February 22, 2011

Cashier Conversation 1.5

Valentines Day was a fun day to work.  Guys in nice clothing, all fresh and smelling nice bought tons of flowers, chocolate, and wine.  The older couples were the absolutely cutest.  A guy with grey hair buying a big bunch of alstromeria just melts your heart.


*making polite conversation: "Did you find everything you were looking for?"
(Lady in her 40s): "No!  I havent found my million dollars.  I keep looking for it, is it lying around here anywhere?"


So one day I was up early and awake, and I did my hair and tried (which most days I dont) to look more put together.  I was just going about my day minding my own business when this one guy who comes in almost every day to eat lunch came through my line.  He is a nice, middle-aged guy, who makes pleasant conversation and shows us pictures of fun places he has traveled on his phone.  As he came up, he looked at me a little strangely and then said: "You are wearing contacts!!"
I laughed.  It felt so nice that someone would notice and I felt like I belonged. I usually wear glasses, so for him to notice was nice.  We then talked about prescriptions and such until another person came into the line and he left.


This one guy was buying vegetables and I was talking with him about growing them or something, I forget what exact facet of roots and leaves and picking, but he suddenly interrupted me with: "They taught you well!"
I was a bit surprised until I realized that he was talking about the store.
I laughed.  Yes, I know a lot about farming and gardening and herbs.
I didnt say anything too quote worthy, but I remembered again why I was so good for my job and good AT it and etc.


I was on my break on day, when this mother and daughter in jean skirts, sneakers and hair-in-a-bun came over to sit in the cafe and eat lunch together.  Being that food is $8 a pound and those people are rare, I watched them and they amazingly came and sat at the table next to me.  They talked about the food and their family and left soon after they finished eating.  I was amazed.  The only time I ever went out to eat was when something major had to be discussed.  You-know-its-serious-when-mommy-singles-you-out type thing.
But no, it was just a meal out.


This one dad also comes pretty regularly and one day he comes to my line and plops his food down and gives me this really sour look.  I decided to see if anything was the matter and asked.  He said he hadnt eaten all day and was really, really hungry.  I told him he looked sour and he laughed and said that I was really perceptive.  A couple days later he came by with his daughter and asked (based on his face) if I could tell how he was feeling that day.  I guessed and was right again. lol.
I told him that I was actually able to read everyone's mind and had been hiding it for a while now.  He laughed.  Its nice to have good comradery with customers.


Ok, so this is a longer story.

About a month ago this tall black guy comes in late in the evening and is looking for the shopping baskets.  "S" and I were the only ones up front, and he was talking to her, when he stops and stares hard at me and exclaims: "You have such pretty eyes!"
I accept the compliment (what else could I do) and hope he leaves soon.  He then repeats himself and comes closer to where I am... Seeing that Im embarrassed, he moves off and gets a basket and goes off to shop.
When he comes along later to check out, I am busy, so he goes through "S's" lane.  He looks at me the entire time, though, and as he leaves he says "Goodbye, Pretty Eyes!"

Fast forward two weeks, and I am doing something by the door when he and a friend walk in.  I dont remember him at first, but he bursts out "Pretty Eyes!!!!" and it all comes flashing back.  He 'introduces' me to his friend like he had been talking about me.  I go quickly (running almost) back to my register, but he calls out after me something about he'll see me  in a bit.
They walk back and forth through the store, getting smoothies and big bottles of green stuff and wait for my line even though they could have gone in an open one.  (He told his friend that it was so that he could stare at me longer)  He spent the entire time talking to his friend about my eyes, about how nice I was, about how he would really like to give me his number, etc, etc.
I know my face was tomato red by this time, but I mumbled something about not caring for Spirulina smoothies and green juice and being more of a Wheat-germ girl.  He protested at that and claimed to have eaten wheat-germ just that morning and that my eyes were really so pretty, had I just put on makeup?
He asked me outright, then, if I would call him if he gave me his number, and I said that I would ask my boyfriend. (Mrs. G gave me permission to lie to people and say I had a boyfriend if I wanted them to leave me alone, so I took the chance)  He sighed and said that if we ever broke up to just let him know....

