If you're having a bad day, never ever say any of the following. Don't even think it, or think about thinking it!
1- Well, it can't get any worse, can it?
2- At the least we got through the worst of it.
3- I can't think of anyone else who is having a worse day than me!
First, those statements are false. Second, by thinking, begining to think, or saying any of those phrases, their negativity is brought out twicefold. Am I exagerating? Maybe. Maybe not.
All I know is that I was nervous when I came into work today, because I knew I would have to face my manager, and try to explain what happened to about $1000 worth of stock. Surprising, that went over quite well. I answered all his questions the best I could, didn't go into a fit, and neither did he. Perhaps he was too jetlagged. I don't know. What I do know, is that less than an hour after we opened, someone got a five-finger discount on a $280 19" LCD computer monitor. All three of us, including my manager were on the floor at the time. NOT GOOD. The rest of the day was interupted at regular intervals by visits and phones calls from Mall Security and EPS. We were still able to sell a goodly amount by the end of the day, but I was still pretty shaken. Thankfully, I have tomorrow off.
Despite the missing stock, Jon was still impressed with the way I handled the store. He received a minimal amount of phone calls, and they weren't pressing matters. The big crisises I was able to handle between Liz and other managers and associates in the city. Reach out and find someone! That's what I did. It was still uber freaky being the manager for three days, especially when we had someone go home early for medical reasons, and I had less than an hour to find someone to cover the rest of the shift. I was faced with the possibility of closing early, but all it took was a couple of phone calls, and the problem was quelled. Management is hard! I can only imagine what it's going to be like raising a family now.
At least with the emergency scheduling, I knew that all the employees would be coming back next week. That wasn't the case at Northgate, where one of the employees put in their resignation. When the manager was gone. There was one employee left to fend for the entire store. He's a seasoned sales associate, so he could handle things, but it was nonetheless freaky to the extreme. Plus, once the manager comes back, there is still the problem of there being only two people on staff, and one of those associates is going to part-time in a couple weeks.
Ah yes, then there was the news that I received today for Caitlin. Her AM called with a bit of news that made my week seem like a cakewalk. Cailtin's manager quit. The AM was scheduled to have her last day on Friday, but she's going to stick around for at least another week until they have everything settled. Or the store shuts down. One or the other. I'm hoping the former. Caitlin might have to step into the shoes of management a little sooner than she thought, but I really hope that things will stablize downtown.
Why is it so hard to find people who will stay on with retail? Is it the sales? Interacting with people? Fear of rejection? Fear of sucess? Low wages? Not enough incentives? Or dream of something better?
Life is hard. Why? Because it takes work.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Can you say "addiction"?
It's funny when I read a new webcomic, I have to read all the archives. Even though I already have 34 webcomics on my favourites, and there are a few others I read that aren't on the favourites list, I added another.
I'm going to bed now. I already took my meds, so I can sleep easy knowing that. After I get to work tomorrow, that's going to be a different story.
Today? I'll say this much. I didn't anticipate so much trouble, and managing isn't quite what I imagined it would be.
I'm going to bed now. I already took my meds, so I can sleep easy knowing that. After I get to work tomorrow, that's going to be a different story.
Today? I'll say this much. I didn't anticipate so much trouble, and managing isn't quite what I imagined it would be.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
All by Myself
Somehow my mind seems to float on the Chirs Columbus production of Home Alone. At first when Kevin discovers that he's home alone, it's awesome! He runs around the house screaming, jumping on beds, and riding his sled down the stairs and into the snow. I did none of the listed things, but I did stay up until 4am this morning watching random crap on YouTube. The weird thing is that I only slept for three hours, and then I was awake, and couldn't go back to bed. I did take my meds, so I don't think I'm going on an upswing right now, but it was a little odd. I'm going to try to get to bed a little earlier tonight.
The other somewhat freaky thing is keeping the store together. Albeit, LD isn't that tough of a place to hold down, but it is a little daunting to be in charge.
"First rule of management... everything is your fault" - Hopper, A Bug's Life, Pixar, 1997
Keeping tabs on everyone, making sure that things get done, and most of all, making sure that the customers leave the store happy are responsabilities that get added to the pile of making sales, troubleshooting, and receiving shipment. I'm just glad that Liz talked me through closing yesterday. That was a lifesaver, especially backing up the system. Somethings are assumed that you know, and it's also assumed that if I don't know, I'll figure it out. One thing I learned the hard way, is that it's important to close the batch each night! Sure you'll get impressive numbers the second night, but then it gets a little whacked to get the DR right. Bleh.
I have yet to recieve an email from my wife, who is in Banff still, and will be there until Sunday. We have spoken on the phone a couple of times, but I do not look forward to seeing the phone bill, since all the calls have been collect. Still, it does feel good to hear her voice. It would be nicer if we were together, and it would be great if I was still in Banff with her.
