Adventures in Retail ..

Hey that would be an awesome title for a new blog !! All about the people I see everyday at work. Hmmmm ...

It's interesting going in every day. You can never tell what the day will bring. People are complaining about how hot the store is (horribly freakin' hot!), how there's no one to help them in departments (somebody or 2 quit like EVERYDAY), and why does the other store have it and you don't (sorry .. no witty comment there).

We're having so much trouble finding good people. The same as every other retailer in Alberta right now. The ones we do manage to hire set a record with us if they last through training, and don't get me wrong -- we have found some good people. We need another 75 good people though. Longer term associates are leaving as well. One of our pc's left to go work with one of our install companies, and Wanda -- who has been there with us since the store opened -- worked her last day with us on Thursday. She hasn't been happy there for a long time, and since Brad's been gone she just hasn't had the heart (literally) to come in. She's got a great new job with Alberta Health Care though, and gets to work downtown.

One of our ex-department supervisors is hiring away associates to work with him in his new job, and others are all going to work in Ft. Mac. or they just decide, and I quote: "I don't think I really like this job ... sorry."

Things have GOT to get better .... they sure can't get any worse !!

Video

I was on the Avril Lavigne site yesterday, and it said you could download the code for her new video to put it on your page. So I'm trying it. Here goes:

Job Available: Parent

POSITION TITLE:
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma, Mumma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :
None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :

Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

PROMOTED !!

I have a new job ....

Actually I don't. I have the title and pay of the job I have been doing for a while .. LOL. I am now officially an Assistant Store Manager !! YAY !!

I went in to Jim's office a few days ago, and came right to the point: "You have an ASM position open, and I want it." Quote unquote. He didn't even bat an eye, but pulled out a chair and said "Let's talk about it."

And here we are 2 weeks later, and the job is done. Jim told me he couldn't think of anyone he wanted to take over from Brad more, and because there was another RMA coming up (Regional Manager Assesment for all of you non-Depot people), he got my name on the list and off I went. I had a very nice chat with Peter V. who is our Acting District Manager, on the 21st, and he said he would make his decision by the 27th, or sooner. It was actually sooner. I had the good news the following Monday.

I went into Jim's office and jokingly asked him if he had heard anything yet, and he motioned me in and closed the door, and said that while it wasn't official yet, I had passed my interview and they were going to offer me the job. I just about fell off my chair! The offer came through from head office on Friday, and I had it signed off and back on Saturday.

So now its official - I am an ASM now. And as I write this, I am now looking for a Flooring DS ... and a Kitchens DS, and associates .. and ...

What does your birthday mean ??

Your Birthdate: October 6

You tend to be the rock in relationships - people depend on you. Thoughtful and caring, you often put other's needs first. You aren't content to help those you know... you want to give to the world. An idealist, you strive for positive change and dream about how much better things could be. Your strength: Your intuition Your weakness: You put yourself last Your power color: Rose Your power symbol: Cloud Your power month: June

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I had to re-read this after I did it .. It's extremely true !! Scary!!

Likes and Dislikes of Living in a New Place

I LIKE that I have a front and back door. Also that my back door opens into a little yard that I can plant flowers in.

I DISLIKE the thin walls seperating me from my neighbor to the East.

I LIKE having a basement to store stuff in.

I DISLIKE my neighbor waking me up at 9am on a Sunday morning with music blaring through the above mentioned thin walls. If it was a good song it might have been tolerable ....

I LIKE that Anthony has friends already. They've been out on their scooters in the parking lot almost since we got here on Friday night.

I DISLIKE that my neighbors yell at their children. Alot. They have 3 kids under 5, and when the baby is crying you need to get up and go look at her, instead of yelling at your wife to go look at her, and then your wife yelling at her for crying.

I LIKE my neighbors to the west. They are an egyptian couple, and the sweetest people you would ever have a chance to meet. I know this from one conversation, but already I know that we will be good friends.

I LIKE my big windows in the kitchen. They face south, and the light that comes in those windows is amazing!

I LIKE that I can go to sleep like I've been here forever, and I don't hear the trains rolling by at 3:30am. Andy apparently has heard them the last 2 nights ... He can't believe I haven't.

I LIKE that we are still close enough to go back to the old place to visit. We're going to drop the kids there in the morning, my Mom will make sure they get off to school ok, and then we'll pick them up on the way home from work.

So far my likes outweigh my dislikes ... I hope that continues !!

