RIP: Ana Vasquez, Christian

11/8 Update: Ana will be with us through Thanksgiving. The wheels of really big companies move slowly and grind exceeding fine. New RIP: Jeff. More details as I get them.


11/2 Update: Ana's move is on hold. The current estimate is two weeks, for unknown reasons.


Ana will be going to another Stater store on Mon. We will miss her (a lot!). Friendly, efficiently competent, and always willing to do whatever was needed or necessary to make customers or co-workers or underlings happy (raises hand,) she will always be remembered with respect and affection.

It's been an honor to serve with you! is all I can say. This comment is not made lightly, and is not a complement I would give lightly. To me, it is earned.


Christian has quit. This won't matter to most people; but I thought he was OK, the quality of his work was fine, and I thought he quit more for personal, valid reasons than for any good "management-issue" reason.


NB: No, no, no one is dead.

Our Prayers Are With Sina

11/08 update: Sina's mother is in the hospital again. She seems to have an infection, which they are working to get under control. We are all praying for her.


10/30 update: Sina's mom is home. She was taken to the hospital with convulsions, and released today, but they are trying to determine what the cause was, and she is a little better.

Sina is worried, but hopeful.


Sina A. was busy tonight taking care of her mother. The last I heard was she was accompanying her in an ambulance (presumably to the hospital.) Sorry, no other facts or details available at this time. We can only hope for the best.

Today was a usual Sat.: (busy!,) with the added bonus of plenty of people early on, and a bunch of personal thingies later on for the crew leading to a (small) not-enough-people problem later on.

Awash In Virgins

We had 2 virgins start this week: Simon and Fernando. (Virgins=new hires.) They seem to be doing OK, but, as Lori notes, time will tell (we'll see if they last.)

Crime log: Costa Mesa PD arrested someone for unknown reasons outside the store today. Yesterday, we had a repeat performance of the load-up-a-red-basket-with-merchandise-&-escape-in-a-waiting-car bandit. (He got away.)

Soon to be RIP: Ana, who is moving to another store. She will be missed.

An Exceptional Sign

Handlettered sign seen on the door of the Halloween widgets place next to us:

Children must be accompanied by adults. No acceptions.

Volleyball Madness

A bus full of female college volleyball players parked outside the store tonight, and they came inside and shopped for snacks. I know, sounds like someone's wet dream. All of our young studs were not in residence, and Felipe and Oscar did not appear interested. As for moi, I can admire extreme athletic trim on anyone. These young ladies looked tough.

The Idiot Virus

Here's my speculation:

A key-carrier/supervisor type recently moved to another store, but, before he left, he passed on the idiot virus to Armen A. Tonight, with nothing for me to do at the moment at either of two registers, Armen said, "Bag service, Peter" as I was walking away to take care of something else. Earlier, when Alyssa called for me for help as I was gathering carts, Armen was outside on a break, and he said, "Peter, you're needed inside." (We had both heard her page for help.)

I think the idiot virus makes you think you can act stupid, and no one will notice. Well, I do, and it annoys me.

Miscellaneous

RIP (nobody has died, these are people who have transferred): Ryon, Jorge (produce), Lorenzo.


I can't ignore or forget 9/11, even though it has nothing to do with SB 35, so let me relate what I was doing:

I was at Hoag Hospital, coming through a very difficult year. It was no one's fault, except genetics and maybe some bad luck, but I am alive today. So, here's my wish and prayer: may we all live in peace, no matter what the other guy's ethnicity or religious leanings or whatever. Think you can't live this? Eat me.

Back To The Shadows Again

Am back on the closing shift because the person they were using is seventeen years old, and has to go back to a regular school schedule. No big deal, but I was getting used to 10 am to 7 pm or 11 to 8.

I feel like I'm going thru a Twilight Zone kind of change, 'cause the change of cast (both in co-workers and customers) is so dramatic, but more on that later... [Had to whet your appetite somehow--;) ]

Hot Times

It's been hot, but then you knew that. Some news:

Joe has moved to the Newport store, and is finally on prescription drugs for his psychological problems. One hopes it will help him with foot-in-mouth disease.

Something's in the oven, and will be here in Dec. or Jan. Hint: I ain't baking a cake.

Missing: Bernie, my eighty year old who lived with her son; used to shop every week, but hasn't been in for a month. Any info would be appreciated.

Full Moon Rising

We're working on a full moon, and, combined with the heat and humidity, everyone is acting a little off kilter. This, of course, includes all the people who claim (falsely) that the moon doesn't affect me. Yeah, sure.

Marilyn Monroe and the French Legionnaire were acting particularly weird, but for those of us who know them, this is nothing unusual.

