Monday, July 29, 2019

Life In Lumber Week #18

Day 94:  Blah Day....
First of all, my weekend was FUN, but no sales made my finances tight.  Still, I enjoyed meeting the actor WF Bell, who played Anchor in The Walking Dead, and Wyatt Weed, who was in Predador 2 AND an episode of Star Trek TNG.

Shift was steady for a while, then slowed.  I should point out my mood was a little sour, since it began raining around 2, and I was rushed for 15 mins as I tried to swap out the laundry, take my meds, finish dressing, and eat something.

1)  Was informed by Tiff that we now had a barcode to scan in for undocumented Vets!  Oh yay...but it doesn't begin until August.

2)  Was informed by HC Cindy 30 minutes later that we are NOT to ask for MyLowes or if they have a Military Discount.  So how will the undocs know?  Rather confusing....

3)  Got hit with a massive wave of sleepiness around 5:15, and was thankfully sent to lunch fifteen minutes later....the same time my ear batteries were dying!  Yes, I'd brought extra ones.

4)  After lunch, Mgr Tasha informs me my book Catered Romance is 'inappropriate' for the break room, and will I please remove it?  I put it in my locker at the end of the shift, so if Jill wants to finish reading it, she'll have to ask me for it.  Guess I'll have to take the Orion Antho in....or Whispers....or even Balancing Act, or the un-smutty one, Love Weighs In.

5)  Managed to clean the windows tonight, since I had the time, and won't be here Thursday (the day I normally try to do it!)

6) Clocked out at 9:15!

Here's hoping my mood improves, and things go smoothly tomorrow!

Day 95: Total Blonde Moment
Shift began fine, but was having issues with my eye-hand coordination on the key pad.  For instance, was trying to take a credit card over the phone and had to enter it FOUR TIMES before it matched up!  Not sure if it was tied to the loud speaker or the forklift, but was finally able to get the customer rung up.

When I went to lunch, discovered mold or something on my chicken.  Tried to eat just a cracker and a cheese slice, but something tasted 'off'.  Ate only my P3 and Snickers.

Near the end of the shift, I rang up a customer's $205 as $202, and realized after I'd closed the drawer that it was wrong.  Called HC MK, but just as she came down, a customer paid in cash, and didn't need her after all.  Apologized to everyone for the mix up.

After we closed on time (a miracle, considering Sacred went home in tears over a personal matter, which meant MK had to be on a register for an hour), D took me to the store, where I showed my Lunchable issue, and the manager let me take two in return.  He then very kindly took me to S-n-S for food!

Here's hoping I can get it together and do well tomorrow, and that customer-wise, we're again slow and steady:)

Day 96:  Better Day!
Shift went 100% better today!  Discovered our janitor, Doug, was let go after 15 years of employment, and until an outside service begins, Aggie, Makayla, Cindy, and I were tasked with cleaning the bathrooms.  Didn't finish until 9:30. 

Really no issues, and saw Mike Frey, Mike and Gretchen from choir, and Tim Kirk:)

Am off the next two days; tomorrow we go to Indy for D's visit with Dr. Steve, and am setting up Friday night for the Art Walk.  Saturday, I plan to go over to the Watermelon Festival to enjoy it as a spectator for once, lol!

Friday, July 26, 2019

Flashback Friday: County Fair

July 2009:
Spent the 4th working at the fireworks store, and met Brandon's g/f Mel, who mentioned she was looking for a babysitter for her 3 y/o daughter.  I mentioned I had a young son who needed socialization, so we agreed to try it for a week.

W and C clicked immediately, so we began watching Miss Claire every day.  Even took both kids to the county fair, and S and C rode the merry-go-round so many times, my 15-y/o got sick of being on it!

It had rained earlier in the week, and as we were going to the car, W raced through the mud puddle, while C came to a screeching halt and walked carefully around it!

K had also joined the football team, and as a parent, I was recruited to help park cars one evening.  As it turned out, the shift I chose was also after a torrential downpour, so K spent his three hours helping cars stuck in mud to break free, while I directed traffic down to the other parking lot, and let in cars for the Demolition Derby!

Next Month:  Football Mom!

***********
Present Day:
I'm off to Perrysville, MO for the weekend, to the Heroes For Kids convention!  Wish me luck; my budget is tight, and I might have to return Saturday instead of Sunday.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Strange Dream 3-15-14

3/1:
Had a very weird dream about three kids, Sam, Jessie, and Paula, who lived on the 2nd floor of a rickety old house.  Downstairs, an emaciated old black man with sad, tired eyes lived in squalor.  I don't know what drew me to help Sam and his sister Jessie get home to their older sister Paula, or even what prompted me to ask Jessie if anyone had ever touched her.  I gave Paula my card and told them to call me if they ever needed anything.

The guy downstairs gave me the creeps.


3/2:
Dreamed we were watching a 'Brian Cross' slideshow of his life...the early years.  Since I've not dreamed about B for a while, I'm a little worried.  Esp since I was watching his life, ala documentary-style.  Really hoping this isn't a premonition of some sort.  (shivers)

Flashback Friday 5-9-11

April 26-May 3, 1991:
To recap: Two weeks earlier, D and I decided to get engaged, and broke the news to my parents. The next morning, my mother called me; she'd literally planned our wedding overnight. All we had to do was get the license and the paperwork, and my dress. Everything else was taken care of.

One week later, my sister and I went shopping. I found a beautiful white suit, shoes, and accessories. She was unable to find anything she liked, and when we left the Mall, it was too late to go to dinner without an hour's wait time. She went back to Muncie, and I went to a friend's steakhouse and talked him into buying me dinner.

The following day, we drove down to D's hometown to break the news to his parents, and to watch a friend graduate from college. Everything went well until late afternoon. I began bleeding, and after consulting with my nurse mommy via telephone, we headed for home, with instructions to call the doctor as soon as we arrived.

The doctor told me to stay off my feet and get to the hospital if it got worse; otherwise, he'd see me in the office bright and early.

