My Weblog

too, too much.............

I have a sincere desire to stick my head in the sand. And keep it there. After Watergate, I refused to vote for YEARS, DECADES. I am feeling the same way again. Just overcome by disgust. There is no Biblical support for this, but I have an idea there will be a special place in hell for politicians. In my imagination, it is at least 100 times hotter than the spot reserved for serial killers. Serial killers are dreadful people; they steal the lives of 10, 20, 30 people. Even up to 100 with that whacko in Russia who was tried a few years back. But politicians..........well, it took politicians to murder 40 million in Russia. It took politicians to kill 6 million Jews plus gypsies and other ethnic groups. And politicians are in the process of killing off my very own country. And I can barely stand it.

They don't seem to have ANY principles. If they stand up for something, it's because they can make political mileage from it. If they put something down, it's because they can make political mileage from it. They line their pockets while the rest of us struggle under the burdens they impose. I want to puke every time I read another political story. Liars. They are all liars. And the masses are too stupid to understand that they are lying. They'll vote for someone just to get a free phone. I sometimes think I just can't stand any more.......

Okay, it's time to pull a Scarlett O'Hara. I need to think about this some other day. If I think about it today, it will just depress me and I'm not going to be depressed today. If stray thoughts about the whole political mess, both national and international, flash through my head today, I am going to pray about them and leave them in the Lord's hands. That's the best I can do today.

Well, the boy kit is finished, all but alphas. I finished up stuffing as many elements into it last night as I could. I also did the solids and did an extra pack of embossed solids. So, alphas and details and it is done! I'm ready. I love the kit--don't get me wrong. Love the color scheme and I think I did a great job with the elements. The papers--well I get my most fun out of creating papers and these work so well together and with the theme. But, I'm ready to work with something different. The most beautiful color palette in the world will bore me after a while..........

I have a water kit that is within a quarter of an inch of being finished. I have a space kit that is also close to being done. I want to deal with those next. It's silly to have so many kits started with time devoted to them, and have them not be ready for market. What good does that do anyone? None at all.

Today is a work day and I'm scheduled for 8 hours. So, no matter what I choose to spend time on, it will all come to a screeching halt when it's time to run out the door.

Today is also payday. That's always encouraging.

And, tomorrow starts a new month. I have a few things I've been spending money on monthly. So, tomorrow I get a new "allotment". I had made up my mind to buy one of those flavored syrups each month so I could have flavored coffee without the hydrogenated fats that are in flavored coffee creamers. I didn't actually buy one in July so I guess, technically, I could buy two.One thing I will say for this idea: those syrups last a lot longer than the flavored creamers! I haven't actually done a cost analysis, but I think this may be cheaper, maybe even MUCH cheaper.

I have also been allowing myself one new clothing purchase a month. And I already checked out what I'm buying in August. I'll be buying more new "seat covers". Last month I bought the new "work" shoes. I will be needing new running shoes soon. For a while now, I've only allowed myself a new pair of running shoes annually. But I wear them daily and the amount of use and abuse they are getting is increased exponentially because I've been wearing them for work as well. The pair I am wearing now has 4 months of use for work in addition to my usual daily wear. I think I'm about due........

I'm a little concerned about the clothing "budget". I will need reasonably warm long sleeved shirts for work in a couple of months. And buying one a month won't cut it. I'm already looking around for what I want. I think I want thermal knit with either a crew or henley neckline. I would also welcome long-sleeved polo shirts if I could find them. But, I'm still thinking shoes need to come first. I believe my feet are spreading with all the standing I've been doing. And I know they are swelling each night I work. So, I'll be looking for half size larger shoes this time.........

I have also been allowing myself to purchase one new DVD or movie per month. Last month I bought a downloadable movie on Amazon for a teeny tiny price. The month before I spent more but got 4 movies from TCM (in a set) for an excellent price per movie. Not sure what I'll go for this month. But, since this is my only form of entertainment, combined with Netflix, I want it to be something classic I can enjoy over and over.

I am thinking I need to set up some sort of "budget" or "spending plan" for household stuff. There is so much that needs done. You wouldn't even believe it! And, when I say "need", that's what I mean. This isn't just cosmetic stuff or stuff I "want" to do. It really is needed. Years ago I had a roommate that happily took showers in the hall bath. He not only steamed the wallpaper loose from the walls; he also slopped enough water on the floor to cause the linoleum flooring to lift. Right now, the walls have had the wallpaper removed but no painting has been done. And the flooring needs to be dealt with. I call that stuff "needed", not just something I want to do. I could make a list as long as my arm. Maybe that's what I need to do, make a list of everything that's "urgent" and then break it down into projects.......

