Who Do I Think I Am??

This one's about today.

THE PROMPT: "I would guess that Earl is travelling and or spending time with family. I won't have time to write anything until later tonight. If I may step up and offer a prompt in Earl's absence, I would suggest we write something about how we are enjoying the follow me concept in blogging. Include any topic that is close to you today as well. Hopefully Earl will return shortly." (quote attributed to Brother Nature )

Way to stay on the ball, Joel! Good evening friends. Well, it's almost like it's the "quartely review" (Or would "first third" sound more appropriate? Discuss it in the comments section.) for this month's special "Follow Me" edition of the "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" , only we're reviewing the actual challenge portion today. Or, well, at least I am...haven't read any of the other participants yet.

I know this might come off as offensive to some, or backhanded in a way, or me just being an ass, and I'm ok with any one or a combination of the three, but I much rather enjoy getting a prompt and writing as opposed to reading an entry first and then coming up with my own. But hear me out...the reason I say this is simple. Some of the opening entries nail the topic right on the head. They've said what I would've probably said had their subject been a normal prompt. And that's great that there are so many talented people in this round, but some days, I really hafta pull verbal teeth to say something that stands out from everything else (if in fact that's even happened so far this month). Some days, I'm just too exhausted and don't have the mental capacity to be so creative. And that's not me seeking pity; that's the truth.

So while I'm still having fun, I'm really actually longing for the "Challenge War Chest"...and you know the deal between me and those prompts. Talk about a love/hate relationship...kinda feels like I dumped my trainwreck/supermodel girlfriend for a younger, sexier blog challenge, and now I'm thinking I'd take a trainwreck over the younger, sexier challenge because that trainwreck is also a supermodel. Yup, you don't give me an entry to follow today, and that's the analogy you get.

I'mma tell you what...lemme take a little break. After the day I had, this will all be null and void and no one will remember this part of the entry happened, and we'll share a laugh and skip and hold virtual hands while staring at computer screens. Deal?

MUSICAL BREAK!!

This should set the mood appropriately, given how the week has gone so far.

VITAL STATS:

So let me tell you a little bit about today. Today was warehouse delivery day #1 this week. Two managers in at 5:45am, the store mananger in around 7:30-ish, and me at 8am. Being that it's Wednesday, it's also a busy day at receiving for some of our vendors, and I deal with some of that. I get my work done, I start helping put away our truck, eat lunch (and by the way, http://www.salsaritas.com/, not only does your website fail miserably when trying to view your menu on a smartphone, but if I've got to spend $4 for chips and queso, please put it in a box of some sort, kay? Just dumping a shit-ton of chips in a plastic shopping bag like I can get at the grocery store and tossing two capped cups of queso in the bag and tying it up? That's so ghetto.), and then get informed about what my afternoon's gonna look like.

Turns out the manager has to leave to visit another store. That's cool; it's part of her job. The other two managers, who were scheduled to leave at 1:45pm, were allowed to leave around 1pm. One is staying later tomorrow, and the other was dispatched to local schools to hand out flyers about our "Educator Week" (or whatever the hell it's called) promotion...that started this week and should've been handed out Friday. And I'm still ok with this, because the closing manager is due in at 1:30pm. Only, she might not be in until 4pm. And, "Oh, it's ok if you stay past 4 o'clock, right?" Right.

So it's not like I've never worked by myself running this store. I ran a store before as a manager (as in, I was the store manager). I can keep myself occupied and keep my team moving. That's not a problem.

The problem is me, covering the photo lab over two half-hour breaks, while running a store, having to take care of customers with returns, taking in our cooler, frozen food, and tobacco delivery and putting it away, while dealing with the people at the photo kiosks who seem needier than infants, while getting change for every corner of the store, and being informed that we're "out of everything"...that's right ma'am...my shelves are bare!. So I was beat and a little stressed. But no big deal, because I'm still a little honored once in awhile that I can be in charge and keep the store from burning down.

So 4pm rolls around. And I get it. The closing manager's got a sick baby. She doesn't have my number to text me anything like an ETA or to say she's on her way. I'm not too worried. But I'll be damned if between 4 and 4:30 (when she finally made it in), you'd never believe I got every single jerkoff walking around my community. The jerk who doesn't understand why we need a name, address and phone number when he's returning something and getting a large amount of cash back. The lady who wants to exchange her propane tank and wants to know what's taking so long while I'm accepting a beer delivery. The punkass who wants me to call another store because his mom needs these perfume sets, and the store keeps me on hold for 10 minutes because they're a busy store and won't answer their phone. The coworker that works with us and didn't get his Register Reward coupon for something he bought on Saturday, when the sale started Sunday, and really didn't want the mail-in form (standard procedure). Yup, you name it. They came in. Joel, I even think I saw Andre the Blog Monkey coming in, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and asking the ladies why we didn't carry golf balls, and then passing them business cards and winking .

I'm always willing to "go above and beyond" or do the "extra mile" thing. But it never fails...once you're committed, expect it to go horribly. For he who expects little is seldom disappointed...and he who expects even less, probably works in retail.

On a positive note (c'mon, I'm always looking for small victories on rough days) we got in some new items for the snack department, which means that department must be getting reset soon. And my eyes did not deceive me...we got in our private label's newest entry in the snack game...bacon jerky!! Oh my lawd, it's delicious!! If my mouth could talk, it'd be thanking me for days!! My mouth has not enjoyed something this meaty and smoky and salty and tastilicious in a very long time. Too bad they only sent us two bags...this may become a dietary staple at some point very soon in my life. I'm only now dreaming of ways to try and cook with it. It's like eating a gigantic bacon bit. Why have I never heard of this before?? Ohhhh...I think I did, quite awhile ago. I think I saw a recipe for making it actually. I might have to look into that.

And that's about it for tonight...grilled cheese and (real) bacon sandwiches for dinner, a shower, some downtime, and an early night for this guy, who's worn out and exhausted and has to be in at 5:45am for warehouse delivery day #2 tomorrow (and perhaps the 2nd-busiest vendor receiving day of the week). Fun times. Peace, and GOODNIGHT NOW!!