National Make A Difference Day

It's National Make a Difference Day!

This day was created in 1992 and is the largest national day of community service.  A celebration of neighbors helping neighbors.  USA Weekend Magazine started this day.  They stressed how society has evolved by people's actions over the years.  They challenged readers to go out and help others in their community.  You might think that you aren't making a difference, but, just your one action creates a domino effect of others doing the same (helping others) and over time it will have an effect on society in the years to come.  The magazine is no longer around, but, their idea to help the community and make a difference lives on.

Community service is when someone or a group of people do an activity or service that benefits their community or other people or a charity.  It's a great way for a person to give back to their community.

Maybe there is an area in your neighborhood that need some work.  Maybe it's an elderly neighbor who could use help fixing up their home (painting, yard work, etc.).  Maybe it's your local animal shelter or a senior center.  You can even help by donating to a charity.

Today is a great day to give back.  Doing something for others always makes you feel good about yourself.  Helping others is a great way to help yourself.  Helping others, or doing a good deed for another person creates a ripple effect.  Others see you help someone and decide to do the same.  Maybe the person that you are helping feels blessed and they go on to help another person.  You might not witness this ripple like effect personally, but, do know that your kind act will lead to many other good deeds performed by others.

How will you celebrate Make a Difference Day?

Kids Bop

For those of you who don't know, Kids Bop is children singing contemporary songs.  They sing popular songs that get heavy radio play and/or the songs that have made the Billboard Hot 100 list of songs.  The lyrics are modified so they are much more "kid friendly," taking out profanity and sexual references.  Although, some times with these modifications, the songs lose their meaning (and they don't make sense).

I've listened to more than my share  a lot of Kids Bop music during my time at the toy store.  It isn't bad when you like the song.  Unfortunately, some of the Kids Bop songs are played over and over (and over and over) to the point where you end up hating that song.  That's bad, especially if the song is still popular on the radio.  It's also bad, because I know I am going to have to hear it a million  hundred times during my next shift.  If I work on the weekend, it's long shifts and log hours of listening to Kids Bop.

The shifts I have been scheduled to work for the last couple of months have all been nights, so, unfortunately, got to hear the same songs on the overhead store speaker every time I came in to work.  It finally reached the point of me, turning off the overhead music when it got to certain annoying songs.  My coworkers laughed, but, I know deep down, they were grateful that I turned off the music.  Well, honestly, they didn't want me to ask them to sing or to hear me sing along with those songs.

My last shift is another evening shift.  So, tonight I will be listening to the same Kids Bop songs I've heard for the last two months (pray for me).  I will do my best to try and enjoy them one last time.  At my new job, they play real  normal  music.

Awkward Moment

I knew I would have some more crazy posts with this whole job change.

As most of you know (I write like I have more than my loyal two followers), I gave my notice at the toy store.  You can read all about that here.  Last week was pretty hairy.  I worked all seven days.  Some days, I worked at both jobs.  This week is a little better.  Only five days of work and 3 of those are at both places.

I'm enjoying my time at my new job.  There's always something to do.  I'm never bored.  I especially enjoy working on the floor.  I get quite a bit of exercise walking around the store.  And, that (walking and exercise) is always a good thing for me.   I'm surprised by that because I really like being at the register, ringing customers out.  That's when I get to talk to people.

On one of my register days, it was a little crazy (we had a long line).  I finished up with my customer and asked the next customer to step over.  I don't think she heard me, and as I was staring, I realized that I knew this customer from the toy store.  One of the customers that I liked to talk to during the check out process.  I didn't know if she would recognize me or not.  I wasn't totally out of the toy store (still had over a week to go) and no one there knows where I'm off to when I leave there.

The customer finally walked over and it didn't take long for it to dawn on her to recognize me.  I told her I still had a week left at the toy store and that I would miss being there.  She said that shopping at this store is much more fun.

I think things went well.  It was rather awkward at first, but, I think she understood the reason for the change.  I should probably just get used to it.  I'm sure I will have many more experiences like that in the future.

My Weird Dog

I think I am finally convinced that my dog is weird.

Yes, I have a lot of stories about him on my blog.  They all describe little oddities about him.  I find them amusing.  My family says he's just weird.  Now, I think I'm going to have to finally agree with them.  My dog is weird.

Many posts back, I wrote about Pippen getting skunked.  Not one of the great, happy times of having a dog.  In fact, it was one of the things I had hoped to avoid.  It happened and we got through it.  I think the skunk odor is totally out of his fur now.  I'm hoping it never happens again.

Ever since the skunk "incident," when I let Pippen out at night before bed, he won't go out into the yard by himself.  So, to make sure he does what he needs to do, I started walking with him out to the yard.  That's across and down the deck, onto the patio, then chasing him onto the grass.  While outside, he acts rather skittish in the yard.  Any sound or movement makes him jump.

