Tales from the Trenches: I thought I left high school in 1991.

18 years ago. I really hated high school before I arrived. For the first month of school, every morning I would wake, puke, then go to school. Folks, I fear that today work stooped to the level of high school.

I arrived at work today to have my boss' right hand man (I'm feeling very Veggie Tales "Esther" here) asked me if I put my boss' garden stakes out in the dirt of the courtyard because the boss is really mad that the garden stakes were put into the dirt. Folks, they are GARDEN STAKES and they are MEANT TO BE PUT IN THE FLIPPIN' DIRT. But no, I was happy to tell him, I did not. "Well who did?" I told him that I believe that it would be our sister store folks who could answer that.

Then about 25 minutes later, I was stopped outside by the floor manager. She said that a coworker had left Saturday early because she was upset that every display she does is changed and wanted to know what I had said to this person.

Folks, I don't even work with the girl.

But she said that her displays are always changed. What do you know about that? Well [scratching my head that I'm display staff, have no idea what she is talking about with the girl who works two days a week] I know nothing. I asked, "L- what specifically is she talking about?" "Well, I don't exactly know. She was so upset that well, I didn't ask details."

Folks, I'm getting accused of changing displays of a girl that I don't work with, yet no details can be given on my supposed transgression.

I told her that for a few weeks, our radio that belongs at our back sales desk had been moved up to our front sales desk so that the coworkers could hear music while they are standing up at the desk. I told her that since she was not in, I had talked to another supervisor who said that it was okay to put a note on the radio to keep it where it was because it helped to carry music through the whole building. L- was looking at me, shaking her head and I could see wheels of understanding turning for the other coworker when I said, "L-, really, if they want to hear music, they should feel free to grab up a duster, move throughout the gallery and then they will hear it if they move from behind the counter." "Good point." [Heaven help me now.] I know, God forbid should I suggest that they do anything besides texting behind the counter.

We interrupt this tangent to bring you a commercial of comical retail proportion-
So, after we got done with the accusing me of something she wasn't specifically sure about, I went back to marking things down for our annual sale. Then I get a customer in that tells me, "I'm here to see your Churchill Weaver blankets. I don't see them anywhere and I was told that if I came back in August that they would be marked down 50%." These are beautifully handwoven blankets done by weavers that sadly no longer produce work. They retail around $260.00 or more. I explained that the sale was to begin the next week, the blankets were not brought out of storage quite as yet and the markdown paperwork hadn't been passed on to me yet. "BUT I'M HAVING MAJOR SURGERY ON THURSDAY AND I HAVE TO BUY THEM NOW. They promised that they would be out and 50% off." "Ma'am, I'm not quite certain of who you spoke with, but I need to go upstairs and find the blankets. I'm also not certain of their markdown, but I'm thinking that they are not going to be 50% off." "Well, they told me that they would be." So I went upstairs, rummaged through and found the blankets in question. I came downstairs with them in a big black garbage bag slung over my shoulder. "Oh you found them! Do you have the ones in there that I want?" "Ma'am, I'm not certain of the ones that you want, but this is all I have. I'm unable to do the markdowns myself and I need to track down the owner to have this approved since it is a week in advance." "Oh." So I went, tracked one of the owners down who was incensed that I was dealing with blanketdom instead of being able to do markdowns on Christmas veterans. She pulled paperwork, determined that 30% was the way to go and that was it. I went, talked to the lady, explained the markdown and she bought 2. Oh my heavens. More drama to my Monday that I did not need.

Continuing on with the festival of displeasure -
When I found that we would be gift wrapping sale items this year, I brought up a little story of someone purchasing $15.00 earrings for $2.00, having them gift wrapped then taking them to the counter at our sister store the very next week and having them returned for the full $15.00 retail price, even though they had highlighted as a sale item. In the end, somehow the telephone game happened and a flurry of paging happened to me and the other Amy on staff. Once the telephone game reached the co-owner and her bookkeeper side kick, the story was that one of the Amys had returned something today from LAST August's sale. The co-owner called me and asked me about it. I said that I had only done two sales slips and neither were returns. The other Amy hadn't done any returns. But in all of 15 minutes, a whole story was blown out of proportion and two of us were being accused of something that happened about 5 years ago.

Give. me. a. break.

So, giving a lovely summation of my day, we are gift wrapping items that were purchased on sale because it is "cheap advertising," but when the person decides that they want to bring it back, we decline but they see more of the item still on the floor and they yell at me because they thought that they could do a little fundraising with it. I say that if it is a sale item, you are buying it cheap and be happy. Don't ask for gift wrap. That is taking advantage.

Don't share stories of years past, or somehow the "years past" portion of the story gets blown away with the major winds and nasty heavy rain we had today and becomes a story that happened today. Yes. Right.

Smiles in my day:
- K- and Hubs went to Lake Milton and went swimming and played at the beach. K- only has two more "Happy Daddy Days" left before she start school and she is trying to make the most of them.
- It rained so hard that even the herb garden (under the overhang) was well watered. No watering for me tonight!