The next day, I was given an ultrasound, and I was stunned by the little 'blip blip blip' on the video screen; it was my baby's heart still beating strong. I was told to stay off my feet, and limited activity. I could still keep my weekend job, as long as I did not carry anything more than ten pounds. Oh, and to refrain from any relations until the bleeding had ceased for three days.

May 2nd: I was looking over the paperwork we'd filled out, and noticed a signature line had been overlooked. I drove to D's workplace, and in the lunchroom, we signed it. We were already packed and ready for the following day.

May 3rd: I met my mother at the beauty parlor, and had my hair cut and styled. I drove to my parents' home and changed into my beautiful outfit, and had my makeup done by a friend of Mom's, who used to sell Mary Kay. She and another friend of my mom's were busy getting the house ready for the reception. At three thirty, I left to go meet D for a quick meeting with my favorite pastor.

4:30: People began arriving. I began to get anxious, because there was no sign of the friend who would video the event. I also had a small arguement with my sister, who refused to be my Maid of Honor. My BFF was on standby, but when Dr. T spoke to my sis, everything was okay.

5:30: C and B arrived, video camera in hand. They'd had to fly standby from Florida, and had gotten bumped from an earlier flight. I was relieved, and the ceremony began.

Just before we spoke our vows, Dr. T said a prayer and suddenly, it hit me: This was no play rehearsal; after we walked back down the aisle, I would not be whipping off the veil and saying, "Who's next?". This was real; I was seriously getting married. I also noticed I'd left my engagement ring on, so I carefully shifted it to my pinky finger. Tears began to form, and yes, I joined the ranks of brides who sobbed through their vows. You cannot even hear me on the tape. And once in the receiving line, I grabbed my mom and hugged her for at least five minutes!

And there was plenty of humor ahead: When we went to sign the license, Dr. T laughed. Remember that line we signed in the lunchroom? We were officially married once we signed that line:) And also, as we signed the final document, I looked at my new husband and said, "Oh that's how you spell your last name!" I'd been spelling it wrong the entire four years of friendship, and six months of dating! He'd never once corrected me.

We behaved ourselves when we cut the cake; we opened our presents and properly oohed and ahhed over everything. And the few guests who were still around when we left at 10pm for our 4-star hotel room pelted us with birdseed as we went out the door.

We also hit a deer on the way to the hotel, but only knocked it down. No damage to the car; we'd swerved at the last minute and only clipped a back leg. And once we arrived in our room, I changed into my sexy lingerie only to discover the day of being on my feet had taken its toll: I was bleeding again.

My 24 hour honeymoon was spent lying in bed, watching movies on pay-per-view. And on Sunday, we returned home and met my parents who arrived with our wedding gifts. Life was now back to 'normal'.

We watched our wedding video several years ago, and I wish I knew what had cracked us up before we cut the cake, or other private conversations the audio didn't pick up.

For our 25th anniversary, I hope to throw myself the reception I dreamed of when I was 19: DJ, lots of dancing, the champagne fountain. And seven years ago, I went on the Disney Vacation without D. I've resigned myself to the knowlege my dream honeymoon is never going to happen, so I had fun without him:)





Thought I'd Pass This Along...10/9/09

Received an informative email this morning, concerning author interviews. Hope this is helpful; I'm going to check it out more thoroughly this afternoon.


7 WAYS TO FIND PEOPLE TO INTERVIEW FOR YOUR BOOK


The biggest problem I notice with many of the unpublished self-help books I look over is too many examples and stories about the author, and not enough about other people. But if you want literary agents to believe that the problem you’re writing about—and the solution you’re offering—can affect a wide range of people, then you need to fill your writing with lots of anecdotes from OTHER people.So where do you find other people with stories that illustrate the points you make in your book?

Here are seven e-zines or Web sites that let you post your request for interviews for free:
1) Profnet--www.profnet.com. Enter as a journalist, and your request will go to thousands of people looking for publicity, and therefore happy to share their tales with you. Just say you are a freelancer and working on an article that will go to publications like the main ones in your subject area.

2) HelpAReporter.com—Peter Shankman has created a list of more than 100,000 people who want to be interviewed. To put your query on his list, fill out the form at http://bit.ly/1lv379

3) Dan Poynter publishes an e-zine called Publishing Poynters that goes to 38,000 subscribers. You can advertise your request for stories there for free.Subscribe at: http://tinyurl.com/24sp6 and send your requests for stories to: DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com. (Dan will announce any freebies you have in his newsletter, too.)

4) WritersWeekly.com(www.writersweekly.com) has 70,000 readers who are writers. You can post interview requests at: http://tinyurl.com/2bosx.

5) LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com) has a feature where you get to ask questions, either of your network or of people in a particular industry. You can post to more than one group. I would pose two different questions. The obvious one is “Can I interview you about X?” The other question you can post is “Do you know how I could find people to interview about X? Not only would you get suggestions on where to find people to interview, anyone who fits your topic would probably offer to b e interviewed. You can also make a request, once you join, on any of the various discussion groups that relate to your topic.

6) Create a Facebook (www.Facebook.com) event called “Interviews about X for my new book.” Click on the applications box in the bottom left hand corner of your Facebook page, then click on the word “Events.” (If it isn’t listed, click on “Browse more applications.”) Then when you get to the events page, click on the “Create an Event” button. Then invite all your friends. Make sure you include the sentence, please spread the word about this by inviting your friends.

7) I will happily post your thirty-word request for stories in AuthorSecrets, which currently has 43,432 subscribers and is growing by thousands of subscribers a month. Send your request to AuthorsTeam@gmail.com.If you have an y other suggestions for getting interviewsfor your book, leave a comment at www.AuthorsMBAblog.comand there's a chance it will show up, with attribution,in this e-ine and my blog.

Here's to your bestseller,
Mahesh Grossman President The Authors Team

Downtime 2008

This may sound slightly insane, but I actually have to schedule in my downtime. What is downtime? The time where I do nothing but read, watch TV, or even just sit on the front porch and watch the birds.


Nothing infuriates me more than to have someone imply I do nothing all day. My own niece was trying to start her own business several years ago and actually said to me, "This will give you something to do all day."


Excuse me? Between my-then Mommy chores, which included changing diapers and encouraging a toddler to be independant; my daily housecleaning routine; and trying to squeeze in an hour or two of writing, when do I not have something to do?


