More thoughts on Teacher Gifts

It's that time of year again! Mothers are going crazy for teacher gifts, trying to find the perfect trinket in 5 minutes and spending as little money as possible. We have a whole display for them: "Teacher Gifts for $30 or less."

I made a comment to my co-worker about how cash would be a better gift. It could be put towards student loans or retirement (which I have said on this blog. just trying out comments in different places. repeating myself. nattering.). My co-worker replied that once teachers are established, they actually do quite well for themselves and don't need retirement money.

But you know what? I still think cash would be better. I guess I just hate the thoughtless, duty-driven gifts. I never see people shopping with thoughts of what the teacher might like; if they have 4 kids, they buy 4 identical insulated lunch bags.

Gift cards are also good. But for some reason alot of customer hate the gift card suggestion. They don't actually have any idea about what to get, but they want the recipient to think that they do and therefore find gift cards to be a shameful gift. Most people love a gift card. I think my mother is the only person that dislikes them.

As I have never been given teacher gifts, I suppose I'm not in a position to degrade them. But when I see all the bags of useless leaving the store, I cringe for whoever is on the receiving end.

A Break from Staycations

Being a poor retail clerk with 4-5 vacation days a year, I often choose to stay home and enjoy the simple pleasure of not being at work. Times when I do travel are usually not for me, but rather for someone else, be it wedding, graduation, funeral, or birthday. And while I do love to see family, I also think it would be fun to go somewhere else, like on a Vacation, and see new people, places, and things.

I am very lucky this year! I went on a little trip to Washington D.C. in January and in 2 days I am going to Alaska. These trips have taken planning, frugality, and some mooching here and there, but it is so exciting to experience something new once in awhile.

Cheers to those of us that do not have the luxury of spontaneity! Though we may not fly by the seat of our pants, we may still live!

Think of desert wrecks

When I sell an outdoor umbrella to a customer, they often ask if it will fade. And they phrase it like this: "This fabric won't fade, will it?" Ah! The set-up. Of course it will fade eventually. Is there anything that does not succumb to the sun? Images of bleached bones, desert wrecks, and graying wood flash through my mind. Hail the power of the sun!

Ottoman

Today this young woman bought an ottoman. She asked for "help" carrying it out to her car, which ended up being me carrying the ottoman. It was actually very light.

The crappy thing was that she wouldn't let her boyfriend/husband help me when he asked if I needed help. And then he was okay with me carrying it. The three of us walked to their Lexus; me, the shortest and smallest, hauling the ottoman, the husband commenting on how it was weird to have someone else carry things, and the wife fumbling for her keys.

I don't mind helping people when they have injuries, but being the pack mule for 2 more than able bodied Americans is weird. Sac up you fucking jerks. You let a small girl clerk haul your ottoman. You are useless. We are all laughing and rolling eyes at you.

Crazies come back!

Work has been strangely boring lately. The slow, creeping afternoons, combined with stuffy indoor heat and thoughts of projects I could be doing at home, create a tedious delirium. Almost every afternoon, I attempt to distract myself with chocolate or kombucha, a little treat for putting up with life.

The strange thing is that customers have not been as crazy. After all my bitching horror stories of customers past, one would think it would be good to get what I thought I wanted. The realization that maybe the crazy, crappy customers might be the only element that keeps work from being a snorefest is actually terrifying. There is nothing I can "throw myself into" at work. There is just pacing and inane conversations about napkins.

There is one week until my vacation. I cannot wait.

When you serve coffee at work . . .

double cups
cups on shelves
sugar dumps
kids playing in the coffee
hobos in the coffee
coffee regulars
coffee pot overflow
end of day cleanup
impossible to open sugar shaker
gross warm milk
running out of milk
gut rot coffee made without love
talking about the coffee
it's not hot enough
it's not decaf
wasted coffee
help yourself to some coffee
BWAC! BWAC! "You're out of coffee!"

HEY EVERYBODY I HAD A GREAT DAY AT WORK!

Sunday was sort of an awesome day. I was in a good mood with the promise of a short 5 hour day, I had a sweet outfit on, and was buzzing on just the right amount of sleep and caffeine. Customers were friendly, which was a delightful change from Saturday. I got into a conversation with a nice couple about an idea of mine. It really made my day and I am determined to ride with this positive and creative thought as long as possible and maybe even turn it into Something!