10/26

Bwa ha ha ha ha. I woke up this afternoon and looked out the window and I was so glad it was my night off. You could tell that it had been snowing for about an hour, and it was a wet heavy snow. You're probably thinking, "Snow? Already?" but we generally get a late fall storm right around Halloween, the poor kids went through all the trouble to pick out their costumes and instead are bundled up like Eskimos.

Anyhow the problem was that it was suppose to turn into a blizzard during the night and this meant one thing, grumpy customers stuck due to road closures, plus a tracked up floor, and I was going to miss it all, it's suppose to be sunny on Thursday and Friday so by the time I go to work the snow should be gone. As for me, I curled up under a blanket, turned up the heater and just stayed warm. Plus I told my mother I would take her to Wal Mart on Thursday so I went to bed early, 1 am, so we could go in the morning and finish shopping while the place was empty.

Found money, none a usual when I am staying at home.

10/27

Since I went to bed early I woke up early, around 7 am. I looked out the window and everything had a thick coating of snow on it and the sky was still cloudy. Since the sun would come out in a couple of hours the snow wasn't going to last so I put on my boots and grabbed my camera. I hiked around the yard getting snow shots. The problem was my viewfinder kept fogging over so I couldn't tell what was in focus and what wasn't, I used the lens numbers but some shots came out fuzzy, which was a pain but that's the cost of photography. But the majority came out great.

The biggest problem was one of the barn cats wanted attention, they love to be petted with old leather gloves, and it kept trying to run under my feet. The last thing I needed to do was to trip over the beast and go face down, landing on top of my camera, in the snow. It finally got tired of the drifts and went back to it's warm spot and I finished playing in the snow.

Even though I knew it was going to melt off quickly I still shoveled the snow off the steps and cleaned off my truck. I then talked to my mother who had forgotten she made a hair appointment today, she wanted to know if she should cancel it so we could go to Wal Mart and I told her it was no problem going on Friday morning. I prefer going then anyhow because we also go to the Chinese restaurant and the soup of the day on Thursday is some kind of peppered tomato stuff and I don't like it. I wasn't complainig too loud, the roads were probably wet and icy and I didn't want to make the drive.

Since I didn't have any other plans and it was too messy to take a walk I took care of a few home matters. I pretty much wasted the rest of the day. As it warmed up large clumps of snow started sliding off the roof and crashing into the yard and the cats were not happy and kept complaining at me all day long. Hey, I don't make it snow so Back Off Already!

Since the Wal Mart trek had been rescheduled I went to bed early again. I was still chuckling because there were still going to be grumpy tourists and wet spots today. I was glad I was off again tonight.

Found money, agian I didn't go anywhere so nothing.

10/28

Finally it was off to Wal Mart. The soup of the day at the Chinese restaurant was Won Ton and boy do they make it good. Since I had gotten up at 10 am the Cashew Shrimp was my breakfast and I ate until I thought I was going to pop. Plus they had made Chinese sugared dumplings, like donuts but no hole, so I was really satisfied by the time we walked out. At Wal Mart mom dropped off her disposable cameras, I can't convince her to go digital, and then we did the basic shopping. The best part about going to Wal Mart on a weekday morning is nobody is there. You can get up and down the aisles (mostly) without those annoying people who have to read over every label or hold a long conversation while blocking access. After the shopping trip we headed home where I pretty much wasted the rest of the day. Then I got ready and went to work, I wonder who will show up tonight?

~

I was surprised to be working with two other people tonight, this hadn't happened in a month. Neither Diane or Amy had taken the night off, finally I could tackle some big job that I had been putting off, so I thought. It turns out that both my coworkers had the same idea and I got stuck running the register all night long.

Diane went off on her usual cleaning tangent, wiping down all the counters and scrubbing the restroom to within an inch of their existence. At the rate she cleans the walls the rooms should be a few inches wider. Amy decided to tackle the windows, someone had "cleaned" the big one behind the counter and I don't know what they used but it was smeared all over. I figure they used a dirty rag or something but it did need cleaned. Amy climbed up on the counter and went to work, while Diane and I pointed out the spots she missed. She almost stepped in the sink full of water at one point and I laughed. As the cleaning went along Diane got kind of ticked because Amy had to climb up on the counters she had just wiped down, so they all got a second wiping.

When Amy finished the windows I figured I could go do some of the side work while she took a turn at the register but before I got a chance to do anything she had zipped into the cooler and stared working on cleaning and organizing that mess, which it was again. About an hour and a half she came back out with a huge stack of cardboard and shrink wrap. I told her I had gotten worried and was about to send a dog sled team after her, I had to explain the joke so it was a waste of time. She and Diane both finished at the same time so finally it was my turn.

