Day From Hell

So, yesterday was Xmas Eve and as usual it was mass confusion and irritation from start to finish.

Customers bitching about the heat (summer is here but the a/c system has been fucked for several years. Years.). Customers fighting among themselves about going through the "exit" line instead of the "entrance" line. Stealing, stealing and more stealing. Customers carrying out half-a-dozen wrapped parcels containing 100 stock items redeemed from Layby, and setting off the security buzzers, which means they gotta open the parcels so we can see what set the buzzers off. They love being stopped like that. Screaming, kicking, swearing, sweaty kids who didn't want to go with Mummy to The Store and who Mummy simply ignores for the whole time they're in there. It's such a Christmas-y atmosphere in The Store today.

I'm "on trolleys" today, which means I'm trolley collector, but that job also includes literally anything that the department managers don't wanna do, and in fact doesn't normally involve more than a coupla hours total bringing in trolleys. It's the extra shit that makes it a hard job.

At noon, the Store Manager comes to me and says "if you have time" (which means "if you don't find the time, don't bother showing up at work. Ever."), could I blow up the 300 balloons that they want for the Day After Xmas Sale. The helium cylinder is kept behind layby, which, at this time of year, is wall-to-wall stock. I get David, the young college dude who works here part-time, to shift some of the stock outta the way so I can get to the fucking cylinder, and start blowing up the balloons. After 10 or 12 balloons, the cylinder runs out of helium. I report this to the Store Manager who tells me he's got much more important shit on his plate, so to take my problems to his Assistant. The Assistant says to contact his assistant to see if the party-hire shop we use has any filled cylinders we can exchange for this dead one. They do. I ask Store Manager if I can take his car, but he doesn't have the company car that day, so I gotta schlep 5 long blocks with the dud cylinder on a trolley. And bring back the full one.

It's raining and the streets and footpaths are crowded but I get to the party hire shop and make the exchange. Get back to The Store and resume my blow job, puncturing a whole lotta balloons in the process, which scares the crap out of the Layby girls, who scream every time it happens and swear at me.

I was supposed to finish at 6 pm, and had got everything done that needed to be done so that I could get the fuck outta there as soon as they made the "store is now closed" announcement.

At 5:30 the Store Manager comes up and says I need to do a trolley run, up and down the street, so that any errant trolleys won't get damaged while the shop is closed for Xmas Day. Guys, it's hot outside, with light rain falling (which I had been out in for a good part of the day, bringing trolleys back in) and I really, really didn't want to go down the street hunting up the fuckers. The footpaths here in this town slope towards the street and trying to maneuver half-a-dozen trolleys several blocks back to The Store is just so a major pain in the arse. That's putting it VERY mildly. I openly curse the lazy, mother-fucking bogans who leave trolleys scattered over town and get startled looks from some passers-by.

But out I trot...up and down the street, and find about 7 trolleys. Getting them back to The Store was enough to put me in a fouler mood than I'd been, but I did it. And got back to The Store at 5 minutes to 6 pm.

I have this look on my face that says "don't any of you dare ask me to one more thing", which works, and I exit the place at 6:01 pm.

Hope ya'll have a Merry Christmas! And remember to go to the Big Sale on Boxing Day - cuz I won't be working that day! YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!