The time I spent in Banff felt like I was there to hurry up and relax. If there is such a thing. I spent more time relaxing at the Orr's and the Pierce's than I did during the five hours I was in Banff. Or maybe it was six. Nevertheless, it wasn't much. I wish I could have been there overnight at least. If we had our own car, that could have worked. As it was, it didn't. Fortunately for me, I was able to get rides from my sisters who were planning on going to Banff, and Liz lives downtown, so it wasn't difficult for me to get to the bus on time. I was still tired when I got on that bus though. Hence I didn't correct the blantent error of @@, instead of 22, in the date. I thought it was appropo.
Anywho, I should get off to bed. I still want to finish Calculating God before the week is out. It's quite a read, and it's also very thought provoking. I do believe in God, so it's kind of gratifying to see this athiest get hit over the head by aliens that have scientifically proven the existance of God. Hee hee.
The other somewhat freaky thing is keeping the store together. Albeit, LD isn't that tough of a place to hold down, but it is a little daunting to be in charge.
"First rule of management... everything is your fault" - Hopper, A Bug's Life, Pixar, 1997
Keeping tabs on everyone, making sure that things get done, and most of all, making sure that the customers leave the store happy are responsabilities that get added to the pile of making sales, troubleshooting, and receiving shipment. I'm just glad that Liz talked me through closing yesterday. That was a lifesaver, especially backing up the system. Somethings are assumed that you know, and it's also assumed that if I don't know, I'll figure it out. One thing I learned the hard way, is that it's important to close the batch each night! Sure you'll get impressive numbers the second night, but then it gets a little whacked to get the DR right. Bleh.
I have yet to recieve an email from my wife, who is in Banff still, and will be there until Sunday. We have spoken on the phone a couple of times, but I do not look forward to seeing the phone bill, since all the calls have been collect. Still, it does feel good to hear her voice. It would be nicer if we were together, and it would be great if I was still in Banff with her.
The time I spent in Banff felt like I was there to hurry up and relax. If there is such a thing. I spent more time relaxing at the Orr's and the Pierce's than I did during the five hours I was in Banff. Or maybe it was six. Nevertheless, it wasn't much. I wish I could have been there overnight at least. If we had our own car, that could have worked. As it was, it didn't. Fortunately for me, I was able to get rides from my sisters who were planning on going to Banff, and Liz lives downtown, so it wasn't difficult for me to get to the bus on time. I was still tired when I got on that bus though. Hence I didn't correct the blantent error of @@, instead of 22, in the date. I thought it was appropo.
Anywho, I should get off to bed. I still want to finish Calculating God before the week is out. It's quite a read, and it's also very thought provoking. I do believe in God, so it's kind of gratifying to see this athiest get hit over the head by aliens that have scientifically proven the existance of God. Hee hee.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Seemed like a good idea
@@ Auguser 2006
Right now, sitting on this luxary bus in downtown clgary at 6:30am, I am seriously hoping that this vacation was worth it. The bus seems equiped with a DVD player, so I was wise to bring my headphones. However, if I fall asleep on the 3 hour trip and miss the flick, I'm not going to be put out. I've already seen four movies in the past two days. The village caitlin and I watched on Sunday morning at the Tolley's while we folded up our laundry. Nanny McFee, we also watched together, but the location was at the Orr Theatre, also known as their Theatre room. RV and Larry the Cable Guy:Health Inspector I watched at the Pierce's. Thankfully Liz but Isobel down for bed before we watched LtCG:HI, because that is not a kid's show. Heavy on the cruude humour, I'm quite glad that Cailtin didn't see it either.
I am glad that I did get to spend some time with my sibs and in-laws. I made some interesting discoveries, such as the fact the Gail (Chris' mom) was college buddies with the owner of the Candy Shop in Banff.
Right now, sitting on this luxary bus in downtown clgary at 6:30am, I am seriously hoping that this vacation was worth it. The bus seems equiped with a DVD player, so I was wise to bring my headphones. However, if I fall asleep on the 3 hour trip and miss the flick, I'm not going to be put out. I've already seen four movies in the past two days. The village caitlin and I watched on Sunday morning at the Tolley's while we folded up our laundry. Nanny McFee, we also watched together, but the location was at the Orr Theatre, also known as their Theatre room. RV and Larry the Cable Guy:Health Inspector I watched at the Pierce's. Thankfully Liz but Isobel down for bed before we watched LtCG:HI, because that is not a kid's show. Heavy on the cruude humour, I'm quite glad that Cailtin didn't see it either.
I am glad that I did get to spend some time with my sibs and in-laws. I made some interesting discoveries, such as the fact the Gail (Chris' mom) was college buddies with the owner of the Candy Shop in Banff.
Long Overdue
Written on iPAQ, 19 August 2006, 11:46pm
A lot of things tend to get shoved into the background. Taking time to write a blog entry, talk with siblings and parents, do laundry, and taking a vacation seem to presently come to mind. I also forgot to take my meds last night, but I didn't flare up at work today so I think I did okay. I have today's dose working through me right now. Caitln made sure to get me back on track.
The last time I saw my family was longer than a day ago though. Dad, Caitlin and I went to Calgary on July 2, 2006 so I could participate in the blessing of Benjamin Arthur Orr. My new nephew, and Dad's first grandson. I was hoping that Caitlin and I would produce the first, but for all I know, our first child may be a daughter. Nevertheless, that's two grandchildren with a third on the way. The only disappointment was that Liz wasn't there. I'll see her and Isobel Monday, because I'm using the next two days to do a lot of things that are long overdue.
