Friday, November 18, 2022

On the Job Hunt

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bitty Adventures on The Roku Channel. Berrykin Bloom's "Berry Big Harvest" is so huge, Orange Blossom doesn't have room for it in her general store. Not that she'd admit it. She doesn't want the others thinking she's not organized and can't take care of her business, so she doesn't ask them for help with the windfall. When things get out of hand and Orange is left cleaning up the mess, Strawberry has to figure out a way to help her out without hurting her feelings.

Rushed out right after Strawberry ended. Made a quick stop at the post office to drop paperwork in the mail, then rode to the Collingswood Library for my appointment with my new Abilities Solutions counselor. I was three minutes late, but Karen just barely arrived ahead of me. She had to wrangle with Collingswood's parking meters. (One of the advantages of riding a bike. I just park in the bike rack.)

When we got upstairs, we talked for an hour and a half. I explained everything about my situation, from hating my job to all the trouble I've had in the past year. I don't care how long I've worked at the Acme, or how good everyone thinks I am at it. It's not right for me. All it does is make me anxious and stressed, and I don't make enough money to put up with it. I want to find a data entry job, or something similar. We did all the paperwork together, went over my resumes, and discussed what I wanted out of a job. Something where I can sit down, use my brain, and have a real career, not just something I do to make money. 

Karen said she'd go over my resumes, see if she could update or change them to find what skills I have, and get back to me after Thanksgiving.

I debated stopping at WaWa for a drink after we finished, but I finally decided I didn't need it and didn't really have the time. Hurried home, changed, packed my lunch bag, and hurried back out. At least the day was decent for all the rushing! It was sunny, windy, and very cold, probably in the mid-40's. 

Though I did push carts for a half-hour before the afternoon bagger arrived, I spent most of the day in one register or another. I wish I hadn't. We were only busy because one of the all-day cashiers called out. People with huge orders kept ignoring the signs and getting into the express lane, upsetting those with small orders. Others threw fits when they didn't understand how that online rewards program worked and didn't get the sale they wanted. 

Also got my schedule. I work 8 1/2 hours every day but Monday...which is not a surprise the week of Thanksgiving. I asked for Thanksgiving off, but to my surprise and delight, they also gave me Saturday. I'll be able to see the Collingswood Christmas Parade for the first time since 2019. 

I was very happy to get out of there. Went straight into dinner and Match Game '74 when I got home. New girl on the block Louisa Moritz is more than happy to get a welcoming kiss from Gene. The others are happier to help the sweet new champ with "Polly __" in the Audience Match.

Grand Ol' Opry favorite Minnie Pearl really livened up a week in Match Game '77 with her flowered hats, frilly dresses, and down-to-earth nature. Slightly more timid Dick Smothers also joined in to see Richard help the contestant with "Forward __" in the first episode. In the second, there were several jokes about a woman wearing a t-shirt that said "Baby Down There." 

Worked on writing for an hour after the show ended and while they were on. Debralee is upset when Bart breaks the teeth on her nutcracker. Gene wraps it up with his handkerchief and assures her he'll get it fixed tomorrow. He tells her the story of the nutcracker that the thrift shop owner told him. He's really an enchanted prince who was turned into a nutcracker by a wicked mouse queen when he tried to save a princess from her spells. Debralee thinks it's romantic; Bart thinks it's silly. 

Took a shower, then spent the rest of the night watching Thanksgiving sitcom and variety show episodes online. The closest The Muppet Show got to a Thanksgiving episode was when folk singer Arlo Guthrie appeared in the fourth season. While the Swedish Chef tries to figure out what to make for the big family dinner, cows perform "Elegance" from Hello Dolly, Gonzo's "Hernando's Hideaway" disrupts Fozzie's attempt to read Robert Frost in a sleigh, and Guthrie sings "Grocery Blues" and "Sailing Down This Golden River" in a simple home set.

The doctors and nurses of the 4077th have an even harder time on "The Yalu Brick Road" in the eighth season of MASH. The turkeys Klinger got from a guy he knew give everyone, including him and General Potter, salmonella poisoning. Sergeant Rizzo spends his Thanksgiving threatening Klinger with bodily harm when his stomach behaves. Winchester and Hot Lips end up taking care of everyone and spend the day on each other's throats. Father Mulcahey's barely able to keep them from killing each other. Meanwhile, Hawkeye and BJ do their best to get the antidote to camp, with a North Korean soldier they dub "Ralph" tagging along.

Family time is hard on The Bob Newhart Show, too. Bob's invited his parents for Thanksgiving, but they're far from "An American Family" when his wife Emily's  parents turn up too. Bob's fussy mother gets into an argument with Emily's loudmouth father, which ends with none of the grandparents showing up for dinner. Bob finally gets them all over for dessert, reminding them that no matter how much they fight, they're still family. 

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