Ok he can be stupid some times too

A few days ago I decided to go and visit the family in NC and also to see a couple of friends and my "special friend." It was a great time. I love the new house and I had a fun time catching up and eating. The highlight of my trip was L.D's blunder. I am quite sure most of you are familiar with Wal-Mart and their Rollback signs on items that they stack out in the main aisles for display and impulse purchases, well apparently L.D. is not so familiar with the rollback signs. As my mom and I were strolling the aisles we stopped to think about what we wanted next and L.D. says, "Wow they have these sugar free now?" (referring to the single kool-aid type packets that you can add to a water bottle) My mother goes, "yeah they do." Then she asks L.D., "what brand is that?" L.D. responds without any hesitation, and much confidence, "Rollback." LOL; I lost it! He was thinking that the sign above the stack out referred to the product advertised. It took my mom a minute and some clarification from me to realize his blunder! Then she had to laugh too. He eventually realized the absurdity of his statement once I told him that the sign did not refer to the product name lol! I vowed to never let him live that moment down.....that's why I am blogging about it now! Thank you sweety for the laugh!

Things that are on my mind

1. The political race---I am not much of a voter mainly because I don't buy a word that politicians are saying majority of the time, but this race is very interesting many people are expecting to see some sort of historical change in the presidency, but I believe they are in disillusion. If I am wrong about this I will be surprised. I was in my dad's car the other day and he was listening to the Tom Joyner morning show on the radio, (which I really do not like) and as usual Tom had Tavis Smiley on the show for a quick segment about the whole political campaign. I must say I enjoy seeing what Tavis Smiley has to say even if I don't agree with it all. Tavis is a very intelligent and informed man, without being too uptight. He commented on how the topic of the disparity between the classes in this country is not really being addressed by any of the candidates. He stated that most many people are struggling to just stay alive, while the rich is just getting richer. I agree totally with his statements. Everywhere prices are going up on everything. Even the price of something as simple as a candy bar is skyrocketing! I was in Bottom Dollar Grocery (BTW they suck and should change their name because they are not that inexpensive) not too long ago and was shocked to find that a Hershey bar was 75 cents! That's what I would pay at 7-eleven! Meanwhile we are being told that the price increases have to do with the "illegal" war that is going on, even though some companies have become even more rich directly from the war, including some of those politicians who have a vested interest in some of those companies. Yes the economic issues are getting worse and it definitely needs to be made a real priority. 2. Respect---There is a lack of it at my job. It is the main issue that makes me hate working there and at places like it. There is no respect for what we do, as well as no respect for us as individuals. Just the other night I had to very verbally remind a coworker that I would not tolerate disrespect, especially from someone who I show courtesy and consideration to. I have been disrespected and discriminated by people many times tracing as far back as childhood, and when I became an adult capable of making my own decisions and taking care of my affairs, I decided to never accept blatant disrespect ESPECIALLY in my work environment. I hate when people think because I am reserved (only at work ! lol) and try to be polite, that I will bend to whatever form of abuse they will give me. Unfortunately for them they are quite surprised to find that that is not the case. 3.The bad drivers here in V.A.---OMG sometimes I just want to ram people in the back of their cars lol! They drive like idiots, and not in a way that is controlled chaos like you will find in Philly, New York or D.C., but like fools who need to go back to drivers ed. classes. If one more person nearly causes an accident with me, I'll....well I don't know what I'll do lol. I'll admit sometimes I find myself almost succumbing to a mild case of road rage often, but my good sense stops me from acting out on my fantasies. 4. Finally I have been trying to think of the good things that are going on in my life---I have been happy about the recent trips to N.C. I enjoy the area and especially visiting my friend. I am planning another trip there at the end of the month GOD-willing. Why not? it is the only trip I can afford lol I just pay for gas and few odds and ends and the rest is free. I don't have to pay for a hotel or anything so that is the perfect break for a broke chick like me! Also I am happy I have met someone of possible interest to me for now anyway lol. Things change ya know. I also had a couple of ego boosters when I found out that 2 of the sample handbags that were given to my baby sisters were admired by some of their peers (I guess I really need to pursue it more) and when I invited another viewer to my blog she startd reading it, and now I have possibly inspired her to start her own. Yeah that's cool :) *If you want to check out Tavis's website click on his name in the post, and it will take you to the link

