Friday, June 28, 2019

Flashback Friday: You CAN Teach An Old Dog New Tricks!

June 2009:
Here are some of the events which took place ten years ago:

Tried my hand at editing someone else's work.  Needless to say, it didn't end well, and we no longer 'talk' to each other.

Did well at my 3rd Wine and Art Festival:)

Kenzie received her 1st review for All She Ever Wanted!

Spouse still wasn't working, and did move up from #55 to #19 by the end of the month.  He also had eye surgery.  I was feeling stressed, and managed to calm down with the help of an insightful Sunday sermon:)

Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawset-Majors died...within hours of each other.  Can you believe it's been ten years?

I learned to use operate a cash register and other skills, when I temped at a Fireworks store

Next Month:  Amelia and More Great Reviews!

********
Present Day:
Going up to Covington tomorrow, to celebrate two birthdays and one 'un'-birthday, then attending the McCutcheon Class Reunion.  Dad's bringing me home on Monday.

Happy Birthday Dad!!!  77 Years Young:)

Monday, June 24, 2019

Life In Lumber, Week #13

Day 72:  2nd Week of New Schedule
Shift was busy from the time I arrived.  No real issues tonight, or CFHs, just busy!  Went to dinner at 5:15 (which I thought was INSANELY early!), then things settled down and was able to get my soda count done.

We're implementing some new policies, and I don't particularly like one of them:  We 'get docked' if we have too many hand-keyed items, such as tabbing over on the gun (say a customer has 30 2x4x8s....we scan one, hit 'tab', type '30', then 'enter'.  They now want us to scan it 30 times?  NO THANKS!), or when someone buys the 7/8th particle board, we now have to scan the code from the book instead of typing '12212', then tabbing to quantity.  What about the bar codes which refuse to be scanned?  Fortunately, Aliscia and I agree; if there are more than 10 items, we're gonna tab over.  Same with the bagged items, where the customer has written the item # on the bag, and the quantity.  I'm gonna type it, instead of looking up the item for the damn code!  Again, this also depends on how busy the line is at the time....

Had everything accomplished before close, then took my two items back to their area, took a brief potty break, and took off my vest.  Mikayla said she'd cover for me on the 5th, so yay!  I won't have to call in:)

Day 73: I Get A Cooper Kiss:)
Shift was fairly steady; was able to see Travis and his boss (he's working for a rental company); and 'met' Floyd the Great Dane and Cooper the Border Collie, who 'kissed' me when I leaned down to find the bar code on the paneling!

Went to lunch at 5:55. and when I returned, was able to do my closing duties, except for the sweeping.  Jordan kept insisting he didn't know where the dust mop was, or the dust pan.....but as Mel was cleaning out my drawer, I saw Chad with the dust mop!  Tomorrow, I NEED to remember to 'steal' it after dinner, lol!

Also saw my least-favorite person, who thought I needed the sign from the plywood in order to enter it.  At least we were able to be civil toward each other, and no more 'narcissistic' comments from the Peanut Gallery.

We finished early tonight; was home by 9:30!

Checked my stats at the end.....82% scanning, 50% 'friendly' (surveys).  Also sold two more LPPs tonight!

Here's hoping tomorrow is smooth and steady:)

Day 74:  Long Day
From 2-5:30, shift was fairly uneventful.  Had to call for an approval code for DANCORP, but that's about it.  D picked me up at 5:45 and took me to dinner at LJS, then returned me an hour later.  Began my closing duties, and had two CFHs between 8:30 and closing time.  The first wanted to add some OSB and quickcrete to her delivery order, plus wanted to pay for the other items she'd bought.  The second had four carts of ceramic tile, lumber, OSB, and screening.    Had to take some returns back, and my loading tickets and tax exempts; no soda was sent down.  Tasha asked me to return two window blinds to Home Decor, and some plastic sheeting to Millwork, which turned out to be Building Materials.  Got out of there at 9:30.

Also had a storm blow in around 8, and a lot of tarps were being sold!

Here's hoping tomorrow is equally smooth and steady!

Day 75: Al...Most...The...Weekend!
Shift was fairly smooth!  The only hiccups involved customers wanting to order lumber, and me having to call Brandon to do it.  Jordan had to load 52 sheets of OSB and got the forks a little too close on the way up the stack, ripping some of them.  Then, when he was reloading the stack, he accidentally backed into the lumber desk.  No damage to the desk, however!

Had a carpet come through, with the wrong item # on it.  Customer had to go back to Flooring, since I couldn't get them on the phone.  Turned out they'd left out a digit!

