Day 143

To be honest, I don't remember this night at all. Did it really happen? I'm so confused....

Day 142

It's been six weeks since I last updated this site. I will try to back-post before I forget things. I don't want to make this stuff up. I want it to be real and visceral and only half-pathetic.

Today was the first morning I worked in ages. In at 10:00am. I was exhausted by 3:00. I am such a wuss. It was nice to see the first-shifters again, but I missed my second shift friends. They were getting there just as I left. Oh yeah, and I have a crush on Annie again. I am so pathetic. I should be listening to Dashboard and watching the OC. Maybe someday I will make a Wal-Mart version of the OC. That would be horrendous (but highly watchable, methinks). Peace out, A-town.

Day 140

Danielle has new hair. It has blonde and red streaks. I forget sometimes that she is a mom. I told her she was too cool to work at Wal-Mart; that she should be working at Target or something. She laughed lots.

Someone left their car in gear out in the lot tonight, and it rolled into traffic while they were in the store. CSM Kurt paged them half a dozen times before they showed up. I guess they didn't think his urgent pages for immediate action were important. I would have keyed their car were I a bastard. Sometimes, I really wish I were one.

Allie and I talked a bit tonight. She's not fairing so hot. I think she knows everyone in the store though. We make really good zoning partners. We can find anything, between the two of us. And we can waste time like it's no one's business. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Day 138

The effing power went out tonight. I had only been there for like an hour, when poof! Vamoos son of bitch! We checked out everyone in record time on the generator's power. Then stood around for a couple of minutes. Then it was off to the races to save the frozen and refrigerated foods from spoiling. We took the bags of ice from the front and loaded it into carts, where others took it to the grocery section. Afterwards, the cashiers cleaned some and joked around. Some people were dancing. Someone tried to start the Wal-Mart cheer -- the first time I've seen it performed at my store. We didn't get past the squiggly.

They sent me to electronics after a while, to babysit. Me and electronics girl were the only thing standing between thousands of dollars of merch and....other Wal-Mart associates. We were guarding the plasma screen TVs from our peers. Shows how much they trust us.

Sadly, the power came on before our shifts were up. I liked to talking to electronics girl; she's the cat's pajamas. I want to give her mix cds without weirding her out. How to be friends in the workplace is one of life's great mysteries.

So is the popularity of smooth jazz. But that's another post entirely.

Day 136

I haven't seen CSM Vicki in a while. I like her. She's got spunk. Plus, she smiles like she knows things that no one else does -- real mysterious like. Funny girl.

Day 133

Oh, did it snow like a bugger tonight! People slip-sliding around with their carts on their way out to their cars. The wind whipping up a hell-fired frenzy. Me helping out Chuck as best I could. The cart pushers couldn't handle more than 4 carts at a time in this snow. When Chuck and I worked together, we could do 8. Teamwork, beeeeeeatches!

Oh man did it snow. Oh man were people huge jerks, leaving carts strewn everywhere. Oh man did I want to murder a few sorry excuses for people. Oh man did I not do a thing except mutter than f-word under my breath. Muttering always helps. Unless it becomes a dialogue with yourself. Then it's time to seek medical help.

Day 132

Cashier Andy really really really likes video games. It's what we talk about mostly, because we share a fondness for the Final Fantasy series. I try to inform him of Tolkien's influence on RPG gaming. He gaves me FF11 updates. We never talk about real stuff. But maybe someday....

Also, I am a supersweet zoner. Andy is, too. But he came to work tonight on one hour of sleep, because of his gaming habit. He's used up all his sick days, so he'll be fired if he misses again. I worry about him. I'm such a dork.

Day 130

In conversations with Danielle tonight on break, I learned a couple of things. First, her Christmas was good but real hectic. This is why I'm glad I'm not married with kids yet. I got to spend Christmas day at one house.

And second, our new store manager isn't taking requests from part-timers who want to switch to full-time yet. Danielle asked, and got shot down. And she's got kids to feed. So I don't know how I'll fair. My paychecks have gotten real dismal lately, and my next one will be for just one week (plus my vacation week). Lucky me.

Day 128

Did I mention we have a new store manager? I haven't met her yet, but she's around.

CSM Amie was kind of excited to see me tonight. She approved of my personal day to hang out with sick friend Becky. I will say it definitively: even though Bill is real funny, and Annie is real cute, and Vicki smiles real great, and CSM Kurt is real weird, Amie is my favorite CSM because she asks real questions and really enjoys being at work, at least as much as one can enjoy working at Wal-Mart. She might be my Wal-Mart mom. I like her lots.

Day 125

My first day back in forever. People were literally excited to see me. I felt real good. I really like the people I work with. Annie kind of looked like she might have missed me. Vicki gave me one of her weird smiles. Weird customer service girl was kind of worried, and asked me if everything was okay.

It was.

Day 118

I called for a personal day because I was in Ohio with sick Becky. She might have mono. No one would visit her. We went for mexican and barbeque in the same day. I tried to keep her awake between meals, but failed miserably. We watched About a Boy, the Wedding Singer and the OC. We are big geeks. But with awesome taste in food.

Day 116

So our store manager is going someplace elsewhere. I don't know where. I don't even know the guy. He seems okay. But who knows?

I have a week off and will travel to far away places in my trusty Saturn starting tomorrow. I have no idea why my next week's schedule consists of one day of work. But I've needed a sabbatical from Wally World, and the timing was perfect. So I didn't complain a bit.

When I get back, we should have a new store manager. And I might be going full time. That sounds like I'm debating to go steady with Wal-Mart or something. In a way it is. Am I ready for this kind of commitment? Can I handle 40 hours a week of this? My bank account says "yes," but my heart says "no." Money is stupid.

Day 115

First day of 2005 at work! That girl Jennifer that I had orientation with way back in September is still around, too. And still real funny. She's on crack, I think. And fun to talk to. Sometimes, she's real tired, and says tired things. Other times she's real bouncy, and says bouncy things. All in all, she would make the perfect sister. The girl is a peach.