I took a break from the register and went out to check the lot. I picked up the trash people couldn't seem to get into the multiple trash cans and then dumped the trash. The squeegee buckets were all full so I didn't have to deal with that. After a quick go round I was done and headed back inside, it was freaking cold out there. Then I swept and mopped the floor. Sure enough the very first spot I mopped was the only place people walked so I had to redo it but mostly things dried off before anyone treaded them up. I was happy.

Of course working the register all night meant I got to deal with all the customers, and they were an interesting bunch. One of the early guys started running his card and punching in his information before I even finished scanning his purchases, this isn't Wal Mart dude. So I finished and hit the total button and then pretending I didn't see what he had been doing just two feet away told him to swipe his card and enter his information. There's a lesson here kids, never be in such a hurry that you have to do the same job twice.

Next some guy wanted hot chocolate out of the cappuccino machine. Funny thing, I filled it up on Tuesday night and....nobody filled it up after that, so the machine was out. Diane went ahead and filled up the chocolate and the customer got his and then she decided to do a bit of cleaning on the machine. The very next couple wanted a cup but was going to have to wait. He got extra grumpy and was complaining. Gee, 10 minutes waiting, of course then Diane took her time. The guy finally got a plain cup of coffee and grumped his way out the door.

When I came in to work there was a couple waiting for the off schedule bus. At 11 they got paranoid and called the company. At midnight the asked if it was always this late and at one they decided to check into the motel across the highway. I have no idea if the bus ever showed up.

There is a company in Albuquerque that makes jerky, the old fashion kind. The thing is it's three times as expensive as any of the commercial processed kind but it sells like crazy. Some guy came in and bought a bag and left, then came back and bought four more. Another customer came in and bought a bag, complained about the price, left and then came back and bought a second bag. Personally I tried it and didn't see the thrill.

Then a guy came with car problems. It seems he was flying down the highway when a medium size animal ran in front of him, he thought maybe it was a porcupine. The problem was that it ruptured his radiator when he hit it. I gave him directions to the nearest repair shop but he had a four hour wait until they opened. Later when I  went out to check the trashes and squeegee buckets there was a trial of coolant leading to a large puddle, and then off the lot towards the mechanics shop. I guess he damaged the thing. I don't know how it turned out. 

Towards the end of the night Jenny by Tommy TuTone came on. We decided that it would be fun to put "For a good time call Jenny, 867-5309" on the bathroom wall. Of course the manager and the owner may not get the joke.

Finally the woman from the morning crew rolled in and I could go home. The hippie was late but Amy is moving into her own place and need the extra hours so she can afford the deposits on the apartment and the utilities. I went home and went to bed. The end of a good night.

Found money, I kid you not, $10.41.

OK, here's the story about the money. Some drunk guy rolled in and wanted some cigarettes, "uhh, the red kind" as he put it. He left and then came back in, this time he wanted 10 bucks in gas, great he was driving and I was going to have to call the police. He wasn't at any of the pumps so I waited to see what car he was driving and the plate number, the cops wouldn't do anything until he hit the road plus I had to know if he was heading into town or off onto the highway so I knew whether to call the city or state police. I waited, and waited and he never pulled around to a pump. I don't know if he was driving a car or not but he left the money and I put it in my pocket. I got a ten dollar tip on a six dollar cigarette purchase.

10/29

 It's Saturday night, Halloween weekend and sure enough, people are out in costumes. The fun part of tonight was trying to figure out which people are dressing up for the holiday and which are just the regular freaks. I figured the Mad Hatter guy was in costume but the woman in slutty clothes and pink hair, well who knows.

The night started off with finding two candy bars on the rack. What was unusual was that they were ones we don't sell. Where did they come from? Did someone bring them into the store and leave them? I had no idea but I pulled them off the rack to be on the safe side. I even checked the bar code on the computer and they weren't in the system so I know they weren't from here. Remembering the Tylenol poisonings back in the 80's I tossed them, better safe than sorry.

It was an incredibly slow night. I decided it was a good time to do an overall cleaning of the cappuccino machine. I pulled out all the mix hoppers and carefully lined them up on the counter to keep them in order. Then I wiped down the inside and pulled up one of the panels. Underneath was dried on old cappuccino that had spilled in between the machine. The space was tight and the powder had clumped and dried so I got a plastic spoon and chipped it out, small chunks were flying everywhere. When I was done there was old cappuccino everywhere so after loading everything back up I had to clean the whole counter. I found a big chunk under the napkin dispenser but I decided to do a test and leave it to see if one of the other shifts, who always talk about their hard work, would clean the whole counter or not.