Other than not getting bags and register tape, closing duties were all accomplished in a timely manner.  Had to return one item to Tools and two to Hardware:)

Looking forward to tomorrow, and hope it follows the rest of this week in going well!

Day 76:  TGIF!
I think this 5 days in a row thing is kicking my butt....I'm more tired today than I was earlier in the week!  Still, the first three hours went well.  Then I sacrificed my lunch break to finally watch the training vids I've tried to watch the past two weeks.  When I returned, I immediately needed an override, then ran out of dollar bills and had to switch to register #2.  We had a 7:00 'rush', and Marci brought down the sodas.....but every time I tried to stock the cooler, someone else would show up!  I didn't get the cooler finished until nearly 8:30.  Pulled trash at 8:45; spot-swept at closing time, then had three people in line as the lights were being dimmed.  Managed to get them rung up before HC Cindy arrived, and locked the doors as she was cleaning out the registers.  Had to take two things back to Tools and Building Materials, and Karlee took my tax exempts and loading tickets.  Found some Flex Glue that had to be returned to Paint, then got my things from my locker and took off my vest.

Saw Kaleb, who was in for some lumber.  He's doing construction now, and filling in at Lowe's on the weekend.  I gave him a big hug:)

We're off to the Beef House for a late lunch tomorrow!  Then, I have a four-day week that includes S's 25th birthday:)  See you next week!


Friday, June 21, 2019

Flashback Friday: Meeting Miss Entitled....

June 1999:
Recap:
I had taken on the task of Concession Rep for our team, which meant having a key to the stand, being in charge of lining up workers from our team, and getting things started in the mornings....

Things were going well; all the moms on our team had stepped up to help out in some way or another.  One mom kept score; another was Dugout Mom, the one who kept track of the lineup, bats, helmets, etc, and I was Concession Mom.  One of our mom's was pregnant with her fourth child, so I took her shift one day.

Unfortunately, my child not only got stung by a bee, but hit a grand slam home run!  And I missed it, because I couldn't see the field from the stand, and no one caught it on camera!

One morning, I arrived to find the other Pee-Wee concession mom loitering outside.

"I left my key at home....oops!"  She never bothered to help get things ready; just went on her merry way. 

I was flabbergasted.  What would she have done, had our game been AWAY that day?  Then the next week, all hell broke loose.

I had been told, that when both home teams played each other, it was the team designated HOME's responsibility to man the stand.  Our sheet clearly said our team was the 'visiting' team, so I planned to videotape the game.  Since we arrived before the other team, I went ahead and got things started in the stand, so parents and other family members could have coffee/hot chocolate and a snack before the game.  The other team arrived, so I closed the door and went to sit in the stands.

Next thing I know, people are complaining because there's no worker.  I knew a teenager on the other team's family, so I asked her to work it.  Unfortunately, the teen wasn't very good at Math, so I heard plenty of grumbling about her, and after the game was over (they trounced us, lol!), parents complained to ME about the fact I'd not lined anyone up, and didn't seem to care that it wasn't my responsibility that day.  I fumed about it for days. 

Several weeks later, I asked the Concession Manager about whose responsibility it was, and she backed me up!  When I told her what had happened, she nodded and said she'd heard similar stories about that particular mom.  I wasn't alone.

Next Month:  County Fair Fun!

*********
Present Day:
I'm almost finished with the 1st week of my new schedule, and so far I'm still cheerful:)  Today is payday, and I'm almost finished paying for all my events!  Teen has only today, then M-Wed of next week for summer PE, then he's finished until August.  Daughter is still looking for a job.

This weekend is our Rainbow Over The Wabash (aka PrideFest) and the Corning Irish Festival.  Praying the rain holds off, and sales are good!

Monday, June 17, 2019

Life In Lumber, Week #12

Day 67:  New Schedule!
Today was the 1st day of my set schedule, and I was thrilled:)  We dealt with rain in the first 3 hours, then Marci relieved me for lunch, and when I came back (bringing both register tape and a dust pan), I discovered all hell had broken loose.

-Customer A didn't have enough on their card and were trying to fix it; HC Aggie and M had invoiced their order for when payment could be made.

-Customer B insisted their stack of drywall strips were supposed to be 52.49, even though they kept ringing up 62.98.  Decided to buy only one stack, but then brought me a photo of the item # and I discovered they didn't match.  Rang up the bin item #......and they ran back to get another stack!

-Customer A tried again to pay; declined.  Saved it again.

