I've successfully driven myself insane.

As I sit here, a couple of things come to mind. First of all is the fact that, in my head I refer to my department manager as Bobbalicious. Her name is Bobbie, but for some reason, it has been strictly Bobbalicious for the past few days. I think it has something to do with the fact that on a recent trip to Walmart, someone pointed out to me that she chomps away on her gum. This, combined with a general lack of respect for authority, resulted in Bobbalicious. I think it has a ring to it.

Another thought that just went through my mind, is the fact that one of my coworkers has no shame. If you remember my first post about Walmart, when I talked about the guy who reported is every move... well, this is the same guy. A few days ago, he was outside sweeping, and I guess he found a flower that he liked, because for some reason he decided to turn into a hula dancer and tuck it behind his ear. Now, some guys might do it for laughs, or just for a reaction, but this guy wore his daisy with pride... sporting it to the checkout line, the breakroom and yes... even the bathroom. Now, normally I would have just laughed it off... but I was genuinely concerned that someone was going to beat him up. Seriously, he needs to not be so flamboyant!

On a more serious note, the stress of the summer is finally setting in. I finally remembered that the reason that I am working at Walmart is to pay my remaining balance on last years tuition, and to get a good start on this upcoming years payments. As the weeks go by, I realize more and more how impossible it might be.

I've always thought that worry is essentially calling God a liar, but I can't help but feel like I've been neglecting God lately, so maybe he might just neglect me this time around. I know that if God wan'ts me to be at Malone this fall, he will, as always, provide a way. Keeping that mindset dosent help a whole lot though, because I have no way of knowing for sure that he auctually wants me to be at Malone, which is terrifying because I really truly love it there.

If I think back to this time last summer, I remember having the same doubts and fears, and as usual, everything worked out. This year however, I really don't see a light at the end of the tunnel. I've been working my butt off and it dosen't seem to be paying off like I thought it would.

I guess I need to just have faith that God's will is what is best for me... and that I really can only do my best. It's like the song Unpredictable by Francesca Battistelli that says:

When I know that I know what you have down the road, when I'm sure that I've figured you out, help me see that I'm small that I can't know it all, cause you're so unpredictable.

I want to make these lyrics my mantra over the next few weeks, so that I can
just chill out and trust in His plan!

Now, for fear of seeming to dramatic, I want to leave you with one of the funniest things I've seen for a while. This kid is hilarious. I suggest that everyone searches for Daxflame on Youtube! Enjoy!

So a female dog and a donkey walk into a bar...

"Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference. " - Mark Twain

I would say that I am pretty good at tolerating people. I'll listen to people ramble... I'll bite my tounge when people say idiotic things, and I am certainly not one to throw a hissy fit everytime someone makes me mad. I also usually get over things pretty quickly. I don't let rude people ruin my day; however, working at Walmart has given me a taste of just how dumb people can be.

EXAMPLE ONE: Man walks up to my register looking for a pond filter. I politely tell him that we don't have any in Lawn and Garden and that the hardware department might carry them.

About 3 seconds later, a woman (his wife) comes at me from the opposite angle asking for a fountain filter. Now, keep in mind that I am trying to ring out another coustomer.... So, I politely tell the woman that the only filters in Lawn and Garden are for swimming pools.

Woman: Well, You had them last year.

Man: Can't you call an associate.

Me: I can see if someone else is around who might know where you can find them, but we don't have any back here.

Man: Nevermind!

Okay, so that should have been the end of it. Nope! 5 minutes later, the man and woman walk back with an assistant manager. She came in and asked me and a co worker where the fountain filters were. I just stood there, and my coworker backed up my story that we dont carry them this year. Finally, the man and woman decided to calm themselves down and checked out... but here is what makes me mad about this situation:

- First of all, I genuinely hate it when coustomers act like I am stupid. If I don't know the answer to their question, I ask someone else. If I do know, I tell them what I know.

-Secondly- What did they go tell the manager... that I wouldn't help them? Uhhhh.... thats just not okay with me.

- Finally, after it was all said and done. They both simply go through my line as if they didn't just act like pigs in front of a whole line of people. I had a lot of mean things to say, but I just smiled polietly, even though it took every ounce of christianity in my body not to give them a piece of my mind.

EXAMPLE TWO: I've worked with some difficult people in my life, but this time around I have a coworker who I just can't stand. This girl started working about a week after I did, but she seems to think she owns the place. She always tries to boss me... for example, she will be standing 3 feet away from the register, and a coustomer will come "STACY YOU HAVE A COUSTOMER" ... now here is what annoys me about that... first of all, I constantly am checking to see if I have coustomers, and when she yells like this, it makes me look bad. Also, she is perfectably capable of, and responsible for running the register. Its not MY job, it is everyones. I'm not sure why I am always the one getting pulled away from my work to ring people out.