February 20, 2011

No "farmer's daughter" anymore


**Warning: Some Profanity


I just found this song this morning. Having never watched "American Idol" I had no idea who she was and I still dont know much about her singing style or what not.
But this song is really, really, poignant.
It talks about doubting your self and your sanity.
It talks about being so fed up with life that you curse and rage.
It talks about parents playing games with you.
It talks about the deep longing for affection and care.
I talks about the struggle facing those who "honor" yet cannot reconcile the conundrum of "honor" and "love."
It talks about the glaring fault of God for making life like this.
It talks about the problem for future generations of living with such a messed up life inheritance.
It talks about giving an ultimatum.
It talks about upholding boundaries, saying enough is enough.
It talks about cutting off relationships abruptly, painfully.
It talks about painful memories that crop up.... often.
It talks about the difference between public life and home life.
It talks about hiding things from other people.
It talks about making up lies in order to keep secrets.
It talks about the deep longing for affection and care.

Im no "Farmer's Daughter" anymore...

February 18, 2011

The life of a cashier: Part III

Mad/angry/upset/bad customers suck the life out of you.  I got a really mad lady early on in my day.  She railed about the couponing system, she railed about her printer issues, she railed about our store stock, she railed about stores not having exactly what she wanted in general.....
I couldnt do anything to help her (seriously, what can you do for these people?  They want to whine and they know you HAVE to sit there and listen to them.  I might as well have a degree in counseling....), so I nodded and moved her selections across the laser beam and I bagged them with a serious face and apologized as sincerely as I could and expressed wishes that the rest of her day would not be as terrible as it had been so far.
She stopped and looked me in the eye for about a half-second.
I dont know, but I might have made her happy.

She didnt say anything else and left without complaining any more.


The rest of the day I struggled to smile and speak to people.  Our store is doing a new promo and out of 20-some stores we are ranking 5th for people signing up.  I personally am trying really hard, because not only is it a great promo, but it is good for customers and good for my rep. at the store.
  I officially applied for promotion to bookkeeper and was interviewed.  It was really good for me, because talking with the new CSM about stuff I really got a feel for what she expected of me and what she wanted out of her cashiers and book keepers, and front end in general.  She outright said that I was bookkeeper material and that if not soon, at least by the time I had been working for 6 months.  She even mentioned becoming front end manager if I could get enough experience.  I was not able to keep my composure during the talk, specifically when she mentioned that she felt I was afraid and holding back and she wanted me to be myself.
M. keeps telling me that I need to not be afraid of "the sky falling" in on me all the time, too.

Ever since that interview I have really felt more comfortable at work.  I know I am quick and competent at what I do.  I am really strong, so getting carts isn't a problem, and I am getting to be more familiar with the store and the products, so I can direct people to where stuff is.  I dont have a problem answering phones or making paging announcements, and I clean like Monk. (seriously, the amount of dust and grime that can accumulate in one 8-hour shift could boggle the mind....)
I am flexible and dedicated, so I switch shifts with people, I fill in, I can come in on call when others cant show, and people owe me.  Seriously, I have helped out just about every girl (and the gay guy) there as far as shifts and stuff.
I am really helpful in the food service area and am the person of choice according to two employees when it comes to break time.  Again, my cleaning skills come in handy, as the one girl doesnt clean while she works, and the other guy needs to lighten up and I am bright and cheery most of the time.
Customers are starting to remember me, and one regular (lunch customer) noticed today that I was wearing contacts instead of glasses. It really made me feel like I belonged.

My grandparents and sister were able to come down and see me for two days a couple weeks ago.  It was so nice being with them.  We went to the store twice and I showed them around, had them taste everything, and introduced them to people.  They were amazed that I knew every one's name.  Funny, I just memorized the name tags. haha.

My sister got me a month's membership at a gym right near work, and I am enjoying the pool tremendously.  I haven't had too many really bad days in the month that I have been going there.  I alternate swimming every other day and do ab or muscle targeting other days (mostly because the chlorine does wacky things to my hair).  I have started making an effort to attend exercise classes, just getting out of my comfort zone some and doing new things.  The water aerobics class was a lot of fun, not really exercise for me. Mostly older ladies, but all very nice and talkative.  They asked me my name, noted that I was wearing a Northwoods hoodie (yes, Journey remnant), and gave me tips on doing everything right.
The other class I went to, thinking it was Zumba, but it turns out it was Latin Dance (exercise, not dancing).  I never knew I had so many different muscles that could hurt.  I felt strangely uncoordinated, and out of place, but it was fun because after wards two girls came up and talked with me and showed me the correct way to "pump" my abs and encouraged me to come again.  :D

I am of course, gloriously excited about the weather, having 60-some degree days most of this week.  Today on my lunch break I sat outside for the first time since October or early November.  It was almost 70 and the sun was bright and the wind was mild.

In short, life has been mostly looking up.
I have had bad days, and some really, really bad nights of up-until-3-crying (wait.... its 2:30, and Im crying....) but I have been able to get up the next day and move on.  I keep working at it.

Because I can never get too lost.