-Customer C had a large order, and after ringing everything up, discovered an issue with the wood stain.  Had to review everything and unpack bag to make sure I'd rung everything up!

-Customer A tried again, and this time it went through!

-Customer D paid for two items and said the stack of wood by Reg #2 was theirs.  After pushing everything out the door, I noticed an hour later the wood was still there.  Mgr Brandon asked me if it was a return; I told him I thought it was a customer's!

-Aggie came down with my soda and tried to take my trash, but I wasn't finished pulling it!

-I went to wipe down the counters and discovered a dry bleach water bottle.  OOPS!

-Tasha came down to close out my drawer and informed me that some people weren't happy about my set schedule, but she didn't care.  Frankly, neither do I!

-Corporate's coming in tomorrow, so we all need to be on our best behavior!

Reeeaaaallly hope tomorrow goes well!  I found a lesson I need to complete, so need to go in early tomorrow.  Also need a lunchable.

Day 68:  Corporate In The House!
If the Head Honchos were there, I didn't see 'em....unless they were the blue-shirted folks in the training room when I clocked in!

Customer flow was blissfully quiet.  There were a few steady times, but I was able to get ALL my closing duties, save for locking the doors and filling the bags, by 7pm.  Had a torrential downpour after I came back from lunch, which cooled things off considerably!

I saw Ben with the dust mop and asked him where he'd found it.  He said he'd let me use it when he was done.....and by the time I got around to using it, discovered he hadn't cleaned up the dirt he'd swept!  Thanks B....leave it for Mom to clean up....

Also saw Steve in the break room and asked if we ever participated in 'Take Your Kid To Work Day'.  He said no, to which I replied my Teen would make a good cart runner!

Taylor is our 1st Cashier of the Month:)

After break, I went to get more bags, and Mel came into the room, saying she'd just sent some down, then handed me four more White Monster drinks.

Heard something about evaluations in July.....

Here's hoping my long day, tomorrow, goes just as smoothly!

Day 69:  Long Day!
My day actually began on a positive note.  D brought me a Hardee's breakfast, plus let me catch up on my nostalgia TV.  It began to rain when he dropped me off, so had him drop me at Lumber, and discovered why I was scheduled from 2-close on Wednesdays; Kem is only scheduled til 2.

Shift went well; only had to call for an approval code once, unlike Monday, when I had to do it twice!  Was supposed to go on lunch at 4, but when the family arrived, I saw Mel and asked her; she said it had been pushed to 5.  So Will hung around and bagged for me, and even tried to help a customer find a board.

Had a storm blow in, and several customers hung around to wait it out.  One even had me tag their carpet, and said they'd return in the morning.  They actually came back around 8:30 and got it.

Mgr A arrived and was surprised I'd not taken my break yet, and sent Jane down....just as I began ringing up a large order.  Turned out she was paying by check with a new account, and the check refused to go through.  Called Mgr A, who was again surprised I was still on the clock, so she came down to take care of it.  At this point, it began raining again, so had to walk fast through the rain to the truck.

Had a good meal at Dogwood, and went back to work.  Things went well until 9:05.  I'd locked the doors, and was waiting for my drawer to be pulled, when a customer came around the corner.....with a bunch of stuff needing discounted, all needing an override.  A was on her way down, then discovered she'd already put her card away.  Called for another one....and finally got everything rung up and the customer sent on their way!  Clock out time:  9:28.

Here's hoping tomorrow goes a little smoother, like Tuesday's shift!

Day 70:  What IS it with Last Minute Customers???
Shift began well; I was in a good mood all afternoon....and then I returned from lunch break.
   -A Pepsi had exploded, and it had taken most of our paper towels to mop up.
   -Chad and Jordan arrived, only Mgmnt sent J home, since he was over his hours.
   -I don't think C hardly had any time to catch his breath....every time he turned around, a customer needed him.  He unloaded trucks; loaded trucks; pulled down OSB; helped load concrete.  A guy came in to return the insulation blower and half a pallet of insulation.  He went out to count how many, and reported 42.  Scott had to come out and unload it, since C was busy!
    -A Hispanic man came in to return some lumber.  He'd been in Wed, but apparently had returned the wrong ones, lol!  It took me a few minutes to dig through his receipts and find the correct ones.  But was confused when I went out to count them; he  had the 5 1x4x6s, but instead of 3 2x8x8s, there were five.  I called down to CS to have him confirm how many he was returning, since I had highlighted only the three.  A few minutes later, he returned, and I did more digging through his receipts, and found one where he'd bought 8.  He confirmed he was returning only 5, so that was the one I highlighted and initialed.  When he returned again with another cart load, I rang him up, then joked that when his project was finished, he should take a picture of it, then come back and show it off!  He agreed, and went out the door.
 