Some of you have probably noticed that I had stopped featuring layouts here on the blog. Here's the back story: I was promised a free Design blog so that my personal blog and business blog would be separate. However, the lady who was going to do this for me was in an auto accident and is still having problems as a result. And, now, she is facing a cross-country move. So, starting with the next kit, I'll be back to featuring layouts here. At least it will give you something pretty to look at.......

Well, I'm gonna go get this day moving. I have lots to do before 2:30 rolls around. YOU be BLESSED today! And if you think of me today, throw a prayer heavenward for a pain-free workday!

It's gonna be a great day...........

It was a fairly good evening and I've got a good day coming today.

Did my 5-hour stint at the store. It went pretty well. We were darned busy, but with the two of us workin' hard, we kept up pretty well. One thing happened that was laughable, really. I've told you before that when someone is working in the cooler and someone is alone at the register, there is a bell we can push to let whoever is in the cooler know we need help. Most of the time, I try to keep my fingers off the bell because it's just a trade off. If I call someone out of the cooler because of a line of customers, he/she is just going to go back in the cooler again. It's not like you can get "permanent" help. And what needs done in the cooler just has to get done, just as much as needing to run that register. Well, last night my usual working partner worked in the cooler, but thankfully there wasn't too much that needed done. The cooler shelves didn't look that great but we either mis-ordered or were waiting for an order or two to come in. So, even though there were some empty places on the shelves, we had nothing with which to fill them. That made for not too much time in the cooler.

However, according to my usual working partner, everytime he went into the cooler, it made him want to use the restroom. I know, sounds weird to me too, but God did make us all unique. I try not to judge. However, the first time this happened, I got swamped and was about to push the bell in the cooler to get him out front to help out. Then I realized he wasn't in the cooler. So, I barreled through the mob and told him about my silly reaching for the bell when he reappeared. Well, I'll be darned if he didn't go back in the cooler later and the same thing happened. He is a hard worker, but he spends what seems to me to be an inordinate amount of time in the restroom. The second time, I had a line of folks clear across the store from the registers to the cooler doors! Holy Moley! I kept looking towards the restroom, hoping he'd appear, but he didn't.

The guy who has done some work on the house was in the line. He got to the register and was short some money, just 20 or 30 cents. He was going to leave the store and go to his car for the amount he was short. We got into a big joking argument over it and the whole line of people were laughing. I made up his shortage from my pocket just to save the time it would have taken him to run outside and run back in so we could complete the transaction. I guess if you can't move 'em out fast enough to prevent a whole across-the-store line, it's good to make 'em laugh. Anyway, no one complained or got angry or stomped off, so I think it was handled as well as it could be.

I know there is a store somewhere close to us that runs 3 people on swing shift. Most evenings, whether I work a 5 hour shift or a full 8 hours, I find myself wishing that would happen in our store. But I don't think it ever will............ And, truthfully, it might end up being a mixed blessing. We would all get a few more chances to sit down for 2 or 3 minutes now and then, but it would probably make the work hours pass more slowly.

I did my share last night for sure. Made coffee 3 times in 5 hours, stocked the grill several times and made sure it was stocked before I left. Washed the floor to keep customers from having to leave their shoes behind because said shoes were stuck to the slurpee-sticky floor. Emptied all the inside trash (10 containers). Wiped down counters. Fronted merchandise. And ran the register. And ran the register, and ran the register............

The feet continue to improve. This mountain is coming down! I did change from one pair of shoes to the other and back again during the evening, but didn't bring in my extra mat. And didn't take so much as an ibuprofen (til I got home). I took a good look at my legs in the mirror yesterday. Yes, they are looking better too. A 5-hour shift is like a workout! Today, for example, my inner thighs are talking back. I did not do anything specific that I think would work those muscles, but I musta done something because I'm sore there. Anyway, I'm grateful for all the improvements. God is good.

Oops! Almost forgot to tell you. I received $10 in tips last night. Most nights its nothing. Sometimes I get $.50 or something really small like that. But two people hit the slot machines last night and each of them left a $10 tip which my usual working partner and I split. The Bible says that if we give to "the poor" God will repay us. I guess He's working on it!

Another thing I forgot to tell you: Do you remember a few days ago I was telling you what a great rain we had? Yeah, well........... It caused major flooding north and west of the city in the mountains. Washed out a road.......... It was front page news yesterday in the local paper. That area had a big forest fire last year, so there is way less vegetation to help hold the soil in place and slow down the flow of water. So, this year, flooding............. I guess the next time I pray for rain I'd better ask for a slow, easy rain without floods..........

I am very close to the end of the line on the boy kit I've been working on. Did my usual sort, gathering all the elements in one folder. I had way too many MB to sell. However, I needed to do a lot of trimming and some resizing. I ended up with room enough for a few more elements and some word art. That will have to be the end of it.

