Month: November 2008

  • AAARRGGGHHH!!

    I generally don’t answer Out-of-Area calls, as they’re all too often telemarketers, etc. 

    So I let the one that just rang….well, ring.

    Oh, look!  Whoever it was left a voice mail.

    It was my brother calling from Bejing.   e-arg

  • Today’s Veterans’ Day.

    Remember those who have served our nation well.

    4945493

  • Don and I have been watching Wheel of Fortune as it’s been based in Hawaii.

    What has perplexed us quite a bit has been how the trips given away have inevitably been to the Caribbean, or Fiji, or Mexico or the like.

    Wow!  Think of it!  Those lucky ducky Hawaiians get to go to a place featuring sun, sand, and surf!   

    Why not send them to Alaska?  Or New England?  Why shoot ‘em off to locations famous for pretty much the same thing they have at home?   e-headscratch

  • Training has really brought back memories of past times of working in department stores.

    Which is the unrealistic expectations the company has considering how few salespeople there tend to be on the floor.

    One thing Penney does (you will notice the awkward though accurate use of the singular, JANE) is have new hires “shop” current sales staff.  I headed to the large size women’s department and the one woman working there  -  who also has to cover housewares and the Christmas shop  -  was first at the wrap stand (or CSC), so I piddled around the department a bit, looking to see if she’d notice me then come over.

    Instead, when she was finished with her customer she headed off in the opposite direction, into bedding.

    Hmmm.  I’d found a blouse on clearance that I wanted (though we weren’t really supposed to buy anything) so just sort of hovered around the wrap stand area like we customers do, looking aimlessly around for a salesperson. Here she came, and when she saw me she asked “Are you ready?”

    Okay, not exactly the warm greeting that it’s supposed to be.  Still, she’s alone, so allowances are made.  In any event, there wasn’t a lot of the “engaging” that Penney is anxious for its salespeople to do, but for pity’s sake, as soon as she began waiting on me, here came others behind me. 

    Point is, it’s hard to do all the stuff they want if you are alone but also have a bunch of chores to do (keep the fitting rooms pristine!  keep the wrap stand clean!  check to make sure fixtures are stocked and neat!). 

    I’ll give it my best shot at least. 

    Tomorrow I complete my POS training (Point Of Service, or the electronic machines once called “cash registers) and then will find out exactly where I’ll be placed, and when I work on Saturday.

  • I’m in training @ JCPenney’s.

    I’m in training @ JCPenney’s. Home later.

  • Amazing how an older brother can get away with something Mom could not.

    Dmitry had firmly decided against voting. I’d tried to persuade him otherwise, but to no avail.  Just half an hour or so ago, after Don returned from Plano, I offered to take him down to do his civic duty for the first time.

    Nope.  Thanks, but nope.   Next time.  e-shrug

    Then Jonathan called, checking to make sure Dmitry had gone to the polls.  Upon learning of his brother’s refusal, he showed up literally two minutes later, essentially took Dmitry by the scruff of his neck, got his voter’s registration card, and hustled him out the door.

    Now if I’d tried the strong-arm technique Dmitry would have been furious, but let Jonathan come roaring in like a freight train, refusing to take no for an answer, and the best he could manage was a weak protest; the next thing we knew he was heading down the steps to his brother’s car. 

  • Another Halloween with no trick-or-treaters. :^(

    Had the bowl of miniature Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups all ready, but no takers.   e-cry

    Dmitry and Dan have eaten the Snickers, while Don and I are munching peanut butter cups.

    That’s one of the few problems with our location….it’s a trick-or-treat dead zone.  In the almost thirty years we’ve lived here, we’ve had exactly ONE decent Halloween in that regard.  Can’t think why they came that year, but they did.  Next year it was back to normal, with at best one or two visitors, and mostly none.  e-fingers_ears

    However, this is a whole new month and isn’t it astonishing how the trees turn color seemingly overnight?  All of a sudden where there had been occasional flashes of fall hues, there are now grand splotches of yellow, orange and burgundy!  Entire trees turned color in the past day or two.  How on earth do they do that? 

    Well, it’s thirty minutes from The Game Of The Year for our family:  The UT vs. Tech game.  Charles is on the phone with his father right this minute, indulging in some intense pre-game discussion.  He (Charles) told me the anticipation is killing him, and he just wants the game to be o-v-e-r.  The primary “house divided” is my sister, Elaine’s, as she’s a Tech alumnae and her husband is a devout Texas-Ex.  Tonight, wouldn’t you know it, they are at a debutante ball where Elaine assures me a television will be available and the men will be crowded around it.  As she pointed out, nothing like getting gussied up in a tuxedo to go watch football! 

    We have a mild case of divided-house syndrome over here, as I’d rather see Tech win, while Don apologized to Charles but admitted he’s backing the Longhorns.

    Good thing we have a television with split-screen capability, as the TCU game is being televised at the same time.  Now there my allegiance is firm!  Go FROGGIES!  e-cheerleader