Walking out back started to get old, so, I started letting Pippen out the front door.  As I'm walking down the driveway (yes, I have to go out, too),  he walks right behind me.  Once again, I have to tell him to get on the grass and do his business.

It took me awhile, but, I finally realized why he acts so weird when I let him outside at night.  He's afraid of getting skunked again.  He's so scared that he would rather not venture out into the darkness and just hold it in all night.

RT says Pippen is getting soft in his old age.  I think he's just being a big baby.

And now, I'm sure everyone else is thinking that he's just plain weird.

The Silent Treatment

As I mentioned a couple of blog posts ago, I gave my notice at the toy store.  As I stated in that post, it was hard to do because I worked there for so long.  It was like working with friends or family (okay.  Maybe not family...)  I didn't mind the work, when it was busy, but, the scheduled hours and well, not getting enough hours during the week, was what pushed me to find something else.

I gave my notice in a  professional way.  Like I said, it was difficult to do.  I know it was for the best for me and my family.  Knowing the business side of things, I know it isn't the best time of year to leave, since holiday is coming up (the busiest time of year for the retail industry).

Since my resignation, I have been given the silent treatment by the managers and the owner.  I guess it didn't help that another co worker gave her notice a few days after me (which is no fault of mine).

It isn't fun working when no one is talking to you.  Well, I do have my fellow co workers who are still friendly.  I thought of giving my remaining shifts away to coworkers.  I mean, why bother going to work when no one (management) wants you there?

I thought about it and realized how childish the entire situation has become.  I felt like I was in Junior High again and the mean girls decided to turn against me.  I was feeling a little uneasy about leaving.  "Am I making the right decision?"  "What if things don't turn out the way I expect them too?"  And then, it dawned on me.

Things are much better this way.  It makes it a lot easier for me to leave. I realize that I am making a better decision by changing jobs and that I will definitely grow from this experience.

So, I will be working the rest of my shifts.

Possibly in silence.

Awesome!

You know I can't leave my old job at the toy store without writing a blog post (or three).

I have been scheduled lately with one of the younger new hires (well, she's not the youngest, she's in college).  She is quite friendly with the customers, but, not so much with the staff.  And, if she is not waiting on a customer, she will just hang out at the register and stare off into space.  I'm not sure if she just doesn't want to work or doesn't know how to do it?  I did ask a few hundred  times if they trained her.  I have asked her to help straighten the store, and even offered to show her how it's done.  Every time I ask her, she tells me that she knows how to do it.  Oh, yea, sometimes, instead of staring off into space, she will doodle.  She even leaves her drawings on the counter so everyone knows what she was doing on her shift.

Unfortunately, the owner and manager think she's great.  Mainly because she says, "awesome" so much.  In fact, they were giddy because she said, "awesome" nine times to the same customer.  When I heard this, I felt like we hit an all time low and was actually feeling embarrassed for the store.

I have been scheduled with this person for the majority of my shifts for the last few months.   I try to go into the shift with a positive mind,  knowing that I will be doing the work of two people that evening.  I also know that I will hear the word, "awesome" a million  thousands of  hundreds numerous times.

I guess you can say that this "awesome" situation is the straw that broke the camel's back.  It was part of my "awesome" motivation to move on.   (It's catchy, isn't it?)

We are scheduled to work together on my last shift.

Pray for me.

National Grouch Day

The day was originally created to celebrate the world's favorite grouch, Oscar the Grouch, from Sesame Street.  Remember watching that show?

Today is National Grouch Day!  It's a day to celebrate all of the grouches that we know and for us to embrace our inner grouch.  Today we can complain, wallow in misery or just be plain crabby all day. No one can stop us!  This day allows us to vent and complain about, well, everything .  It's not easy being happy all of the time.  It's good to complain once in awhile.  Believe it or not, complaining can be good for you.  It has a cathartic effect.  But, for most, complaining is just a way of life.

How to spot a grouch?  A grouch is someone who loves to complain and is happy to have someone that can share in their misery.  Misery loves company.  They will never admit they are happy because their main goal in life is to be miserable.

Famous grouches?  Oscar the Grouch, of course, and Grumpy Cat.

What to do on National Grouch Day?  Whine a little, unleash your inner grouch today and you will be happy and thankful the rest of the year.

Share your sense of humor.  Today is great for those with a dry sense of humor.  Sharing memes on social media is great, too.

Watch an episode of Sesame Street.  When was the last time you did that?  Maybe watching Oscar the Grouch will lighten your mood?

So, don't be a  grump...be a grouch today1  Celebrate your inner Oscar the Grouch.