Rising to the Challenge

Cottage on the Water

Hump day certainly proved to be a challenge. There are a great number of residents in the neighborhoods surrounding our store who received government assistance of one kind or another. The third day of the month is pay day for financial assistance and "nutritional supplement services" (know as food stamps to us olde farts). We were very popular today and I had the misfortune of dragging the anchor to an aircraft carrier around all day in the form of our least capable crew member. By the time noon rolled around I was about ready to kill said crew person. Then I decided to quit trying to multitask (I had to order tobacco products) and just kept up with the customer flow. I did my order after I was relieved by the second shift. Even that got interrupted when the batteries on the MOT (mobile operations terminal) kept dying when I was counting inventory. Instead of being frustrated I took off, got some dinner and relaxed a minute. I then returned to the store and was able to complete my ordering duties and the review thereof by our trainer who made only minor changes to what I had done. So in the end it all came out in the wash, it just took a toll on my nerves for a while. I had spoken to our trainer/corporate liaison about this particular employee. He observed the crew member more closely today than he had before. He agreed with my assessment but offered a perhaps more palatable alternative for the crew member than I was of a mind to at the moment. To say this crew member fell short of performance standards would actually be complimentary considering imho glaciers melt faster than this crew member has moved in their entire life (and probably covered more distance too!) At any rate, we made it through the day with out committing a homicide so I guess I can claim that as a victory.

I have not had time to process my email or read any news the last couple of days. By the time I have finished all the necessary duties chores and other things that have been crowding my schedule there just hasn't been time. In any transition from one owner to another, especially in a store that was not optimally performing, there is going to be a certain amount of chaos and turmoil. Fortunately for us, we are becoming more organized each day. I do expend a lot of energy being the face of the company, it takes a lot to always be "on" no matter your mental or physical feelings of the moment. It will get easier as we progress further and the team coalesces around us. I feel very good about our prospects of success and I can visualize our well run operations. I had a very good teacher in my old boss and mentor. In moments of frustration, I usually think of her example and consider what her actions would be. I have been where we want to go and we have the map to get there. But like any good adventure there has to be some drama to go along with the romance and fun. Else it would not be an adventure, now would it?

Now for your very own adventure, scroll on down the page to check out these fine examples of Random Hotness to wet your whistle for the weekend. Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Sexy Santa of the Day