jmcgready’s misc universe

today was a study in frustration.

overslept but was able to cut lateness down to <10 min.
by taking a cab from Frankford Terminal to work -
pricey but necessary.

didn’t eat breakfast but got a quart of green smoothie to drink @ 1PM.

wall of customers until almost 3PM,
quick (0.5 hr) lunch and then back at it.

BTW, still trying to shake the last of this flu,
most of it in my chest and throat, which is aggravated
by having to talk so much.

did I mention that a new guy is being trained,
and is thus asking questions?

and that returning student workers are asking questions?

and that customers are asking questions with 5 followup
questions that are only slightly reworded versions of the
original question, whose answer they didn’t like and/or understand?

it is in this milieu that I remember Sunday’s message in James
about trouble’s use as a building tool in our lives and
that we should consider it joy when we go through stuff like this.

mentally… agree
but existentially? fuhgeddaboudit…

hooray for conscious incompetence!

Now I’m home writing this…

Technorati: a study in frustration, bethel, book of james, church, flu, followup questions, frankford terminal, frustration, frustrations, incompetence, James, lunch, milieu, overslept, smoothie

my final day of Christmas 2007 retail working has come and gone.

I only had to buy a few more things for Mom.

Decompressed by reading a book in the bookstore
after realizing that all the cool snarky Papyrus Christmas greeting cards were gone
leaving the place looking like a grocery store snack section in a stoner neighborhood.

headed home on the el,then caught the 50 bus up to Franklin Mills,
where all were treated to one woman’s litany of music industry woes,
with much name-checking and general drama.
(note: excessively dramatic name-checking only proves that you’re neither
intrinsically compelling nor original in any way worth mentioning)

The shooter’s headphones went on -
which bought her blather down to a somewhat ignorable level.

Got off the bus near Wally World, wondering as I wondered
what other present to get Mom
(she had already told me one thing she wanted, which I got for her)

One braving of insane Wally World lines,
[and a trip to customer service where I tried to make a CSR's day by:
1) addressing her in a civil manner (unlike the profanity spewing "get me a manager" type next to me)
2) thanking her and wishing her a happy holiday.]
I was finally on my way home.

I’ll let you know how Mom likes the other gift later on…

Technorati: blather, bookstore, christmas greeting cards, civil manner, csr, franklin mills, happy holiday, headphones, music industry, profanity, reading a book, reentry, snarky, wally world