14 posts tagged “fun”

As many of you know I worked at Wal~Mart for 10 years.  I started back when Mr. Sam was still around and the concept of a 'Super Wal~Mart' was just being batted around.  This was back when Wal~Mart was still looking out for their associates and the customer was always right. 

I was at my local Wal~Mart earlier today and was strolling through the Christmas decorations when I overheard a customer complaining to her shopping companion about how it wasn't even Thanksgiving yet and all the Holiday decorations were already out.  Wal~Mart was pushing the holiday.  Uhm.  No.  Not like that at all.  If people didn't buy it that early it wouldn't be put out.  Besides when do you want it to go out?  The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year.  You want to be able to come to the store that Friday morning and be able to buy any and everything you want and/or need for Christmas---but you don't want it out before Thanksgiving.  Are you saying that you want Wal~Mart associates to give up their entire Thanksgiving day in order to put out ALL of the Christmas merchandise that will be bought on that Friday?  Do you have any idea how long it takes to set up each four foot section of merchandise?  So, maybe the middle of October is too soon for Christmas merchandise to be on the shelves---but mid-November is not too early.  If you don't like it, don't go to that part of the store, other people enjoy browsing and planning.

I worked the service desk (return desk) for years.  Most of the time it was fun and I had a good time.  There were times that it wasn't so pleasant--like the time I got screamed at by a lady because I refused to take her toaster back.  She started screaming as soon as I said: "I'm sorry, I can't take this ____"  She didn't even give me time to finish my sentence which included: "you got it at Sears, the receipt and the box both say so."  I didn't get an apology when she snatched up her toaster and stomped from the store, either.  Things I learned while working the service desk.  Keep your receipts.  Avoid the Service desk in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Seriously, the lines were longer then than at any other time of the year.  People exchanging early gifts or returning something that ended up being a duplicate gift.  If you must visit the Service desk during that time do NOT go right when the Service desk opens, do not go during lunch or right after work.

When I worked at Wal~Mart my favorite days of the year to work were:
*The day after Thanksgiving---I loved that the store was crazy busy, I loved helping the customers find what they were looking for, and I usually worked early enough that I was done with my work day by 11:00 or so.

*The day that all the lay-a-ways were due out in December (usually about the 15th).  The lay-a-way line was usually really long so I stayed busy either taking payments or searching for the boxes.  While I hated when a box was misplaced, I loved the challenge of then trying to find it.

Chris hated it when I had to work really early the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Especially those times that I had to be at work at midnight and work until 8 the next morning.  He said it always ruined the holiday because I'd have to nap on the holiday in order to stay up all night working.  But then I wonder how much that has to do with him sleeping alone while I was working.

Now-a-days when I'm shopping at my local Wal~Mart I find myself falling back into old habits, if I'm shopping a section and I notice it is a mess---I straighten it out...I can't help it, it's a habit.  I drive Chris and Jordan nuts as I straighten boxes and make sure things are right...I like to think that the associates don't have to clean up after me.

Wow!!  I had such a great time and I have some stories to tell...

• Getting lost in my old stomping grounds
• Seeing Samuel's spot
• The wedding
• The friends I met and some hilarity that goes with good friends and alcohol
• My 'old' friends.  I can't believe how much I miss them.
• Migraines, exhaustion, and driving do not make good friends---and when combined make an 11-12 hour drive closer to 14 1/2.

But for now I am still battling the migraine and need to catch up with work.

I will catch up with my 'hood later...but here is a pic to tide you over----

 

Kelly asked for her peeps to post pictures of us at our Proms.  So off I went on a search of pictures that I couldn't find.  I did, however find some that will suffice. 

The first one is of me and my date, Gene at the "Girls Date" dance in February 1979.  (In the South it would be called a Sadie Hawkins dance.)  I was in ninth grade and I believe Gene was in 10th.  I was living in California at the time and the dance was at a pretty nice hotel somewhere fairly close to DisneyLand.  It was on Valentine's Day after this dance that I found out Gene had VD and had gotten it from a girl that my brother had been dating.  Youth, it's confusing and convoluted.  Gene never even kissed me, I'm not even sure now if he ever even held my hand.

 

By fall we had moved to Mississippi and the backwards school that I attended there did not allow dances.  We had banquets.  This pic. is from the Band Banquet.  This is my Mom, my boyfriend Ernie (the guy that I would marry and then end up divorcing. He was cute back then.) and me.

 

I never had a Prom but we did have Jr. Sr. Banquets.  The biggest problem was that only Jr.s and Sr.s from our school were allowed to attend.  So, even though I was engaged I couldn't take him to the banquet.  My best friend was in the same predicament, so we went together and our 'men' hung out waiting on the event to be over so we could go out on the town afterward.

 

Just because I was engaged didn't mean that I couldn't flirt a bit.  I sat on several different laps during the evening.  This guy, Ricky, has haunted my dreams for years.  I often wonder what happened to him.