So, today will be design and house related work. I'm anxious to make progress. YOU be BLESSED today!

We had another one..........

an overcast day, that is. By 5PM it was looking like a winter afternoon around here and I was turning on lights in the house. No rain this time, but anytime it is overcast, at least we are shielded from the hot desert sun which is bound to help out with the power bill and the water bill........

I got a good bit of design work done yesterday. I am also quite pleased with what I've done. I also have clean clothes and a cleaner kitchen. It's all good.

Today I gave away some money. I didn't much want to, but I knew it was something I was supposed to do. A woman I know from scrapbooking lives in that paycheck-to-paycheck mode with her husband and two small children. In an emergency situation, they incurred a bill in excess of $600 which, for them, is an unmanageable amount. In the early church, folks competed to see who could give the most, knowing that God would bless them in return. Well, there's no competition here, just a heart for those who need help. If you've got a little extra, leave me a comment with an e-mail address and I'll let you know where you can send her what you can spare via Paypal. You can take my word that she and her family are good Christians and deserving of our help.

So, today is a work day. A 5-hour shift. I am looking forward to it rather than dreading it. This is a shift in attitude based on the fact that the pain is reduced each time I'm there. God is faithful. It's a bit like getting to go visit friends. We have one gentleman who, except for the last few weeks when it has been SO hot, comes into the store and makes fresh coffee. When we're slammed, it's a real service to us. I recognized in him "a servant's heart". Sure enough, he is a Christian. He serves as head usher in his church. Maybe I'll see him today. We had a nice 2-minute (hey, I was busy) conversation the other day about his church. (Don't anyone get any ideas--he's married and I'm not interested.) There are a few others who exit the store with a "bless you". I am thinking they might be related to The Carpenter too. I'm anxious to find out.

I was planning to get together yesterday with the guy who did some work around here. I didn't because I have several projects in mind and I need to get them prioritized in my head. Under consideration: 1) the mailbox. The mailbox itself is rusty and has been there since before I bought the house. It is mounted on a wooden post and, due to the yard guy's weed whacker, looks like it could topple over soon. It looks like a pack of beavers have been chewing away at that post at ground level. 2) there is a door, in a west-facing wall here in the office around which I can see daylight. The door is badly mounted and I know this "daylight" thing contributes to the heat in this room. 3) The dining room window needs a decent solar screen. If I knew how, I'd put solar screen on the "garden" window in the kitchen. I'm not sure if that is even do-able. But solar film IS doable, if you can reach the interior of the window. I can't. I would have to sit on the countertop with my feet in the sink, and even then, I think I'd have problems. But, being a guy, the person who would be doing the work is taller than me and has longer arms. I think he could do it without a whole lot of trouble. I am going to ask him to do some sort of see-through caulk around the seams in that window too. I know dust is coming in through there and if dust is coming in, so is hot air.

I am going to treat each of these little things as a "project" and give me a guestimate for each project. I want to try to get this stuff into some sort of "budget".

I need to save up for a BIG project--laying carpet in the living room. I will at least do the living room. If there's enough carpet, the next priority will be the hall. The final frontier will be this office. Then I face problems with the flooring in the kitchen, entry way, and two baths. That will be tiled, probably with that "wood-look" tile. I will lay the tile myself. I just want to know if he is willing to stand by to cut whatever tile needs cut and/or teach me how............

Anyway, I'm going to try to meet up with him tomorrow if he's available........... We'll see what happens next...........

For what's left of today, before I head out to work, I need to get myself ready for work. Then, I hope to work in a little design stuff and maybe spend some time on this desk. My desk time yesterday went to paying bills, but I need to do mucho sorting and filing.

Hoping your day will be a fabulous one! YOU be BLESSED today! Just remember, we don't always SEE the blessings. Sometimes they come in the form of what doesn't happen to us!

Related articles

There isn't much........

Didn't I?

As I kneel in the darkness in the middle of the night
I’m praying for assurance everything’s gonna be alright
Lord I see another battle out in front of me
I’m afraid I won’t be able and I’ll go down in defeat

And He said, I walked on the water and I calmed the raging sea
I spoke to the wind, it hushed and I gave you peace
Didn’t I run to your rescue didn’t I hear you when you called
I walked right beside you just so you wouldn’t fall
Didn’t I leave all of Heaven just to die for your sin
I searched until I found you and I’d do it all again

He said, do you remember where I brought you from
Just take a look behind you at how far you’ve come
And everytime you asked me, didn’t I deliver you
So why would you be thinking that I wouldn’t see you through

Now she’s talking to her father in a house that was once a home
She said my bills are coming due Lord and six days is not that long
She hears a voice so still and low
It says I’ve moved like that before
And I’ll do this little thing and I’ll give you so much more

Most of the time, I view Facebook as a time waster. I try to stay off of there as much as I can. But now and then I find something that blesses me. A well known designer posted a video of her mother and other family members singing this song in church. It impressed me so much I had to go look up the lyrics.