Pictures Of Brad

This was our Manager team building afternoon. Brad suggested Paintball and we were all in agreement. You're not supposed to 'shoot' other people with paintballs, but after one of Brad's shots hit me in the chest, this was what he got back. I took the pic for Wanda. LOL.

From left to right: Kim, Sterling, Brad (with his party hat on sideways), and Luke. This was at our Birthday barbeque for the Store.

Brad with Gisele (who worked in Kitchens) and Mike Holmes. The piece of wood in Brad's hand is signed "Make it Right. Mike Holmes" and is hanging in our ASM office at work.


I took this one at Trellia's Wedding. He was upset he missed the ceremony, but he wouldn't have missed the party afterward for anything.

This was the Brad I knew. The joker, the best friend, the guy who was willing to try anything and make it fun, the thinker, the mentor. He lived life to the fullest, everyday, and he lived it well. In his 27 years, he did more than most people in a lifetime. Godspeed Brad, Catch you on the flipside.

Bad News ...

I just made the understatement of the year. It's horrible news really.

One of our managers at work has passed away.

I think I called everyone I could on Thurs/Fri when I heard the news, so it's safe to post -- I won't shock anyone, (man those were hard calls to make !)

It started off with a headache. Around inventory time, which we all attributed to just being inventory. He was off the day after, and then he called in sick on Friday with that sinus cold going around, but he came in anyway. On Saturday morning, his roommate found him on the floor of his bathroom unconcious. He called 911, and was taken to the U of A, where they were monitoring his blood pressure, and specifically his brain pressure because his brain had swelled and caused an anuerism. Apparently, it's quite common for an anuerism to happen to men of his age.

Everytime they went to take him off life support to do a cat scan, his brain pressure would spike again. They were finally able to determine his brain function was minimal, and his family made the decision on Thursday afternoon to honor his wishes to be an organ donor, and to remove him from life support after that.

Jim, our store manager, and Jamie one of our Assistant store managers, went to the hospital to say goodbye, as did many of our associates. It's hard to lose someone at that age (he would have turned 28 on the 10th), let alone someone as popular as he was.

Have you figured out who it is yet? It's Brad. Fun loving-eager for anything-way too friggin young - Brad. My best memory of him will always be his cell phone message. In his best immigrant accent his voice would come on and say "Housekeeping. Leave message." The first time I heard it, I laughed sooooo hard. He was also a font of useless trivia knowledge like me. We were always trying to outdo each other in music trivia. If there was an 80's song out there he DIDN'T know -- I'd be very surprised. There was hockey games in the parking lot at the store, paintball for one of our manager team building exercises (that I took pictures of ..) and lots of other things he will be remembered for.

God has definitely called one of his favorites home early.

I'm just trying to be a listening post for everyone. We have a lot of young people at our store, and for them this is their first taste of what its like to lose someone close to you. We brought in a grief counselor for people to talk to, and she's definitely been a help to all of us. Once I know what arrangements have been made for the funeral I will update again.

Hug the ones you love, and tell them you love them. Life is short. So to you my friends, let me say I love and appreciate you for who you are, and what you bring to my life. I am truly blessed in my family and friends. :-)

Blogthings ... What Planet are YOU from ??

You Are From Saturn

You're steady, organizes, and determined to achieve your dreams. You tend to play it conservative, going by the rules (at least the practical ones). You'll likely reach the top. And when you do, you'll be honorable and responsible. Focus on happiness. Don't let your goals distract you from fun! Don't be too set in your ways, and you'll be more of a success than you ever dreamed of.

What Planet Are You From?

I personally think I am from the "Hey-its-inventory-time-god-i'm-so-tired-can-I-sleep-for-the-next-year-no-because-I-have-to-pack" planet.

(P.S. Thanks Keltie for having a blogthing on your blog, because I never knew they were there until I read yours .. !)

Moving Day Is Coming .....

We have found a new place to live !!! YAY !!

I got a phone call at work on Thursday of last week, to say that one of the 5000 places we had been to had an opening and we were at the top of the list. (Being on a waiting list is tough; I was starting to wonder if we were ever going to get a phone call ...) I answered a few questions that she needed to clarify, and she processed our application. My next call from her was to say we were approved, and we made an app't for yesterday to go and have a look at it.

It's a converted 4 bedroom townhouse -- converted meaning they combined 2 bedrooms into a larger master bedroom, so now it's only 3. It's over 1200 sf, which is bigger than what we have now, and comes with fridge, stove, washer, dryer and dishwasher. The floor plan is pretty straight forward, there's lots of room in the kitchen with an extra bank of cupboards + countertop, and there's a half bath on the main floor, in addition to the main bath upstairs. The best part is having the basement for storage and stuff. Finally I can get my extra tire out of my trunk !!

