Work and the People that Make it Hard.

So we all know that I work at Walmart, right? Yeah. So it's been getting awfully hard to work there as of late.

There's one girl that just doesn't show up when she's scheduled and doesn't call in to let us know she won't be there. So other people end up having to put away her freight and her returns so they can't be in their departments when they're supposed to be. On the same note, because we're short this person, we have less people to cover breaks and help check - so we become even fewer on the floor!

Then we have this other lady that thinks that the world is out to get her, or something. When she works she only works four hour shifts. On weekends, we are very busy, especially when we're under-staffed (every weekend) and she thinks that nobody is doing their jobs in the morning so she has to do EVERYTHING when she gets there at 4 in the afternoon.

Then we have a manager that is 100% hypocritical. She tells us she wants all our freight carts off the floor as fast as we can and gives us this list of stuff to finish over the weekend and then doesn't back us up when we're called up to help check! We can't finish anything she wants us to because she makes us go up front and then she gets mad at us for not getting her stuff done! She's partially in trouble for not scheduling enough people on the weekends, but that doesn't mean anything because she's a manager.

Then there are the people that work in softlines that actually do their jobs. Sarena, Linda, Sarah, & Annelle (out of the few people I work with/excluding most day people.) We try our hardest to get everything put away and zoned and cleaned - all while we're trying to help customers and help the front end because there's a major lack of cashiers lately. We can't do everything - each of us is not 3 people with 4 hands each. Sorry we're not perfect, Walmart.

I try to stay out of all the arguments as much as I can. I'll admit - I will take a side, but I won't fight anyone's battles for them and I try my hardest to keep on everyone's goodside just to keep things running semi-smoothly. It doesn't work. Ever. Just tonight I was turned into management for not working all day today by the second lady I mentioned. Just because Sarena and I were working together, and she and Sarena don't get along, I have to be drug into it. I've never started any battles or arguments with anyone. Like I said - I try to just stay out of people's way and try to be as friendly as I can be, especially to those associates that think I hate them. Of course, we can't always be in wonderful, happy, bunny rabbits and rainbows, moods - but when I am, I'm still trying to be pleasant, in some sense. But there was no reason I had to get turned into management today - AFTER I WAS OFF THE CLOCK AND OUT OF THE STORE, even! This lady, heck, her name is Kathy...Kathy is not there in the mornings and early afternoons on Saturdays and Sundays - when the store is at it's busiest. It's extremely hard to get everything done when there's a shortage of associates on the floor. She just needs to stop whining and do her job. There's been times I could have turned her into management (and a couple times I did) - but it was for actual reasons and while she was still there so they could talk to her and do something about it. But it was never because I THOUGHT she wasn't doing what she was supposed to be doing - it was because I KNEW that she wasn't. It's a big difference. She has no idea how hard it is to work at Walmart when it's really busy trying to get everything done JUST so she doesn't come in and bitch and moan about it all night! Really, I've started working for her frickin' happiness! not the store. It's all 'well Kathy's going to be mad about that...' and 'ooo better get that done before Kathy gets here' - and she's not even higher ranking than the rest of us! She's only been there a couple months longer than I!

Sorry, I'm ranting - and doing a very poor job at it. This probably makes no sense - and you've probably read it all to this point and are getting very bored and upset. I'm sorry, you can stop reading - but I'm probably going to keep ranting a bit longer...

I'm getting real close to either quitting Walmart altogether or trying to transfer to another department - I just can't deal with all this bickering and other crap that all centers around the fitting room and all the softlines departments! I don't know we all (get ready for it...) can't get along! It's ridiculous and I'm fed up with it. If I go to management about anything it'll be about how I can't stand working in that department because I try to do my job and I can't because everyone is complaining about somebody else and vice versa -

Ya know, I just remembered...I left Kathy a note today before I left and she came in saying that I was sorry that there was so much left to be done in ladieswear - and I explained to her WHY there was so much left. Why the heck did she not believe me!? I was being honest with her, unlike some other people, and I get frickin' turned in. If I get in trouble with management about this...I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want to have to quit, it's good money and I need it - and I really wouldn't mind the job if everyone could just cool it! And I don't want to have to transfer to another department because that would be more training and possibly a pay-reduction depending on where I transfer. I don't know...I'm just sick of it all. And no one seems to be making an effort to quit all the fighting.

