Friday, December 23, 2005

Germs! Germs!!

Oooh boy.
The crazies were out in full force today at Kohl's. Only 2 (or is it 3) days left until X-mas so all the last minute shoppers are out and about. And many of them are insane. While I had numerous "interesting" customers step up to my Customer Service counter (including a young scammer), there was one who makes me smile every time I think of her.
There was a customer who came and returned a couple things and then she went off to do some more shopping. I noticed about a half hour later or so she was back in line and my co-worker, Nicole, assisted her. The lady wanted to pay her Kohl's charge bill but wanted to know the exact balance, which we don't have axcess to. Nicole told her to use the Customer Service phone hanging on the wall because it connects you right with the Kohls Charge people. And the woman said, "A public phone? I have to use a public phone? I don't want to use that." She was looking at the pay phone. Nicole pointed at the other phone and said it has a direct line to the Kohls Charge account people. The woman had a real disgusted look on her face and kept saying things like "Well, anybody can use that phone. I don't want to touch it." She then asked Nicole for some tissues, one for her ear and one for her hand." And proceeded to use the phone with a tissue covering the ear and mouth piece and one that she used to press the buttons." Nicole kept sneaking me glances and we were both about to burst out in the giggles. But we controlled ourselves and when I finished with my customer, I headed back to the office where Nicole was and we both had a GOOD laugh about that one. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

You just have to wonder about these people. How does she go anywhere and touch anything? I am SURE she doesn't use public restrooms or drinking fountains. But does she have kids? And what about those germs? Does she go to restaurants? And why doesn't she carry around some of those plastic gloves JUST IN CASE she has to touch something........

Oh boy. She came and paid her bill and left her tissues on the counter. So I asked as she was leaving if she was done with them and threw them away. I should have offered for her to keep them. For next time.

A good laugh is always good to have at work.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Ahhh.......the drama.

Sometimes things that could be so simple turn into such dramatic and stressful events.
Why is that?

A month and a half ago, I asked my boss, in a nonchalant manner, "So, what are the chances of me not working the day after X-mas." He practically laughed me out of the room. "Don't even ask that. There is just no way." he said.

You may be wondering why do I want the day after X-mas off? After all, it's not even my holiday. Well, my extended family generally has a "Holiday Party" every year in Columbia at my cousins house. I have fond memories of this party growing up but the memories taper off as the years went by. Not because the parties stopped but because I stopped going. Last year I was working at Kohl's and couldn't get the day off, the year before I was coming to St. Louis soon after when my bro and sis-in-law would be there. The year before that I was in New York, the year before that in Israel, the year before that New York, the 2 years before that in Israel. So it's been at least 7 years since I have gone to this party. And while I am not terribly close with my extended family, I really do miss them. I think slowly I have been drifting away from my family - and not neccesarily looking back..... But I am not happy about that. I don't know if my change in attitude is because now I have a son and I would like him to know my family too. Or if it was a real eye-opener when I hardly heard from anyone after he was born. You may say well that's really obnoxious of your family but when was the last time I called any of them??? And no, I didn't send out Announcements when Jonah was born so maybe they didn't even know for awhile.
My brother from Seattle is going to be at the party. My cousin from Paris will be there. My cousin who is fighting cancer will be there. Family from Oregon, California, Nashville, Florida, St. Louis, and elsewhere will ALL be there!

Whatever the case may be, it's time for me to reconnect with my family. And it looked like it was going to have to wait this year. Because according to Kohl's, there was NO way that I would get that day off. SO - I did not purchase the $80 tickets that they had on special......

Today I walk into work and check the schedule book - lo and behold, guess who is not working the day after X-mas! Yup, it's me. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had just checked ticket prices yesterday - I don't know why. I suppose I was still hoping. Thinking maybe there was some early early morning flight on Monday or late late Sunday night flight that I could catch. Or maybe I wouldn't be scheduled until Monday afternoon. The tickets were $189. So, the price had already jumped up $109!!

I got home from work and jumped on the computer. Cheapest tickets I could find $233!! GULP. That would get me in Saturday night and back out on Monday night. And it's just me and Jonah. No way could we afford $466!! I went back and forth and up and down. Thought about flying, driving, trains, busses. Take a trip to Chicago with Shauli for the weekend and then head down to St. Louis - fly back from there. Go with Shauli the entire trip but that meant an 11 hour car ride on Monday with my 15 month old in the back seat. Yikes.

I talked to my mom who talked with my step-dad and that whole conversation because one big drama!!! I talked to my friend who was also going to St.Louis that weekend to see if I could convince her to drive there with me.
I was at the computer and on the phone for HOURS. Brought to tears at one point.

Gosh, how I hate MONEY and the stress it causes.
Bottom line. For a month now I had been saying, the only think stopping me from going to the party is the fact that I have to work on Monday. POOF - I didn't have to work Monday but it would cost me $150 more. We certainly don't have $150 to just throw around. So then I thought of taking it out of my savings. Should I? Shouldn't I? Am I crazy?

After a LOT of discussion and a LOT of thinking I decided to go for it. I knew if I didn't, I would regret it. I had learned this lesson once before with my friend's second wedding. I decided not to go for various reasons and really regretted that decision. But it was too late. I did not want to make that mistake again. Look back on it and think WHY didn't I go? Why did I let something like MONEY get in the way of FAMILY? Why did I let another year go by slipping further away from my family? It's just not worth it.

So I bought the ticket. And Jonah and I are flying out Saturday night, coming back Monday night. The money issue will work out. My mom and step-dad are helping out with part of it and I talked with my step-dad and we cleared the air so there aren't any bad feelings between us. PHEW!

Granted, it won't be the easiest trip I have taken. Just me and Jonah, weird flight times, holiday party, no kosher food, etc etc. But I know that it will be worth it. I am already SOO happy to be going. I made the RIGHT decision.

But do you realize how much simpler life would have been if I had just made those tickets a month and a half ago???? If Kohl's had even hinted that maybe I could get the day off. WOW, would we have avoided a lot of drama!

Oh well. Such is life.

Monday, December 05, 2005

Goodbye

I ended up going to Brenda's Memorial Service on Friday. I went with two other girls from work. It took two hours to get there which wasn't too bad. The worst part of the drive was the traffic getting out of Detroit. We got there at 10 and kind of stood around for about an hour until the service started. There was a collage of pictures of her and we talked with Mike and met his Dad, uncle, and grandparents. It was pretty awkward but I am very glad that we went because there weren't a lot of people there and certainly not a lot of people for Mike. It seemed to mean a lot to him that we were there.
The service was pretty short. A eulogy and then Mike said some words about her. There was a video montage with pictures of her throughout her life. At the end there was a Latin quote that meant "I Regret Nothing". It was a tattoo she had on her ankle. At the end of the montage, it hit me. That was it. The end of her life. All those pictures leading up to this. The end of a life at 27 years old. Wow.
That was the end of the service and the family was supposed to walk out first. Brenda's brother and his wife, stood up together and walked out. And then Mike stood up. He kinda looked around, looked back at the picture of her and basically looked a little lost. And alone.
And then he walked out. By himself.
That brought me to real tears. No one got up after that. So the 4 of us (co-workers) stood up and walked out. We went over to Mike and he was the one trying to comfort us. Saying we shouldn't cry because our mascara would run.
Trying to look out for us after he just lost his wife.....
And that was that.