At 8:30, things were going well.  All I had to do was lock the doors, so I decided to at least wash the doors.  I was only able to wash half of one when a customer arrived.  Managed to finish washing the other half.....and then a bunch more showed up, including a customer with discounted carpet.....which needed an override.  Called Mgr A; she was in the restroom.  Called for a code 99, and Scott arrived.  I'd calculated the 1st one correctly, but for whatever reason, could NOT do the remaining two!  Thankfully, S helped, and the 4th didn't need discounted.  Finished ringing everything up, then tackled the next customer.  Meanwhile, A hopped on #2 and rang up the non-cash ones!  I finished, shut off my light, and gathered my items while A finished with hers, then pulled my drawer.  We clocked out at 9:20.

Thankfully, tomorrow's payday!  Here's hoping tomorrow will be nice and slow??  And all crazy customers will stay home, or go up front???

Day 71:  TGIF!
According to my weather app, rain was in the forecast for 5pm and 8pm.  Storm blew in around 4:45, and the place quickly cleared out.  I was sent to lunch at 5:15, and when I returned a half hour later, things had picked up a little, but not much.  Ally had already pulled the trash, but had forgotten the Pro's and the coffee machine, thankfully, so I was able to keep a bag open for when I swept up the place.

I spent the majority of the evening on Reg. #2, due to the fact that when I arrived, the printer froze, and nothing she did could reboot it.  Mgr Ad came down, and they ended up rebooting the entire system, then she had to ring up the entire transaction again.  BUT, with the reboot, the screen went small, and neither Luke nor Ian knew how to enlarge it.  It was difficult for me to read the numbers, so I hopped over to #2.

After lunch, I swept, washed windows, wiped down the counters, and even swept under every pad.  Mgr Ad called down, asking if maybe I'd like a bathroom break, so I said sure, and that's when the evening went to hell.

I decided to return some respirator masks to the paint aisle, and a customer pointed out there was an expired price.  Thinking he was just pointing it out, I removed it, and went on my merry way.  After returning to Lumber, the customer came down and told me they were going to honor the price, and what did I do the coupon?  At this point I thought, 'Oh shit...', then 'fessed up I'd thrown it away.  He wanted me to call my boss, so I called Ad, and got someone else.  Confessed I'd messed up, and told him where to find the coupon.  Customer wanted to talk to him, and then informed him I had 'acted as if I didn't want to talk to him', which shocked me.  I HONESTLY didn't intend to come off rude, and this hurt, since 99% of the time I'm ALWAYS willing to be helpful, even if it's not in my area!  Then one of the girls from Paint came down and asked me where the coupon was, and I told her exactly where to find it.  At this point, I was beginning to fear I was facing a confrontation with Scott, being written up, or worse, fired.  Spoke to Mgr Ad when she came down, who reassured me that all was fine.

No crazy customers between 8:30 and closing!  BOY I hope next week is smoother than this week has been!  Wore my hair in a ponytail on Tues and Fri, and were both slow days.  Maybe I need to wear it up more often?

Friday, June 14, 2019

Flashback Friday: Math Class Quest

June 1989
"You Have To Be 21 To Work Here..."
My classes ended, and B helped me pack some of my things into his BMW and drove me home for the weekend, probably for the Indy 500.

Dad took me back, and we packed up the rest.  On the way home, we stopped at Engine Co 59 in Frankfurt, and I casually asked our server if they were hiring.

She looked at me, wearing my faded clam diggers (today we'd call them Capri pants!), white Wilson Tennis T-shirt, hair pulled back into a ponytail, and zero makeup.

"You have to be 21 to work here."

My dad laughed.

"She's twenty-three!"

I pulled out my drivers license and showed it to her.  She brought me an app, and told me to turn it into the bartender in the next room (we were in the Family area); she'd seen me also and thought I was only 18!

Search For Math Class
I went over to Purdue, called IUPUI, and even IU, but nowhere was my final required Math class offered in the summer.  I had no choice but to drive back and forth to BSU every day.  Enrolled in my final class, and had a two-week break before school resumed.