Some people just cannot understand other things and they don't try to understand them either. I know how if feels to come in to work on a Saturday evening and having more-than-normal-amounts of work to do because either the morning person just didn't get it done or there just wasn't anyone there in the morning! Kathy has never had to work a morning on Saturday or Sunday (to the best of my knowledge...) She has no idea how it is. I deal with it. And if I can't get everything done I apologize to whomever deserves the apology and go on with whatever I need to. There is only so much I can do if there's no one there to help. If Kathy doesn't start understanding, or at least try to start understanding, maybe she should just quit. She's been talking how she doesn't like this job anyway. Well, then why stay? And why bicker about things you obviously cannot change at work? I don't know.

I hope you all know this is basically a personal rant because I have no one to talk to about it right now.

I'm just so frustrated. I don't know what to do. I don't want to lose my job or be forced to quit or transfer. Especially over something as petty as this. I try, other people try, thus far, Kathy has not tried. She doesn't understand and she doesn't deal. We do both.

I'm done now - I think. I hope I can get sleep tonight.

Oo, and I just thought...tomorrow afternoon I come in only an hour before she does - there probably won't be anyone to do my freight and returns in the morning...so she's going to be mad at me again for some reason - well gee, maybe I should just go in to work at five in the morning and make everything beautiful for Kathy! And while I'm at it, I'll wash her car and vacuum her living room or something. If she gets crazy tomorrow afternoon I'm just going to volunteer myself to go up front and check all night so she has to learn to deal by herself.

The End. Good Night. I Hope.

Actually: A good Myspace Bulletin.

Yeah, I got this from Myspace. A friend of mine posted it. It's great.

The Sad Passing of Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they failed to do in disciplining their unruly children

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Short-winded Book Review for a rather Long-winded Book.

Mary McGarry Morris wrote a book. She wrote a book that took a long time to read. This book that she wrote was called "Songs In Ordinary Time." It was a long-winded book written by a long-winded author that takes a long time to explain a very simple story. I don't know, it was a good book, if you like very long drawn-out, semi-boring stories. I really don't, but some of you out there might. It was a story of a not-so-well-off family that's trying to make it. Ex-hubby and daddy is an alcoholic ruining everyone's lives and mommy is a stressed out, under-paid, trying-to-make-ends-meet woman that needs attention and when she gets any attention from her three children she ends up screaming at them. Mommy meets a strange guy that turns out to be a quick-handed traveling salesman and an aspiring murderer.

On a scale of one to ten, one being the crappiest book I've ever read, I would give this book a 5 on execution of the story, 4 on length, 7 on character development, and a measly 2 on the conclusion. It was pretty weak and didn't make me feel any emotion other than Thank God this book is done so I can start a new one. I have to say, in parts I did enjoy reading it and became captivated at times making me read for a few hours straight. But the length of the book was unnecessary. I don't know if Ms. Morris always writes so long-windedly, or if she was given seven hundred and forty pages and told to have fun. It beats me.

I don't recommend this book to you. I hate to admit it, but...this book was one of Oprah's Book Club books. It was the only book in the house that I hadn't read...give me a break.

More book reviews to come.

Miss Betty Josephine.

I have, yet, another new baby.

Miss Betty Josephine is my black (with a white tummy) Fancy hamster that I got today. She's adorable! She's listening to me type right now - she must like the sound.

Shane has two new babies, too! Creep and Spaz the crazy gerbils. He got them on Thursday. They're cute!

Miss Betty was named after the old cartoon character, Betty Boop. She was my favorite cartoon character when I was little. I used to call her Boopy when I was real little. Yeah...just a little trip down Memory Lane, sorry.

That's all I had to say.