Update on my new job

I have never worked retail before. I did work for a short time in a furniture store but it was as more of a personal assistant to the owner than anything else. The store was owned by the proverbial little old lady. She had run the store for over 50 years and continued to run the store until she no longer could. I drove her to and from work, did her personal shopping, and ran errands for her. I also stayed at the store with her so that she would not be alone. The amount of retail experience that I got from this job was minimal as the store was not very busy. When a chance for a full time job at real wages came up, I took it.



That job ended in November. I was not aware that it was really ended until February. I started seriously looking for a job and, in March, went to work for the giant mass-market retailer in our town.



In the course of 1 week, I went from part time to full time and was cross-trained in lots of areas, including cashier. It is EXACTLY like playing store when you were a little kid! I love it.



There are parts of it that make me insane. There are decisions made by management for no discernible reason. It finally occurred to me that these decisions do not need to make sense to me. They are NOT my responsibility. Following directives is my responsibility.



Being friendly, courteous, helpful and conscientious is my responsibility. I excel at all of these things. I think I have found my niche.



I was not prepared for being on my feet for eight or more hours a day on concrete. The first few days I thought I had died but then I realized that if I were dead, I would not hurt so much. A friend of mine, who also works at the same store, wore a pedometer his first few weeks. His most strenuous day? 9 miles. Average? 5 miles. At least there was a reason that I was in pain.



I invested in some good insoles and life got better. I learned to schedule myself to two fifteen minute breaks and a lunch hour. I learned how to ask for help, from my coworkers and from my family. I learned how to say “no” to those people to whom I always used to say “yes”. I used muscles that I have not used in years. I familiarized myself with our products and their locations. I had my first days off and came back. I refamiliarized myself with our products and their locations. I got used to everything being moved on a regular basis.



I got my first paycheck last week. It was not what I had been making last year. On the other hand, it was a part-time paycheck. My next one will be better. There is already talk in the department where I work of a promotion.



I am still tired at the end of a day but it is a good tired. It is a fatigue brought on by hard work, some manual labor, and a LOT of walking. It is not the mental fatigue with which I had recently been plagued.



This job is not the job I thought I wanted. This job is the job I applied for while I tried and tried and tried to get the job I really wanted. This job is the job that I love.

Fun Monday - Swampy Style

Fun Monday this week turned out to be more fun than I thought it would. Amazing how often that happens, isn't it? Swampy, the incorrigible, incomparable and inherently insane Swampy, would like us to:

Choose a topic/theme and make an alphabetical list of words, phrases, photos...however you want to share your topic/theme.
Topics can range from pet-peeves, vacations, people who have influenced your life, jokes, favorites, philosopher's quotes/sayings, birds, flowers...anything. The sky is the limit. Your ABC list can be depicted with words, photos, illustrations... You are limited only by your imagination. Be funny. Be serious. Be creative. Be sarcastic. Be there, or be square.
And, yes, of course you may bend the rules. Just entertain us. If you can't do all TWENTY-SIX, do as many as you can. (If you have kiddos, let them join the fun and help with the list. Make it a family, brainstorming session.)
Who am I to give you guidelines for Fun Monday? I have bent broken most Fun Monday rules for over a year now, and all of you have been gracious enough to put me on your list. Here is your chance to bring it on. If you don't know the alphabet, make one up. In other words, just have fun and teach us something using your own set of A B C's.

I had several false starts: breeds of dogs that I have owned, known, or loved

ex and former husbands' first names

alcoholic beverages I have consumed

Then it hit me, just like a big old squishy bug on the windshield. I drove a semi truck cross-country for 14 years with my husband. I was pretty sure I could come up with a city name for every letter of the alphabet. Said city would have to be a city where we either picked up and/or delivered a load. No problem - and on the way, Shorty and I got to relive some lovely and some not-so-lovely memories. So, thanks, Swampy for a really fun trip down memory lane - the fast lane, of course.