Renting My Room
Mom and Dad talked it over and decided to charge me 5% of my paychecks in exchange for room and board, and phone charges.  I agreed, and my daily schedule looked like this:

7am:  Get up, dress, shower

8-8:30am:  Drive to BSU (90 minute drive, but sometimes I'd leave early to grab breakfast along the way)

10-Noon:  Class

Noon-2pm:  Lunch with B, or on my own, if he wasn't available, followed by an afternoon in the pool at his apartment complex and showering at his apartment after, or driving to Indy to apartment search.

3pm:  Driving to work

5-close:  Working at Engine Co 59 (yes, I got the job!)

Next Month:  The Day I Almost Quit My Job and Me and My Big Mouth!

************
Present Day:
I'm enjoying another four days off before beginning my new schedule!  I'll be working M-Tu-Th-F 3-close and 2-close every Wednesday!  Looking forward to the larger paychecks, and now I need to find someone to cover for me July 5th.

Tomorrow, I'll be at Celebrate Main in Washington, In, and am currently praying the rain holds off until after the event!

*****Warning:  Rant Ahead********

My 2nd chick is getting ready to fly the nest!  S got a job offer at FedEx and will start Tues.  She and A will pack up a small amount of their belongings and move in with J and Co until she either finds a place to live, or decides to move back home.

Given the way things went Monday-Tues, when she interviewed, I don't see this lasting long.....J knew she was coming, yet had 'no food' in the house for dinner.  S used her emergency funds to go by a chicken to fry for dinner.  My thought was, what were they going to eat for dinner, had S and A not been there?

S also reported MDQ has moved Master P to the living room, because apparently he goes to sleep watching baby videos and it 'annoys' her.  Plus, he still sleeps in a pack-n-play, because his crib is 'bulky' and 'doesn't fit her decor'.  Ummmm.....you gave up your right to your own room when you became a Mom last year, and you still live with your own!  Grow up, MDQ......and stop worrying about a boyfriend....you have your SON to raise!  You can get your 'life' back when he goes to school or turns 18!

*****rant over*****

Have a wonderful Father's Day Weekend!!!!

Monday, June 10, 2019

Life In Lumber, Week #11

Day 64:  New Feature!
I was worried about being able to complete my shift, due to an intestinal issue which hit me around 2:30, then again at 4:30 (fortunately, Mel was standing right there, so I was able to go to the restroom!), and yet again the first 5 minutes of my lunch break!  But fortunately, it didn't return, so I was happy:)

Clocked in and arrived, and after my 1st customer paid, a reminder popped up:  Waiting for customer to choose receipt method.  

HUH?

Apparently now customers have an option of getting their receipts via email, and it's a HUGE PAIN when they pay in CASH!

I don't like it, and only had two customers choose the 'email' option.

Was pleasantly surprised I get 30 minutes for lunch every day.

At the end of the night, I had more customers between 8-9 than I'd had the previous two!  Wish I'd started my closing duties earlier.....I'd had to wait for an override on paint, due to it ringing up $35, but the note on it was $9.  I managed to do everything except fill the bags, and spot-swept.  Asked Tasha when Lumber would be getting another large dust mop, and she said she'd see that we had one tomorrow.

Had to take a twisted piece of something back to RTM before I was able to take off my vest.

Felt 'foggy' all shift, due to taking both Mucinex and a double hit of Delsym, to keep down the coughing!  But otherwise, I was happy to be back in Lumber!

Day 65:  OOPS!
We had a major mishap tonight in Lumber.

One of the guys (C) accidentally forgot to put the forks down on the forklift as he was coming through the back door, and broke said door.  Steve was about to faint; it was a $3K door.  Needless to say, C's forklift license has been revoked, and he now needs to recertify.  Which means Ian's going to be upset, since nothing can be moved around tonight!

Customers were good and steady; Larry C bought us all candy bars again.  Darren didn't want his, so I offered it to a family with small children.  They were pleased!

I also had a dad come in with 3 little girls, and bought a roll a plastic for a slip-n-slide.  When they began having to search for the remaining $3, I quietly knocked the price down to under $24.  The father thanked me profusely, since he only had $24....and one of the girls offered her quarter to help out!  So I did a good deed.

Managed to do ALL my closing duties.....except fill the bags.  OOPS!

I also thought I'd heard Cindy say we were now closed, and began locking the doors.  A man walked up, and I told him we were closed.

"But it's not 9pm yet!"

C informed me it was still two minutes till.....OOPS!

Here's hoping tomorrow goes smoothly!