While we were waiting for a load of whites to dry, I got a call from Jessica to discuss arrangements for tomorrow. Good thing I told her the Tolley's number in the phone message I left earlier today. My vacation, or 2006 Banff trip, began as soon as I got off work today, because when I got home, the only thing Caitlin and I had in mind was to leave our apartment. Caitin will return Sunday, August 27, 2006. I will be back Tuesday, August 22, 2006, much sooner than my wife due the shortage of experienced staff.
Two days of vacation is still two days not at work, so I'm going to do my best to relax. I'm going to need it if I hope to survive this coming week. It would be nice to spend the entire week with my wife in Banff, but alas, not this year. At least I'm getting some time off, unlike last year. True last year I went to Las Vegas, but that was a convention for WFG, and I'm not doing anything with them anymore. Almost seems ironic, because I'm wearing one of the shirts I bought there.
On a side note, an odd coincidence was brought to my attention today. My assistant manager has the same nickname as my little sister. Further odd coincidence is that the former manager of Londonderry Source shares the same name as me. Hence I make sure to answer the phone using my proper name to avoid confusion. So far those are the only names that have caused confusion.
A lot of things tend to get shoved into the background. Taking time to write a blog entry, talk with siblings and parents, do laundry, and taking a vacation seem to presently come to mind. I also forgot to take my meds last night, but I didn't flare up at work today so I think I did okay. I have today's dose working through me right now. Caitln made sure to get me back on track.
The last time I saw my family was longer than a day ago though. Dad, Caitlin and I went to Calgary on July 2, 2006 so I could participate in the blessing of Benjamin Arthur Orr. My new nephew, and Dad's first grandson. I was hoping that Caitlin and I would produce the first, but for all I know, our first child may be a daughter. Nevertheless, that's two grandchildren with a third on the way. The only disappointment was that Liz wasn't there. I'll see her and Isobel Monday, because I'm using the next two days to do a lot of things that are long overdue.
While we were waiting for a load of whites to dry, I got a call from Jessica to discuss arrangements for tomorrow. Good thing I told her the Tolley's number in the phone message I left earlier today. My vacation, or 2006 Banff trip, began as soon as I got off work today, because when I got home, the only thing Caitlin and I had in mind was to leave our apartment. Caitin will return Sunday, August 27, 2006. I will be back Tuesday, August 22, 2006, much sooner than my wife due the shortage of experienced staff.
Two days of vacation is still two days not at work, so I'm going to do my best to relax. I'm going to need it if I hope to survive this coming week. It would be nice to spend the entire week with my wife in Banff, but alas, not this year. At least I'm getting some time off, unlike last year. True last year I went to Las Vegas, but that was a convention for WFG, and I'm not doing anything with them anymore. Almost seems ironic, because I'm wearing one of the shirts I bought there.
On a side note, an odd coincidence was brought to my attention today. My assistant manager has the same nickname as my little sister. Further odd coincidence is that the former manager of Londonderry Source shares the same name as me. Hence I make sure to answer the phone using my proper name to avoid confusion. So far those are the only names that have caused confusion.
Monday, August 14, 2006
One down
I finished Left Hand of Darkness an hour ago, and I must say it is an interesting read. I have no idea how we're going to be tearing this book apart in class, since class doesn't start for another four weeks. At first I thought the idea of people who can change gender was cool. By the end, it just seemed confusing. I have to read that book again, with a dictionary. I understood the book for the most part, but there were a multitude of words that are not in my vocabulary. I found the premise most intriguing. A lone man on an alien planet, his mission is to rouse interest and agreement to get the planet to join an interplanetary alliance. By the end of the book, the residents on the planet are more familiar to him than the people from the ship that dropped him off. Terran men and women seem alien to him. Facinating read, even though it didn't quite head in the direction that I anticipated with the mind-speak.
All the same, there are a lot of books to read, and I just finished one. Kind of scratching the surface. Meanwhile, Cailtin read one of the books on the reading list as well. I borrowed Calculating God from the library, and Caitlin read it in two days. I swear, she's a goat when it comes to books. She devours them. Over and over again too. She wants me to buy the book, so that means she'll read it at least 10 times by the time the year is out. She really liked it. I'm going to read that one next, since I have to return it September 2. From what Caitlin has told me, it's going to be a crazy read. Aliens land in Toronto, and the first thing they say is "Take me to your palentologist." Local people are mentioned in the book too, such as Prime Minister Chretien and Peter Mansbridge. I think it's interesting.
All the same, there are a lot of books to read, and I just finished one. Kind of scratching the surface. Meanwhile, Cailtin read one of the books on the reading list as well. I borrowed Calculating God from the library, and Caitlin read it in two days. I swear, she's a goat when it comes to books. She devours them. Over and over again too. She wants me to buy the book, so that means she'll read it at least 10 times by the time the year is out. She really liked it. I'm going to read that one next, since I have to return it September 2. From what Caitlin has told me, it's going to be a crazy read. Aliens land in Toronto, and the first thing they say is "Take me to your palentologist." Local people are mentioned in the book too, such as Prime Minister Chretien and Peter Mansbridge. I think it's interesting.
