLE, AT THE END, ON THE LEFT HAND TOP SHELF.

Your long suffering, friendly shop-girl.

I ROCK.....I REALLY REALLY DO

My first post of the day (I need to post my 'tackle' for this week) HAS to be about my shift last night. I was too tired to blog last night, cos as I got to work (early no less) there was a 9 cage delivery arriving.............yes, at 18:30 or there abouts, there was me, walking in to 9 cages and just me and Trish. So, being as insane as I am, I pulled in the cages and everything, and got stuck in at about 19:20. I knew I had about 2 1/2 hours so thought I'd see just how much I could do in that time. One of the cages was the cigarettes, so I simply handed them to Trish. Then I worked 5 cages completely. Not spotted, not just glanced at, actually worked. Admittedly I played it a little safe cos I didnt fancy having tons of backstock, so things only went out if I could get at least half of the case. But still, for one person to do that much is pretty damn good. This being said, I HAVE TO STOP DOING THIS. Its no wonder that people expect me to do so much, when I keep actually doing it, damnit. I think laziness might be in order this weekend........no wait, I'm working with Graeme........we can't seem to help working when we're on weekends together............D'oh. So I guess I'll just be lazy tonight, and enjoy my last day off till next Wednesday!!!!!!

Oh, and to add to the chaos of today, had to take the boy for his booster jabs today..............that was not a good idea!!!! He hates me because I didnt explain that injections meant someone would be "putting pointy things in me". Bless 'im!

Weekend off.......WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!

The first, and most exciting thing to report is that IT IS MY WEEKEND OFF!!!!!!!! This, in actuality, means that I got up at 6:30 this morning, and was in Philip's car heading to Edward's football by about 8:40........but still, it is a weekend off. It also means that shortly I will be at my mothers, as Edward has been asking to see them all week, and its something to do that costs NOTHING.........NOTHING IS GOOD!!!!!!

The second piece of exciting news is something that I keep forgetting to tell anyone..........I HAVE LOST 1 AND 1/2 STONE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY ME..........I am offically slimmer than I was at 18, so now I only have another 2 and a bit stone to go to get to my ideal weight...........how excited am I???!!! The only downside is the fact that none of my jeans fit and I had to steal a pair off my sister cos mine keep falling down (not as fun as it sounds, trust me!)

I actually think thats about it. I'm making an effort to keep my emotions off of here for now, cos quite frankly, there are some people who check this blog quite regularly, if only to hear how depressed I might be and then gloat............so I am definately denying them that satisfaction and getting on with things with.......wait for it........A SMILE ON MY FACE.



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