Towards the end of the night an older woman and her son came in. Amy was waiting on them and while the mother paid the son was trying on sunglasses. After they left I was chuckling about the guy posing in the mirror. I made a comment and Amy said "That was a guy? He sounded like a woman." I told her that yes he was a guy, a very effeminate guy, but a guy none the less. She didn't agree with me so I asked if she saw the way he was trying on sunglasses and then I imitated the way he would hold his hands, up to the side of his head with the jazz hands splayed fingers and palms out. I pointed out that only Gay guys did that, I've never seen a woman put her hands like that. He was definitely a guy.

Finally the end of the night rolled around and Amy got out the vacuum to clean the carpet runner in front of the counter. The machine is slowing dying and I just use the broom to knock off the dirt. Amy commented "this vacuum sucks" and I laughed. It took her a minute to figure out her own comment. Amy isn't quick on the jokes.

The morning shift showed up on time-ish so I went home. Amy told me that the hippie is trying to get off the weed, he says he has to smoke more and more to get the same buzz. I said as long as he doesn't go to the more powerful stuff it will all be good but I still worry about the guy. Oh well, he's not my problem. 

Found money, 10 cents 

10/30

It's that time of year between travel holidays and things have slowed way down. The kids are in school so families are staying home until Thanksgiving and the snow birds have winged their way south. Customers are few and far inbetween. Time to kill.

I spent half the night scrubbing down the next set of racks. These ones were pretty easy because it's stuff like cookies and crackers. They all come in boxes so I don't have to take every item off one at a time and then put them back on. I can just pull off the box, clean and then put them back where they belong. I managed to kill time but had plenty left over when the job was done. Amy did the cooler.

About the middle of the night I thought the store was empty. I was doing a bit of stocking and Led Zeppelin came on the radio, "In the Mood" and I was doing my own I Love Lucy version, "I want to be in the band, I want to be in the band, Babaloo-0oooo". Sure enough a customer walks out of the restroom and gives me that look. Why is it I always get caught when I'm being goofy.

As I was hanging out behind the counter I looked down in the locked case which is all glass. It's meant for high end souvenirs but the company uses it to store stuff they don't want the employees messing with like the new chewing tobacco and paperwork, why I don't know. Anyhow there was a job application on top and I got nosy. They person listed their educational status, high school drop out, and their job history, four in one year. I loved that they put the reason for leaving two jobs as "laid off", seriously, like the manager isn't going to call and find out the reason the person was fired. Some people.

As I was cleaning behind the counter I came across a remnant of Ray (If you don't remember Ray go back to the first few weeks of the night shift, he is an intersting read). Anyhow I found Ray's puzzle book with the managers note about "do your job before you play", I tossed it. Goodbye Ray. Oh did I ever mention that when he came to get his last check he was bragging about his great new job as a cook at the jail, and the next week there was a form from the unemployment bureau, he had applied for assistance and boy was he in for a surprise considering you can't get benefits if you quit, which technically he did and even signed the paperwork to that affect. Boy I miss Ray....

It was almost quitting time when some guy came in to get some Pepto Bismo for his friend. When I went outside to dump the trash the other guy had puked in the parking lot, right by the back door. I would have hated to tell his friend the Pepto doesn't work when you are drunk. Amy had just finished mopping the floor so I took the water and washed it away. Why do they always do it in front of the door? At least they stay outside.

The manager showed up on time and the hippie even came in when he was suppose to. Since the highway work has shut down for the winter the switch over goes extra smoothly so I was home on time. I went to bed and didn't wake up until late in the afternoon. Boy, when it gets cold I sleep like a hibernating bear. 

Found money, 30 cents

10/31

Halloween night, what to expect? It turns out that most people went to parties on Friday and Saturday so nobody came in costume. Instead it was another slow night.

Diane was on shift so she went on a cleaning spree and I was stuck behind the counter. I did get to stock the cooler where I discovered that during the week I didn't do it nobody had been checking the dates on the milk. There were two full flats, 12 small bottles each, that were still in the shrink wrap and outdated. And of course everything on the shelf was new.  I am going to have to have a word with Amy, and I really don't want to.