 

And there you have it.  Pictures of the closest thing to a Prom that I had.  One nearly 30 years ago and the others over 25 years ago.  sheesh!  Times have changed.

Yesterday was a nothing day.  Work and back to the hotel room.  As Chris had meetings all evening (he is a Manager and I am not) I stayed in the room, did not eat supper and was asleep by 9:00. 

This morning our travel companion has not yet made her appearance.  It is 10:30 in the morning, she was supposed to meet us for the cabs at 8:00, I called her room at 7:30 and didn't get an answer.  I assumed she was in the shower....but we haven't seen her, yet.  Chris is livid.

Here is a picture from Saturday.  This is the entrance to Shipalramam which is an arts and crafts type of shopping area.  It was really cool, I bought several things there including a Shalwar.  Unfortunately we ran late and were unable to stroll and enjoy it to its fullest.  I'd like to go back but I don't know if there will be time.

 

 

Hi all,

We are finally back from St. Louis.  I made mental notes to share...and I've forgotten many of them.  We got to St. Louis on Thursday evening and ate at a new restaraunt.  It was very good.  I over ate.  We stayed with Chris's uncle and his wife.  Got back to Bill and Gerry's in time to see the previews for next week's CSI and all of ER.  (I'm a happy TV geek.)

Friday we went to the airport to get Annie, Loretta (28 months), and Caroline (3 months).  From there we went to visit with Chris's Grandma and his Aunt. 

Loretta was enthralled with the cat, Sherman and followed him everywhere...she even 'told' on him when he got up on the kitchen table and lickednozzle on the Cheeze Whiz can.  We went out to Applebee's for supper and back to Grandma's for some picture taking.  Back to Bill and Gerry's where Loretta was so tired that she walked into the house and laid down in the middle of the floor and refused to move.

Got up Saturday morning, took Loretta to the park so she could run and play.  The idea was she would take a good nap between the wedding and the reception.  Got ready for the wedding; and attended it.  I've never been to a wedding in a Lutheran church before.  The priest/preacher/officiate was a funny guy.  He kept talking about handling love and marraige with care...to handle it with the same care and attention that you would handle nitroglycerin; you wouldn't throw it around. 

Went back to Bill and Gerry's for a light lunch and some rest before the reception.  Loretta flat out refused to go to sleep.  Refused...as in I laid with her for a little while...she sat up the whole time.  Her Mom laid with her for a while, no nap.  Left her alone in the bedroom....HA HA HA....Loretta destroyed a box of tissues and a few knick knacks among other things.  She got a spanking and she still refused to sleep.  She was cranky!

 

Got all gussied up to go to the reception.  It did my non-exsistant ego good to have taken my husband's breath away when I walked into the room.    Too bad none of the pictures turned out

even half-way decent.  Got to the reception and we were seated with a cousin-in-law and one of the ring bearers (he is just too cute!  just three months shy of three years old.)  But, he was in a mood...Jordan managed to dodge the butter knife that he threw; it ended up hitting a lady at the other table in the back.   While we were eating our salads, he started coughing and throwing up...all over his little tux.  Poor baby.  When the entrees arrived he calmed down and ate his plate clean.  I, however, choked on a piece of meat.  Yup, all most needed the hiemlech, saw blackness, and the whole bit.    After everyone ate the DJ stepped in and started playing music.  (He sucked).  I found out that

Jordan knows how to do the Electric Slide and another line dance thingy...he looked so handsome out on the dance floor.  Where did my baby go?  Chris and Paul decided to get drunk as they had an open bar for four hours.  Loretta was crabby, danced a dance or two with her Mom and promptly laid down on some chairs and went to sleep.

Sunday we got up and went to a Halloween store to find Jordan a Leonidas costume for a school project.  Then back to Bill and Gerry's for some family visiting.  I noticed Jordan's ear was bright red and upon further inspection I found he had a rash all over his body.  (oh joy)  We got in some last minute pictures before they all took Annie and the girls to the airport.  They got back and Jordan was not any better, so I had to go to the local Walgreen's to get him some Benadryl and some cortisone cream.  Then when I get back I find out that my mother-in-law is sick, sick, sick.  Nausea, vomiting, diarrehea, headache...(oh joy X's 2)

Monday morning we got up, packed up, and hit the road.  I drove my mother-in-laws car as Paul is not a smooth driver and he prefers his music LOUD.  She couldn't handle anything remotely loud and needed a sympathetic ear to listen to her complaints...when she wasn't asleep.  We got to Sikeston and stopped at Diebold's a farmer's market type thing.  We picked up a couple of pumpkins, some plants and some fresh apples; then off to Lambert's Cafe where we ate and pigged out to our hearts content; across to the Outlet mall where we spent another hour just wandering and buying a few things.  (Mom insisted she felt good enough to do all of this.)  Once back in the car, she passed out sound asleep and she stayed that way for hours.  I ended up having to give up driving as I was falling asleep at the wheel.  Jordan was itchy and scratchy the whole way home....Benadryl and Cortisone would only work for a short amount of time before he was uncomfortable again.

