Phew.... I made it...

I was SO HAPPY when I looked at this week's schedule and saw that Wednesday was the day I was given as my off day for the week.   (Thanksgiving is a holiday; I get it off too.)   It is going to be SO NICE to have a whole day to get ready for tomorrow.   (Of course, I'd probably need a week of days off in order to do everything I'd like to get done, but just one day will help immensely.)


Our freight came in yesterday and past experience has well taught me that-- during Thanksgiving week-- there's no time for getting out freight, so I ordered nothings but "outs"-- empty pegs and empty slots.   It's a good thing. I didn't even get started on putting the stuff out until afternoon.   And, with as little as I had, it was probably five or after before I finished up getting it out.   Then I helped "my neighbor".  She has someone else who helps her too but even with that, we left before all of hers was out.   (She's off today too, bu the helper will --hopefully--- be able to get out what was left since she at least got it all priced and ready to go out.)


From the standpoint of those of us who work in retail, I think I finally heard the topper when it comes to people and their children.


First let me say, if there is one person I really feel for when I am there until closing at night, it's the night stock person who sweeps the whole store, gets all the carts off the parking lot, cleans the bathroom and breakroom, empties all the trash, refills all the paper products, mops up any spots on any where in the store, vacuum the front entry  AND... they are ON CALL for every carry out from the front or frame shop,  for every customer need of something to come down from the high walls, and various other issues that arise.


So, from five until closing, there is no stopping for the stock person.  They work as quickly as they can and are generally the last one to finish their work.


Back to my tale.


Our night stock person had begun his evening duties, which normally begins with sweeping the whole store.   An experienced stock person can run through this fairly quickly after they've learned to maneuver the (enormous) dust mop that they use.   He was moving through the Christmas crafts aisle when he heard a small child ask her mother, "Mommy, what is that?"   Mommy said, "It's a broom"    He had moved on to the next aisle with his sweeping when he got a tap on the shoulder.   He turned around and it was the mother.   "My child is JUST FASCINATED with your broom.  I wonder if you'd let her use it for a little while?"   He said she acted offended when he told her he was sorry that he had to get his work done.


That is probably the best example I've heard so far of how removed people are from what is going on in anyone else's world because they are so caught up in ONLY their own.  And I guess I'd have to say that  is the one thing that working in retail has taught me.   Most people are all about themselves.  They are in their own world, doing their own thing, and not even thinking how their actions are affecting someone who has to come along behind them and deal with the messes they've left behind.  Or  what ramifications what they have decided is  okay could have.   (Like allowing large children to climb into and UP ON carts. Or letting their children climb ladders.)  


 I'm amazed at how thoughtless people are when they are shopping.   I've learned to deal with it by realizing that we live in a rush-rush-rush world and that most people have so much they are trying to get done that they are stressed and in a hurry and really are not even thinking about what is going on in the present.   OH, and LET ME NOT FORGET THIS, they are so busy talking on their cell phones that their minds are elsewhere.


BUT.... I'm home today.   I do have to do some more grocery shopping, but at least I didn't have to go do it after I got off from working 9 until 8 yesterday.


Actually, Tim called me (again) and told me to come by and eat.   It's such a blessing to me when they do that.  And last night I was very hungry as I had worked later than scheduled and really hadn't had a meal since one in the afternoon.


So, I got a good meal of chicken, and broccoli, and scalloped potatoes, and pecan pie, with a big glass of milk.  It was very good.


Some time in the last few days, I picked up some malware, adware, or some such on my computer.  I'm usually VERY careful about what I click on.  I'm not sure how I got it.  But I read on SOPHOS that you can't even trust Google any more and I do search a lot of things using Google.   They said that those who are working to "hijack" your computer will put up a link with a title that looks like what you want but it actually is taking you to some a place that will put this junk on you computer.   Every ten minutes or so I'm having to close down ads that are automatically popping up (in Internet Explorer which I don't even use most of the time, although when I started having problems, my first "message" blamed it on Firefox so I did use IE then.)


It started with one of those messages that said I Microsoft had found a problem.  SOPHOS had also warned me about those messages that pop up when you have "acquired" malware and I had already read how they work.  That they SCARE you into clicking on what they are offering.    Well, I haven't done that, but I still have to figure out how to get this stuff off my computer.


It keeps wanting to shut me back down to my screen saver and I have to reenter my password to get back  up and going.


I don't need to be taking a lot of time today to figure it out.  Right now I'm running a Spybot Search and Destroy scan.  Hopefully,this will locate the problems and can fix them.