Ch-ch-changes!!!

Okay.

So I've been permanantly laid off of my job due to "Corporate restructuring" which is a nice way of saying "We have stores that don't make enough money for us so we're canning them". Ironically enough, lost my job because of I'm good at my job and became management. There aren't any Assistant Manager positions available due to the number of stores closing and the reshuffling of staff from said "restructuring", and I haven't had enough experience with managing to be entitled to a location of my own.

Well fine, then. *pouts*

This sucks. Sucks, sucks, sucks. My last day is tomorrow. Eugh. I've never been fired before. (Though technically, laid off is not considered fired... It's tantamount to the exact damned thing...) I found out on the 21st that I was getting laid off, but stayed until the 28th in order to get my severance pay. A week's notice. How lovely and oh so considerate. That being said, losing my job this way, looks better than getting fired because I'm incompetent and don't know how to do it in the first place.

However, I've had an interview this past Saturday with a small, local company that produces well known art for the "Nouveau Riche" in the Lower Mainland. Now, my interview seemed to go well, and I'm awaiting the reply from the company owner, with a mixture of trepidation and a little excitement... If I get it, it's going to be a neat experience, with potential room for expansion.

That being said, the nervousness comes from the fact that I'm not the sort of person that goes from one job to another without having it under my belt in the first place. It's unnerving.

I'm also, at this point in time, really, quite incredibly stoned on cough syrup. I'm Freezing cold and sweating, hyper as hell and trembling like a leaf at the same time, with a nice, dry barking cough that must incur lust in the strongest and most willful of men. My voice, sounds like Patty and Selma went on a binge-drinking, super-smoking, music-so-loud-you-have-to-shout-over-it Par-tay!

M'eh. It's time for dinner. Hopefully things work out the way I hope they do, and if not, you'll see me armed with a squeegee harassing the passengers and drivers of SUV's on Main Street and Terminal Drive, to wash their windows with urine tainted water.

Fun!

Good Evening Ladies and Germs...

How are you guys doing?

I'm doing great. Tired, ill, a little cranky, but on the whole, very, very good.

I've been working upwards of 52 hours a week now that the holiday hours are in full swing, and training craploads of brand new employees. It's kind of fun, and very exhausting. All of my new trainees are between the ages of 17 and 21, so I've got hordes of little man-geeks in training to manipulate as I see fit. It's kind of like babysitting and nerd school at the same time. Does that make me the Head honcho Geek? Threats of spanking for bad behaviour seem to go across quite nicely and end up with appropriate results.

my Man-Geeks-in-training keep on telling me that I'm too serious, though. Me? Serious? I just don't encourage the pranks between staff ("I don't care if you do it, I just DON'T want to know! Ignorance is my protection! Oh, and don't fuck with me.") I don't encourage the flight of miniature helicopters through the mall, because I don't want to get screamed at by Mall Admin. This just seems logical.


Typical conversation with my employees consist of shit like this:

Me: "What are you guys doing?"

Man-Geek-in-Training #1: "Downloading some stuff."

Me: "What are you downloading?"

MGiT#1: "remixes of music from Final Fantasy."

Me: *rolling eyes to heaven, stifling laugh* "God, you guys are such NERDS! Cute, but WOW... Nerdy." *walks towards store exit* "Oh, and get a girlfriend!"

I seem to be getting more and more tasks tossed onto my list of 'stuff to do at work', and I know for sure I'm going to appreciate my vacation when I take one.

I'm getting into month number two of living with my boyfriend, Cliff, and things are going quite well. He was pampering me today, while I wheezed and whined and doped myself up with as few as possible painkillers on the couch. We've only had one argument in the past 2.5 months, based upon miscommunication, due to the fact that last night I was owly and grouchy, because I felt like poo, and seemed to be taking it out on him when really I wasn't. Whoops. Other than that, it's a few minor squabbles and smooth sailing. This is good.

My nephew decided to share his strep-throat with me, masked in kisses and "I love you, Auntie Lynn"'s. Unfortunately, I can't attribute malice to a seven year old who gives me kisses and loves whilst infecting me with streptococcus. The cute little bugger.

My Year end compilation will be posted up sometime between the 15th-20th of this month, as a Christmas present to my friends, near and far. It's 23 (roughly) tracks of high-bitrate, mp3 music-y goodness, from stuff I've not been able to get enough of this past 12 months. Save about 170 megs of space on your hard drive, kids!!

Depending on the situation (more on that, potentially, in a later post, further on in the month...) The cover has been completed, (though constantly under revision due to my own picky tendencies) and I've been doing a lot of design work for some pretty constant clients over the past few weeks as well.

Oh, and because I suck, and couldn't manage to remember to wish people a happy birthday ON their birthdays, despite constantly reminding myself, A happy belated Birthday to Miss Melissa, A happy birthday to Miss Jerilyn, and a happy early Birthday to Miss Elizabeth.

Okay. It's time for bed. I'm bagged.

Kisses!

L.

Feet Hurt...

So bad.

I just did the longest feeling 12 hour shift in the goddamned universe. I swear it NEVER WANTED TO END.

That is all...

/rant

Overheard... (At work)

Linds is in the back room getting a product for a customer. Phone rings.

Me: Hello, *company named blanked* Linds speaking.

Man: Hi, I was wondering if Uh... If, Uh.... Uh... If you know why Uhhh... the *company name blanked* still has it's commercials for back to school stuff on T.V?

Me: *pause* Well, as far as I know it does, however I don't watch television, so I wouldn't be the best person to ask that question to. As far as I know, yes, our advertisements are stil on TV, and all of our back to school sales end on the 24th of September.

Man: Uh... Well, Uhmm.... I was just calling to see why the ads were still on tv, because I was watching the space channel, and they had ads for Futureshop, and Best Buy and (lists of a few more companies...) and they still have ads for back to school stuff, but I think that Uh... Kids are already in school and they already have stuff so why are you still showing commercials that say back to school when Uh... Uhm.... They like, don't need to go, and Kids had to start going back into school on the eighth, at like nine am, like grades 8 to 11 to 5, and stuff so I don't know why you have the ads on tv still. And Uhh... do you have the number for like a head office and stuff?

Me: *pause. look up at ceiling as if to beg God for strength* We usually don't give out the number for head office unless it's a serious complaint about a product or poor service, sir.

Man: Uh well this sort of is a serious complaint.

Me: *confused and slightly annoyed* You're complaining about the length of time that commercials run on television for Back to School sales?

Man: Yes.

Me: It's a sale. It just means prices are lower on things, and you get better deals. You don't have to go to school in order to buy the products we sell! Parents of children and college students do not neccessarily purchase all of the supplies they need for school the week before or the day of school starting. In some cases they choose to do price comparisons with other locations that sell the same products we do. I have absolutely no control over the advertising for my company.

Man: Well, Uh, I don't see why they are running still on tv, since school started already and stuff, see I'm 43, and I don't go to school.

Me: Well, sir, if you want, we can give you the *regular* price. We can even increase the price in items if that will make you happy. That being said, I really see no point in your calling our store. I have customers waiting for me, I am the only one available to take care of them, and you're tying me up in my back room on the telephone to complain about something as unimportant as the length of a back to school sale. Unless you have something more relevant to bring up, I have work to do.

Man: But, Uhm, I don't see why the commercials are still on.

Me: *Brusquely* Sir, I've already explained the answer to you, and I'm not going to say it twice. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do. I have customers waiting for me, I don't have time or the inclination to continue this discussion.

Man: Oh, okay. Bye.