Day 66:
Shift went well!  Marcie relieved me for lunch, and things were steady until around 8.  I was able to get the trash collected, counters wiped, place swept, and even washed the windows.  Put the soda away, then had to wait on Darren, who was outside with the forklift, taking out the trash.  Had a bunch of stuff to return, and was almost finished when Mel paged me they were waiting.  So I detoured past the break room and took off my vest, then Darren took two of the four items to help me out.  We both clocked out at the same time.....and now I'm off for the next four days, and then I start my full-time shift!  Hope I get this sinus stuff kicked, because this morning I felt like Death Warmed over.

Also had two guys come in, wanting to know about taxi service.  Told them I didn't thing we had one, and they asked if I knew anyone who would take them downtown for $8.  Told them they could walk  and be there in 10-15 minutes, but they refused, so said if they could hang around til close, I'd take 'em.  One bought a can of peanuts, the other a soda, and left.

A few minutes later, I heard shouting, and they were in the McAllister's parking lot, trying to convince one of our customers to give 'em a lift.  Customer refused, so they sat down.  I thought, 'Guys, if you'd walked, you'd have been there by now!'

About fifteen or so minutes went by; I checked again and didn't see them, so they either caught a ride or were inside McAllister's.

See you next week!

Friday, June 7, 2019

Flashback Friday

June 1979:
Have I mentioned anywhere that I was taking organ lessons?  I began piano lessons in 1978 with a neighbor, Mrs. Letterloh, but since I was practicing on an organ, she suggested I switch to an organ teacher, Mrs. Buck, who lived on the corner of our county road.  During the school year, I would take my book to school and get off at her house.  During the summer, I switched to Saturdays, and would either walk or ride my bike.

My 'favorite' time to practice was while Mom was making dinner.  This way I got out of setting the table; I would give her a 'concert', since I was a fast learner, and had soon learned to play some of her favorite hymns, such as Nearer My God To Thee, and old songs such as Unchained Melody.  I'd also taught myself Ode To Joy, which pleased my dad!  However, after a few days, Mom caught on to what I was doing, and insisted I practice another time, and come do my chores!

Next Month:  Florida!

***********
Present Day:
I'm fighting off a summer cold/allergies/bronchitis.  Going to set up at Spring On Main tonight, weather permitting.....it's supposed to rain SOME time.  Really hoping it either a) gets it out of the way before set up time or b) holds off until after 10 pm!  Hoping to make some extra funds tonight, since I'll be paying for tomorrow's festivities.

Today is also Alex's long-awaited 7th birthday!  She's only been counting down the days for the past three months, ha ha!  Tomorrow, weather permitting, we're taking her to Brown County State Park, since she's now old enough to ride the trail horses with her mommy:)  There's been a lot of discussion over Will and if we should lie about his age, so he doesn't have to wear a helmet.  He says yes; Alex insists she's going to 'rat him out'.  We'll see what happens tomorrow.  Kid stands 6'5, so I don't really see the need for him to wear a helmet, esp since he's taller than his older siblings!

Have a great weekend!


Monday, June 3, 2019

Life As A Red Vest, Week #10

Day 61:  LG
Shift went well!  Weather was nice, and customer flow was steady.  No problem customers, and I was able to sweep up the entire cashier side of the area, all the way to the ferns.

Bought a new pair of shoes before work; I'm able to not limp as much, and when pain shot through my foot before break, I took it off as soon as I got to the break room, and it was amazing what 15 mins without it did!

Here's hoping tomorrow goes smoothly too!

Day 62:  LG
Arrived at 4; the first hour, Sacred and I took turns ringing up customers and joking with Kylee, Gavin, and Tyler.  S left at 5, and I spent the next 2 hours sweeping various parts and ringing up the occasional customer.

HC A called a little after 7, to see if I'd taken my break yet.  I said no, so she sent Cydnee down.  Clocked out and took off my shoe, and enjoyed my half hour break.  Remembered to clock back in, and returned.  Swept, did my closing duties, and only needed one override before A came down to shut down LG.

Went up front and relieved Cassie, and rang up the final three customers of the night.  Locked the doors and wiped down the counters, and then we learned Tiffany had caught a guy trying to steal $300 worth of stuff.  We all went down to the CS desk and learned how to write up the RWD.  Then put up our vests and clocked out.

Tomorrow's my final day in LG (unless, of course, they need me!).  Here's hoping it goes as smoothly as the past two days!

Day 63:  Storms Cometh....
I woke up not feeling the greatest.  Coughing, body felt slightly run down.  But, I figured it was only 4 hours, so went.  LG was sloooooowww and HOT!  Spent the first two hours in front of the fan and drinking water.  Had maybe 10 customers in that amount of time.