Good times
I really shouldn't say that life is all that bad right now. It's just that when I went to work on Friday I got caught in the downpour that soaked the city. I was mostly dry, save my pants, my jacket, and my socks. I was okay feetwise until I went through a puddle. That's when it was made clearly obvious that although my boots are watertight, lined with Gore-tex, and will keep your feet warm in temperatures as low as -30C, there is one problem with them. Each boot has a large gaping hole. Since that is where you put your foot in, the only boot that doesn't have that problem was one designed by Newfies.
Even in the rain, it only took about 20 minutes to get to Londonderry from the moment I set my foot out the door to when I arrived. I really need to lube my bike now, but I'll get to that later today, since I have the day off.
I was hoping to go see Monster House today with Caitlin, but that's up in the air. We'll see how she feels in an hour.
The company picnic on Saturday was a great sucess. I'm really glad I went to Londonderry, because no one from Westmount showed. They had other plans involving friends, family, and... video games. The fact that no one had a car played a part too I think, but the 128 goes right from Westmount to Hawrlack Park. Their loss.
There is a slight possibility that I'll get Sunday and Monday off again next week, but I won't know until the schedule is written. Here's hoping.
Even in the rain, it only took about 20 minutes to get to Londonderry from the moment I set my foot out the door to when I arrived. I really need to lube my bike now, but I'll get to that later today, since I have the day off.
I was hoping to go see Monster House today with Caitlin, but that's up in the air. We'll see how she feels in an hour.
The company picnic on Saturday was a great sucess. I'm really glad I went to Londonderry, because no one from Westmount showed. They had other plans involving friends, family, and... video games. The fact that no one had a car played a part too I think, but the 128 goes right from Westmount to Hawrlack Park. Their loss.
There is a slight possibility that I'll get Sunday and Monday off again next week, but I won't know until the schedule is written. Here's hoping.
Friday, August 11, 2006
The surprises keep coming
I knew that I would have a tough time getting vacation time this summer, but now I know it's impossible. For a good chunk of the summer, I had the hope to go to Banff with my wife and some of my in-laws. That was cut down to a weekend, and now there is no hope whatsoever. First, the managers conference will take the manager at Londonderry to Barrie for a few days. During said time, the Assistant Manager will be gone to Grand Prairie to manage the store in absence of the manager, who will be in Barrie as well. That leaves me as the most experienced staff member to take care of the store. I'm not going to Banff during that time. Also, one of my co-workers needs the same weekend that I was hoping to use to go to Banff. That discouraged me, but what put the nail in the coffin was when I was refreshed on holiday policy. Minimum two-weeks notice for any vacation time. Schedule is already made, and I'm bound to it. Crumbs.
On the plus side, I am learning more store responsabilities, such as processing shipment, and doing Store Transfers. Cool stuff, plus I get to train new staff that we'll be hiring on. Oh boy.
Another great thing about the store, there is a microwave. And it works! Lunch is going to be so much easier now. Speaking of which I need to get that together. I still don't know how long it will take me to get to Londonderry, but I'm estimating 30 minutes. It took me 20 minutes to ride home from Belvadere station yesterday, which is about 10 minutes from Londonderry Mall. Again, approximations. Some stuff doesn't require preparation, such as the chocolate coated sesame snaps that I found at Save-On Foods the other day. So so so so so good!
When I went to the U of A yesterday for my bi-polar clinic, I arrived over an hour early. I decided to take a look in the bookstore to see if there were any books for my courses in yet, and there were. My Comparative Literature (or C LIT) 342 had most, if not all of the books there. Eight novels and a compelation of short stories comprise the list. Uh oh. I bought five of them, since four were used (and thereby cheaper than new), and the compelation was a course pack, and hence a moderate, but fixed, price. The other four, or three, novels that I left weren't that expensive. One of them was Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer. Another was Solaris, the novel that served as the basis for the George Clooney flick. I might just watch the movie. I know I should read the book, and I started reading one of the books I bought, with the goal to read them all before classes start, but we'll see.
On the plus side, I am learning more store responsabilities, such as processing shipment, and doing Store Transfers. Cool stuff, plus I get to train new staff that we'll be hiring on. Oh boy.
Another great thing about the store, there is a microwave. And it works! Lunch is going to be so much easier now. Speaking of which I need to get that together. I still don't know how long it will take me to get to Londonderry, but I'm estimating 30 minutes. It took me 20 minutes to ride home from Belvadere station yesterday, which is about 10 minutes from Londonderry Mall. Again, approximations. Some stuff doesn't require preparation, such as the chocolate coated sesame snaps that I found at Save-On Foods the other day. So so so so so good!