A Arlington, TX/Albuquerque, NM/Abilene, TX/Angel Camp, CA
B Boston, MA/Blythe, CA/Birmingham, AL
C Clinton Corners, NY/Cle Elum, WA/Chattanooga, TN/Centralia, OR/Cabazon, CA
D Des Moines, IA/Dallas, TX/Dalton, GA
E Eagleton, NJ/Ellensburg, WA/Eufala, AL
F Fallbrook, CA/Frisco, TX/Forney, TX/Forest, MS
G Gainesville, FL/Grand Junction, CO
H Hialeah, FL/Houston, TX/Hazleton, PA/Helena, MT
I Issaquah, WA/Indio, CA
J Jacksonville, FL/Joliet, IL
K Keokuk, IA/Katy, TX
L Longview, TX/Long Beach, CA/Las Cruces, NM
M Modesto, CA/Moss Landing, CA/Missoula, MT
N National City, CA/Nashville, TN/Noel, AR/Nampa, ID
O Ontario, CA/OKC, OK/Orlando, FL
P Phoenix, AZ/Philadelphia, PA/Pearsall, TX
Q Queens, NY/Charlotte, NC (queen city)
R Raleigh/Durham, NC/Richmond, CA
S Sumner, WA/Salinas, CA/Santa Maria, CA
T Troutdale, OR/Talladega, AL/Twin Falls, ID
U Umatilla, WA/Utica, NY
V Villa Rica, GA/Vancouver, BC/Valdosta, GA
W Wilmington, DE/Walla Walla, WA/Wichita, KS
X Xenia, IL/Xenia, OH
Y Yakima, WA/Yankton, SD
Z Zanesville, OH/Zillah, WA

Lent is over! Alleluia, alleluia!

Lent is over and I feel like a failure. I gave up coffee for Lent. I used to drink coffee like most people drink water. Seriously. I used to drink roughly 4 pots of coffee a day.

When I gave up coffee, it was rough for the first couple of days. I went to the World Market and bought some good tea. I bought PG Tips which is not common here but evidently is in the UK, at least according to their advertising. I love it. It got me through Lent without feeling truly deprived.

I know, I know. That is not the point of Lent. We are supposed to feel deprived. And I did, truly. There were times when I would walk into a place and smell a fresh pot of coffee brewing that I nearly caved. There were times, like when I would go to the big city with my daughter and we would come home without stopping at Starbucks, that I nearly caved. There were times when I was stressed and reached for the magic elixir that I nearly caved. There was the one time, when I first started my new job and one of my coworkers graciously brought me a coffee along with hers, that I nearly caved.

Maybe I was deprived.

Anyway, this morning, after Mass, I got home and made a fresh cup of coffee. I gathered up the Sunday papers and my coffee and sat down. It tasted like crap. I did not enjoy the taste of it at all.

Now I am thinking that I did not like coffee at all. I think I was drinking coffee merely out of habit and no longer out of enjoyment.

Lent is over and I gave up something I don’t even like. I’m sure glad that God understands my heart

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter
The tomb is open, the Lord Jesus has passed through death. He is alive!

Happy Easter to all y'all from all of us!

Alleluia, alleluia!

In Honor of Chocolate Bunnies Everywhere

Happy Easter!

Friday Funny

THE TEA PARTY

When Daisy was a toddler, someone had given her a little Tea Set as a gift, and it was one of her favorite toys. Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when Daisy brought him a little cup of "tea" which was just water, of course. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, Daisy's Mom came home. Daisy's Dad made Mom wait in the living room to watch his little Princess bring him a cup of tea, because it was, "Just the cutest thing!" Daisy's Mom waited, and sure enough, here she comes down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy.

Mom watches him drink it up and then says, "Did it ever occur to you that the only place that a toddler can reach to get water is the toilet?"

THE END (I hear you laughing!)

Thankful Thursday

While praying for those folks devestated by the weather, I am thankful that our weather is as good as it gets in the springtime. It is still cool/cold in the mornings but the afternoon temperatures have been lovely. The wind? Oh, yeah, it's here.

Whenever I look at the trees in this area, which all lean in a particular direction, I am reminded of the Holy Spirit. My parish priest, with whom we are well and truly blessed, used this analogy in sermon one Sunday. The image of the Holy Spirit appearing as a "mighty wind" is one that has stayed with me.

I am thankful for this Holy Week as Lent comes to a close. I am thankful beyond belief to once again enjoy Easter.

My first husband, as many of you know, was killed in a traffic accident when I was 20. He died on Easter Sunday. For many years, Easter was not a day of joy for me.

My current husband, as many of you know, is a convert to Catholicism. He went throught the RCIA process and received his sacraments at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. Easter is once again a celebration.

Shorty's the tall one in the back.