I am rarily bored at home. I used to have a neighbor who cried when her youngest child began school, and who regularly called because she was sick of watching TV and wanted someone to talk to. I loved it when we got Caller ID, because I could choose to ignore her calls. I didn't understand her attitude then, nor do I understand people who complain they wenthave nothing to do. Maybe it is simply the fact I learned early to entertain myself, and I'm perfectly fine being at home by myself? Give me access to a radio, several books, a computer, and I'm perfectly happy. I don't need for people to entertain me; I'm perfectly capable of finding something to do.


Take yesterday. I had been gone for three days, and when I arrived home, my hubby had not done any housework. I decided to simply take it easy and catch up on the chores in a leisurely manner, instead of trying to frantically cram it all in before noon. Why noon? That's when my toddler would normally come home from school. But the kids are out for the summer, and I was still tired from all the driving. Why kill myself when I do not have to watch the clock anymore?


I actually woke up early and since we needed a few breakfast items, went to the store and bought them. Fixed the coffee and fired up the computer. Watched the morning news, read my email and favorite blogs. Posted my own, and then dressed, sorted the laundry, and helped hubby clean up the kitchen. I guess it was too messy for him at that point, so he jumped in and washed the dishes.


I only did two loads of laundry, but I finished writing my answers to an interview next week; I read two more chapters of Cheryl's book; I remembered I still had two episodes of 90210 to watch from Saturday, so I went downstairs and enjoyed some solitude. My oldest son went over to spend the night at my friend Jackie's house, and to help with a home improvement project; hubby and I decided to go to dinner and go grocery shopping.


Today, I slept later than usual, and was irritated that hubby had made plans that included me leaving the house. I have things I want (need?) to finish, but right now, it is more important that I be with friends who need our help with outside projects. And I get to use a laptop for the first time, and I kind of like it. I've accidentally exited out of the internet, and I've managed to shrink my screen, but that's okay. The chores will still be there when I get home, and I've been able to print out something I've needed

Monday, July 22, 2019

Life In Lumber, Week #17

Day 90:  Sleep Deprived Shift!
Began my shift by asking in a hopeful voice, "Tell me we're overstaffed and I can go home and sleep??"

"Ummmm.....no...."

Crap.  So I clock in, and thankfully, things went well.  No major issues, and I managed to stay awake and not yawn too much!  Makayla and I requested to have her work my shift on Friday, and hopefully it will be approved.

My final customer of the day was a tax exempt, plus I found four more loading tickets in the slot.  At 9pm, as Mel was making her 'we're now closed' speech, two men walked in and told me they'd be speedy!  Nevertheless, Tasha came down and closed me out asap.

Here's hoping I get a good night's sleep and am a little more 'chipper' tomorrow!

Day 91:  Good Shift!
The first two hours were nice and steady, then from 5-6, I swept, emptied the trash, checked my schedule and email, and tried to stay busy.  Went to lunch at 6:15, and when I came back, Tasha had found the note someone had taped above the register with the silica sand code, and questioned me and Rachel.  We didn't know who had posted it, and pointed out we couldn't find it on the computer or the app.  I went down and took a picture of it, so we'd know what to look under.  Meanwhile, T proceeds to type up a letter, saying 'cheat sheets should not be used, and if anyone is caught using one, consequences will be taken...'

*eye roll*

Good thing she doesn't know I've already got some items memorized!

Things went well 2nd half of the shift (after I remembered to clock in 5 minutes later!), and wiped down all the counters, cleaned under all the mats, and rotated the sodas.

If the rest of this week goes this smoothly, hallelujia!

Day 92:  Hump Day and I Escape The 'Let's-Return-From-Lunch-On-Time' Lecture!
At 1pm. as I was about to fix lunch, MK called and asked if I'd come in early.  I said sure, so we hurriedly got everyone in the truck and went to Wendy's for food.  I ate quickly, then went to work.  Things went smoothly all afternoon, then Tiff came down to relieve me for lunch.  Clocked out at 5:35, but had to go back to my locker and restroom; didn't leave until nearly 5:45.  Went to Subway for a chicken pesto, and set my alarm for 6:30.  Walked back; Tiff had a customer, so returned to my locker and the restroom, then clocked in at 6:44.  Returned to lumber, where Tiff logs out of the register, then helps Chris roll up some chicken wire and tie it shut.  About an hour later, I got a phone call from MK, asking why I returned 25 mins late.  I explain what had taken place, with Chris and the chicken wire, and she said okay.  Chris then comes down to see what my story is, and I repeated it.  He said, 'Understood', and that was the end of it.  I FULLY expected MK to either look at my time card or the video, and give me The Lecture, but none came:)  In fact, we were able to close on time, and everyone was in a good mood:)

Here's hoping tomorrow, my last day this week, goes well!

Day 93:  Day Before Trip To St. Louis!
Think everyone realized they hadn't been to the store this week; we were steady all day long!  But not so busy I couldn't do my closing duties.  Cydnee came down and got my trash at 7:30, but I filled another one by close, so Justin took it down.  Had one customer 'try to kill me', by dropping a 1x2 on the counter, nearly missing my head.  At the end of the shift, MK came down to close me out, but my final customer had 3 separate orders, so she could use up a few coupons.  Still, managed to get out of there by 9:15:)

Off to Perrysville tomorrow, whoot!  3 day weekend!

Friday, July 19, 2019

Flashback Friday: Catching Up

July 1989:
I attended Math Class in the morning, and either apartment and job hunted, or lounged in BM's pool before heading back to Frankfurt to work.  Five major events happened:

A)  July 3rd was by far the WORST night at my shift.  My boss pointed out several people who were on her tab, and I stupidly thought she meant the entire night.  Imagine my shock when, at the end of the night, she'd only meant THAT ROUND!  I had to surrender all my tips in order to pay for the rest of the drinks.  To say I was pissed was mild.  I also didn't understand why they hadn't brought in another server.....I was trying to break down the salad bar, serve everyone's drinks, AND suffer through my own hunger and sleepiness, since I'd forgotten about the 4th being the following day, and naturally it was packed.