When I went to the U of A yesterday for my bi-polar clinic, I arrived over an hour early. I decided to take a look in the bookstore to see if there were any books for my courses in yet, and there were. My Comparative Literature (or C LIT) 342 had most, if not all of the books there. Eight novels and a compelation of short stories comprise the list. Uh oh. I bought five of them, since four were used (and thereby cheaper than new), and the compelation was a course pack, and hence a moderate, but fixed, price. The other four, or three, novels that I left weren't that expensive. One of them was Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer. Another was Solaris, the novel that served as the basis for the George Clooney flick. I might just watch the movie. I know I should read the book, and I started reading one of the books I bought, with the goal to read them all before classes start, but we'll see.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Same job, new location
It's official now. I'm being transferred to Londonderry, and I'm glad of it. Nothing against Westmount, it's a nice store, great co-workers, but low traffic. My reasons for going to Westmount in the first place was:
a) Nathan needed people badly since staff was cut down to one person, himself;
b) I was told it would be temporary. One week, maybe two, and then I would be back at Kingsway.
Since then, Kingsway is up to full staff again, and they are running very well. Therefore, there is no opening for me until September when part-time help is needed. As for Londonderry, they need another person there to bring the number of staff to four. With the amount of business they do, the store can easily support four staff members, while Westmount can do well with three.
I haven't done the bike commute to Londonderry yet, but I figured that it would be equidistant compared to Westmount, and that took about 25 minutes or so. Of course once the snow hits it'll have to be ETS as the primary mode of transportation, where it's secondary right now.
Although I am looking forward to this new position, there is one thing bothering me. No matter where I go, I don't think I'm going to be able to take the full holiday that I was planning for all year. Due to the labour shortage across the city, and the district, we are having trouble keeping stores staffed. So taking a week off is a bit of a pinch. Plus I've only been with the company for two months, and I'm going part-time in the fall. On top of this, the week I've been planning to go overlaps with the Managers Conference in Ontario. Every store will be down an employee during the time I want to take vacation! I really need time off too. Last year I didn't get to go to much of anywhere because of May 16, and then I was working two jobs to try to cover the lost time. Bleh. I seem to remember writing this previously...
Anywho, I need to get downtown to get my wife some water. The Culligan man hasn't shown up for a couple of weeks, the A/C is on the malfal, and she left her bottle at home. Not a good combo when you add on the fact that she's pregnant.
a) Nathan needed people badly since staff was cut down to one person, himself;
b) I was told it would be temporary. One week, maybe two, and then I would be back at Kingsway.
Since then, Kingsway is up to full staff again, and they are running very well. Therefore, there is no opening for me until September when part-time help is needed. As for Londonderry, they need another person there to bring the number of staff to four. With the amount of business they do, the store can easily support four staff members, while Westmount can do well with three.
I haven't done the bike commute to Londonderry yet, but I figured that it would be equidistant compared to Westmount, and that took about 25 minutes or so. Of course once the snow hits it'll have to be ETS as the primary mode of transportation, where it's secondary right now.
Although I am looking forward to this new position, there is one thing bothering me. No matter where I go, I don't think I'm going to be able to take the full holiday that I was planning for all year. Due to the labour shortage across the city, and the district, we are having trouble keeping stores staffed. So taking a week off is a bit of a pinch. Plus I've only been with the company for two months, and I'm going part-time in the fall. On top of this, the week I've been planning to go overlaps with the Managers Conference in Ontario. Every store will be down an employee during the time I want to take vacation! I really need time off too. Last year I didn't get to go to much of anywhere because of May 16, and then I was working two jobs to try to cover the lost time. Bleh. I seem to remember writing this previously...
Anywho, I need to get downtown to get my wife some water. The Culligan man hasn't shown up for a couple of weeks, the A/C is on the malfal, and she left her bottle at home. Not a good combo when you add on the fact that she's pregnant.
Cursing count rises
The following was written at 11:00pm August 7, 2006
I don't know if I'm cut out to be management material. Today we had a couple come in who wanted a refund on a purchase. They had the original receipt, and we had no trouble getting the Visa refund to work. Trouble started when they wanted a receipt. Policy dictates that we have to hold onto the originals, and give the customers a photocopy if they really need it. We can do photocopies, but we have to tape the receipts to a blank piece of 8.5x11 paper to feed through the fax. But I fed the paper into the fax wrong, so we got two pages of black smudge. Now the customers are telling me that I'm wasting their time and that I don't need to do this. I should just give them a receipt, and then we can make our own copy on our own time. Then the machine ran out of paper. No problem, just feed some more in, while I get the yellow receipt attatched. Up to this point, I was doing ok. Then the customer mentions that they still need the receipt for not only the refund, but the original purchase. Another thing to tape down, nothing major. I got a bit short when the customer told me to take the staple out of the receipt because it wouldn't feed properly if I didn't. I tore the staple out, and a sizable chunk of the receipt with it. Then I swore, and instantly felt ashamed for doing it.
When I fed the paper into the fax, I didn't realize that I had improperly secured the tension plate. I thought it had something to do with the Printer film, which was also running low. I was very frustrated at this point, and subsequently left the store in search of some place where I could find a copier that worked. I cursed again when I found that the place I went previously for copies was closed for holiday Monday. Thankfully, the Bell booth was kind enough to accomidate me, free of charge. I gave the customers the yellow receipts, and we kept the photocopy. Half an hour to get that fixed, and the fax was still on the fritz. Stayed on the fritz until close too. The sad thing was, I didn't care.
