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Get Off My Lawn
Aug. 28th, 2024 07:55 pmSunday's Hat:
Yes, I've worn the baseball cap version of this bejeweled bucket hat, with the same shirt.
We got a load of new cloche hats for fall. Cloches are good on me so I'll definitely try them all.
The shift was "normal," nothing to report. I helped to close the store...Carter (keyholder) went to the sock kiosk to help them close, Jordan (keyholder) finalized our drawers and re-sorted most of the sized hats, and I swept, mopped, wiped the mirrors and windows, and helped with hat re-sorting.
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Monday I checked on all of my plants. Will have to bring the pineapple and lemon in under the overhang of our roof for the next few days, they've had more rain than they'd like. It feels like the bananas have been growing forever; I keep checking them to see if they've started yellowing but so far they're all still green. I wonder how much longer it'll be. (Edit: Have looked back, and it's only been about two months! They've got at least 2-3 months to go!)
The petunia is not doing well outdoors, it's yellowing and wilting so I'm bringing it back inside. Very annoyed because I've been following "internet advice" about how to care for it, and every time I take that advice my plant seems to get worse. Most people are probably thinking of their own climates and needs when giving advice, not considering, you know...FLORIDA.
Today's hat is one of the new felt cloche hats in grey and black. Sadly it's not a great fit but I do like the style anyway.
The big excitement today was a guy who bought two Panama hats from me, then came back later and bought three more! Each Panama hat in our store is AT LEAST $120, most range from $180-$300. And he casually bought five. Needless to say we reached and exceeded our sales goal primarily due to this Panama Hat Mogul.
I also discovered my pet peeve about working at the hat shop: large organized groups (bridal showers, birthday parties, etc) packing into the shop not to buy anything, but to have a free photo op.
We had two such groups last night and despite my best effort to smile and put on a good face I could not have been more angry and annoyed. It's between 8-20 people cramming into our tiny shop, all wearing matching "I'm with the Birthday Girl" shirts or those stupid bridal shower sashes or whatever; then going to the shelves and grabbing the zaniest hats they can find, ripping the delicate handmade fascinators off their clips and damaging them, throwing hats on the floor or on random shelves after each photo. Taking up a massive amount of floor space to do photo ops, forcing everyone to squeeze around them. Twenty grown-ass adult women, screaming and squeeing and making duck faces for the camera. And then they leave the store in an absolute mess that we have to clean up while actual customers are waiting to be helped.
"It's my special day!" is not an excuse to devolve into a selfish pig.
When the second group like this came in last night (a bunch of teens, for someone's birthday) I stayed as far on the opposite side of the store as possible and made myself busy. Not sure if my coworkers noticed my avoidance, and I don't really care. I signed an employment contract to sell hats and provide excellent CUSTOMER service, not to babysit. If someone's there to shop or ask directions or even complain about something, I'll always be kind, and I'll be happy to clean up after people. But I'm not going to hover around these groups who are obviously NOT shopping and force a smile while they damage the merch right in front of my face for a photo op.
The social expectation, I'm sure, is for us to be good little retail slaves, bend over, and take it. But I think everyone who has followed this blog knows that when it comes to socially-expected groveling, sugar-coating, and spoon-feeding, I'm pretty much the worst.
Anyway. Majority of the night was fine and writing about this gets it off my chest for the moment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday I was up early for Papa Pals. Both visits were at the same memory care facility that I visited last week.
( Papa Pal Visits )
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
On the way home I stopped for groceries, treating myself to these huge muscadine grapes.
We had a wild muscadine in the backyard when I was little, and my sisters and I would eat them while playing outside. They were small, tough, and chewy, with tart fruit and sweet but tannin-filled skins that made one's mouth feel funny. But they tasted great and I loved the chewy texture of them. These are not as tart or chewy as my childhood grapes, but the skins taste the same and they definitely give me nostalgia to eat :)
For dinner I made keto empanadas again, in which the empanada dough is replaced with ground chicken and filled with whatever-you-feel. Last time I followed a recipe that was jalapeno popper inspired; this time I invented my own "pizza poppers," filling each one with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, little mushroom pieces, and pepperoni. Coated them in parmesan cheese and spices, and air friend 'em. They were pretty good but next time I want to season the chicken better.
Before bed I got a message from a coworker asking if I'd cover his shift. Yes! That would bring me up to 29 hours for the week and I could use the money.
Now that the petunia is back inside I'm doing some photo ops again :)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday I woke to find that my coworker had taken his shift back so I was stuck with my day off again. Not that I don't appreciate a day off, too. I'd planned to cram in all sorts of chores and some exercise, but it was thundering by lunchtime so I practiced trombone for longer than usual, watched the Cubs game with Jameson (it was a riveting one,) and kind of didn't do much all day.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday: The plan is to go for a walk, practice, shop for cheap shirts and fall scents at Marshalls, and cook dinner.
Friday: Jameson is going to a friend's party in Miami for the night, so while he's gone I'll dust our bookshelf and vacuum, practice, night shift at the hat shop.