B)  BM and I did have an actual date one evening, but after drinking 8 drinks, I, for whatever reason, turned to him and said, in a very slurry voice, "I don' wanna marry you; I jush wanna live with you til I gradiate."  

Is it any wonder that he suddenly began having no time for me?  Which led to disastrous decision C:

C)  I was minding my own business at the pool, when this guy struck up a conversation with me.  I'd just gotten the news plans for Chi-Chis had fallen through, so Jack very nicely offered to take me.  He turned out to be B's neighbor, so after a delicious meal, I went back to his apartment to hang out.  One thing led to another, and I ended up sneaking out in the morning, so B wouldn't see me.  I'd even parked in another lot, to avoid detection.  I did this for a week, until I was nearly busted, and by then, I'd had enough of the deception.

D)  I took my final in Math, then 'kidnapped' friends K and E, and proceeded to throw myself a graduation party.  We began at Olive Garden, then discovered, via our Very Cute Waiter, it was quarter beer night at The Vogue in Broadripple.  After dinner, we did a brief shopping trip through Castleton Mall, and bought some new clothes at Sycamore.  Went back to K's house to change, then headed to the bar.  We only saw our cute waiter once, then proceeded to dance and have a few drinks.  At 2am, we discovered it was pouring down rain, and got soaked running back to my car.  Drove to K's house, where we crashed for the night, startling her parents the next morning!

E}  K's wedding was set for July 28th, and I forgot to mention earlier in the year, when she and I and the other bridesmaids went shopping for accessories, we went on the day of the Antique Sale.  K was upset with me pawing through the books and Star Wars memorobilia, but I scored several treasures, in addition to my new shoes, earrings, and necklace.

For the rehearsal, I was mad at B for not going with me, so I talked CS into going.  Only problem was, I wasn't entirely sure of the address of the church, so we were slightly late.  I didn't really pay close attention to my groomsman, but enjoyed being with CS and my other friends at the dinner.  It was held in Westfield, at the Lighthouse Restaurant.  Afterward, we girls headed to a bar, and the guys offered to take C home to Plainfield.  We had a good-humored drag race down SR 31, with my little Chevy beating a truck full of men!  We danced and drank some more, then I headed home.

The day of the wedding, I arrived at the church and got dressed, plus helped K with her preparations.  Pictures were taken, ceremony went off without a hitch, until the Maid of Honor revealed she and her boyfriend had gotten married the day before.  I joked this bumped me up to MOH!  B never showed up, even to the reception.  I led the procession to the Boat Club, even missing the turn, and saw about ten cars all making the same U-Turn!  Depressed over B not making it, I kicked off my shoes, drank an entire bottle of K's dad's homemade wine, and picked up my groomsman, so I'd have a dance partner.  At the end of the reception, my feet were too sore to shove into my pumps, so he carried me to my car, and we talked for maybe an hour until I 'sobered' up.  Drove barefoot to my grandmother's house and called B, who informed me he'd had some things to do for his mom, which had taken longer than expected, and hoped he'd get to see me before I started working full time.  I then hung with with Grandma for about an hour (sobering up even more, ha ha!), before driving back to Lafayette.

Next Month:  Job Offer and New Boyfriend

July 1999:
K didn't make All-Stars, which was fine with us, and we proceeded to enjoy the rest of July.  Went to the park for the 4th of July fireworks, and shuttled K back and forth to various friends' houses.  Went to the county fair and had a great time!

Next Month:  School Starts and I Get Half My Life Back!

*******************
Present Day:
I am off to my 35th Class Reunion this week!  Meeting at Sgt Preston's tonight, then touring the school tomorrow afternoon, followed by dinner at MCL and dancing at the Neon Cactus.  The Tippicanoe Fair starts this weekend, so hoping to go Sunday, and go home Monday.  I think S and I are going also, so we can all drive up in S's jeep.

Monday, July 15, 2019

Life In Lumber Week #16

Day 86:  Short Week!
Not sure what happened today; I had zero energy during my entire shift.  I know I had one customer that I joked had bought out our entire plumbing department, and had another customer who needed 34 sheets of plywood, and at first, the guys got the wrong ones and had to do it over.

Darren also teased me about being 12 feet away from my register as I was loading the soda machine, then ten minutes later, when I called him to help a customer load his vehicle...."Good luck with that; let me know how it goes."

"But I'm only allowed to be ten feet away from my register."

"Oh, that's right.  I'm on my way."

Was visited by a husky, who accidentally left us a 'present' in the concrete aisle, much to Ben's disgust....I thought the owner had said she had 'pottied', not 'done her business'!

Also Mark and Jenny McNeece and Wally came in!  Wally tried jumping up on the counter and sniffed the scanner....sorry I didn't have any treats on hand, Wally!\

Locked the doors at 8:58, and the larger door at 9:05.  We all clocked out at 9:15:)

Here's hoping tomorrow goes smooth, and we find the dust mop!

Day 87:  It's A 'Take This Job and Shove It' Night....
My mood went south around 4pm, and I don't know why.  1st half of the shift went well; the only hiccup was when two guys arrived with 5 corner panels and protested when they rang up $40.  Said they were marked $16.  Had Darren check; that's the price of the J-Channels.  They still protested, so consulted Ian, who authorized the price change (and told D to make sure all they corner panels were in the correct bin!).

With the on and off rain, the electricity went down for about 30 seconds (but not the registers), then flickered again 20 minutes later.

Went to lunch, and prayed for an easy night, but while I had time to get all my closing duties finished by 8pm, had several items arrive with either fading or torn bar codes, or none at all.  Wasn't able to find them on the app or the computer, so had D go look for me.

Manager T upset me; I knew I'd forgotten to drag one item over the scanner, so when it triggered the alarm, I simply reset it.  T told me the next time, I was call the customer back to double check.  I KNEW it was my fault!  *eye roll*

Even at the end, I knew we had at least one customer still in house, so wasn't surprised when they showed up at 9:05.  Unfortunately, they had a lot of plumbing items, and two without bar codes.  Found the coupler, but the p trap took longer, and finally one of them went back to check.  Turned out it was the $7 one I'd found 5 minutes earlier, but the other guy had insisted it was only $3!  Turned in my tax exempts and loading tickets, then put my vest up and clocked out.  I was READY to leave!

