So much crap has been going on and I want to tell you everything. So to make it easier to read and easier for me to think about, I'm dividing it into little updates, and this one's about work.
I like work so much more now that I don't have a cranky, drunk manager. (Sorry, Jeaux! That's NOT intended to throw it in your face that you got her!) I actually like to go to work mostly, though I have a LOT on my plate.
For instance, they're having a store-wide OVERSTOCK. For those not in retail (or those who are but don't deal with overstocking or don't use the same term), that means going down a list and finding each book and making sure we have the right number of copies. It's called overstocking because normally the books on the list are things we have too many of; that they either sent accidentally or (more often) in preparation for a rush of interest that never came.
My section is one of the hardest to overstock, because first off it's big, secondly it's a bit confusing because the overstock list has lots of mistakes on things like baby books (sometimes they list them by their publisher, sometimes by their author, and it's a toss-up whether I have organized my shelf the same way they did). Plus, we had a "buy 2 get 1 free" table with huge amounts of my kids' books on there, and I have to figure those in with my total amounts too. It means a lot of running back and forth.
My manager Stephen keeps coming up and asking me if I'm done yet. The first time he asked me that I said, "Done with what?" "With Kids'," was his response. This left me open-mouthed. It took me an entire day to do just the baby section. It took me another day to do the intermediate series section. The other sections I will have to do include beginning readers, favorite characters, kids' fiction, first readers, intermediate chapter books, kids' audio, kids' science, kids' education, kids' nature, kids' poetry, and the family section. And knowing this, he actually asked me if I was done with THE KIDS' SECTION halfway through my first day.
What is he SMOKING??
What's worse is he kept coming up to me and repeatedly asking me if I was done, with an increasing air of "why not?" on his face when I told him my answer. Finally I explained to him that it was unlikely I was even going to finish the section I was working on at the time that day, so he really needed to stop asking if I was done with Kids' in its entirety.
When he asked me again, I replied, "Are you doing that just to piss me off?"
He replied that he was only continuing to do it because "If I don't, you won't do it."
What?
So I said, "So, you think if you don't constantly harass me to get it done, I'll just take a nap whenever you're not looking?"
He got a little annoyed with me for that, but I don't understand why. He is the one either being obnoxious or unreasonable. I'd already explained why it was taking a long time. I think he thinks if he doesn't make it known that he is monitoring me, I will slack off. He already thinks I'm a slacker, because he's forever coming up to me and asking me what I'm doing when it isn't obvious. And I tell you what, I'd better have an answer, or big Mr. Stephen will pop a cap in my ass.
He's like twenty-two years old.
Anyway, since my overstock was going slowly, I asked if I could come in on one of my days off and work as many hours as I could without putting me over 40, just to try and get it done. We're on a time limit, you see. And I'm desperate to get it all done, because if we pass the time limit, corporate offices say "too bad, if you didn't get it out in time then you just have to keep it." I cannot keep the bajillion books they sent me for the "buy 2 get 1 free" promotion. They will not fit in my section, but I will get a big fat "too bad!" if I don't finish this. They sent something like 8 copies of every Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys hardback book. There are over 50 of both series. I somehow don't think so.
So, Stephen let me come in, and I came in this morning, did the math, and found out that with the hours I have to work tomorrow, I only had two hours to work today unless I go into overtime (and that's not allowed). So, I just worked the two hours, finishing what I'd really wanted to finish and setting things up really nicely for my attempts tomorrow, and I left.
My section's messier than I want it. Also I need to reorganize the activity section, change a bunch of labels, migrate some of my favorite characters sections that don't really make sense (for some reason in my haste to get it set during my big reset of the section, I put Beatrix Potter under B, but Dr. Seuss under S--I was smokin' the pipe that time). And I need to reorganize the activity section so that I can fit more Leap Frog stuff in there, and make a Felt Kids section or something. I'd also really like to alphabetize some sections that are an alphabet soup of disorganization.
Oh well. Hooray for me.
Notes:
hi book ho hang in thier it only gets worst but hey i love that some thing wright. [bale]
Wow, that's a scary amount of work. Mr. Stephen may find a cap up his ass someday. Anyways, why can't you work overtime? Not that you'd want to... I'm so sheltered from the life a retail worker. [katqueen]