It's been freshly painted, and the guys were coming to clean the carpet this week as well. Did I mention we get the keys on SATURDAY ???

OH MY GOD !!!

(Sorry ... that was my SH*T I HAVE TO PACK moment ...). We paid our rent over there for April, and since we still have to give a month's notice here (even though our new owner doesn't deserve it ..), we will pay the rent here as well, and take the month to move stuff over. Everything that's a non-essential will go first, leading up to the big stuff at the end. I figure we'll be moved over in 2 weeks, which then gives me time to clean up here.

I already have my "Quality Moving Foreman" all lined up (hi Lily!), but there may not be a lot for her to do, so maybe she'll have to just come over with Mom and Dad after we're in to make sure everything went ok. I'm going to take some pics when we go get the keys, so keep an eye out !!

Pictures !

Finally I discovered where Andy hid the card reader for the camera !

Here are the pics (as promised) in the last post -- John getting his Citizenship !!



This is John with the Judge.



And here he is with his certificate and his flag !!

Witness to an Event ....

It was serious, and lighthearted, and moving, and quick!, and an eye-opener, and made me pause to reflect on my good fortune. Curious yet ?

I went to go watch a good friend from work take his Oath of Citizenship today at Canada Place.

John has been with HD since a week after it opened, and worked with me in Flooring, through the installs phase and when I went back. He was just promoted in Feb to DS of Hardware, and today he got his Canadian Citizenship. He was telling us about it last week at work, and its taken a long time to get here. He had to study, and take a test, and then he had to pay an application processing fee of $200. We were there for 9am and there was a huge lineup of people waiting to do the same thing.

I was fascinated by how different everyone was. There was families, and couples, and lots of friends to support them and take pictures and cry happy tears with them. The Judge said there was 75 people to take the Oath today, and they represented 32 different countries. One African lady wore her native dress; it was a beautiful yellow satin that went to her feet, and she had a headscarf with it as well. I couldn't stop sneaking peeks at her, and her smile was radiant.

It started with the Clerk of the Court outlining the procedure for the Ceremony, and then escorting the Judge in to begin. The Judge outlined in her speech, how she herself came to Canada 32 years ago to escape war in Lebanon, and she said everytime she presides over a Citizenship court, she reaffirms her own oath that she took so long ago. She read the Oath in French, and then English, and the participants could choose which version they wanted to swear to. Then the Judge pronounced everyone a citizen, and the Clerk proceeded to call out everyones names, and they came up and got their Citizenship certificates and Cards from the Judge.

When everyone started singing 'O Canada' afterwards, I'll admit it -- I got teary. These people had to go through a lot to get something I was lucky enough to be born with. We sometimes take for granted what we have, until we look through someone else's eyes and realize just how lucky we really are. I got a picture of John with the Judge, and as I shook her hand afterward, she thanked me for coming. She said it was important to know your neighbors and support them and if everyone knew everyone else, there would be less fear, and less of the violence that goes on in the world today.

After that they had a small reception with refreshments outside the court, but John and his daughter and I went down to the food court to sit and have coffee. I was so honored that he asked me to go, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

I took pictures but can't seem to find my card reader. Look for them later !!

Where does the time go ....

I believe yesterday was Christmas ... or am I mistaken?

I say that because now it is March. 3 months into the year already. 2007. Did I just catch up with the concept that time is passing us by you wonder ? My point is this -- I have friends that have new babies. I have friends that have just been married, or have weddings coming up. I think of all the wonderful things they have in store, and I look at my own 2 kids. All of the milestones they have conquered, and the ones coming up. On March 15th, we have HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE NIGHT.

That`s right. My baby, born 14 years ago in January, starts Grade 10 next year.

Oh. My. God.

This is what I meant about the time going so quick. The milestones started to blend into one another. First car ride - home from the hospital. Age 3 days. First trip shopping with Mom - to Kingsway Mall with Dad and Grandpa. Age 4 days. When she was born she was 7 lbs even, and was 18 3/4" long. Now she's as tall as me, and borrowing my clothes (and shoes, and makeup....).

She's really turned her grades around this year too. She went from a B-C average last year, to really studying and being prepared and getting an A-B average this year. I am so proud of her, but I still wish some days she was a toddler running around in pink, singing to herself and visiting Gram to make cookies and lick the bowl.