Day 88:  Long Day!
My mood was definitely improved!  Had my tongue twisted early in my shift when I tried to repeat, via intercom, "Customer needs assistance in plumbing....Customer neeth athith...."

Had to call HC McKrenda down 4 times in 90 mins:  overrides, needing $1s, and needing help.  Also threw pennies all over the floor when I was trying to fill the register.  Quarters behaved themselves, lol!

Went to lunch at 5:05; family met me at McAllister's.  Bought a Snickers from Rachel before clocking back in.

2nd half was slower; got all my closing duties finished by 8:20, then had a large order for my final customer.  Locked the doors at 9:10, and helped run carts.  Took my trash down, then my tax exempts and loading tickets.  MK had me take her vest back and retrieve her keys and umbrella, then we all clocked out.

Hoping tomorrow goes as well!  Final day before payday AND 3 day weekend!

Day 89:  95 Degrees!
1st half of the shift was nice and steady, with only one hiccup.  Man shoves two carts at me, full of plumbing stuff.  I scanned the pipes, then, as they customer peruses the Pro Desk, proceed to unload, sort, and count the three different types of plumbing fittings in the first 2 boxes.  He grabbed the 3rd one and said he'd help....then I discovered NONE of it had scanned, and had to start all over!  He protested when I proceeded to scan the 1st two boxes, but understood when I told him what had happened.  At the end of the 1st order ($1200), he wanted to know how to get the discount, and told him to return tomorrow and talk to the pros.  So then I rang up his 2nd order ($700) and he still shook his head and wondered why it was so expensive!  Finally sent him on his way; Marci took over, and I went to lunch, swinging past Flooring on my way to drop off a trowel.

After lunch, things slowed waaaaay down.  I managed to get everything done, even cleaned the windows and wiped off the soda machine.  The top of the Monster cooler was dusty, and one of the Monster boxes had come open.  Completely swept under all mats, and 'mucked out' the pro station.  Had an '8:45' rush, including a couple who walked in at 8:57, found what they needed, and were back in line before 9pm.  Waited for Jean to return with the forklift, then closed the large door, and took my loading tickets and tax exempts up front.

Headed to my HS reunion tomorrow, so 3 day weekend ahead!!!

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

The Silent Majority (Minority?)

I am the silent majority.

I am the one who gets ridiculed for every opinion expressed, because too many of my 'friends' think it's more important to point out faulty logic.

I am the one who will simply nod and say 'okay', even if I don't agree with your point of view.

I am the one who types silently at the keyboard, venting my frustrations at so-called 'friends' who would rather ram their opinions down my throat than listen to my view.

I would rather be HAPPY than right.

When did "I'm right and you're wrong" become the norm?

What happened to 'It's okay to disagree and still be friends"?

What happened to simple, common decency and friendly debate?

What happened to two people arguing a point, then reaching a mutually satisfying conclusion and moving onto other subjects, even buying each other a beer?

But no.....somewhere people decided it was more important to be RIGHT.

I see things happening in our country that alarm the hell out of me.

There's a saying, that "those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it."

I think some of our politicians need to re-take US History, or even a Civics class.

I was brought up, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

I am a peace maker.  I dislike confrontation.

I've also heard that what happened in the 1930s and 40s, those who didn't speak up were conquered.  I do not wish to be conquered, but at the same time, I'm very unhappy with the way things are going, and do not want to jeopardize my brand.

So I remain silent, yet watching.

I am the silent majority.

Monday, July 8, 2019

Life In Lumber Week #15

Day 81:  Long, Hot Day
Began shift; things were going well.  After a brief lull, traffic picked up.  One customer claimed his fan was on sale, and said he'd go take a picture of it.  Well, he must have gotten sidetracked, because several moments went by and my line began getting longer.  I hopped over to #2, only to discover the customer needed his LAR loaded first, which meant I needed to log into #3 to do so..  Got him rang up, then continued on #2.  Aliscia came down and saved #1's order, then told me to go to LG, to give Marci her break.

I did, and after fifteen minutes, Mikayla arrived to send me to lunch.  I was in LG until 8:30, when we closed down LG, and I went up front to help out.  Things were steady all the way up until 9:10, then locked the doors and helped M load the soda coolers.  Sold Karlie a copy of HLC, then we all clocked out at 9:45.

I am TIRED!

Gonna try to wear my orthotics during the first half of my shift tomorrow.  Here's hoping the day goes smoothly!

Day 82:  Half Shift in Orthotics
Was slightly late getting to Lumber, but things went well.  Feet began complaining around 5:30, and went to lunch around 6:10.  Swapped out the orthotics for regular insoles and bandage/gauze.  Shift was slower the 2nd half, and managed to get all my closing duties (except for the wiping down counters-no bleach water) by 7, and had a customer order 50 sheets of drywall.  Justin told me it would be impossible, but the customer called Bethany, who told him to do it anyway.  Good shift!

Here's hoping tomorrow goes as smoothly:)

Day 83: Entire Shift in Orthotics
Was in a good mood entire shift.  1st half was smooth, with Rachel giving me a 15 min break.  Ate lunch at McAllisters, then returned for 2nd half.  Got most of my closing duties accomplished, but at 8pm,  the 'crazies' began.  Customer A didn't have enough on his card to cover, but had something called 'cash out'.  We don't honor it, but he was able to transfer the funds to his card, and it worked.  Customer B had a $20 damaged tub, but Mel was in LG, so Steve came down and overrode it and the $15 lamp.  Had to ring up ALL the paint (7 pastel and 10 white) individually, with Darren hitting F-3 for me.  Discovered it only 'took' one, so called Mel down again for an override, but it didn't work.  Had to ring them all up again, and this time it worked.  Guess D wasn't looking at it right???  Customer C had 4 different lengths of lumber, but the 3rd code wouldn't cooperate.  Had to scan the 2nd one twice, then scan the rest again.  Finally, at closing time, a family came in with drywall, lumber, and hardware.  Literally locked the doors behind them after they paid!