Celebrity siting: Chris Brown and Rhianna came in our store part 2

I was like huh! Chris Brown looked at me for a minute with a look that read, "Please don't scream, please don't go crazy." Trust me it wasn't that serious lol; I didn't do either. I am not starstruck like that. Then when he saw that I was, going to remain calm he went back to browsing and chatting with Rhianna. There was a body guard with them and 2 other females (I'm guessing the dancers maybe), or rather I should say the bodyguard was more so guarding Rhianna. I was very surprised though and proud of the fact that people did not overreact and maul them; and scream or anything, granted it was past midnight and not a very busy night for us but still the people that were in there behaved well and allowed them to do their shopping. It was funny though because they were on the General Merchandise side of the store, but our Grocery associates, came creeping over pushing carts of "freight" to get a look and see if the rumor were true. Eventually one of the Assistant mangers came on the intercom and announced that all Grocery associates needed to return to the grocery side of the store and get back to work lol. Management watched and made sure all associates didn't really leave their areas to go and follow them, but ironically enough or should I say hypocritically enough, one of the assistant managers asked for Chris's and Rhianna's autographs because "her kids were big fans." Only a few other associates actually had the chance to get an autograph. One was a cashier who went running down the aisle saying, "Chris Brown can I have your autograph!", and even though she was instructed by her supervisor to come back, she kept going anyway and did eventually get the signature lol. He was pretty cool about it and signed a few autographs for the customers that asked. I guess he would be nice in his hometown of V.A., wouldn't be a smart move not to be huh? Another customer asked if she could take a picture and the body guard said no. Later on when I mentioned it to people, they questioned me as to why I didn't get an autograph or take a picture, and there are a three reasons why I didn't: 1. I was suppose to be working and was being monitored by my management to make sure that I remained working. 2. Taking a picture wasn't allowed (see previous sentences for reason) and if I had took the chance and snapped a picture on my camera phone, I am quite sure this would have had a much more negative impact because I was an employee rather than if the customer did it. I would assume that I would have received some sort of reprimand from management. 3. The most important reason of all is because it really wasn't that important to me, yes seeing them there, not in disguise was shocking, but I really don't think that having a person's autograph is anything special and if I would have gotten it I would have sold it on Ebay to someone who cared. I am not a fan of their's per se and I don't go out and buy their cds or anything. I would have been more impressed if I had met Nelson Mandela; someone who has made a much more important social impact relating to humanity. If I could have sat down and chatted with people like him that would be memorable to me. So aside from watching them peruse the different departments and saying hi to them, it was pretty low key. But an event out of the ordinary of the usual routine nonetheless..

Celebrity siting: Chris Brown and Rhianna came in our store last night part 1

I am not much for caring too much about celebrities, but I must say I was a little shocked last night when Chris Brown and Rhianna decided to stop by and do a little browsing and shopping in our good ole Wally World last night (approximately a little past midnight). I saw what looked like an unmarked tour bus outside the store before coming back from first break last night, and didn't think much of it, until I walked in and was walking past my department and I saw a girl who really resembled Rhianna and I thought to myself, "wow she really looks like her?!" But then next to her I see a guy next to her who looked like Chris Brown and I thought hmmm what a coincidence, maybe too much of a coincidence; until they turned around and looked me in the face and I realized it was them :O -- to be continued (because my time at the library is up lol).....