Yes, He did and if He did it before, He'll do it again. Yes, He did and if He did it for them, He'll do it for me. So, there you have it.

I have been reading through the New Testament--slowly, but I've stayed with it. Occasionally I'm so tired when I go to bed that I don't read. And, sometimes, I choose to read a particular religious magazine that comes to my house monthly. That's what accounts for the "slowly". Funny thing though--I am beginning to really look forward to reading the Old Testament. God did some amazing miracles for the Israelites and, having been grafted in as "the seed of Abraham", I am looking forward to a refresher on those miracles and the kinds of things I can expect Him to do for me.

Yesterday was a day "off". And, thankfully, just in time, my mojo returned. So, I got a good bit of design work done. I worked primarily on trying to finish the "space" kit and on a "boy" kit I've been playing with. I'm really close to being able to say "I'm finished" with the space kit. And the "boy" kit is coming along really nicely. The ideas are flowing, thank the good Lord!

Today is also a day "off". And, today, I have to work in some substantial work on this house! Right now, I'm none too happy with it. However, we are on the way to breaking Satan's hold on these aching feet of mine. I think I should be able to begin to be more productive as we go along. For the past 4 months, the physical challenges of getting used to "the job" have been really tough. It has been a battle, but it is a battle the Lord and I are winning. The time is coming when I can declare complete victory and then, house, look out!

For today, there is laundry to be done. I have taken most of the trash out, but the big bag in the kitchen still has to be dealt with--tomorrow is trash day. And lots of general straightening to be done.

I work tomorrow which means I won't get much done beyond some design and getting ready for work. But I have Wednesday off and I hope to accomplish some actual "cleaning". Meaning, by the end of the week, the house should be much better off than it is right now.

A piece of good news: the power bill came a couple of days ago and it is about $80 less than I'd expected. I raise the thermostat when I go to work and I work swing shift. And that covers the hottest part of the day. So, for about a third of the time, during the hottest part of the day, I am using less A/C. Let's say it is hottest here from noon til 7. that's about 7 hours a day or 35 hours a week. I usually work 3 shifts so from 2:30-7 I have the thermostat raised. So, 4.5 hours times 3 shifts comes to 13.5 hours of the 35 hottest hours, I am using less a/c. Whether I work a 5-hour shift or an 8-hour shift, by the time I get home, the sun is no longer blazing and the house cools down nicely. So, between the paycheck, the occasional bit of free food, doggie treats (stuff that's been on the grill too long to serve to customers), and a lower power bill, this job is turning out to be a blessing.

Another piece of good news: We had rain last night--real rain, like you see in the midwest or back east. Not our usual desert drizzle. I mean, it was really coming down! If only that would happen more often. I think I am going to add that to my daily prayer list--more rain! Thrilled that the yard and plants got some extra moisture as I am still trying to control my spending on watering the yard.

And, for now, I'm going to toddle off and get that laundry going and then see what else I can get accomplished around here. YOU be BLESSED today!

 

Running on Empty.............

I had another of those nights where I could not go to sleep. Just could not. I prayed for israel. I prayed for our leaders in this country. I prayed for persecuted Christians everywhere. I prayed for relatives that are far from the Lord. I prayed for folks with health problems. I prayed for co-workers. I prayed for every ministry that preaches the entire Gospel into areas of the middle East. My pastor makes frequent trips to France to train ministers--I prayed for revival in France. I prayed for wisdom for Israel's leaders and for wisdom for our leaders as well (whether they want it or not!). I prayed for revival in this country. I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. And at 5AM I was still awake. I finally got up, fixed myself something to eat, read some Facebook updates, wandered aimlessly through the house a while, and then went back to bed. I've had something less than 4 hours sleep. And I have to work a 5-hour shift today! Well, thank God it's not an 8 hour shift!

Don't anyone go into a panic. I do not do this on a regular basis. But, tonight, I will return home with some sort of alcoholic beverage. Any kind of alcoholic beverage (except beer--can't stand the taste). And I will be drinking some of that starting very soon after I get home. I plan to sleep tonight, even if I have to resort to extreme measures! Shouldn't take much but I don't want to take any chances.

So, obviously, I will be working my shift tonight with MUCH prayer. When you're running on empty, it's hard to handle the stress with a smile, with love, with compassion. So, MUCH prayer.

There's really very little time between now and then. It's after 12 now and I have to be awake and out of here in about 2 hours. I will do a little design and get myself properly attired and made up and then I am out of here...... YOU be BLESSED today. I am going to be relying on God to get me through the day!