Some funny things:  A)  There were several flies buzzing around, and a customer commented.  I said I'd showered that morning, and then it was revealed that Zach showered in the evenings!  So we jokingly 'blamed' him for the flies!  B)  Customer's card was declined for $600 purchase, but he showed me his balance which had over $1400.  I saved his order under my name, and after he'd spoken to the bank, returned.  Still wouldn't work....so when Rachel relieved me for lunch, I gave her my phone # so they could retry it.  When I returned, she said it had finally worked!  C)  At the end of the evening, the final family had a small girl, who presented me with a bag of Doritos 3 times, and each time, Mama said no.  But right before I totaled their order, I heard a string of Spanish, then Mama was holding out the open bag of Doritos!  Child was hungry, and 'no' wasn't going to stop her!

Also discovered we are now under an Earthquake Watch until the 12th, since California was hit with a massive one over the weekend, which put an obvious crack in the topography, so large you can see it from space.  Darren said, "Can you imagine what's going to happen to all that drywall and lumber we have stacked, if one hits?  OOPS!"

Not sure how feet are going to feel tomorrow; may only wear the orthotics the 2nd half, or only the 1st half.  Depends on how everything feels.  Hoping everything goes smooth tomorrow!

Day 84:  Easy Night!
1st half of the shift was steady, then ate lunch between 5:30 and 6pm.  2nd half was slower, and had all my closing duties accomplished by 8pm, save for bags and register tape.  Only had one 'problem' customer....they wanted a grill, but didn't have enough on their card.  Swiped it 3 times before I finally was able to communicate the problem!

Really hoping tomorrow goes as effortlessly!

Day 85:  Jinxed
Again, 1st half of the shift was steady, and a customer even bought me a Snickers:)  Went off to lunch at 5:45, but when I returned, it was steady all the way to closing time.  I did manage to get my soda cooler filled, trash pulled, floor swept, and bags filled, but did not have time to check register tape or clean the counters.

Did see one customer four times; twice for lumber and twice for concrete!  His grandson told me, 'Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope we don't see you again tonight!'

Another customer I saw three times....all for lumber, and he said he had to make around 9 trips total.  As D and I were heading home, we saw a truck lose its load in front of us at Hart St.  We stopped and it turned out to be my 2nd customer.  D helped reload while I directed traffic....then jokingly told the guy 'Didn't think I'd see you again so soon!'  He was grateful we stopped to help!

Customer C came in and ordered 14 bags of 96 pound masonry, and 54 concrete blocks....but his truck dragged the ground.  Jordan pulled half the blocks back, and I don't know if the customer's going to return later or if he'll have them delivered.

Customer D came in with her estimate list, and had the guys pull everything.  She hung out at the lumber desk for about an hour, and was happy when I offered her free water.

At the end of the shift, my arches were aching, and I was soooo happy to be able to take off my shoes when I got home!

Friday, July 5, 2019

Flashback Friday: Cypress Gardens!

July 1979
We took our annual trip to St. Pete, Fla, to visit Grandma and Grandpa Grauel, and were disappointed a visit to Disney was not in the plans.  We did go to Cypress Gardens, and got our pictures taken while inside a T-Rex statue, and with the pretty ladies in their dresses.  The real excitement, however, was the water ski show.

We sat in the grandstand, and enjoyed the barefoot water skier, and the pyramids, and during the Grand Finale, disaster hit.  A hang glider was featured, and the wind blew him into the stands.  One minute he was hovered at the entrance ala 'hi folks', and the next, he crashed two or three rows ahead of us.  Mom pushed my sis and I down, then jumped up to assist, and administer any first aid needed.

We returned for the next show, but I was the only one to go sit in the stands.  I didn't have a camera, so all the pics of the 'grand finale' are from the back side, not the front.  The barefoot water skier also fell off his skies, so that segment of the show had a complete restart!  Think the accident had rattled everyone.

Walks On The Beach and Uncle Andy's!
We made friends with other kids whose grandparents lived in the same complex:  Kerry, Becky, and Penny, and Cheryl.  Kerry was around my age, with B and P more my sister's.  We spent a week playing on the diving board and shuffleboard.  Cheryl was a year older than I, and stayed longer.  Mom let us go across the street to Uncle Andy's Ice Cream Parlour every night for ice cream, then walk on the beach.

Our 2nd night of this escapade, we decided to cut through the Don Caesar Hotel, but as soon as we climbed the stairs, we saw all these people in evening gowns.....then we looked at ourselves in shorts and t-shirts.....and went back downstairs!  We also came across two hunky guys throwing a board into the surf and attempting to keep their balance.  When they left, we picked it up and tried it.  It took two of us to throw it, and a while later, one of the guys returned, and laughed at us!  He volunteered to throw it, and while we had fun, none of us could keep our balance.  Still, it was fun to flirt with a good-looking guy!

C's grandma let her go to the local water park with us, and we had a good time on the slides and on the bumper boats.  When our time was up, C and I had figured how to steer, but W hadn't, and let out a shriek!  The operator took another boat out to help her out, to get her back to the dock:)

This might have also been the year it rained the first week, and Grandma took us to the library.  I tried to check out at least 8, but Grandma made me only check out three.  I had them read that night, so Grandma took me back the next day and let me check out as many as I wanted!  She said she didn't plan to return again til the next week, and knew I was going to devour them.

Next Month:  Beginning 8th Grade and Making A Stupid Mistake

***********
Present Day:
I'm off to Indianapolis for the InConJunction Convention!  I have my own table this year, and hoping to do as well as, if not better, than last year:)  One of my co-workers, Karlie, wants a copy of Heart's Last Chance or Catered Romance:)

Had a wonderful 4th of July celebration, with Kyle and Jeanna coming over for a cook out, and going to the fireworks.

