15:21 - 04/28/2009
Trainers
It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, dear diary. I apologize, but as you might have guessed, the inventory work started back up with a vengeance. In the past 10 days I have been tied up with very long assignments and even a full 24 hour split shift that meant no sleep, of course. Haven't done that since my guys were young or there was an election to tend to.
First full shift was out of town to the south of the city. Started at closing time for the store and went until well after midnight. Sashayed in my door around 3:30 in the am. Next day, the same drill only this time we went out to the mountains in the west. A+ loaned me his camera, so I have some wonderful scenery and people shots as well. About half of the good ones are loaded on my Facebook page now. We got away later than expected on the way to the assignment, because one manager couldn't make it and another - the city manager - had to fill in. Meant going through the city in rush hour. That part of the journey took almost as long as the drive to Banff. Meant we didn't return to the city until after midnight again though. One of my co-workers dropped me off one community south of where I live on her way home, so I wandered into the house around 1:30 am. The cats were not impressed. I had to be up early the next morning for an in-town assignment - counting machine parts for which I had no names and often no concept of how they would be used. No matter, of course, but I could have grown a garden on my hands there was so much dirt on them. Bleagh.
Had a couple of days to recuperate from that rigorous re-introduction to being on my feet for hours at a time. Spent part of it reassuring my youngest and the cats that they weren't being abandoned. Comfort food all around, house-cleaning to their expectations, yard work, and, oh bliss, beginning again to read aloud for all of our pleasure. I'd forgotten how much that relaxes me. I'm certain my blood pressure drops by 20 points, just by that one activity. Harry Potter books the choice, as well as watching the movies, just to be ready for the next release in June. "The Half Blood Prince", it is.
Spent some time with A+ too. Just cuddling, walking, oh, and more comfort food and visits with his Mom and his best buddy, as well. Saw photos of the one couple we met a few weeks back new grandbaby. A+ had made a photo montage for them set to music. It was very touching, but then I love babies, as you well know, dear diary. A lot of discussion about topical issues with all included, depending on their interests, with each visit whether work or family/leisure related. Health, war, politics, finance, social policy, the environment, and the weather too. Oh yeah. In my Facebook photos it is evident why. Glorious sunshine one day, blizzard conditions the next. Everything in between, as well. It was so slippery after a rain one night, that just walking from the store we were inventorying to the van was the greatest danger. Yet, when we arrived in my community there was no evidence of any precipitation at all.
Next assignment was at a family/community based grocery store. It had been built because a chain store had closed down, leaving a clutch of seniors' complexes without access to that service. It was obvious, from the behaviour of the staff and the customers, that close bonds had developed as each served the other's needs. Real community building. I was scheduled the next day, but that one impacted wisdom tooth flared up into abscess and I couldn't even keep my balance, because I was so dizzy.
Required a day to get things back under control, then that one 24 hour split shift to contend with.Children's toy store in the early part of the day took longer than expected, because the store had not been prepped properly. More hours for the crew, but a negative for the store staff, since so many more hours were needed to deal with the mess. Arrived back in my community and met my youngest at the grocery store - cupboards very bare again, since I still haven't had a paycheque to spare for food yet. Got home, packed everything away, ate, then headed off for another very long night. The store lights actually went out before we were done. Walked back in the door after 2 in the am. Finished up some laundry - needed that for the next day both my youngest and I - and did some other housework, while waiting for the cycles to finish. Slept fitfully until the next assignment meet time. An evening count that went late, because of poor prep again. When we finished, we walked down the mall to one of the other counts that had encountered the same problem with the preparation as well. At least at this count we had great music going on. Alice Cooper up on the in store sound systems with a great, although very loud, playlist. One of the young adult store staff singing along had a beautiful voice - especially for the Pink Floyd vocals. What intrigued me was that the young adults/teens were enjoying Alice's patter and reminisces as much as those of us who remember his antics when he was the rock star du jour. Oh yeah. Some of the clothes we were inventorying were very similar to ones we wore while rocking to his music the first time. Giggles among the older crew as some of the younger females wondered if they dare wear some of the styles without offending the adults in their worlds.
What was also interesting was the sizing issue. I have been searching for a chocolate brown skirt for over a year, because a friend gave me several blazers in varying shades from cream, to beige, to sand to wear. All my skirts are in shades of black, blue and grey. Finally found one, when travelling from a quality assurance assignment, that reminded me very strongly of a skirt I had in a different colour when I was still in school. Even the same size. Only I'm not - the same size, that is. I know this for certain, because I have kept some of my favorite clothes from long ago, hoping that someday I can fit into them again. They are now in style, after all. I try those old clothes on every so often, hoping I've slimmed down enough to wear them again. They still are too tight, so that means the skirt I bought, even though it states it is the same size as my old favourites, is simply vanity-sized for current consumption. Doesn't help people struggling with weight problems to be persuaded that they actually are slimmer than the scales show, does it? Oh well, end of rant for now. I think I have another 24 hour split shift to deal with over the next day and a half, so I'd better go prepare. Talk to you when I recover, dear diary.
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