Tales from the Trenches: Agida

Julia discusses agida. State of mental aggravation? Check.

The retail public puts me into a crabby mood this time of year.

Everyone is in a hurry.

Everyone assumes I'm an idiot because I work behind a cash counter.

Everyone assumes that I'm unable to take a price tag off.

Everyone assumes that I can drop the customer that I'm currently helping in order to help them.

Everyone needs every blasted thing wrapped, regardless of whether it is 50 cents. What the heck is up with that? I mean, really. If you don't want to wrap it because it is so small, it doesn't mean that I want to do it anymore. (I'm not kidding about the 50 cent thing. They were erasers.)

Everyone assumes that I know exactly who they are every trip they make past the counter and drop items off because they CAN'T CARRY A BLASTED BASKET TO KEEP THEIR TINY PURCHASES WITH THEM! (Keep in mind that I help other folks as they "add to their pile.") I mean, do you really have to walk by the counter and drop off every $2.00 item individually because you can't be bothered to carry it or a basket to contain your items? I only have so much counter space.

Free gift wrap is just that. I do a beautiful job. Please don't stand across the counter and whisper complaints to your friend because I didn't wrap your Christmas items in red and green. I can hear you. I'm not deaf. When you questioned my use of brown on a Christmas gift, I showed you what I was using and defended my choices. You seemed fine. Your friend told you how gorgeous the $5.00 magnets were that I individually gift wrapped for you.

Do people really need to come to the gallery drunk in the middle of the afternoon? Oh, my favorite is when they fall all over themselves playing with very loud toys in the toy room.

People really need to teach their kids that when they tell them NO they mean NO. If you tell your kid to follow you (we thank you for that, by the way), then you need to actually make them follow you, as opposed to bargaining. You are the parent. They are the child. Wear the mama pants and BE THE PARENT!

They purchased new white paper for us to wrap in. It is like wrapping in crunchy organza. They may have been trying to save money, but I have to use extra amounts of it. I'm costing them more money.

I have a co-worker who has issues with personal space consideration. Keep in mind that I am claustrophobic, so this time of year can put me on edge. The entire counter can be empty and she'll be standing right. next. to. me. Move down, please. I did find a way to work around it. I just need to get ribbon from our drawers instead of off the rods. She has to move down to let me in.

When I leaving Giant Eagle the other day, I noticed the Salvation Army worker silently standing there next to her kettle. I grabbed a buck and put it in, as I was saying, "They don't let you ring the bell, do they?" "No, they don't." SHAME ON YOU, GIANT EAGLE!

And for the top of my venting list today:

To the person in the parking lot of Hallmark,

I stopped by Hallmark to purchase a Star Wars ornament set for my daughter. They didn't have it in stock, so I was in the store for just 5 minutes or less. I just wanted to let you know that as I briefly shopped, you allowed your stray cart to bash into the driver's door of my year and a half old vehicle. You managed to dent my car door in two places because you were unable to take your cart to the corral. There are many in the parking lot. The funny thing? I had three free parking spaces on either side of my car. I don't know how you managed to do it, but now I'll be paying to fix the dents that you left behind. Thank you for costing me at least $100.00 to fix the problem from your laziness.

I hope that your vehicle doesn't become victim of someone's negligence like mine did.

Few people realize that there are people out there that take care of their vehicles. We purchase our vehicles and have them forever. I wax mine (no small feat) a couple of times a year, as well as wash it regularly. That particular side of my car has already been repainted twice due to a stoning with a weed eater (and a blown window.) So, thanks. The car isn't paid off yet, though I have two lovely cart dents staring at me every time I get into my vehicle. It's like the knife is being twisted slowly.

I know, I know. It is just a thing. Even so, it irritates me. I park at the back of parking lots and hike into stores. I steer clear of cart corrals and on Black Friday, I even parked at Staples in order to go to Kohl's, clear on down the parking lot.

It's not like I'm a front space taker.

Please put your cart back in it's proper creature home. Oh, and if you do bash into someone's car, at least a note of apology would be nice.

Thanks.

Smiles in my day:
- Leftovers warmed and on the table for dinner when I got home.
- I made it to the post office this morning and the Christmas cards are on their way. So is the package I needed to send out. Little did I know then, but I do believe that the recipient really needs a lift this week. Hopefully the surprise box will make them smile.
- K- writing her first, middle and last name on her paper. Because we sing it to BINGO, she knows how to spell it!
- My dad coming to check out our fuse box. Good news is that everything is fine and I was just being paranoid.
- I cleaned our computer desk Monday morning. Wow. It needed it.
- Taco leftovers for lunch.
- K- actually ate most of her lunch on Monday! It's been forever since that has happened. I bought some shaved chicken lunch meat for her to have a sandwich and made little crinkle cut carrot coins. Both were almost all gone. Hooray!
- I hung the K-'s school calendars up on our kitchen door so that I don't miss another Show and Tell. She was very forgiving about it this last time, but I felt horrible. With this month so jam packed, I didn't want to miss anything. I'd rather have the calendars hanging, then to have my kid miss out because mommy was so preoccupied.
- $5.00 subscriptions to Real Simple and Southern Living Magazines through Magazines.com. I was able to purchase a few for gifts!
- Free shipping at Snapfish, so I was able to order a minimal amount of photos with free shipping. It only cost me $2.68! I ordered the picture of the chalky kid hands holding the lime green nicotiana to use as thank you cards for K-'s birthday. Perfect!
- 10% off and free shipping at the Vitamin Shoppe! (We get Hubs' work out stuff through there.)
- More points by buying all that stuff through Mypoints.com! That means more gift certificates! I'm saving for Easter for K- right now. Hooray!

Forgive me for my venting. (Tuesday is my day.) Thanks for lending an ear.

Have a great day!