Oh yeah, then there was the fire alarm that blared for 20 minutes because it couldn't be turned off until the fire department came. Grrr...
Good thing the DR balanced, or I might have put my fist through something.
There was happy elements to this day. First, it ended. Second, Caitlin and I were able to go down to Beaumont and visit with the Tolleys, and Caitlin didn't get nauseated on the way there because we travelled there in a 2006 Dodge Calibur. A rental, of course, one of the nice things about being over 25. Hee hee. It's going to cost about $90, hence we don't rent a car very often. Good food, good company, a good DVD episode of Futurama, a haircut for Caitlin, and a couple loads of laundry, plus the fact that we'll be able to get to sleep in a cool bed tonight. I think it was worth the trip.
I don't know if I'm cut out to be management material. Today we had a couple come in who wanted a refund on a purchase. They had the original receipt, and we had no trouble getting the Visa refund to work. Trouble started when they wanted a receipt. Policy dictates that we have to hold onto the originals, and give the customers a photocopy if they really need it. We can do photocopies, but we have to tape the receipts to a blank piece of 8.5x11 paper to feed through the fax. But I fed the paper into the fax wrong, so we got two pages of black smudge. Now the customers are telling me that I'm wasting their time and that I don't need to do this. I should just give them a receipt, and then we can make our own copy on our own time. Then the machine ran out of paper. No problem, just feed some more in, while I get the yellow receipt attatched. Up to this point, I was doing ok. Then the customer mentions that they still need the receipt for not only the refund, but the original purchase. Another thing to tape down, nothing major. I got a bit short when the customer told me to take the staple out of the receipt because it wouldn't feed properly if I didn't. I tore the staple out, and a sizable chunk of the receipt with it. Then I swore, and instantly felt ashamed for doing it.
When I fed the paper into the fax, I didn't realize that I had improperly secured the tension plate. I thought it had something to do with the Printer film, which was also running low. I was very frustrated at this point, and subsequently left the store in search of some place where I could find a copier that worked. I cursed again when I found that the place I went previously for copies was closed for holiday Monday. Thankfully, the Bell booth was kind enough to accomidate me, free of charge. I gave the customers the yellow receipts, and we kept the photocopy. Half an hour to get that fixed, and the fax was still on the fritz. Stayed on the fritz until close too. The sad thing was, I didn't care.
Oh yeah, then there was the fire alarm that blared for 20 minutes because it couldn't be turned off until the fire department came. Grrr...
Good thing the DR balanced, or I might have put my fist through something.
There was happy elements to this day. First, it ended. Second, Caitlin and I were able to go down to Beaumont and visit with the Tolleys, and Caitlin didn't get nauseated on the way there because we travelled there in a 2006 Dodge Calibur. A rental, of course, one of the nice things about being over 25. Hee hee. It's going to cost about $90, hence we don't rent a car very often. Good food, good company, a good DVD episode of Futurama, a haircut for Caitlin, and a couple loads of laundry, plus the fact that we'll be able to get to sleep in a cool bed tonight. I think it was worth the trip.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Thank God for the seventh day
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made: and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." - Gen. 2:2
I'm not professing to be God, but I am very grateful for the seventh day, in my case Sunday. After all the craziness of work this week, I really need a day off to relax, get my mind of Daily Reports, and be with my wife.
Turns out that my sister-in-law was in premature labour, not full-on labour, so she didn't deliver her baby. She's that much closer though! I swear we got a bit of baby fever going on Kallie about to pop and Caitlin due in March.
This is the only entry I've made today using my desktop keyboard. All the other entries were made using iPAQ and the new keyboard. I found that using a Food Court tray as an impromptu lap desk works quite well for typing with the portable keyboard. Of course, sitting at a table works just as well.
We learn.
I'm not professing to be God, but I am very grateful for the seventh day, in my case Sunday. After all the craziness of work this week, I really need a day off to relax, get my mind of Daily Reports, and be with my wife.
Turns out that my sister-in-law was in premature labour, not full-on labour, so she didn't deliver her baby. She's that much closer though! I swear we got a bit of baby fever going on Kallie about to pop and Caitlin due in March.
This is the only entry I've made today using my desktop keyboard. All the other entries were made using iPAQ and the new keyboard. I found that using a Food Court tray as an impromptu lap desk works quite well for typing with the portable keyboard. Of course, sitting at a table works just as well.
We learn.
Tomorrow is another day
6:40pm
No word for Mher, an appointment with Lock Surgeon tomorrow at 10am, and some good food is all we have to show for today. We couldn't get Lock Surgeon to come by any earlier than 8pm, and the mall would have been locked down for the night at that point. We just made an appointment for tomorrow before the store opens. You would think that I would have called the other locksmith operation in the city after that, but didn't. I was kind of flustered today. Hopefully the smith won't break the lock, but we won't know until tomorrow. What's done is done, and the only thing lost was the day's sales. Considering that some customers went to Kingsway to get their shopping done, it wasn't a total loss for the company.