Do you remember the story about the stoners who came in, bought a phone charger and possibly stole a pair of sunglasses? Well they came back and I kept an extra close eye on them. They got a whole pile of stuff and neither of thier debit cards were worth anything. I had to void the sale and put all their stuff back on the shelf. At least they didn't come back later. 

Funniest comment of the night, some kid came in and asked "Do you know where your restroom is?" I pointed the way, just like I do a hundred times a night. I was so tempted to say "yes" and leave it at that but the kid really needed to go so I wasn't mean.

The end of the night finally rolled around and even thought the hippie hadn't showed up the manager sent me home. I was glad to get out of there, not because of a lot of work but because it had been such a boring night. 

Found money 30 cents. 

 Found money for the month of October $21.60

11/01

I figured it was going to be another slow night, and Diane was going to be spending the majority of it cleaning so I went into the cooler as soon as possible. Due to the stack of outdated milk on the back of the shelf they hadn't ordered much so it wasn't scattered all over, like usual. I didn't have to do a big straightening job so I was done in a short amount of time.

As I was coming out of the cooler Diane asked if I would go out and help a woman on the lot, I figured she was having trouble with the pump but I was wrong. It turns out she had Cerebral Palsy and had fallen down, and couldn't get back up. Her husband was older and had a bad back so he couldn't get her up on her own so I had to help him get her on her feet and to the car. Boy was she pissed at him. But it was my good deed of the night.

About mid way through the night one of the regular truck drivers came in and got some junk food. He told me someone had tossed several quarters into the mens room urinal. I told him I wasn't going to go fish them out, after all I find enough just laying around the shop. Diane and I figured maybe someone mistook it for a wishing well but I had to wonder what kind of wishes do you get out of a urinal? Either that or they were trying to put them in the condom vending machine and dropped them by mistake. Lets hope they had a few extras or there is going to be one more unwanted child in the world in about nine months.

For the past few days they were predicting a storm starting early Wednesday morning and lasting through the day. I was hoping it would wait until I got home before striking because tourists get extra grumpy during storms. The station has an electronic board that displays trucking loads that are waiting for drivers, both their pick up and drop off location. Along with the truckers information they have a weather radar screen and all night long I kept an eye on the green mass (clouds) that seemed to be building up in Colorado and heading south. Plus everyone coming from the north told us about the bad weather they had driven through. I just kept hoping it would wait until I got home.

Around midnight business picked up, I figured it was people who normally would take their time but were rushing to beat the storm. I was glad I filled up the cappuccino machine early, normally I wait until 2 am. One customer showed up and wanted to prepay on the broken pump. I told them it was out of order and they said, "I don't see a sign" as if I was lying to them. They went and checked and what do you know, there was a big red Out Of Order bag on the pump and they said "well, you were right". D'uh. Some times you just want to punch people square in the face.

The next customer said I was going to hate him, and then proceded to pull out a pocket full of quarters plus other coins. In the end he got $13 plus some odd change in gas, mostly quarters. I did feel sorry for the guy, it seemed he went to Texas to work for his brother, who then ripped him off for $200. (My father once gave me a great piece of advice, never work for or with a relative). The guy was heading back to Colorado and was using the last of his money to get there, I didn't tell him he was driving into a storm and hoped his gas would get him to his destination.

Around 3 am a gust of wind slammed into the building. The storm was coming and the green blob on the weather map was getting larger. Oh please wait just a few more hours.

What are some people thinking? Between the growing storm and the wind it was darn cold outside. I was glad the trashes were empty so I wouldn't have to spend any time outside. But a customer came in wearing long shorts and a light jacket over a t shirt. He was freezing, where did he think he was going? It's the mountains and even on a calm night it's cold this time of year. Again, I didn't tell him it was only going to get worse. I hope he brought some kind of winter clothing.

Around 4 am cars began to roll onto the lot covered in ice. It seems that the storm in Colorado was mostly blowing snow with whiteouts. I checked the map and the green blob was right above where my stinky little town was. If only it would wait another two hours.

I was never so happy to see the morning crew. The few remaining construction guys had shown up early and were already gone so when the morning shift was in I left. I stepped out the door and it was like jumping into a cold pool. The air was sucked out of my lungs and it was as if someone punched me with a frozen glove. I rushed to my truck and stared it up. I sat there for a while letting my engine warm up to a driveable temperature and just as I was shifting into reverse I could see the first flakes of snow going by. The drive home was a mixture of blowing dust and light snow, I had just missed the storm. Thank goodness this is my Friday and I don't have to go to work tomorrow. 

Found money $1.46