Got some semi sad news last night:  Thomas, MDQ and ME's father (he was never 'dad' to them), passed away yesterday.  He's the one who beat Jamie, stabbed her with a knife, slapped MDQ around, and encouraged ME to disrespect women.  I heard he had been working on repairing his relationship with MDQ, and that over the years, he and ME had grown close.  But two years ago, he'd threatened to have J arrested if she showed up for his mom's funeral.  I lost respect for that man soon after ME was born.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

July Goals

How Well Did I Do In June?
-Send Pkgs to Tx and Wa Nope
-Write #2 Regrets Nope, but wrote two pages!
-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 Filled one tote
-Do  more work in Green and Brown houses Define 'work'...added a table and sorted boxes, lol!
-Lose 5 lbs (Beginning 238)  6/5:  234:)   6/26:  232:) 
-Keep up with Blog Challenge  Check!
-Keep up with this blog Check!

Ortho Update:
New orthotic inserts arrived June 28th, but wasn't able to pick them up until July 1st.  Have to ease into them, by starting at an hour-90 minutes for a few days, then adding 30 minutes every two days until I can wear them to work (on my feet for at least 3 hours at a time), in order to avoid bruising my arches.  The minute I put them on, I could feel the new arch, and best of all, pain level dropped from a 6/7 to a TWO!  I could feel the back of my heel being 'stretched', so this will definitely take a few weeks to get used to.  I go back to ortho dr August 30th.

Books Read:  3
             Print:  1
         E-Book:  2


Karaoke Songs Added:
                Thurs:  6
                     Sat:  3.  Undecided yet if I will continue to go, with the new KJ.  So sad about not being able to see Mark and Kelly, and hope they get a new gig within driving distance!  Miss my Bottoms peeps!

July Goals:
-Send pkgs to Wa, Indpls, and Tx 7/8:  Put them together!  7/10:  Mailed:)
-Work on Regrets #2 and New Story 7/8:  Wrote nearly 5 handwritten pages:)
-Do well at InConJunction Fri:  Sold 2:)  Sat:  Sold 2:)  Sun: Sold 6:)  Total:  10 books!
-Enjoy my JHS Class Reunion Check!  Sold 10 books Friday night:)
-Do well at Heroes For Kids Ugh...no sales, but 1st year Con, and did hand out a lot of cards, sooo....next year???
-Order copies of Dreamscape (not available yet) and Catered Romance (Check!)
-Organize more basement
-Do more work on Green and Brown Houses
-Lose 5 pounds (beginning weight:  232)

Ortho Goal:
7/1:  Wear 90 mins Check....I'm not limping!
7/2:  Wear 2 hours Check
7/3:  Wear 2.5 hours Check
7/4:  Wear 2.5 hours Check
7/5:  Wear 3 hours Drove in them also; check
7/6:  Wear 4 hours Actually more like 8, but wasn't walking/standing entire time.
7/7:  Wore 3 hours Feet were complaining from previous 'abuse'
7/8:  Wore 4 hours Check; around house
7/9:  Wear 3.5 hours (half shift) Check; went well:)
7/10:  Wear 4 hours (half shift) Wore entire shift; may have to take a break tomorrow.
7/11:  Wear 4.5 hours (one hour plus half shift)  Wore entire shift, and took off shoes during 1/2 hour lunch break.  Then wore them to karaoke!  Total hours:  11 hours
7/12:  Wear 5 hours (two hours plus half shift) Wore entire shift and my arches were aching by closing time!
Weekend:  Break Check:)
7/15:  Wear 6 hours (entire shift) Feet didn't hurt as badly at end, just ached.
7/16:  Wear 6 hours (entire shift) Think I'm finally getting used to them?
7/17:  Wear 8+ hours (trip to E'ville, plus shift, minus an hour for my break) Feet are tired and aching!

Payment Schedule:
June 15-21:  30.5
         22-28:  30.5
July 5th Payday hours:  61
     -Projected income:  $641
          -$64 to church $20 put aside; Pay medical bill ($50 Check!); pay Maurices ($50 Check!); have postcards made ($26 Check!) ($190 total). Bank funds ($451) for InConJunction trip (Car rental $202; hotel $128; food $50; gas $58) ($438 total, leaving $13.)
Banked:  $10+$20 (MHS class reunion sales)-$15 (food)=$15+$22 petty cash=$37+$13=$50-$1(candy bar)=$49+$65 ICJ sales+ $10 private sale=$124-$8 donated=$116-$25 paid to FD for reunion=$91-$20 water bill=$61 banked-$16 books shipped-$13 lunch=$32 banked +$35 paid for singing funeral =$67 banked-$22 pizza for dinner=$45 banked
June 29-July 5:  23
                  6-12:  30.5
July 19th Payday hours:  53.5
     -Projected income: $564
          - $56 to church (Put aside $6); Pay medical bill ($50 Skip this week); pay GSH ($20 Check!); pay Marcus Loan ($120 Check!). Bank as much as possible ($315) for Aug trip, Class reunion trip, and Heroes For Kids trip (CR:  gas $80, food/drinks $95=$175 total; HFK:  car rental $252, gas $40, hotel room, $140, food $40=$647 total)
Banked:  $92 (CR Sales) -$10 (CR cover fee)-$30 (fair expenses)=$52+$150 (donation)-$1 (candy bar)+$297 (left in account)=$498-$2 (candy bar)-$20 (medical bill)-$14 (dinner Wed)-$11 (partial tithe)=$411 for weekend (yes, Math doesn't match, but apparently I've missed something!)+$7 AZ royalty+$50 car deposit
       13-19: 24
           20-26: 24
Aug 2nd Payday hours: 48
     -Projected income:  521
         - $52 (Check!) to church; pay medical bill (E'ville, $50 Check!); pay medical bill ($29); pay Maurices ($50 Check!)  Bank as much as possible ($39)+ $20 1st Friday+SF sales for MOA trip.