Nevertheless, I am not going to make my comissions this pay period, and hence I put in a request for a transfer. Ryan is considering putting me up at Londenderry. It's about equidistant for me to bike there, and the manager there has mentioned the possibilty of having me work there. I would like to make money, but I would also like to have a vacation of sorts this year. The way things are shaping up, I might not be going to Banff at the end of the month.
Caitlin is done her soup now, so I guess we should get a movin' on home. I was expecting to find the Tolley clan here, but there was nobody, not even the mother to be here. She was discharged today, and the nurses didn't mention if she delivered or not. We'll make some phone calls when we get home.
No word for Mher, an appointment with Lock Surgeon tomorrow at 10am, and some good food is all we have to show for today. We couldn't get Lock Surgeon to come by any earlier than 8pm, and the mall would have been locked down for the night at that point. We just made an appointment for tomorrow before the store opens. You would think that I would have called the other locksmith operation in the city after that, but didn't. I was kind of flustered today. Hopefully the smith won't break the lock, but we won't know until tomorrow. What's done is done, and the only thing lost was the day's sales. Considering that some customers went to Kingsway to get their shopping done, it wasn't a total loss for the company.
Nevertheless, I am not going to make my comissions this pay period, and hence I put in a request for a transfer. Ryan is considering putting me up at Londenderry. It's about equidistant for me to bike there, and the manager there has mentioned the possibilty of having me work there. I would like to make money, but I would also like to have a vacation of sorts this year. The way things are shaping up, I might not be going to Banff at the end of the month.
Caitlin is done her soup now, so I guess we should get a movin' on home. I was expecting to find the Tolley clan here, but there was nobody, not even the mother to be here. She was discharged today, and the nurses didn't mention if she delivered or not. We'll make some phone calls when we get home.
From bad to worse
1:25pm
At this point, I am beginning to think that we are not going to open today. I have not seen Mher, Nathan has talked with head office, and I've also consulted with mall security. By talked I mean he left a message on a machine which we may not hear a reply from until Tuesday, and by consulted I mean run into a dead end since mall security does not have spare keys for any businesses in the mall. Nathan did get home to check if he had a number to contact Mher. He doesn't. The only other place that there might be a contact number would be inside the store. Catch 22 there. If we call 411 we might find his number, but to do that, we would need his last name, which we don't know the exact spelling, but if we could contact another store, they could set us up with that info.
The title says it all.
At this point, I am beginning to think that we are not going to open today. I have not seen Mher, Nathan has talked with head office, and I've also consulted with mall security. By talked I mean he left a message on a machine which we may not hear a reply from until Tuesday, and by consulted I mean run into a dead end since mall security does not have spare keys for any businesses in the mall. Nathan did get home to check if he had a number to contact Mher. He doesn't. The only other place that there might be a contact number would be inside the store. Catch 22 there. If we call 411 we might find his number, but to do that, we would need his last name, which we don't know the exact spelling, but if we could contact another store, they could set us up with that info.
The title says it all.
One less thing to worry about
11:15am
Thankfully the guy working at the Fido booth has an Ericsson as well. Although not the exact same model, the charger works on my phone, and he was kind enough to let me use the said charger. So it's not going to die completely on me, but it came darn close.
Funny thing, across the hall from our store is a computer shop. They specialize in refurbs, so you can get decent computers quite cheap. In fact I saw a laptop there for $109. Quite a deal, although the little guy wouldn't be of much use except for email, blog, or notes at school. Then I realized that's why I bought the keyboard for iPAQ, and that was the end of that idea.
I wonder how much time my phone needs to charge. Or if Nathan has called yet. I am just all nerves today.
Thankfully the guy working at the Fido booth has an Ericsson as well. Although not the exact same model, the charger works on my phone, and he was kind enough to let me use the said charger. So it's not going to die completely on me, but it came darn close.
Funny thing, across the hall from our store is a computer shop. They specialize in refurbs, so you can get decent computers quite cheap. In fact I saw a laptop there for $109. Quite a deal, although the little guy wouldn't be of much use except for email, blog, or notes at school. Then I realized that's why I bought the keyboard for iPAQ, and that was the end of that idea.
I wonder how much time my phone needs to charge. Or if Nathan has called yet. I am just all nerves today.
This is embarassing
10:45am
I changed into my uniform, so people will at least get the idea that I am supposed to be running the store right now, and that we'll be opening soon. Nevertheless, if anyone wants to do a transaction, whether it be a purchase or a refund, I'm at a loss. Such as the group of people who came by a couple of minutes ago looking to buy a camcorder battery. When I told them that the battery doesn't come charged that killed the sale anyway. I'm still glad that I decided to change, because I was able to help out a lady with some problems with her DVD player. It was more customer service than technical assistance, because she didn't have the player with her, and she'll be back Tuesday.
The other bad news is that unless I can find a charger for the cell phone, Nathan might not be able to get in touch with me to let me know what to do. Then again, if he doesn't get a hold of Mher, he will probably call the locksmith himself.