I love overcast days...........

Today the skies are providing us with some cloud cover. If you live someplace other than the desert, you probably don't get the significance of that. Air conditioning systems work a lot better where a big % of the job is removing humidity from the air. They are less effective when "hot" is the result of pure unadulterated sunshine. And we have had "hot" for days now--109+ for daily highs. It is so hot here that we are experiencing those days where you almost wish there wasn't a breeze--the "breeze" is so hot it almost takes your breath away...... But, here it is, after 3PM and it's still reasonably comfortable in my western exposure office. Hooray!

So, I worked an 8-hour shift last night. I ended up almost in tears. I honestly go to that place daily with my heart's desire being that I can represent Christ. I want to be friendly to people, to love on them, listen to them, show them compassion--every single one of them. And I want to serve everyone as well and efficiently as possible. My goals, every single time I walk through that door. It had been a busy shift. Thank goodness I worked with Accident Lady as she is a workhorse and a half. However, quite honestly, to do all the things that are expected of us, it really takes 2 full-time people. We spend a significant amount of time on every shift cleaning up after people. You wouldn't believe how inconsiderate folks are, what messes they make and leave for us to clean up. And, as stuff is purchased and hauled out of the store, someone HAS to go back in the cooler and work. When things are purchased, the shelves in the cooler are supposed to be designed so that additional inventory, available for purchase, will just slide forward to the front of the display case. We wouldn't want anyone working too hard to grab their 24-pack of beer, now would we? And speaking of 24-packs of beer, we sell a lot of those these days because of the extreme heat. So, maybe you can only line up 4 or 5 of those in the cooler. Someone has to keep filling the cooler from the back so we don't run out. There are floors to mop--usually several times a night. Coffee gets made fresh every couple of hours. Cash has to be stashed to prevent excessive loss in case of a robbery. Stuff needs to be refilled--slurpee mix, iced coffee mix, various cappuccino mixes, cups, lids, straws, chili, cheese, hot dog condiments, coffee creamer, coffee sweeteners, and so on. More stuff has to be cleaned--check out counter wiped down several times a shift, washing the windows on the glass doors to get rid of fingerprints, etc., from folks who don't know the real purpose of door knobs/handles. Temperature readings on all the temperature controlled equipment every 2 hours to comply with health district regulations. We have to serve hot grilled food, pay out gambling wins, sell money orders, and lately, go through a lot of extra work to deal with the advertised specials on the phone app. It is rare that one of us can sit down. And, on top of all that, there are the customers.

I have had nights where at times I actually find myself pushing so hard I am actually breathing hard with the effort! Last night, from about 5PM on was one of those nights. Accident Lady LOVES to stock the cigarettes. She stocks and stocks them. All of us complaining finally got Mr. KIA to stop doing this, but nothing stops Accident Lady. She will open 15-20 cartons of cigarettes every shift and fill up the single-pack shelves. Since we have to count every cigarette in the place, every shift, that vastly increases the time required for the count. The cartons are displayed on open shelves and are easy to count. However, when you add 150-200 packs to the unwieldy single-pack shelves, it's a PITA. Some of the shelves are at or below eye level and can be pulled out, like a drawer, for better visibility. But many of them are either stationary or require a step stool to count or both and it's a pain. And we have to count every single carton/every single pack every single shift. It's a holy terror.

Anyway, it was BUSY, BUSY, BUSY all evening. I was almost to the point of holding my breath for my relief to arrive. I don't know how she does it, but she almost always manages to get in the store before I even know she is there. Undoubtedly, I am intent on serving customers or counting cigarettes or stashing money or cleaning something. Once she arrives, it's time to start trying to do all the additional tasks of shift change. There is a list of 8 or 9 additional tasks that need to be performed, in a certain order, every shift. And all of it has to be done at the last minute, right before turning over the store to the next shift. Last night at shift time it was like a 3-ring circus. I hurt and I wanted out of there and I wanted out from under "the load". And progress was almost impossible because you can't do this stuff when the store is full of customers.

Anyway, in the middle of all this, a woman I've never seen before walked up to the register and asked where to find something. She put nothing on the counter for check out and just walked off in the direction I had indicated. I started helping the next customer who, (OMG) wanted food from the grill (something that ALWAYS eats extra time). Suddenly the woman with the "where is the _______" question reappears at the  register and demands "Can we get a little service here?" Geez........... I didn't know if I wanted to slap her across her mouth or sit down in the middle of the floor to have a good cry over her nasty nasty attitude. I fully admit neither alternative was very Christlike. Anyway, I held it all in check but next something else happened between the graveyard shift person and me. I'm sure she wasn't even aware of what she did but it upset me. I finally just went outside and shed a few tears. I passed it off as allergies which was more than valid with the pollen count through the roof and a breeze to blow that stuff around.