She has an opinion about everything, something that has grown with her since she was that toddler. Now it's starting to be tempered with a little bit of wisdom. The things that make you go hmmmmmm. She`s starting to consider her actions rather than just running out and throwing herself into what she wants to do. How did I get here? You try to be a good parent, and you're never sure if you're doing it right, and then suddenly you wake up one day and its obvious you did SOMETHING right.

I swear ... just yesterday .... I was starting high school .......

What Super Hero Are You ??

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern 70% Spider-Man 65% Robin 55% Catwoman 55% Wonder Woman 53% Superman 50% The Flash 50% Supergirl 48% Hulk 45% Iron Man 45% Batman 40%

Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

The Sun is still shining ....

I had to smile this morning when I took Anthony to school. You know how you get that frost on your windows that makes the perfect backdrop for a single snowflake ?? That's what I saw this morning. I was wishing I had my camera, because you could see every detail on that snowflake.

It was perfect. 6 sides, all feathered out at the edges with a perfect circle at the center of it. It looked like someone had taken a paintbrush and painted that snowflake on my window, at just the right height, and it was just for me. Just a little something to wake me up.

I noticed the sun was a little brighter this morning, it was a little higher in the sky than it was yesterday at this time. My coffee tasted a little more rich when I poured myself a cup, and it doesn't seem like there's as many dishes to clean up this morning.

My heart feels lighter today too, it's amazing what you notice when you open your eyes and take a sec to look around.

I'm going to make the most of this and go for a walk. Who knows what else I'll discover ??

Would Somebody out there please explain the rules to the silly people ?!?!?!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I'm getting tired of people telling us "........ your rent will be this much ......." and then coming back to us and saying "...... oops, your rent is actually going to be THIS much........".

This is the SECOND place that's done this to us, so needless to say -- I don't think we're moving. Sigh. On one hand, I'm glad I don't have to pack anything else right at the moment, but on the other hand -- I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO mad !!! When I got home from work today (and what a day it was!), there was an email from the guy with the duplex saying something about a misunderstanding. When I got into the body of the message, he itemized all of the charges and credits he said he told us about. But there's a big difference in the basic rent. I went back to the site where we originally found the listing, and surprise surprise -- it's been updated. Since I delete no email before its time, I went back to the original email he sent me at the beginning of January that quoted the original amount he told us, and emailed it to him with a nice statement. And yes I was nice. Basically, the ball is in his court. And if he comes back and says "no, it's supposed to be THIS much ..." I don't know what I am going to do.

I even had a moving supervisor all lined up! (Thanks Miss Lily -- you'll have to stay home with Mom for now !!)

So, we are back to square one. Sigh. We should get our notice of rental increase at the end of this month, and we have until the first of June before it takes effect. We don't even know how much its going up, so maybe we'll stay here for another year. Or 6 months. Or whatever.

I think i'm going to go soak in the tub. I'll worry about it all tomorrow, because -- and I quote "After all, tomorrow is another day ........" (Scarlett O'Hara). End quote.

We Found A New Place to Live !!!

Yay !

We found a new place to call home. It's not a house (yet) but will allow us to pay off our car loans, and add to our down payment before we take that step.

It's a half duplex, and its not even 5 minutes away from where we are now. The kids will be able to finish school where they are, and will still be able to walk to school next year.

The property has been renovated; they have a new roof that was redone last year, and hardwood throughout, with new ceramic tile in the kitchen and dining room. It will be soooooooooooooo nice to not have carpet to vacuum !! The rooms are a little smaller, it's 1050 sf in total, but we'll also have the basement to use as well. It comes with fridge/stove/washer/dryer, and a bonus offer: if we look after the maintenance of the yard on both sides, and shovel sidewalks etc. we get a $200 credit towards our rent ($100 per side). We don't have to buy any equipment either, they will supply the lawnmower and shovels and whatever else is needed. There's a plot in the front that has been growing weeds for the last couple of years, so I even get a garden to plant flowers in !!

We lucked out BIGTIME finding this place, and it has an HD connection: the guy that's renting to us has a daughter that works in the paint dept. in St. Albert. What are the odds ?

The yard is fenced, with a center partition so our yard is just that ... ours. The living room windows face north, and there is a seniors lodge across the street from us, so we don't have to worry about noisy neighbors. The night we went to look at it, we stood at the bottom of the sidewalk and you couldn't even hear dogs barking. Of course, it's winter and they were all in the house, but I don't think it will be much different in the summer.

The window in the kitchen is right above the sink, it'll be nice to wash dishes and be able to see something rather than just a wall. Window coverings are included, but I have some returned blinds at the store that will fit and look better. I am sooooooooo psyched to get out of here. As much as I love it here, this is a new adventure .. and we're still close to everything -- shopping, doctor, schools, work and family.

