Just Plain Worn Out

Today didn't go well. It didn't even begin well. The first sound I heard this morning was the phone. One of the mangers from the Acme was calling me. Could I come in at 11 and work for eight hours? Two of the morning people called out sick.

I wanted to shout NO at the top of my lungs...but I couldn't. I was on the spot, and they knew it. Six people are out on vacation this week. Most of the college kids and high schoolers are in class. I hated doing it, but I said yes. They needed the help.

So yes, I spent all day at work again. It was a pain in the rear and an even bigger pain in the feet. We had lines snaking across the store, and there wasn't close to enough people up front to deal with them. If I knew everyone was going to take their vacations this week, I would have waited. I figured no one would go the week after Labor Day. Not to mention, many of those orders were huge, as much as 600 dollars, and we're still working out that new computer system.

Things got even worse when I saw my schedule. Most of it was pretty normal...except for the 5:15 to 11:15 they have me working on Thursday. I have to get that changed. I can't work that while riding a bike, and I really don't know anyone I can drag out that late to pick me up, either. I can't believe they even put it on the schedule. Most of the managers know darn well about my bike.

I was angry, frustrated, and feeling totally exhausted when I finally finished work at 7. I still couldn't go home, though. I had my own grocery shopping to do. I was out of trash bags, and almost out of yogurt. Wanted to stock up on chicken (ground and cutlets), peanut butter, deodorant, toilet paper, and whole wheat bread from the bakery.

There was something pleasant waiting for me at home, though. I didn't see the large, square package on Miss Ellie's porch when I came in. It was too dark. Miss Ellie called me and told me. Mom sent me the rest of the family's older videos I thought I'd like to have. There's two musicals (Gigi and Daddy Long Legs), the two Eddie and the Cruisers movies, two John Wayne vehicles (Donovan's Reef and North to Alaska), and a bunch of older tapes with episodes of Fairie Tale Theatre and Tall Tales and Legends we all loved. These include "Casey at the Bat" with Elliot Gould, "The Little Mermaid" with Pam Dawber, and Mom's favorite, "Annie Oakley" with Jamie Lee Curtis as the famous sharp-shooter. She also sent me the book I bought from West End Garage, Simple Pleasures, that I couldn't fit in my bag going home.