Another annoying thing this girl does... is inturrepting. One day in particular.... I came into work 2 hours before her and had already restocked everything and was about half way through straightening the shelves. I tried to tell her that she didn't need to stock things, but she kept saying things like "Okay after we are done with this, we can start pulling things." After about five unsuccessful attempts to tell her, I went ahead and let boss lady check every item to see if we needed more. I think out of the whole department, she only had to refill one or two things, because a coustomer had been there after I had already stocked it... she basically wasted two hours of her time... shoulda listened dontcha think?

EXAMPLE THREE: Okay so, anyone who knows me, knows that every year I look forward to my families big trip to Geneva on the Lake, so getting a new job brought about the stress of having to beg for that week off. Now, when I found out that a girl who started the same time I did has already taken a weeks vacation, I assumed that I would have no problems doing the same. Especially since I made up an elaborate story about why I needed that week off.

At Walmart, if you want to take time off, you simply go into the computer and punch in the days you need to be gone. On May 22nd, a month ago, I went in and requested July 24th-the 31st off. Every few days I go in to see if it's been accepted yet and every day I get greeted with PENDNG. So, I did the responsible thing and went and talked to someone in personel about it.

Several trips later and it still says pending. I'm gonna have to start being mean. I know they really want to ruin my vacation, but thats just not gonna happen.

Anyways, I have to get up in a few hours to deal with this wonderful group of people, so I need my sleep. Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Seriously, where does time go?

It's hard to believe that I've been out of school for a month already. I thought that by now, I would have knocked a few things off of my to do list, spent time with a few of my friends, and that I would be well rested and ready to conquer the world!

Oh How Wrong I was...

I can easiliy think back to a time where summer was a time to recharge, and to just hang around and have fun. Where Oh Where did those days go? I've decided that if being an adult means that I have to work day after day after long boring day, even throughout the summer... well then I have news for everyone... I'm done being an adult.

Serioiusly though, I can't even explain what my summer has been like. I started working a few days after the semester ended, and I haven't had two days off in a row since! The days I do have off, are filled with laundry, cleaning, and just being too tired and lazy to do anything productive or fun for that matter.

There are only two things that keep me from slowly losing my mind:

Drunroll Please

1. Money... lots and lots of money!!! Well, I guess I dont really make that much money. In fact, if I were a real adult (you know, the kind who has house payments and stuff) I defiently wouldn't be able to survive on my own paychecks. But hey, it pays the tuition right???

2. Vacation!!!!! Just tonight I told Wendy that I " Need" this vacation more and more every year. In just a few short weeks I'll be in my nice lake front cottage (which I'm proud to say that for the first year ever, I'm auctually helping to pay for it!!!) Hopefully I'll be swimming and reading and relaxing!!!!

Anyhow...

I'm not saying that my summer has been BAD ... it just hasn't really been good either... So my plan is this, I'm going to work hard, and keep my eyes on what it is that I am working for... AND I'm going to learn to relax a little. My frist step is to stop blabbing and go read a book!

Goodnight!!!

Today was a bad day...

Let me tell you about my day... I got off work last night at 11pm. Layed in bed counting sheep... until who knows when. Woke up 45 mintues late... which was at 5:45am. Went to work, tired and hot, and then got cooled off by the nice spring downpour. Frizzy hair. Heavy boxes. I got blisters all over my wet feet at work. Debit card GONE... rushed around during my lunch break trying to eat... got ice cream all over my self while rushing back to work. Awkwardly asked Burger King if they had my Debit Card... they Did. Accidently charged a customer $11 for fish that should have been less than a dollar. I was lethargic at work.... got home.. SORE. Waited for my mom to get ready.... Still sore... Blah Blah Blah...

As you can see today was horrible...

Now for why today was wonderful...

Today I....

Woke up, under a roof in a warm house.

I had breakfast, lunch and dinner and didn't have to wonder where the food would come from.

Laughed with a new friend I found at work.

Had a job.

Had more friendly customers than rude customers.

Got a wall post from a friend I haven't seen In a few weeks.

Got mail.

Felt the cool breeze and listened to the rain on the rooftop.

Found my debit card.

Heard great music on my way to and from work.

Read a magazine.

Had a whole lot of Oreos.

Finally, I am currently babysitting my littlest baby cousin, and he is soundly sleeping.

I realize that my day wasn't interesting at all... that's not my point. My point is that, well, today was really bad. All day, I have been going on and on in my own head about how bad it is... But

when I take a second to think about all of the blessings that I have in my life... all of the people and possibilities that I have been given... I can't help but hope that tomorrow will be better...

"Learn from yeterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." - Albert Einstein

Just a Thought...

I have to ram into work in about an hour... But I've been developing a thought all night, so I thought I would share it briefly!

Everyone has something that they struggle with, often many things. Sometimes it is obvious... such as my addiction to food. Other times it is not so obvious, such as a person who is haunted by childhood abuse, or thoughts of suicide. I've been thinking about friendship lately, and I've come to the conculision, that a true friend is put into our lives to help us deal with these struggles. I think when you have a friend, your job is to realize that he/she has problems in life, and to be willing to help them through these problems. I understand that its hard to know what people deal with, and I am not suggesting that we should all go probing into the lives of others.... however, if someone we call a friend expresses to us that they are going through something... then we need to be available to listen, and to act if necessary.