Last Night

Last night was the usually lack luster night at Wally World I went in loathing having to be there. I prayed that it would be pretty slow, with not much nocturnal shoppers, and that the most annoying co-workers would not bother to talk to me. Well at Wally World that rarely happens. Besides having the nickname "Wally World" the store has other names it is known as, such as "Club W.M." because it is such a social gathering place. People come in dressed (or barely) to impress and on the prowl. It's Friday Night and where do you go to hang out and meet people? Is it a fancy restaurant, or the local nightclub? Wrong! it is "Club W.M." The #1 destination in your weekend social festivities; the first stop you make before hitting any other clubs. This is not necessarily good for those of us who want to do our job and go home at 7am. People linger in the "too-narrow-for-25-people-to-fit-in" aisles, and catch up with current affairs, tell tasteless, crude, and really-not-that-funny jokes about each other or random people, conveniently find ways to "accidentally" brush up against or touch you or other people, and my personal favorite have an occasional game of "lets-sling-products-at-each-other-." It makes trying to maneuver around people in the tight space and put away the freight a "little" difficult. Surprisingly enough, last night was not too bad, I think this had something to do with the tropical storms brewing. I thought to myself, "Great I can get through this night without anyone bothering me" as I was not in a very good mood. But of course it wouldn't be a Wally World night if you did not have at least one annoying situation. So just as I was thinking how wonderful it was not to have anyone in the way, standing between me and my work along comes two quirky females. I was not in the mood for quirky. I kept it in of course being trained in the arts of "good customer service." I had to endure a half-hour visit from these ladies in my aisle, and a stupid conversation concerning the shampoo and conditioner. --OK I'll admit I am female, and I too can take a minute to decide about the right products to buy, but at some point you make a decision.-- But what made the conversation special was that the commentators were two ditzes. I painstakingly had to listen to a conversation that went something like this, " Ha ha, tee hee, SHAMPOO, ha ha, blah, blah, PANTENE, blah,blah, SUAVE tee hee, ha ha, I LOVE THAT SONG, blah, blah, blah, SHAMPOO tee hee." OK, seriously shampoo is not that funny... Was the conversation even about shampoo? I know I wasn't a happy little camper last night so maybe I was especially irritated, but they were standing in the way of the section where I had alot of freight to put up. Why did I not just say, "excuse me but I need to get right where you're standing" you ask? Because then that would have meant I actually would have to speak to them, and given the mood I was in, my lack of adequate sleep before coming to work, the 1:30am time frame, and the fact that I did not want to mar my reputation for being a good customer service worker, I decided to work around them, putting out what little freight I could and try not to appear annoyed... Just when I thought I could hold it in no longer they made a decision. aaahhh safe

Decisions, decisions and acting upon those decisions--Back To School

Well I have decided that I will try to return to school in January for the spring semester, (with the summer semester being the latest) at just about any cost. Whatever it takes, I will try and go back GOD-willing. I have to give myself a deadline now or it may never happen. I made this decision after I had to go and apply for a second, albeit seasonal job earlier in the week. I said to my mum, "I can't do this anymore, I have to bite the bullet and figure out how to get back in school." I am just sinking further and further into dead-in jobs and even though I can't really can't afford the tuition right now (I was trying to work more to be able to afford going back), it is not helping that I am taking on these dead-end jobs that are not even able to cover most of my expenses.

Besides that every night I go into work at Wally World it is just depressing. I hate the way the management talks to the associates; they talk down to us. They feel that their position gives them warrant to treat people like crap, and they think you don't know much, if anything at all. Sometimes I want to remind or inform many of my overnight assistant managers that I too was once in their place at my previous retail job. I was an assistant manager, and a darn good one if I do say so myself. My old boss and many of my old co-workers would vouch for that. I didn't make the associates feel like peons either. I was always willing to get down in the trenches and do the same work that the regular sales clerks did, as well as keep up with my other managerial duties. My main reason for leaving was because I was paid crap for all my hard work. At Wally World some of the management are some of the most laziest, conceited, and corrupt people working there. It takes everything for me to have to go to work some nights.

On another note, I have an interview with the seasonal job place on Monday, and it is a strong possibility that I will get the job, considering I passed the 2 assessment tests and the fact that they would probably hire a monkey if given the opportunity. This is mainly because during the "holiday season" they are overwhelmed. So I will be back into my mode of working two jobs again...aah it was fun having some free time for the past 2 months, but it is back to business. The good thing about it is that it will only last through the end of this year.

In a way I could kick myself, because my progress with my bags has slowed down, and I am somewhat confident that if I just complete my first round and market them a little, I can have a little success. Not necessarily on a grand scale, just a small humble one is fine with me. I have a few people who have been waiting for quite some time for me to launch the project. I can be such a procrastinator at times. I have to speed the process up back again, but time will be even more scarce now if I get the second job. I just have to re-evaluate and re-focus myself. I feel like I desperately have to get my situation in order.