The attitudes of some people just blow me away. Some folks come in and you couldn't coax even a grin, let alone a smile from them. Some are drunk. I know some are high. Some are liars. Some are just plain nasty. Last night, to top it all off, I got hit on by some guy with a misplaced case of the hots. Most are sweethearts. I don't enjoy, for example, lifting those 24-packs of beer around. But most of the manufacturers put the scan codes on the bottom of the packaging. That works great for grocery stores, where the scanners are embedded in the surface of the checkstand. But, we have the free standing scanners with the gun thingy. So, folks sit those heavy packs of beer on the counter and we have to turn them over just to scan them. But, a lot of people who come in regularly are careful to sit the beer packaging up on end so we don't have to do that and that's something I call very considerate.

Anyway, it was not "a good time was had by all" kinda shift last night. I did manage to get Accident Lady to let me put some of her cash stash away. I considered that an improvement. When I am the one who stays til shift change, I usually park myself on register 1. First, I don't have to move when it's time for me to be working alone. And, second, I tell my cohorts they're less likely to trip over my cushioned mat that I drag in and out with me. However, last night, I started early so I opened up on register 2. Pretty much that's where I spent the evening. But you get the occasional customer who will walk right past register 2 and pile their stuff on the counter by register 1. If it's not too busy, I'll move over, just to accommodate them. This means I am in and out of that drawer a few times during the shared time when both Accident Lady and I are there. I managed, each time, to find time to dump cash from my machine and each time I offered to dump the occasional $100 bill or a fistful of 20's from her drawer. This time she took me up on it. What a relief. The store owner tells me that in the case of a robbery, she only gets reimbursed $50 from the insurance company. This is one reason why we are told to keep the cash in the drawer to a minimum. When I go to stash 3 20's, and Accident Lady hands me a $100 bill and over $200 in 20's, my heart heads upward to my throat.......

I wore the new shoes last night for about 3 hours. Then I switched back to my runners. As has been the case every night for a while, by 4 or 5 hours into the shift, I was hurting significantly. I managed last night, though, to get by on half a pain pill instead of a full one. I was pleased about that, very pleased.

Well, I'm trying hard to get some design work done today. Doing one of my least favorite tasks in design work. So, I need to quit this delaying tactic and get back at it. YOU be BLESSED today...........

Late night, late morning.....

I stayed up later last night than I should have and then could not, for the life of me, get to sleep. I finally fell asleep somewhere around 4AM. What's up with that? I don't know. I've always been the type that could fall asleep anywhere, anytime. And this skill has always been assisted (Not always, really just about 27 years) by a non-functional thyroid. I don't care what they tell you about thyroid meds, they don't REALLY do the trick. Anyway, I'm off to a late start.

I worked a 5 hour shift last night. Really it was closer to 6 hours. I went in early according to plan, but Mr. KIA wasn't there to steal the free food. I actually scored a free chicken caesar salad. Whoopee! So, I was there by 2:30. I ended up staying past 8, when, in theory, my shift ended at 7:45. Of course, I don't get paid for the extra time.

I learned something very interesting. Mrs. Been-there-forever has dropped her work schedule down to 4 days a week. Wow! I was shocked. In a way. Mrs. BTF was widowed quite some time ago, like maybe decades ago. I THINK her DH left her with some substantial insurance (makes sense since she would have had 2 relatively young daughters at that time). Anyway, I get the sense that her home is paid off. I also know she has been saving for a long time now for retirement. She is close to me in age, so certainly of an age where retirement should be considered. I think she might be in pretty good circumstances. The work we do is physically demanding and can be stressful too, in its own way. I don't blame her one bit. In fact, I think it's marvelous that she is able to do this. She not only has been incredibly dependable but has worked HARD in that place for a quarter of a century.

This leaves one 8 hour shift available for someone else. I think Mr. Nice Guy got it. However, it was my impression that he was already doing 5 days a week. If so, then the only thing that has changed is that one of HIS shifts is now available to someone else.

My favorite working partner is in trouble. I've gnawed on him about this for weeks, but he hasn't seemed to be able to get it fixed. He comes in "late" a lot. We are supposed to be there 15 minutes before the hour and leave 15 minutes before the hour for our shifts. He is never there 15 minutes before the hour. And that means that someon,e who has been on their feet all day and may have things they need to get done before ordinary businesses close at 5, can't leave. This pisses off his co-workers inordinately. I have never seen such a bunch of negative, judgmental whiners in my life. I'm not saying anyone would enjoy this, but things happen and you just suck it up. At least, that's what I've learned in business all my life. I wonder if maybe because these folks are all earning minimum wage maybe they are just a bit bitter about life. I don't know. Anyway, Mrs. BTF complained to Mr. Owner. Word is Mr. Owner is going to "have a talk" with my working partner.