Payments Owed:
-InConJunction (July 5-7):  $30+$45 registration fee paid 6/7+ expenses ($120 hotel?  $202 rental car; $57 gas; $50 food) 
-Indy State Fair (Aug 6th-7th $100) ($50 sent 4/26; $50 sent 6/7) Rental car:  $252, gas $60, $2 admission; parking fee; food, $20; rides??
-Minneapolis travel expenses ($512-hotel, $120-food,$120- gas=$752 needed) (Aug)
-Class Reunion expenses-July 19-20 ($80 gas, $95 food/drinks=$175 total, plus $30 fair expenses)
-Heroes For Kids travel expenses-July 26-27 ($252 car rental, $140-hotel, $40 food, $40 gas=$472+$50 car deposit back)
-Indy Author Fair expenses (Sept 13-15):  $200 hotel?  $252 rental car?  Food/gas? (Aug)
-Cil-Con expenses-Sept ($252 car rental, $112 hotel, food, gas)
-Saluki Con expenses-Sept ($252 car rental, $203 ($25 refunded after stay) 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)
List is shrinking!  Nearly all booth fees are paid; all that's left are ICGAHS (Nov), Imaginarium (Oct), Rivet Craft Show (Nov), and WCC Christmas Craft Show (either Nov or Dec)!

July Reading Schedule:
Print:
Crisis-Susan Hawach DNF
Tribute-Nora Roberts DRR!!  LOVED this story!!!
Cake Pop Crush-Suzanne Nelson RR Thoroughly enjoyed this YA story!


E-Book:
Money Can't Buy Me Love-Julie Reilly Finally finished it today (7/17)!  Long book, but good ending.  Some of the middle could have been cut, but then again, it told the entire story and wasn't watered down.
Guide to Amazon Reviews-Brian K. Morris Excellent!  DRR!
Hand of God- Tony Acree DNF
 
        
Karaoke Songs:
Thurs:
7/4:  Skipping, due to needing sleep and getting up early for trip on 5th.
Independence Day-Martina McBride Nailed it; crowd pleaser!
Next Time I Fall-Peter Cetara/Amy Grant Surprisingly, it went well!
Bad Day-Daniel Powter Nailed it, much to my surprise, and was a crowd pleaser!
Does He Love You-Reba/Linda Sang this with Mel, and nailed it!
Umbrella-Rhianna  Ugh.  Got caught with food in my mouth at the start, and it just went downhill from there.  Even deleted the video.
Blessed-Martina McBride Thought this went fairly well:)
Be Good To Yourself-Journey Nailed it!
Undo It-Carrie Underwood Tripped over my tongue a few times, but not bad!
Uninvited-Alanis Morrisette Nailed it!
Beautiful Goodbye-Amanda Marshall Nailed it, but camera batteries died.

Monday, July 1, 2019

Life In Lumber: Week #14

Day 77:  Sleep Deprivation Monday
Woke up at 7am; Dad and I left at 8.  I did NOT nap in the car. then came home, unpacked, and was fitted for my orthotics.  I have to ease into wearing them, to avoid arch pain, so wore them for 45 minutes today, and NO LIMPING!

Work was fine; only had a few hiccups, where I had to have Jordan, Darren, or Brendan look up items for me, due to no bar codes.  Forgot to clock back in after lunch, and did so fifteen minutes later.

Managed to get all my closing duties finished, with the exception of changing the register tape in #2 (couldn't get the machine to open all the way) and the soda machine stocked (no one was able to get it pulled).  Hopefully tomorrow goes nice and smooth:)

Day 78:  Weird Day....
Began my shift with a disgruntled customer in my face, griping about the fact he'd had to load all 200 pieces of lumber by himself, and he needed one more 2x4x8..."But there's something on top.  I'll take a knife to the band myself if you don't get someone out there to help me."

I apologized up and down, but he walked away.  Zach ran out to help him, and I asked both Kem and Tyler about him....T didn't know anything, and K said she never told him T would help him.  So who knows?

Things settled down, and I was startled when McKrenda sent me on a 15-minute break.  I didn't question it, just went on my merry way.  After break, a gentleman couldn't locate his credit card, and was looking everywhere but this one pocket.  "It's not in there."

I casually related the story about finding S's diploma in a box where I swore it wasn't.....he finally emptied that pocket, and there it was.  "I don't know how I feel about you right now."

I cheerfully continued ringing him up.  "Just remember you love me."

"I don't know if I'd go that far...."

I thanked him for his service and shook his hand.  "You're all right."

Went to lunch, and a storm hit.  The store emptied out, so was able to get all my closing duties finished.  Needed 2 overrides:  A guy brought down a tool belt which rang up $219.  He claimed it was posted as $139.  I sent Jordan down to confirm it, then called for the O/R.  MK came down, but hesitated, and told me to call Bethany.  B refused to honor it, saying it was for the Behr battery.  Turns out on Lowes.com, that belt is listed as $139, but we don't apparently price-match our website, which makes NO sense, imho!

The second was a water heater marked down due to the box having water damage.  No issues there!

I also charmed a six month old boy, and a basset hound:)

Here's hoping tomorrow goes as smoothly!

Day 79:  Sara's 25th Birthday!
Today was another weird day at work.  Arrived at 2, and 90 minutes later, Reg #1 froze up and we had to reboot the system, then it wouldn't work.  Hopped over to #2, then was asked if I'd be willing to go out to LG for an hour, to relieve Marci.  I said yes.....and nearly melted out there!  At 5, Cassie came out; I took the time for a quick pit stop, then went back down to Lumber, where I found both Rachel and Jill working.  Reg #1 was back up, so hopped on it.

Aggie called and told me to go to lunch; I decided to ring up the next customer first, and it proved to be a problem.  Had to call Mel down to walk me through it.  Texted S and told her I was heading over to McAllisters.  They met me and we ordered, then waited for K and J to show up.  Had to be back by 6:30, then discovered I was needed up front.  So worked Reg #13 the rest of the evening.....and never got my 15 min break, for which I'd brought the final slice of blackberry pie!

Brought it home and ate it while finishing up the laundry.

Discovered I get off at 8pm tomorrow!  Here's hoping it goes smoothly:)

Day 80:  Happy Independence Day!
Was told to report to the front end, and spent my shift up there.  I wonder if ringing up Sara and using my own discount card yesterday raised a red flag?  Who knows... I'll find out next week!  Didn't have any issues, and the day actually passed without any major incidences, other than forgetting to check to see if the invoice # on a fridge matched the receipt!  Saw Hunter Mundy, Peppers, and Mike Tracy.

I'm off tomorrow!  Heading to the InConJunction Convention!