I can't stand the fact that I am not able to repay my parents and do something big for them. I hate to see my mother not doing exactly what she loves to do, or my dad who has been in a position where he could not work for the past couple of years (he has an respiratory illness which makes it hard for him to go back into the construction industry). My mother has her degree in a field that she is interested in, but her job was not completely fulfilling her passion. She would love to open up a youth counseling center, and or her own restaurant as she loves to cook. I really wish that I could be able to fund her dreams. That would make me extremely happy to know that I could do something for her, that would not be able to compare to her efforts in raising me and my siblings, nurturing us in her womb and giving birth to us, but hopefully it would express my love and appreciation in a small way....Wow I am getting teary- eyed just thinking about it. That is one of the moments that will go into my list of moments in my life that will make/or have made me cry tears of joy. You know maybe I don't show it enough or express it enough, but I really love you mum. She still has not seen or read my blog, but one day I hope to let her read it, so she can understand how I feel.

Workin Hard or Hardly Workin?: People Steal The Darndest Things You Know

Well I had another fun-filled night at Wally World; from associates and customers making passes, coping-a-feel under the disguise of a friendly gesture, to management lying about having access to paychecks until morning and later being caught that night handing out the same inaccessible checks to favored associates, to finding the nights stolen articles. Some favorites of thieves includes, but certainly not limited to, condoms, DVDs and over the counter medicines. Most bizarre stolen item every discovered: empty denture adhesion box. After leaving the "institute" I had my first preliminary interview with the other company today. I was a little offended by the interviewer when she questioned me with ridicule in her voice, as to why I gave up my job at USPS and kept Wally World (just a few months ago I had the 2 as full-time jobs), she acted as if I were stupid and she did not believe my reason. Just because she could not understand it, did not give her the right to try and belittle me. People sometimes have to leave a higher paying job in place of a lower paying one for many reasons, but in my case I was at Wally World when I started the USPS and when I had to quit the USPS, I still had my job at Wally World, so it is not actually as if I left the USPS for W.M. Anyway she told me she would give me a call in the next 5 days if they wanted to do further interviewing and testing, so we will see. The question I hate the most when doing an interview, especially when the job you are applying for is not necessarily the type of work that most people would choose as a life-long career, is "Why do you want to work for us?" "Hmmm let me think,....I need the money right now!" As if you go to McDonalds and apply to be a fry cook because it has been a longtime goal of yours (maybe for some people it is)... "Well now Miss/Mr. tell me why do you want to work at McDonalds?" "Well sir every since I was a little girl/boy I have been dreaming of working under stressful, greasy conditions and earning minimum wage." Don't get me wrong I am not knocking anyone who has to take these kind of jobs, you do what you have to sometimes in order to survive (I know I am), but I am just pointing out the fact that the employer of such establishments should not even bother asking any sane person this question. Unless the applicant has shown up to the interview wearing a I hate McDonalds T-shirt on, then don't bother asking the question......Man I really need to get out of this rat-race.

Links

I have just added some links on my blog, and I have chosen to showcase some of these websites in particular, because I actually deal with some of them. I do not want to just promote any and everything especially if I have no personal experience with it; kinda like the celebrity who endorses products that they do not use. I really,really, love eBay! so I will definitely promote them, besides I have sold things there and hopefully will be selling my bags there too eventually. I have just joined a website called ourstory.com that is really cool! If you blog then a part of you probably enjoys the idea of being able to express yourself and chronicle your life. At ourstory.com you can supplement your blog by creating a family history timeline that also acts as a family tree for future generations to enjoy. You add past and present memories to your timeline and you can invite other friends and family to add to your timeline too! It is a really cool site. I wish I had more info from my family's past that I could learn about today, but at least I will be able to leave some info about my family for our future generations. I am also registered at reunion.com because I am searching for 2 people I chose their site because they were actually very inexpensive, and if you type in your name you can see who is looking for you as well. It's funny because I have never been able to afford any people search services, but I had a little money left in my account from my last book sale at eBay and was able to pay for a membership, because reunion.com is cheap and accepts Paypal. I have not made any contact with the people I am looking for, but I have not been a member for too long, so eventually I may find them. My progress on my bags has slowed down for the past 2 days, but I will resume my pace in the next day or so. Right now I am interested in getting the minor details ready such as cheap or free marketing ideas, business cards, etc. Also tomorrow I have my first interview with the company I applied for a job with a week ago,and if I get the job it will pay me about the same amount I was making as a casual carrier with the Post Office, so it will be a little better than Wally World. So right now I have a few things going on; just striving, constantly striving, and praying for the day when I finally surface to the top...