At 7, lightening was showing up, so McKendra and Aggie arrived to shut down LG.  All of a sudden, I had a 'rush' of customers....for a solid 10 minutes!  Think I rang up more people in that span of time than in the previous HOUR!  Thought maybe she'd send me home, but no.  Took my 15 min break, then was told to hop on Reg 10.  Cassie and I took turns during the next hour, and watching the storm clouds move in.  Thought we'd get to leave right at 9, but nooooo.....a CFH showed up with a toilet, tile, and a bunch of tools, to go on his LAR account.  Only.....they needed to LOAD the LAR first.  Had to save their order, load the LAR with $400, THEN ring it up.  Only.....the first gift card needed a Drivers License, and it wouldn't take.  Turned out it was hers.  Finally got them rung up and on their way.  Left at 9:15, and thankfully AFTER the majority of the rain had passed!

I'm off for the rest of the week, so see you back here on Friday for the Flashback, then on Tuesday for Life In Lumber:)

June Goals

How Well Did May Go?
Enjoy our 28th Anniversary Check:)  Ate lunch at Yamoto Japanese Steakhouse!
Do well at 1st Friday Art Walk Sold 1....still consistent!  Miracle occurred....the reader who's hounded me for six years finally bought the one she wanted!
Mail pkgs to Wa and Tx  Not yet....
Write #2 Regrets  Not yet....
Lose 5 lbs (start 238) (5/10:  237!!  -1; 5/31, 238...ugh!  I blame the fries I'd eaten on the 30th!)
Organize more basement  Videos, check.  Now to start on stuff against outside wall.
Work in either Green or Brown House  No time this month; too rainy.
Order copies of CR (Proof copies ordered 5/10!; 10 copies ordered 5/24:) and Dreamscape Still not released yet
Work as many hours as possible, in order to finish paying for upcoming events Check:)
Do well at Opening Day of Farmer's Market Sold 5!
Have an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend with family:  Check:)
     -Rendezvous:  Liz and kids Didn't get to socialize much; spent more time with Ariel, Adore, Jaevon, and baby Phoenix, who is trying to learn to pull himself up.....if we can keep A and J from 'helping' him!
     -Race Day/Mem Day:  Uncle Bill and Will I opted to not go to the race, so we met Bill and Will at the Mug-n-Bun for an hour, and had a great time!  Simon Pagenaud won in an exciting last seven lap battle between himself and Alexander Rossi.

Health:  Continued to wear the compression socks.  Saw Ortho dr on the 19th, and was recommended for a custom orthotic.  Cortizone shot was too risky in my ankle; it could rupture the Achilles' Tendon (I breathed a sigh of relief!).  Began wearing a large bandaid with gauze padding on my heel; this helped tremendously.  Found a blister to the right of my heel on 5/28, so am now wearing TWO bandaids until that blister pops or heals (Mon 6/3 it was finally gone!).  Molds of my feet were made 5/29; they should be in during the 1st week of June.  Here's hoping they help!  I also need a new pair of shoes, and Dee measured my feet:  I'm now a size 10.

Books Read:  7
           Print:  4
        E-book:  3

Karaoke Songs Added:  10
                            Thurs:  7
                                Sat:  3

June Goals:
-Send Pkgs to Tx and Wa
-Write #2 Regrets
-Interview on Dawn's Reading Nook (turn in by 10th) Check!  No comments, though....:(
-Do well at Spring On Main  Sold 3:)
-Have fun in Brown County for Alex's 7th birthday Rained, so went to see Secret Life of Pets 2
-Do well at Celebrate Main in Washington Windy and rain caused us to pack up early.  Sold one, and donated a copy to the nice gentleman who helped me unload the truck!
-Do well at Pride on the Wabash Sold 7:)
-Do well at Corning Irish Festival Sold 0....rain.
-Order copies of Dreamscape and CR Check:)
-Organize more basement
-Do  more work in Green and Brown houses
-Lose 5 lbs (Beginning 238)  6/5:  234:)  
-Keep up with Blog Challenge
-Keep up with this blog