He, my working partner, doesn't get it. He frequently (almost every night) stays late and helps out the guy who works most of the graveyard shifts. And, honestly, that's a good thing. The graveyard guy is not in good shape physically and can use all the help he can get. And graveyard is just not all that desirable a time of day to be there alone. So, it's a really good thing that my working partner stays around and helps him out. BUT, he is still daily pissing off the day shift people who can't leave til he shows up. He thinks, I think, in his little heart that since he is contributing an hour or two to graveyard, all should be forgiven. He doesn't take into consideration the amount of inconvenience he causes the judgmental, whining day shift people. I fear he's going to lose his job. He's already lost his wife and his father is dying of liver cancer. Seems we could all stand to be a bit more charitable and cut him some slack. But, I don't see that happening..........

The feet. Well, yes, I should give you an update. Last night went pretty darned well. Yes, they hurt, but I did the almost 6 hours on my feet with no pain medication of any kind, not even ibuprofen. And, while they hurt, the pain was not intolerable as it's been for months now. I have come to believe that at least part of the problem has been me trying to work in running shoes. I went to work in my running shoes with my new shoes in the car for a change when it seemed appropriate. After about 4 hours, I was really feeling it. Where? in the arch of my foot......... Right where that built up arch "for support" digs into my feet. Once I changed into the new shoes, it was much better. So, for today's 8 hour shift, we're reversing things. I am wearing the new shoes to work with the running shoes in the van where I can change into them whenever I need to while I'm on a break.

So, I have worked day shift and I have worked swing. As a result, I have worked with pretty much every other employee except the lady who works 3 grave shifts a week. I have to tell you, everyone has different rules and different ways of doing things. Here's an example: we start our shifts with just $30 in register 2. The object of the game seems to be to have enough in the drawer so you don't have to keep dropping "tubes" from the vault but not enough to deliver great joy to a robber. The guy who works graveyard has been robbed about 7 times in 20 years. He keeps his cash pared really low. No 20s in his drawer! However, he stashes them on a ledge of the vault until he has time to handle them properly. This has always seemed a bit weird to me as it's in full view--but only if you're behind the counter. A guy on the other side of the counter trying to grab something out of a register won't know it's there and won't get it. However, I've been told that Mr. Owner HATES this and will really come down hard on anyone who does it. I've been told, personally, after asking a question of Mrs. Owner, that I should have no more than 10 5 dollar bills in the drawer. However, we use a LOT of 5's. We don't see many 10's so 5's are worth their weight when trying to make change from the zillions of 20's we handle. So, I try to drop 5's as soon as I get 10. However, my usual working partner stops me every time...... Once we drop a tube of money, we can't get another one for 2 full minutes. So, if we're really busy and short on cash, 2 minutes is a long time to tell customers to wait til you can get enough bills to make change. The lady with whom I will work tonight has worked at this kind of job for years. It's my shift and she's second banana. I can't get her to clear out her cash drawer for love nor money. I want to keep 4 20's in my drawer. The minute I get rid of all my 20's, someone comes in and buys $10 worth of whatever and hands me a $100 bill. You just have to have 20-dollar bills to make change from a $100.......... But the minute I have a chance, between customers, I am dropping $20's like crazy into the vault, never to be seen again. And I am constantly counting $5 to see if I can drop those and still keep my allotted 10 in my drawer. We are all SO different!

There are other differences in operating that I've observed. Folks that come into the store sometimes act like pigs. You wouldn't believe it! They will leave trash in the serving areas on the counters for the next customer to look at--with 8 trash cans in the service area! They spill and don't think a thing of walking away from it. The store has a laundry service that delivers a load of fresh "bar towels" weekly. We use those for cleanup. Most of us wet a towel at the start of a shift and use that. I learned a long time ago a thing called "the 8-way fold" that basically just gives a fancy name to refolding the towel so you are wiping things up with a clean surface. My usual working partner rarely does the wipe up thing (he is kind enough to do ALL the heavy work) but gets really irate at seeing a towel being reused. He wants to put every towel, used once, into the laundry bin. That means you have to go get another towel, wet it, wring it out, each time you wipe up. Well, there's rarely enough time for anything and I think the added time required to go get another towel and get it usable is prohibitive. The lady who works grave has a unique habit. Each night when she comes in, before she starts her shift, she grabs our largest drink cup and a handful of towels. She wets down the towels, wrings them out and stashes them in the drink cup. That's a pretty good idea--it gives her easy access to a fresh, wet towel when she wants it and by keeping them in the cup, they stay wet and ready for use.

