Hello and welcome to my weekly blog, this is going to be free to read, mostly as I doubt anyone is going to want to pay to listen to me complain. But I will have other articles, writing exercises, or recipes I post occasionally that will require membership. This first posting is going to be a little shorter unless something happens tomorrow that makes me rant endlessly. This was meant to be my first posting ever but the previous mask article was something I really wanted to get out right away.
Yes I know I started in the middle of the week so sue me. (Please don’t actually sue me. I am so poor.)
One of the main reasons I am doing this is to be a better writer, and the only way to get better at writing is to write every day and it is better to start now rather than later.
So expect lots of short stories and random writing prompts. I am going to try and keep this up as best I can but my daughter is due to be born in the next couple of weeks so I might drop off or I might pick up who knows.
I would also expect me to go off on stupid tangents that have nothing to do with the original introduction.
So this will also be a public journal of my day/week in as non-biased a fashion as I can manage as I am my own worst critic.
With that out of the way let's begin.
Feb 11, 2021
I am sitting in the office adjust schedules because the rep I wanted to have on part-time for months came to request to put on part-time.
This is a new type of frustration because I am glad as I think it will be better for her, but also I am upset because if she had done this the first time, I brought it up months ago it would have saved me the hassle of having to cover the shifts she missed to due to illness or car trouble as I have another rep that was interested in full time and stuck on part-time because of seniority.
Oh well, this is the life of a retail manager.
I like my staff I really do but sometimes it feels like I am the parent of a fist full of children. I have one that’s always tattling, one that needs help with everything, one that’s too nice for his own good, one that’s always sick, and the youngest who is probably the most mature.
I was out sick for four days pending Covid test results and I got called no less than 20 times, not texts full calls because they could not figure out how to deal with something. And it was always different things. Not that being the same issue over and over would be better.
And this isn’t a lack of training, I make sure everyone has the tool kit necessary to do the job, but different problems have different contact points. as the manager, my job is to help if they have customer problems or if they have problems with or POS (point of sale) system. I also do the schedules and the paperwork and make sure everyone is getting paid. If I am lucky, I get to be on the floor and make some sales myself, which I appreciate because I have a wife and children to support.
90% of the problems encountered in the store are answered by the same statement “Call support”. At this point even if it’s something I know the answer to, I am telling them to call support because that needs to be the first option. If a customer is yelling at them that’s my job to deal with. If the sales program, we use is being weird that’s on me to figure out. If you are having problems with a customer’s account call support.
I have gotten calls at home, where they describe the problem then say “should I call support?” and I tell them YES every time. If it was a text it wouldn’t bother me nearly as much, but I think that when they type it out it sounds stupid to them, so they call not realizing that doesn’t make it less stupid.
Don’t call me if you already know the answer. I would rather them make a mistake and then help them fix it after because they will learn more from that.
I don’t mind my job, but I wish I felt less like a babysitter. I want my staff to be confident independent adults capable of handling things without me, aaaaand oh my god I feel like their father.
At this point, I am kind of ranted out. If I have more to say it will probably be this evening when I get home. if not probably tomorrow.
Feb 12, 2021
So the other day I found out that my niece had been exposed to Covid and was isolating with her mom and sister. They are getting quick tests done as their mom (my sister-in-law is a medical responder). Now that sucks but they have very good odds of being ok.
Unfortunately, because my wife’s mom had been visiting during what could have been the infectious period. If my niece gets a positive test result. That means that not only does my niece have to isolate it means my mother-in-law will not be able to assist with watching my son when my wife gives birth.
So I would have to do it because we don’t have anyone else in our bubble. And that means my wife will be without any support. So I am hoping for a negative test. Giving birth is stressful enough, doing without any form of support system, I can’t imagine.
It also doesn’t help that my allergies are acting up so I am sniffly during a pandemic which sucks. So I am trying to isolate myself in the office more than usual. Which does not help with making sales, especially when I need money for my growing family.
OMG, none of my staff know how to use excel. I am not talking about using formulas or anything. They literally could not make a form list to keep track of their customers. This kind of boggles my mind. These are all young is individuals 19–27 range. Can’t figure out the basics of excel. And couldn’t figure out how to look it up on google. Or even just try and fiddle around with it.
I manage a retail store with a focus on technology, my staff are all technologically adept. But they are still baffled by a spreadsheet oh my god. Maybe I should learn basic bookkeeping as if these guys can’t figure out spreadsheets I don’t anyone in the future will be able to.
Feb 14, 2021
Woo Valentine’s Day Sunday. During a pandemic… welp time for popcorn boardgames and snuggling on the couch.
The eagle eyes amount you will notice that I didn’t post anything for Saturday that’s because I didn’t write anything Saturday. I was actually bust at work for a good clip. And nothing really interesting happened.
I sat down to write yesterday evening I had (and still have) an idea for the short story I am working on. But I just couldn’t bring myself to start typing.
I know that I am supposed to force myself to start, cause the moment I start it will be easier to keep going. Mental inertia, if you will. But I think I just needed a cheat day as it were. So I can buckle down better today and tomorrow.
I did figure out the ending I want for my short story which is usually where I struggle.
Today I plan on doing some baking, a couple of loaves of bread, and a maple cornbread recipe I have been wanting to try all week.
But first I have to clean the kitchen.
Oh and I also plan on exercising today. I am counting on you guys to keep me accountable
So a quick update did not exercise unless you count kneading bread and playing with my toddler.
The cornbread was delicious, my wife had to stop me from eating the whole thing. I also did homemade ketchup which was fantastic and tastes way better. I also feel better knowing it doesn’t have nearly as much sugar in it.
I am kinda upset that I didn’t get to do any writing I was fairly busy cleaning and such. Fairly simple day.
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The next you guys will hear from me will be next Monday unless I finish my short story or a couple of writing prompts I am happy with. Enjoy this picture of the cornbread I baked, I had already grabbed a few pieces before I remembered to take the picture, sorry.
If you have any questions or short story ideas please reach out to me at Cordilius@outlook.com