I think that a lot of the time, our first reaction when someone comes to us with a problem, is to tell them all the reasons its not a problem. But the thing is, there is no stupid reason to be unhappy, and no stupid reason to be scared. I know that personally, If I go to someone for help, then it is a Big deal, no matter how dumb it may seem to others. And what about those friends we all have, who see EVERYTHING as a huge issue? Well, maybe their real problem is loneliness, and as a friend, our job is just to spend time with them, and listen to them, no matter how old it gets.

I guess my point is, I haven't been the greatest friend to some people, and others haven't been that great to me. Something to work on I suppose...

Great Customer Ettiquite

Just yesterday, I was talking to one of the ladies I work with about some of the rude, idiotic things that people do. After working in good old Walmart for about fifteen years, she's seen coustomers of all shapes, sizes and temperments, and was quick to share some of her best stories. She concluded our conversation by saying that she believed that everyone should have to work in retail for AT LEAST six months, so they could see what we "Go Through". Now, I realize that forcing the entire population to do their time in a checkout line isn't realistic so, I decided to make a sort of, how to guide concerning the proper way to act once you enter any kind of store:

Five important things to remember to be a successful customer! :

1. It's not MY fault if you are having a bad day! : If a customer comes into the store where I am working, I truly hope that they are happy and healthy, and are having a good shopping experience. If someone is upset or sick, or lost or whatever, I really do feel bad; however, unless I am the one who broke your heart, or ticked you off, or gave you the swine flu... it is not MY fault if you are unhappy. Therefore, when I greet you with a smile and a hello, the least you can do is show some respect. I have a bad day every once in a while too, you wouldn't like it if I took it out on you, do the same for me!
2. I do not make the rules where I work, and I am not in charge of setting prices, or deciding which products we carry: Just today I had to deal with a customer who was angry because Walmart didn't carrry the product that he wanted to buy. Now, this man later apologized for being rude, but 9 times out of 10 that dosen't happen. Listen, I understand that times are tough, and no one wants to pay 10 bucks for a bag of dirt. If it were up to me, everything would just be free, and we would all have everything we needed. But its NOT up to me, and its not up to anyone who works in my particular store either. So, if you come in and find that your favorite laundry soap has gone up by 10 cents, you really have no right to yell at me about it. As far as the rules go, Yes I have to have a bar code, no I can't sell you damaged goods for half price, and If you want to return something, I can't personally do it for you. I understand that your life is busy, but I kind of like my Job, and I'm not about to lose it just because I broke the rules to make your life a little easier.
3. If I make a mistake... It dosen't mean I'm out to get you: I know, sometimes I make a little mistake that costs you a couple of extra minutes of your time standing in line, and I truly apolozige, I really do. But, here is the thing. I come to work, and I try my best. I don't expect you to be perfect, so I'm not sure why you think that I need to be perfect. You can bet that If I've made a big enough of a mistke to cost you more than a minute of your time, than I am more embarassed than you are angry. If you came up to me, and I was rude to you, or if I was breaking your stuff, or calling your baby ugly... well then you can get angry. But, If I accidently push the wrong button, is that really something to pop off about? I have never made a mistake that has cost anyone money, nor have I made a mistake that has gotten anyone hurt. Be thankful that I care enough to do my best to fix the mistake, so that you can be on your merry way!
4. Just because I work in a store, dosen't mean I know the location, function or price of every item in stock: This is a big one... a customer comes up, and askes me what type of oil a certin mower uses... I have a couple of options. A.) I can go help him try to read the box, or the manal to try to find the anwser. or B.) I can ask my co workers if they know the answer. Either option may take a little time. But hey, when I got hired to work in Lawn and Garden, they didn't exactally install a micro chip into my brain containing all things related to grass, mulch and flowers. I mean, if you, the expert, don't know the answer, then how am I supposed to? Also, I haven't gotten around to memorzing the entire layout of the store which makes it hard to know where every product is kept. That being said, I would be happy to help any customer find what they are looking for, but if I don't lead you right to where you need to be, don't act like I'm stupid!
5. I have a job to do, and that job is not to be your babysitter or your servant: My job requires me to do a lot of different things on a daily basis. My first priority is always to help my customers, and I sincerely try to do the best I can at that, however, I can only be at one place at a time. If I am three isles away on the top rung of a ten foot ladder, sometimes I just can't see you waiting ever so patiently at the cash register. If I see someone headed that way, I automatically go to make sure they don't need my help, and I check often to make sure everyone is being taken care of, but It's just not possible for me to know the exact moment that you are ready to be checked out. If you go to the register and I am not there, and if you are in a hurry, or just think that I haven't seen you, well the solution is simple.... come tell me! I would much rather you come and politely ask me if I can check you out, than have you huff and puff at me because you had to stand there while I made a 45 second sprint to the register.

BONUS: Here is a simple rule of thumb while shoping in any store. Treat others they way you would like to be treated. Put yourself in the shoes of those who are there to help you. When in doubt, be polite. Trust me you will get much better service if you are friendly and respectful!!!