So, I've got to get moving. I do an 8-hour shift tonight with a lot to get done before that happens. YOU be BLESSED today. I'd appreciate your prayers as I continue to battle my way to complete healing of my feet. One of these days, my post will be all about "no pain"!

To work......

I plan to be out of here in under half an hour. I want to get there early. Last week when I arrived, I parked next to Mr. KIA's truck. He had 3 bags of free food, lying on the front seat of his truck. It was 100+ out there. My first concern was that he would be the victim of food poisoning. But later, I went back in the cooler to see what was back there that I might eat. Mr. KIA walked away with 3 bags full and left a total of 3 sandwiches for all the rest of us to share. That's not half a sandwich each, y'all, and they were not, in my opinion, our best sandwiches either.

So, today, I'm going to try to cut him off at the pass. I do not like his "it's all about me" attitude. None of us makes a great deal of money working there. Most of us have financial needs that are far greater than his--he's almost 30 and is still being housed, fed, and clothed by Mommy and Daddy. How selfish can one know-it-all be? Pretty darned selfish, it seems. So, I thought I'd see if he has the nerve to walk past me with his "hoard". Probably........... He has more nerve than just about any human I've ever encountered.

Hey, despite my discouraging mini-rant this morning, I did get some design work done. I wasn't even sure where to start, but I just dug in and did SOMETHING and it turned out to be pretty darned good. Give me a gold star for the morning.

Well, I have my little Ball jar of Greek yogurt all packed up in my bag so I'll have something nutritious to eat today while I'm at work. I'm so looking forward to it that I almost fixed myself Greek yogurt for lunch. I got hold of myself and determined that that was not smart. Then I sliced up some all beef summer sausage and ate that. Just a few slices, but that will hold me til it's time to eat my yogurt.

Okay, gonna go fill my water bottle, turn the temp up on the thermostat so I don't spend too much on air conditioning for the dogs, and get ready to go. I expect to be back here later with a praise report about a further decrease in the "mountain" of foot pain. God and I are blasting that thing down all the way to level. Later..........................

New Stuffs, Week of 7/19/14

I have a cute new kit hitting the store at ACOT this week. I think you should see it, LOL. Do you ever have days when you just want to go away, get away from it all? Where do you dream of going? When it's 109 here (like it is today) I want to go live in a cabin in the mountains. Alaska sounds pretty good too. Somedays I'm just stressed. On those days, I'd like to go watch the colors of the sunset play over the water from the shore of some south sea island. Whether you're thinking of a mental vacation or an actual trip to some desired location, this is a great kit to use to scrap it.

I love the color palette of this kit. Such beautiful colors.......... The kit is on an introductory special right now at A Cherry on Top--30% off. Of course you can buy just the papers or just the elements or just the alphas. They, too, are on introductory special. Here's a better look at those:

 

Wonderful Wednesday?

That's a term that is popular in the digital scrapbooking world. I don't know that it applies anywhere else. It seems to be used a lot to celebrate small weekly sales. I wonder, will today be wonderful?

I am off my game. I am way off my game and I have been for several days. And I cannot seem to get back to where I'm supposed to be.

On the digi side I am completely without mojo. I know that part of that is dismal sales. And I know that most of that is a result of the stores in which I sell. One store is a brick and mortar scrapbooking site. Digi is a sideline with them and they've seemingly done what they can to discourage digi sales as opposed to encouraging them. Another is a store that was under different "caretaker" management for years. The owner returned to run the store but has other interests that seem to overshadow it completely. Hence, there is a resulting loss of "traffic" in the store.

I know I am not alone in reduced sales. Any number of reasonably well known stores have closed or been sold recently. Digi designers who have been at it a good long while are retiring. And summer is never a great time for digi sales. But when you are putting in lots of precious time on creating beautiful kits, and no one is buying them, thoughts of "retiring" are hard to beat off. Right now, in spite of contracting my purchases for design purposes, I am working at a loss. Hard to be encouraged with that.

I've been home all day for 3 straight days. I don't feel as though I've accomplished much around here either. Yes, I did make some homemade biscotti. Yes, I did make a batch of Greek yogurt. Yes, I did keep the laundry all washed up. But, beyond that, I haven't moved forward much.

I have done a few other things around here. For example, the trash cans by my desk are full. This must mean I've done some work on the desk. But, I don't think it's been much. I don't know what to do about any of this but to forgive myself, pray for help, and try to move on.......

So, today............ Well, I'm going to do some design work if I have to grit my teeth to do it. And I am going to make some part of this house look better, cleaner, more organized. Again, even if I have to grab myself by the nape of my neck to get it done. I could use your prayers!

So there. I'm off for a little bit of prayer time over my situation and the situation in this world. And then I'll see what I can get done. YOU be BLESSED, okay?