For Ryon: Why I Think It's a Mistake to Tease or Taunt Anyone

Why the Columbine killers did it (slate.com) and, no, I don't think we have people like that in our midst (at least not actively so,} but, rather, they have the potential for this kind of very inappropriate behavior.

Comments or questions invited, but of course I am not able to speak for Ryon.

How To Piss Off Anybody, and Get Nobody To Do What You Want

Here's what happened today (early this evening):

7:05 PM: I went in to tell Mrs. Magoo I was done with the lot, and was leaving.
She said: "is the lot clear?"
I said: "reasonably" (which in my opinion, it was; not as clean as you might want, but reasonable. There were some (maybe 15 or 20 loose carts, needing to be gathered,) but not a lot.)

She said: "well, you can't leave until the lot is clear." (meaning, I guess, no carts in the parking lot.)
I called Ana V. on the intercom, and explained the situation, and asked her to come down and look at the lot for herself.

After a little while, she came down, and commented: "a little messy." I explained it was not my fault, and she said, I understand, but we need to work together on this, as we are short-handed. I said I still didn't understand why I had to stay if it wasn't my fault, and she said: "fine, leave."

Frustrated, but feeling guilty, I stayed until 7:20 clearing the lot with the French Legionnaire. The parking lot was immaculate. I punched out, and left.

Here's my beef: why couldn't Mrs. Magoo say: "we're short-handed right now, and I would appreciate it if you could please get all the carts off the lot." Even Ana was a little circumspect about the please, and I, as usual, tested her (admittedly short) patience, but, still, it was worlds more than I got from Mrs. M.

I don't mind being treated as if I were dumber than a sheepherder (we baggers are not, and I remind readers of the warning about getting what you expect), but if you want something extra from me, why not ask nicely instead of quoting rule 59 (you can't leave until the lot is clear, and, no, there is no rule 59.) You might quote a silly rule if you are dealing with a 12 year old, but I am not.

I invite questions and comments.

Hot Times

This is the third or fourth day of continuous high heat, high humidity stretch. I think it's making us all a little cranky. Kind of like being in a sauna if you move at all on the really bad days. (Doing carts yesterday was particularly nasty.)

In Memoriam: Royce Fassler

I'll never forget Royce's quick smile, and friendly words. We were never close friends, but I will miss him.

[Royce passed away on Memorial Day.]


Update: 6/15/2006
Irma (Royce's widow) is doing better. Her doctor has given her a sedative to take, and she seems in better spirits.

Update: 6/29/2006
Irma still doing fine. There is a minor problem with Royce's relatives, and property that is jointly owned, but I do not believe the relatives have a promising case.

The DaSlater Code

Picture a crowd of anxious shoppers, and a lone register beeping as Lori W. scans as fast as she can. All the other registers are manned and ready (including customers in line), but due to some unknown technical problems, they are stopped. But everyone is waiting, hoping.

Is this the vision of the 21st century? I hope not, and to everyone who dealt with this disaster at SB #35, thanks. A special award should go to Lori, for performance way above and beyond the call of duty. Kudos, Lori!

Mrs. Magoo Speaks & Torture Day

[Mrs. Magoo speaks:] "There aren't many go-backs anyway."

Meaning?:

• "I don't know, I was just talking off the top of my head."
• "You and the boy don't both need to be working on it, and you're too dumb to know that."
• "I'll take care of it."
• "Go-backs will magically get done, and you don't need to worry about them."

I was left alone with the two woe-is-me checkers tonight. This was sheer torture.

Demanding Day

Customers were pretty demanding today, almost as if they felt they needed to be that way. By the way, we are all customers at one time or another, so I'm not excluding employees. Was also a spill day, when an unusual amount of merchandise is spilled or broken. I wonder what makes us act this way.

Marilyn Monroe Does the Rude Thing; Light-fingered Louie Day

Marilyn asked me to get a few items for her personal purchase, with not a single please or thank you ever uttered. Was she raised in a barn, or by people that didn't care?

Several shoplifters were discovered and chased today. Someone speculated that it was because of the pressure of tax time. Also, paper bag requests seemed to be up. To me, this is a sign that something is up, but I don't know what.

Staterback Mountain

"Pretty Boy Floyd was in the employee lounge, and was about to put a large, plump weiner (in a bun) in his mouth.

"I prayed for a camera.

"--Cowboy Bill"

The Mayan Dowager's Tale

Homer doesn't like to do carts, so he comes in frequently when it's his turn. While bagging at a checkstand, when he sees a large order coming down the belt, he announces he has to go outside to do carts, and immediately walks off.