MY LIFE - NOVEMBER

Tuesday, November 7, 2000

So far so good at the new store. Everyone seems to enjoy having me around and I'm pretty much into the flow of things at this point. I have noticed something about this store that isn't all that unusual though. Someone's always talking about someone else behind their back. Always. It can be a tech talking about one of the pharmacists or one of the pharmacists talking about one of the techs and so on. It's constant.

I've had no part of it so far. There have been attempts at pulling me in, especially when people are talking about Steve. I will not do it. As far as I can tell, they've all been very petty complaints, nothing worth wasting time complaining over. Someone will complain how slow another person is. The problem I have with that is that the person complaining isn't often much better. We have one tech who's been complaining about how slow someone was. This is the same tech who refuses to do anything if she doesn't have to.

It's just really weird how everyone seems to have someone they dislike enough to talk about. I don't think anyone's talking about me, but that's because I haven't given anyone any reason to. I answer the phone when I can, I take care of customers when I can, and I do whatever's necessary to keep things moving. I'm not slow either, so they can't use that against me.

I would hope that if someone has something to say to me, they'll say it. If you don't like the way I'm doing something, then tell me and I'll work at fixing the problem. Otherwise, keep the mouth shut. I don't talk about people behind their backs so don't talk about me. It's not very friendly, especially to someone who's transfered from a much easier to store to help out.

That reminds me of something I heard. Apparently someone isn't happy with all the tech hours. I wonder if these people have been in the store between 5 and 7 when there's one, maybe two techs working. All we do is run around from drive-thru to check-out to filling to typing. That's all I've done in the three days that I've worked so far. I can't imagine it being easier when I'm gone.

I hope that the district and regional manager see this tomorrow as well as the pharmacy supervisor. We really need extra help, not them telling us we're over hours. What the fuck do they know about how much help we should have anyway? I was the only one filling for about four hours and I didn't get caught up with the stack until 6:30 initially, then didn't get caught up after that until around 8.

But we came up with a plan tonight. Hopefully it'll be busy during the visit while we only have one tech working and they'll see just how much we need more help. The techs who aren't supposed to work have all agreed, and that includes me, that we are not answering the phone tomorrow if help is needed. We will screen calls and not come in. We have to make a point about this.

But I'm enjoying the store right now. It's busier, which means my days have been flying. It's a real change of pace. It used to be 150 was a good, but not great day. Now 450 is the same thing. It feels as busy as it is, but I have not been overwhelmed as of yet. I don't think it's going to happen. If I have a bad day anyway, I'm not one who shows it very much. I'll get quiet and do what I feel has to be done.

I do not get all messed up and start throwing things around. I can handle pressure. I've been in pressure situations most of my life. I don't think getting busy is going to do much to me. I've survived the mess with my dad. I'll survive this.

---

I have the day off tomorrow and that's going to be a little weird. I haven't had a Wednesday off in a long time. I'm going to be heading to Tri-C either tomorrow or Friday to take care of some things that I need to do before I register for winter/spring classes and get my ass back in gear. I also have to run to my old store and get my mom's Premarin filled since I can't transfer it to Berea.

I wonder how people will react when I walk in there. Will they think that I've had it, that I can't take it anymore? I don't know. I'll tell them that I'm doing fine and that I don't regret my decision. I've had fun my first three days there. It's been busy, but it doesn't seem that long of a day when you're constantly doing something. I don't have to do anything in the front store either since they have a ton of help there too.

Tomorrow I'll have to try and mow the lawn again. It should be interesting again since I'll probably have a ton of leaves scattered all over the place and that'll make for a lot of fun. At least the grass won't be as long and that will make it a little easier for me.

I also have to do laundry tomorrow and try to clean up my room since the fur's getting a little unbearable. I also have to figure out who's calling me ten times a day and not leaving any message. I know it's not anyone I know since I would hope that anyone who knows me would have half a brain to leave a message. You never know though.

I'm just getting tired of erasing ten "unavailable" id's out of the caller id box. I also get sick of the generic message "your call cannot be completed. Please hang up and dial again." What is that all about? And why is my answering machine picking that kind of message up? It just doesn't make sense.

Very little ever makes sense though.

My life's been filled with things happening that didn't make sense. From the problems my mom had many years ago with an accident and losing her license for a while to my dad causing problems to my own accident leaving me a little stressed. None of what happened made sense.

That's how life is though. It likes to kick you in the ass. The only difference now? I'm kicking it right back.

---

There were a couple of strange moments tonight now that I think of it. At one point, one of the techs was trying to figure out what had happened to something she had just a moment ago. She asked if I had it, but since I didn't know what she was looking for, there was no way I had it. Then she asked if Elizabeth, one of the pharmacists, had it, and she said no. As the tech walked away, Elizabeth murmed "not us donkeys here."

I took the opportunity to look at her and say "I guess I really am an ass after all then, huh?" It was probably my first real moment since the transfer. Up until then, I guess people thought I was cute or something because of how I was reacting to things. That was my first zinger, and probably not my last.

I also had some interesting talk with Peggy, one of the morning techs. She just had all sorts of crazy things to say all day and is one of the funniest people I've come in contact with at the store. She killed me at times with what I heard come out of her mouth.

Naturally, I can't remember it.

But that's how my memory works. The funny stuff, I can't remember. The unpleasant stuff, it sticks with me like bubble gum on a new pair of shoes. But it's all good. Life is just great right now, memory loss aside.

I hope that it lasts for once.