Taking one for the team

Gas price -- $3.79 for a gallon of Regular.

Had another wonderful Monday at work. It's always a pleasure to come back in after a couple days off and see that NOTHING has been done -- that sodas & energy drinks haven't been stocked, that nobody's tossed any ice into the soda machine, that the restroom hasn't been cleaned, that the garbage cans are full, the parking lot looks like an ashtray, nobody's cleaned off the counters, the floors have drinks spilled all over....
The only bonus was I didn't take over from my Manager. Instead, The Afternoon Girl was in -- my Manager took 3 days off! And The Afternoon Girl spent the whole time complaining about how tired she was ... and she was out the door by 6 p.m., so she could go see her boyfriend.
And the extra unexpected bonus was -- there was a beer order waiting for me in the cooler!
It was a small order, that should have been delivered two days earlier. Somebody had started pricing it -- they left a price list and a pricing gun in the cooler.
But they quit halfway through and just left it for me.
"Just leave it all for The Nazi, he'll do it all and clean it all up and make us all look good."
Yeah, right. Been doin' that for years.
Every organization has someone who does the lion's share of the work. They keep it going. That's what they're good at. That's what they do. That's what made America great, dammit!
But when I started working here I was told we were a team, and that if we all do our share, nobody will feel buried and all of the work will get done and everybody will be happier. That's how a team works.
What I want to know is, where's the rest of my team?
The Morning Girl does nothing more than she has to, thinks she's Management, and is out the door as soon as possible. If I started work at 4 a.m., I'd be out the door ASAP too.
You've already heard enough about my Manager, who pays lip-service to my concerns and then does what she wants.
The Afternoon Girl has stocked the cooler maybe twice in the six months she's worked for us. She claims to be claustrophobic. She always has somewhere else to be. But she does TRY....
My Manager's Daughter does the basics and goes home. Nothing more than required. But if she got paid for being on her cellphone, she'd be a rich woman by now.
And then there's me. Grumpy, worn-out, overworked, less dedicated every day. I don't expect my history with this place to be chiseled on my tombstone, but dammit.... Somebody needs to do some of the work! It's not that I'm tireless or fanatical, but shit .... Nobody's letting me off the hook. Nobody's giving me a break. Where are MY 3-day weekends...?
To make a long story short, I took care of everything, because that's what I do. Doesn't mean I'm happy about it, or that anyone will ever notice. Got the place cleaned-up and stocked, took care of that beer order, and The Boss didn't even have to pay me any Overtime. He's been getting off cheap with me for quite awhile now. Because I'm an idiot.
And tonight I have to go back and do it again -- with a BIGGER beer order!
The Afternoon Girl thinks all this leaving-work-for-others is a conspiracy by the Manager and the Other Two to get us to quit. They don't like us, and they want us out of here.
But then who would do the work?
I've got to talk to the Manager about this, before I go away for vacation and don't come back....

Was it something I said?

Ah, Summer. All the weirdos come out when the weather gets nice. People you never see the rest of the year suddenly appear as if by magic. Knew it would happen, it always does.
The Change Monger was in a couple days ago. This woman -- who always wanders through the parking lot looking for leftover change on the pavement, then checks the pay-phone & comes inside the store looking for more -- started coming in about 5 years ago. The first time I saw her, she guided her beat-up old car into the last parking spot at the far end of the lot, then stumbled in the front door long enough to ask if she could take a nap in her car, if that would be bothering anyone. I told her no problem.
She climbed back into her car ... and slept for THREE DAYS.
I was working when she finally stumbled out. "It's Friday, right?" she asked.
"No, ma'am," I said. "It's Sunday."
She didn't seem surprised. Then she asked if she could sit in the door and ask my customers for spare change. I told her No -- but she could sit on the back of her car and ask customers for spare change -- as long as I didn't see her.
I don't think she got much. Eventually she left.
She's been walking ever since, but she only comes out when the weather's nice. She'll wander through the parking lot looking for change, then come in and complain if there isn't any. Then she'll note down how much money she's found, then want to change all of her pennies for bigger coins, then trade nickels for dimes, dimes for quarters, quarters for dollars if she has that much. And she does this no matter how busy the store is, no matter how many people she holds up.
In five years, I've seen her buy ONE Lotto ticket with her change. This does not make her a Regular Customer, as far as I'm concerned. In fact, I think she's very IRREGULAR. I've had to get rude with her more than once to get her to move along.
She doesn't like me much. She thinks I'm grouchy. She might be right.
A couple days ago she came in after combing the parking lot, grabbing a pen and noting how much change she picked up.
"I'm not bothering you, sunshine," she said. "I'm not bothering you. How's your day going?"
OK, I said, waiting.
There was a pause.
"You cut your hair!" she said. "Why'd you do THAT?!"
"It's Summer," I said. "It's warm outside."
"Oh," she said. "That happens."
There was another pause.
"Is it a gay thing?" she asked.
"No, it's not a gay thing," I said. "And is there anything you WON'T ask?"
"Oh, I thought it might be a gay thing," she said. "My husband does that sometimes. But I'm not bothering you, I'm not bothering you, I'm not bothering you. Have a good day."
And then she was out the door, thank Ghod. Can't wait for her next visit.
Another guy, becoming a Regular, was in a couple times over the weekend, & I'm not thrilled to have him back. He bought a couple beers, threw his money across the counter as if he was throwing it to a leper, snorted snot up into his nose like a pig ... and then seemed offended when I didn't try to small-talk him. It didn't seem to me like he was the small-talk type.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Long day?"
This is a question customers usually only ask if I'm grouchy. But I wasn't grouchy. I just didn't see any reason to try to charm this guy.
"I've only been here an hour," I said.
"Well, you've got a few hours to go."
"I'll manage," I said. "I always do." What's this guy after?
"Well, don't work too hard," he said.
"Trying not to," I said. "You either."
So it ended OK, but this guy has a history with me.
Late last Summer, the first time I encountered this guy, he came in to buy his couple beers at the end of his hard-working day -- & out of nowhere he started lecturing me about how sad he'd be if he ended up like me, about what a letdown it would be if "this" is where he ended up at my age.
"Yeah, I really like the sound of THIS," I said. "You don't know anything about me or how I ended up here. And you need to leave now."
And he did.
Was he just looking for a fight at the end of a frustrating day at work? Maybe. So I won't exactly be waiting for his next visit....
Ah, Summer. Really brings out the best in people....

Down to $3.89!

Gas prices continue to drop -- we're now down to $3.89 for a gallon of Regular. Which is still too much, but....
Not much else to report, currently. Weather here is gorgeous, sunny & around 80. That should start bringing the Summer Weirdos out....
More soon, I'm sure....

Down to $3.95!

Our price for a gallon of Regular gas, as of 2 June 13 -- $3.95.
Prices obviously coming down now after that nationwide price-gouging effort over the Memorial Day Weekend. How are things in your neck of the woods?
More soon....