I'm going to go snap some pics to post - be back in a flash !

Do I really need a title ??

I don't think I do, but I guess I can't post without one.

I have become dull. No, really !

I go to work, and come home. Sometimes I sleep. Then I go to work and come home. I might get out for groceries. I close my eyes, I open them and I go to work and come home.

I am in a rut.

On the flip side of this highly entertaining blog, work is just that -- work.

I am still getting the choice shifts, the 2-11's, because (and I quote): "I can't work nights ... I have a family at home you know ....." Hmmmm. Does this mean Andy and the kids are chopped liver ??

I also have keys, so sometimes I get to open. Like today when everyone else was scheduled for training. And there was one other person in with keys at 10am. And no ASM's until 2. And she called in sick. And I started at 5 and couldn't go for any kind of break, because I was the only manager in the building. Sigh.

But to my credit, my departments had a fantastic year in 2006. We were able to make plan in both, and comp some decent numbers. I have also managed to train 2 people and get them promoted elsewhere in the building. John gets to go to Hardware as DS, and Lorne gets to go to Tool Rental as DS. I have new department specialists, and have managed to hire some pretty decent people.

Inventory is upon us, and we look pretty good. HD is restructuring again, they have eliminated the ISM position, it will now be looked after by the Special Services Manager (which we have to hire for ...), and they are hiring someone called Zone Managers for each district who will address nothing but customer issues. They will be the only point of contact, and will deal directly with the installers on issues - so no more headaches at store level for us ! Yay !

Of course, that's the idea. Whether it works out that way or not is something else.

It's a Brand New Year !!

And how did we ring it in ?

We went down to Betty's and had snacks, conversation, and non-alcoholic beverages until about 10:30 when Andy and I kept dozing off on the couch. I had been up since 4am because I was the opening manager at work, and I knew I should have had a nap before we went down but never got to it. I moved to the lazy boy chair and that was it. Betty woke me up a few minutes later and told me to go home and come back next year ... which I did. We all went home and were asleep by 11. Are we exciting or what ??

I had to work New Year's Day as well, because now everyone is open on New Year's (thanks Sears!), and thankfully it wasn't that bad for us. Everyone kept coming in and saying "You know you're the only store open on this block ??". Yes, trust me, we knew.

January 2 was Lisa's 14th birthday. It seems like yesterday she was Lily's size, exploring things and learning about her world. Now she's a teen getting into all thing black (clothes, nail polish, eyeliner), vampires (don't ask me where this came from), and generally becoming an almost straight-A student. Her grades have improved so much this year from last year, we're starting to wonder if she's the same person. She's still playing the saxophone, and has become "quite accomplished" according to her music teacher.

She had a couple of friends over to help her celebrate, and they stayed in her room listening to music all afternoon, venturing out only for pizza and birthday cake. I always told her when she was small her birthday gift was a whole year in which to do whatever she wants, her gift from me this year was a journal to start recording what she does with her year. I've always saved the front pages of the newspaper for her since she was born, and its interesting to see how things have changed, and what the big news is every year. There's always the stories about the new year's babies, but the headlines are what's really interesting.

The kids finally went back to school on Monday, and I'm slowly starting to pack things up in preparation for our move. We haven't found anything yet, but we're packing the non-essentials and are going to store them in Rick's garage until we do move. That way we'll have less (or so the theory goes).

So that's the update for now. Back to my packing ....

My Wishes for Christmas ...

I thought this would be a neat post to do, and thought long and hard about what I wanted to wish for. So here goes:

- 2 Front Teeth. For Anthony, who lost his other front tooth last week and refuses to sing that silly song. LOL.

- Tolerance, for those that have none.

- Patience, also for those who have none.

- A new home for all of us, with a yard. I love the smell of fresh cut grass, and promise to faithfully mow the lawn whenever it needs it. I also seem to remember something in one of Carrie's blogs about the proper way to mow the lawn, according to her Dad, and may have to look that up. LOL.

- Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Nuff said.

- A winning lottery ticket.

- Enough money to support my quest of finding said winning lottery ticket.

- Enough money to afford a new home in which to purchase said winning lottery ticket.

- A day of fun and frivolity with the kids, where everyone has fun and wants to do it all over again. I have a plan in mind for this .. Ill let you know how it goes.

- A month of Sundays, all of them non-working. Sigh.

I can't think of anymore ... but you get the idea. Happy Christmas !!