Payment Schedule:
May 18-24:  26
         25-31:  25
June 7th Payday hours:  51
Projected income:  $530+ $74 bonus (winning together incentive??)=$604
         -$60 to church-Check!; pay school ($75-Check!)  Secure InConJunction space ($30 Check! +$45 badge Check); Pay medical bill ($50-Check!); Pay Aug CC ($35-Check!); next installment for State Fair ($50-Check!); pay Maurices CC ($50-Check!). ($395)
Banked: $25 SOM sales+$209 +$15 petty cash=  $249-$29 (birthday cake) -$20 (Teen's game)- $11 (food tonight)-$40 (movie)-$10 (lunch)-$32 (family lunch)-$10 (Royal Touch-MN balance)-$10 (son's PE)-$20 (promo items)-$20 (gas)=$47
June 1-7:  23
         8-14: 15
June 21st Payday hours:  39
     -Projected income:  $393
        - $40 to church; Pay medical bill ($50 Check!); pay school ($75 Check!); Send Pride Donation ($25); Oct CC ($45 Check!); ICGAHS ($50 Check!);  order TP copies ($31 Check!); CA copies ordered ($17 Check!).($333 total)
Banked:  $60-$18 (lunch) -$24 (new purse)+$5 Celebrate Wash sales +$60 Pride sales- $7 (lunch) -$11 (dinner)-$8 (lunch) -$20 (gas) +$8 Leftover from 7th + $44 petty cash-$57 copies ordered=$11 banked
June 15-21: 30.5
         22-28:  30.5
July 5th Payday hours: 61
     -Projected income:  $595
          -$60 to church; Pay medical bill ($50); pay Maurices ($50); pay Rivet Craft Fair ($45) ($204 total) Bank funds ($391) for InConJunction trip (Car rental $141; hotel $120; food $100) ($361 total, leaving $30.)

Payments Owed:
-Pride Donation $25 (June 22nd) Check:)
-InConJunction (July 5-7):  $30+$45 registration fee paid 6/7+ expenses ($120 hotel?  $150 rental car??  $120 gas; $100 food) 
-Watermelon Fest (Aug 2nd-3rd):  $45 Going to skip it this year; not in budget.
-Collector's Carnival (Aug and Oct):  $80 (Aug-June 7th Paid; Oct-Late June Paid)
-Indy State Fair (Aug 6th-7th $100) ($50 sent 4/26; $50 sent 6/7) Rental car:  $150, gas $60, food, $20; rides??
-Minneapolis travel expenses ($512-hotel, $120-food,$120- gas=$752 needed) (July-Aug)
-Heroes For Kids travel expenses-July ($141 car rental, $100-hotel, $100 food, $120 gas=$461)
-Indy Author Fair expenses (Sept 13-15):  $200 hotel?  $100 rental car?  Food/gas? (Aug)
-Saluki Con expenses-Sept (car rental, hotel, food, gas)
-Imaginarium (Oct):  $120+ expenses (Sept)
-ICTAHS:  $155-240+expenses (gas/rental car/food/lodging) (June-July-Oct) ($50 sent 5/10; $50 sent 6/21...now owe $140)
-Rivet Craft Fair:  $45 (July 5th)
Obviously NOT ALL this month, but just listing so I can start chipping away/saving up! List is getting shorter:)

June Reading Schedule
Print:
Rats,Pumpkins, and Other Rumors-Pam Horner Fun, cute take on the fairy tale world!

E-book:
One-Jane Blythe Interesting read.  Was not happy story continues in 'Two'.  Not compelled to read sequel.
Should've Known Better-Cassandra Carr Finally finished this long, drawn out story of 'will they or won't they'.

Thurs:
Voices That Care-Voices That Care Nailed this one!  Just in time for 75th anniversary of D-Day!
Reason To Believe-Wilson Phillips or Rod Stewart Did well on the RS version:)
Voodoo-Godsmack B helped me out on the opening stanza; the rest went well, even with a soprano voice, and the bar cheered:)  Hopefully it was 'yay', and not 'thank god that's over!'
Black and White-3 Dog Night Mic battery went dead halfway, which was a good thing.  Too low.
Voulez-Vous-ABBA Nailed it:)
Barbie Girl-Aqua Did well:)
U and Ur Hand-Pink Did well!
Raise Your Glass-Pink  Not too bad, and Gary complimented me:)

Sat:
6/1:
Rockstar-Nickelback Mel joined in on 3rd verse; did well!
Rocky Mountain Way-Joe Walsh Branleigh or Raleigh joined in; did well:)
Rocky Top-Osborne Bros Nailed it!

6/15: Cancelled; brought Dustin's karaoke in.  Will have to work in these songs on Thursday now, or decide if I'm going to BU again.  Really sorry to see Mark and Kelly leave....hope they get another close gig soon!