Got up this morning and his rash wasn't any better, actually looked a bit worse, around his ears, all across his neck, down his back, shoulders and on his stomach; even his legs were rashy.  So, off we went to the doctor...where it was determined he must be allergic to the soap that is at Bill and Gerry's.  So, no more Dial for Jordan.  Then I had to make him go to school after missing three and a half days.  I had to lie to the school and say we had a family emergency in St. Louis, if they knew we kept him out for a wedding then he would have had three unexused absenses.

I took today off, too.  Laundry, Jordan to the doctor, pick up Darcy from the place that boarded her, loading pictures to Snapfish and captioning them.  I still need to balance the check book and get in some groceries.

Anyway...I'm back.  I'll try to catch up....but I don't know how well that will go.

I had three dreams last night.  In all three dreams my life was in potential mortal danger.

1st dream (which I had multiple times):  I'm on a plane (or space craft) and we are trying to land.  Pilot loses control, everyone on board knows there isn't any hope of surviving.  Plane/space craft crash into the ocean and bursts into flames or explodes into a gazillion little pieces upon impact with the ground.

2nd dream:  I'm at an underwater aquarium/observation thing.  There are many of us there, we are watching for the plane/space craft from dream one to land.  The plane hits the water and we try to look through the underwater windows to find the plane and/or search for survivors.  The girl I'm with sees someone and opens a vacuumed sealed door to 'rescue' them.  The water starts to rush in, we try to close the door, it won't close, we run and end up drowning.

3rd dream:  In a Survivor-esque type setting...but there are many many hungry man-eating lions around.  The survivors of the plane crash from dream one are trying to survive in the desert/wooded area.  When the last survivor is found (me) I am clinging to a tree that has been ripped to shreds by lions trying to get to me.  I am terrified to let go of the tree not convinced that the lions are gone.  My rescuers convince me the lions are gone and they get me down...only to find out that not all of the lions are gone and more running for my life ensues.  Finally the scenery changes and I am running with children and we've been on a 'life like' adventure and no one really died or got eaten by lions.  We all crawl on the school busses to go back home, but someone shows up with a snake and I have no where to run....I collapse into a puddle of emotional wreck.

The alarm goes off and I start my day.  What fun, huh??

Remember I uploaded that shot of the monkey he saw while on a tour of some Indian temples?  Well, that monkey was yawning and not showing agression.  He came home with many tales of his journey.  They include shoeless walking in the jungle, wading streams also while shoeless, monkey stories (one took a piece of coconut right out of his hand) and hitting his head hard enough to be knocked out on the bumpy jeep ride to the Thousand year old Temple in the Jungle.

While they were in India, Megan (a co-worker that lives in New Jersey/Pennsylvania) started feeling ill.  She had flu-like symptoms and later developed a rash.  She ended up at the doctor yesterday and we haven't heard back from her.  Doug (my ex-boss), for whom this was a first trip to India, ended up at the doctor yesterday with flu-like symptoms.  Today, Chris will go to the doctor as he has a rash all over his body; head, neck, shoulders, back, stomach/chest, legs.  That is three out of the four of them that are sick.  I don't know if David is showing any symptoms of anything.  What has me most worried is the fact that Chris was taking anti-biotics designed to ward off the most common illnesses that can be picked up while traveling India during Monsoon season.  So, if he does end up with something it may be pretty serious as it has not been affected by the Cipro that he was/is taking.

**Edit**

I just got finished talking with Megan.  Her doctor thinks she has Chikungunya; which is a mosquito borne illness that is currently in epidemic proportions in Andrah Pradesh (the part of India they were in).  Go here for more information

Fun.

 

 

I found this 'test' over on Musicchick2's  blog.  They ask some *very* personal questions; but I found it fun to think about my life and what I've done or haven't done.  I don't agree with the StereoTypes....Punk Rock, White Trash and an Old Geezer?  LOL!!!  I don't think I am any of those.  Oh well....

 

 

1. When grilling, what type of grill do you prefer? Gas, charcoal, etc...
2. Are you planing any vacations this summer?
3. Do you tan or burn?
4. what's your favorite summer pastime?
5. Show us a beach.

1.  I definately prefer anything grilled over charcoal than anything grilled on gas.

2.  Nope, no vacations this summer.  I plan on taking time off at Christmas so I can spend time with my family and the newest addition (due to arrive in less than one week!!!)

3.  I burn, then tan...and the tan can last for a long long time...months. 

4.  Favorite summer pastime?  From when I was a kid?  uhm...swimming?  blueberry picking when we lived in Maine and we had to go out into the woods to find the plants and the berries.

5. I don't have any beach pictures on this computer....sorry.