Saturday: No plans except night shift at the hat shop.
Yes, I've worn the baseball cap version of this bejeweled bucket hat, with the same shirt.
We got a load of new cloche hats for fall. Cloches are good on me so I'll definitely try them all.
The shift was "normal," nothing to report. I helped to close the store...Carter (keyholder) went to the sock kiosk to help them close, Jordan (keyholder) finalized our drawers and re-sorted most of the sized hats, and I swept, mopped, wiped the mirrors and windows, and helped with hat re-sorting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday I checked on all of my plants. Will have to bring the pineapple and lemon in under the overhang of our roof for the next few days, they've had more rain than they'd like. It feels like the bananas have been growing forever; I keep checking them to see if they've started yellowing but so far they're all still green. I wonder how much longer it'll be. (Edit: Have looked back, and it's only been about two months! They've got at least 2-3 months to go!)
The petunia is not doing well outdoors, it's yellowing and wilting so I'm bringing it back inside. Very annoyed because I've been following "internet advice" about how to care for it, and every time I take that advice my plant seems to get worse. Most people are probably thinking of their own climates and needs when giving advice, not considering, you know...FLORIDA.
Today's hat is one of the new felt cloche hats in grey and black. Sadly it's not a great fit but I do like the style anyway.
The big excitement today was a guy who bought two Panama hats from me, then came back later and bought three more! Each Panama hat in our store is AT LEAST $120, most range from $180-$300. And he casually bought five. Needless to say we reached and exceeded our sales goal primarily due to this Panama Hat Mogul.
I also discovered my pet peeve about working at the hat shop: large organized groups (bridal showers, birthday parties, etc) packing into the shop not to buy anything, but to have a free photo op.
We had two such groups last night and despite my best effort to smile and put on a good face I could not have been more angry and annoyed. It's between 8-20 people cramming into our tiny shop, all wearing matching "I'm with the Birthday Girl" shirts or those stupid bridal shower sashes or whatever; then going to the shelves and grabbing the zaniest hats they can find, ripping the delicate handmade fascinators off their clips and damaging them, throwing hats on the floor or on random shelves after each photo. Taking up a massive amount of floor space to do photo ops, forcing everyone to squeeze around them. Twenty grown-ass adult women, screaming and squeeing and making duck faces for the camera. And then they leave the store in an absolute mess that we have to clean up while actual customers are waiting to be helped.
"It's my special day!" is not an excuse to devolve into a selfish pig.
When the second group like this came in last night (a bunch of teens, for someone's birthday) I stayed as far on the opposite side of the store as possible and made myself busy. Not sure if my coworkers noticed my avoidance, and I don't really care. I signed an employment contract to sell hats and provide excellent CUSTOMER service, not to babysit. If someone's there to shop or ask directions or even complain about something, I'll always be kind, and I'll be happy to clean up after people. But I'm not going to hover around these groups who are obviously NOT shopping and force a smile while they damage the merch right in front of my face for a photo op.
The social expectation, I'm sure, is for us to be good little retail slaves, bend over, and take it. But I think everyone who has followed this blog knows that when it comes to socially-expected groveling, sugar-coating, and spoon-feeding, I'm pretty much the worst.
Anyway. Majority of the night was fine and writing about this gets it off my chest for the moment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday I was up early for Papa Pals. Both visits were at the same memory care facility that I visited last week.
( Papa Pal Visits )
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
On the way home I stopped for groceries, treating myself to these huge muscadine grapes.
We had a wild muscadine in the backyard when I was little, and my sisters and I would eat them while playing outside. They were small, tough, and chewy, with tart fruit and sweet but tannin-filled skins that made one's mouth feel funny. But they tasted great and I loved the chewy texture of them. These are not as tart or chewy as my childhood grapes, but the skins taste the same and they definitely give me nostalgia to eat :)
For dinner I made keto empanadas again, in which the empanada dough is replaced with ground chicken and filled with whatever-you-feel. Last time I followed a recipe that was jalapeno popper inspired; this time I invented my own "pizza poppers," filling each one with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, little mushroom pieces, and pepperoni. Coated them in parmesan cheese and spices, and air friend 'em. They were pretty good but next time I want to season the chicken better.
Before bed I got a message from a coworker asking if I'd cover his shift. Yes! That would bring me up to 29 hours for the week and I could use the money.
Now that the petunia is back inside I'm doing some photo ops again :)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday I woke to find that my coworker had taken his shift back so I was stuck with my day off again. Not that I don't appreciate a day off, too. I'd planned to cram in all sorts of chores and some exercise, but it was thundering by lunchtime so I practiced trombone for longer than usual, watched the Cubs game with Jameson (it was a riveting one,) and kind of didn't do much all day.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday: The plan is to go for a walk, practice, shop for cheap shirts and fall scents at Marshalls, and cook dinner.
Friday: Jameson is going to a friend's party in Miami for the night, so while he's gone I'll dust our bookshelf and vacuum, practice, night shift at the hat shop.
Saturday: No plans except night shift at the hat shop.