I changed into my uniform, so people will at least get the idea that I am supposed to be running the store right now, and that we'll be opening soon. Nevertheless, if anyone wants to do a transaction, whether it be a purchase or a refund, I'm at a loss. Such as the group of people who came by a couple of minutes ago looking to buy a camcorder battery. When I told them that the battery doesn't come charged that killed the sale anyway. I'm still glad that I decided to change, because I was able to help out a lady with some problems with her DVD player. It was more customer service than technical assistance, because she didn't have the player with her, and she'll be back Tuesday.
The other bad news is that unless I can find a charger for the cell phone, Nathan might not be able to get in touch with me to let me know what to do. Then again, if he doesn't get a hold of Mher, he will probably call the locksmith himself.
A regrettable, yet ordinary, day
10:00am
I know that I'm forgetful. When I was in Greece, Elder Jens Wolf told me that it wasn't an ordinary day unless I forgot at least one thing. Since that day, I have found that to be true. One day I forgot a belt for my work pants. Another day, I was about to get on my bike to ride to work when I realized that I was still wearing my slippers. There was even a time on my mission when I forgot my name tag, bus pass, and contact list.
Today has achieved a new status, because I was worried that this would happen to the point that I had a dream about it. I am typing this up at the food court at Westmount Mall, although I'm supposed to be at work, because I forgot the keys to the store! I was given the keys yesterday, and instead of putting them in my pocket, as I should have, I absent-mindedly put them in the office desk drawer. Hence, they're in a safe place. So safe that unless my manager and I find the other person with the spare set of keys, we will have to call a locksmith. Or we could wait until the person with the keys drops by, which could be at 11am or 5:30pm. We don't know. That's why my manager turned around to go home and find the contact number for this guy. We have opened late before, so this isn't really a bad thing. But this is not very good either! I had a nightmare, and it came true. Oie.
But those previous blunders had happy endings, more or less. Even without a belt, I was able to make it through the day, two days actually, of hiking my pants every few minutes. I was just outside my apartment building door when I looked at my feet and saw my American Eagle footwear instead of my black work shoes. Although I had to walk 20 minutes back to my apartment with my somewhat frustrated companion, there was no trouble to get the things I forgot.
I just hope this turns out the same way, because this is certainly an ordinary day.
I know that I'm forgetful. When I was in Greece, Elder Jens Wolf told me that it wasn't an ordinary day unless I forgot at least one thing. Since that day, I have found that to be true. One day I forgot a belt for my work pants. Another day, I was about to get on my bike to ride to work when I realized that I was still wearing my slippers. There was even a time on my mission when I forgot my name tag, bus pass, and contact list.
Today has achieved a new status, because I was worried that this would happen to the point that I had a dream about it. I am typing this up at the food court at Westmount Mall, although I'm supposed to be at work, because I forgot the keys to the store! I was given the keys yesterday, and instead of putting them in my pocket, as I should have, I absent-mindedly put them in the office desk drawer. Hence, they're in a safe place. So safe that unless my manager and I find the other person with the spare set of keys, we will have to call a locksmith. Or we could wait until the person with the keys drops by, which could be at 11am or 5:30pm. We don't know. That's why my manager turned around to go home and find the contact number for this guy. We have opened late before, so this isn't really a bad thing. But this is not very good either! I had a nightmare, and it came true. Oie.
But those previous blunders had happy endings, more or less. Even without a belt, I was able to make it through the day, two days actually, of hiking my pants every few minutes. I was just outside my apartment building door when I looked at my feet and saw my American Eagle footwear instead of my black work shoes. Although I had to walk 20 minutes back to my apartment with my somewhat frustrated companion, there was no trouble to get the things I forgot.
I just hope this turns out the same way, because this is certainly an ordinary day.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Three years and going strong
August 2, 2006 marked the third anniversary of the day my wife and I entered into the covenant of eternal marriage. Some people question why I decided to get married, since the engagement was a scant three and a half months.
I had dated other members of the opposite sex, I had a good idea what I was looking for, and I also prayed about it. I was at the time, and currently still am, a good standing member of the LDS church. I paid my tithing (one tenth of my income), attended weekly worship meetings and various other protocol that qualified me to hold a valid temple recommend. At home and elsewhere I pondered the possiblity of living with my then-girlfriend as husband and wife for time and all eternity. It was daunting, but it felt right.
Everyday since, I thank God for His answer to my prayers, my sister and mother-in-law for exchanging mine and Caitlin's phone numbers, and most of all my darling wife who has stood by me through these tumultous times, knowing from the beginning that it was not going to be blissful 24/7, but not knowing how difficult to would be. Thank you.
I had dated other members of the opposite sex, I had a good idea what I was looking for, and I also prayed about it. I was at the time, and currently still am, a good standing member of the LDS church. I paid my tithing (one tenth of my income), attended weekly worship meetings and various other protocol that qualified me to hold a valid temple recommend. At home and elsewhere I pondered the possiblity of living with my then-girlfriend as husband and wife for time and all eternity. It was daunting, but it felt right.
Everyday since, I thank God for His answer to my prayers, my sister and mother-in-law for exchanging mine and Caitlin's phone numbers, and most of all my darling wife who has stood by me through these tumultous times, knowing from the beginning that it was not going to be blissful 24/7, but not knowing how difficult to would be. Thank you.
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