One of the very best feelings in the whole world !
. It is to be remembered in the darker times.

Yay for your son, Ortho.
Parents are allowed to be proud of their children's achievements.

I'm happy because Mum is very happy with me at the moment:

Partly because I've been training and I know she worries and frets when I'm not working, as well as being fed up with having me underfoot. I've not been very helpful with housework during the heatwave either; both of us are just too hot to do anything useful after about 10.00.

Partly because she knows I am working. It turns out I am on a steep learning curve and she appreciates that; she can tell her friends I am not just stacking shelves.

And partly because I am bringing home yummy food ;)
She was so diasppointed today because I was Rotisserie training (stand-by for photos of burns after 08/08 when our strore opens) because she was really hoping for some chicken. Cheeky mare, we didn't even get to taste it. She loved the filled baguettes I brought home last night.

Oh and she has decided not to take Wolf's Chocolate Banana Bread out of the freezer.
Tony and Eileen are coming in a fortnight and she wants to save it for them.
I was gratified she didn't want her own recipe Banana Bread frozen - she just wanted to plough through it.
But I'm equally gratified that she wants to save Wolf's recipe loaf for company, having sampled it. 'Tis obviously the good stuff.

An addendum to my moany post about my new employers (Mildly Irritated thread) yesterday.
I had my first day training in my actual, real, proper branch today.
There are glitches, but I was happy to be there and felt really fired up.

I can't say I won't be moaning again when I come home on Wednesday (08.00-18.00?! OMG!) but I am excited for the store opening on Thursday.

Helped set up the Meat & Fish counters today.
I got halfway through and experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed, that it could never be finished ever and I didn't know what I was doing.
This is the point in moving house where I sit on the floor and cry.
But I was working with Raj who has years of branch experience, is a Meat & Fish Specialist (and very proud of her counters) and as well as transferring to Aylesbury she has voluntarily seconded to four other branch openings.

So I kept it buttoned because I didn't want to sound too negative and the feeling passed.
I was in safe hands.

I'm not working tomorrow and am almost a little disappointed.
Because Raj has the Meat & Fish counters looking organised, even if everything still needs to be wiped and washed and wiped again.
Whereas we didn't touch Deli at all.
The girls will do it in my absence tomorrow.

Back Weds for set-up and more Rotisserie training.
And tasting ;)

Fantastic, Sundae! I hope Wednesday and Thursday go well.

Wednesday was instructive, but long.

A good introduction to standing for periods of time - something it took me months to get used to when I only had a Saturday retail job. A ten hour shift was a shock to the system but it won't happen again unless I choose it and today's four hours were a cakewalk in comparison. For my feet and back I mean.

Today - opening day - my gosh the store was busy.
If it's like that every day we will certainly get complaints about the number of tills and the length of queues. When I say "we" I mean the store - on Deli we're currently learning and are officially overstaffed. Just because we are learning from Partners seconded from other branches. Four extra today, three tomorrow.

We were advised not to let them do things for us, and I think we all really took that on board. I asked the experienced Partners to step in twice; once when a lady was adament she wanted thin hand-carved ham (generally I would have to advise the customer that it is a difficult proposition, but it was opening day and that Partner has 26 years of experience) and once when another Partner was already machine carving Parma ham and the customer said she was happy to wait. So I asked him to carve another six slices, engaged her in conversation and got her to taste the cheese we were sampling. She didn't buy, but it's part of the W Way.

When I go in tomorrow I'm going to check whether we will be paid overtime or whether it will be "time-banked". If we are paid it, I'm going to soak up as much as my feets and back can handle. Good for me and my product knowledge. Good for the store in increasing staff during the crucial days of making a first impression. Good to get experience under tutelege.

But I have to admit it's just about the money.
I'm contracted for 17.5 hours a week at present. Why on earth would I want more time off? Might still slip in a few extra hours here and there just because all the above is true too.

Anyway, came home a happy (lola) bunny.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
Mum & Dad and Maureen came in to see me today.
Stevo might come in on Saturday.
The rest of you are welcome, I'll post a map if you like.

None of my usual obessive photo taking, until I get my discount and start shopping there. Then I can post products without commenting on the fact I employed there. Let's face it 99.9% here have no access to this chain. It's just I said before, the place is very protective of its image.
NO photos or comments unless officially sanctioned.
NO detrimental comments etc, etc, etc
You know the deal.
Pretty much a sacking offence.

It sounds like a great start and some intelligent planning on the part of management - having the experienced Partners there to refer to in unusual situations must boost the confidence as everyone finds their sea legs. And it sounds like you rocked the the W Way! The chat and cheese tasting will bring that customer back.

Don't worry about pics if they're not allowed - your writing is wonderful, Sundae, you take us there without pics. A map would be cool, and welcome. :)

So happy to hear your first day went well, Sundae!

Excellent news, Sundae dear!

Sent by thought transference

Long days.
Learning curve.
Up at 05.15, eyes self-sealing now.
21.00 is probably going to end up my regular sleepy time but I'm trying to ease into it. No point going to bed at 19.30 and then being up from 04.00.

But is good.
Like the positive vibe. Like the vast majority of my colleagues (I'm me, I'm not brainwashed.)
Like the chap who sings "Cherry Baby" every time he sees me; prolly old enough to legally be my Dad, but it cheers me up no end.
Like - no, love - the products we sell.

Happy me.

:thumbsup:

You go, girl. :)

Well I noticed a feeling while driving like my tires were out of round or something balance related. There wasn't a shimmy in the steering but I had noticed at slow speed the Land Rover acted like it was wobbling down the road.

So I dug out my Pep Boys receipt with the life time warranty and balancing, etc. and took it in. Pretty quickly they found my rear drivers side tire had a belt inside separated which made it spin all crooked and uneven, thus the wobbly feeling. That in itself didn't make me feel happy but with prorating it for 30,000 or so miles, etc I only have to pay $88 for a brand new tire.

The good part that makes me happy is that I have been planning to replace the 4 main tires with something more aggressive for off roading but my spare is an older Michelin street tire and showing signs of sidewall cracks from age making it useless if I need it. I was trying to avoid having to buy 5 tires at close to $200 each so now I will just get 4 tires and use the new replacement tire for the spare. Problem solved! :cool:

Over the weekend Lil Pete's boyfriend gave her a water lilly. She put it back in the water to keep it fresh and went sailing with the boy. Benny (the border collie) crept to the water's edge, very gently plucked the flower from the water, and placed it in Lil' Griff's, the third wheel's, lap.

Aww... That's adorable, Griff.

Benny knows how to suck up. :haha: Wonder if he was trying to cheer up the chaperon/3rd wheel?