2017 - already looking better

So, where do I start?

After a year (13 months, actually) of actively looking for a job and nearly weekly sending out applications I have FINALLY been hired somewhere.

I finally decided that the 8-5 job was just out of my league since there are NO people hiring for 8-5 positions. Literally ZERO. So I expanded my search criteria to IDGAF what shift gimme SOMETHING that will pay me money in exchange for my limited services.

So I applied to the C___ station in S. It's close and I have some experience (granted it was 13 years ago). Best of all I know the lady that runs that store, so practically guaranteed an "in" right? Well, I applied before Christmas and didn't hear anything and didn't hear anything. After the new year passed I had pretty much thrown that option out the window.

Then I got a call that said, "I know you applied to S. but would you consider working in P?"

I was like, "........I have NO idea where P. is."

But she told me and I went and interviewed. They hired me before they even realized I had worked at a C____ before. They are/were SEVERELY understaffed and needed SOMEONE just to give their full-time employees a day off or so a week.

So, happy I had ANYTHING, I started working there. The kitchen was easy - I still retained a lot of stuff from my time as a pizza maker. It was like getting on a bike. Just a few reminders helped me along. Only a couple things hindered me...like at my old store they had beef and sausage next to each other in the prep bins and this store doesn't, so when I made my first taco pizza I accidentally put sausage on it lol. Other than that I slid right into the roll so quickly that on day THREE I was running the kitchen all by myself. Day THREE, as in, two days of training and I was running the show. Crazy. I credit my awesome trainer...she's very cool and easy to learn from. Days I spent in the kitchen literally flew by. I hated coming home two hours after my kids and husband but that's the sacrifice I gotta make to get some money right?

So then they started training me on register. Register is WAY HARDER (even though a couple kitchen people expressed jealousy that I was doing register). First of all there is the terrifying thought of messing up the money. I would literally NEVER steal money ever for ANY reason...but there is the possibility of a math error that might make it LOOK LIKE I stole something, and I'm double-counting everything in a desperate attempt at not messing something up math-wise. Secondly, there's the cooler. I freaking HATE the cooler. It's so hard! I can run around crazy and stock what's already in there, but once a slot is empty I'm completely worthless at finding out what's supposed to be in there. There are sheets with pictures on them for reference, but I was informed they're all wrong so don't follow them. Thanks?? And the person that's supposed to be training me didn't really show me HOW to do it, they were just like, "you'll figure it out." Um....thanks??

Then there's the register, which is completely different than anything I worked with 13 years ago. That I'm picking up on rather quickly, but the cigarettes...oh goodness the cigarettes....there are SO MANY!!! And so many different kinds of each brand!! Someone comes up and says, "Oh hey, I want [whatever brand] [whatever color] [whatever size] in a [whatever pack]" and I'm like:

 
And then I turn and start playing "Where's Waldo" with this ENORMOUS wall covered floor-to-ceiling with a thousand DIFFERENT kinds of cigarettes looking for the one specific kind these people are talking about.

Other than that everything else is cool. I can make coffee and clean out the machines, I can refill cups and "face" everything with great enthusiasm.

So I will likely need a lot more training on the register, but I don't care. If I can do kitchen AND register then I'm practically guaranteed to have 30-35 hours a week, and that will be awesome.

I'm giving up a position with the hospital (reception) because C___ gives me more hours, and I'm trying out one other place as a potential job because I don't have to drive as far to get to it, but as far as I know I'll be at C____ in P. for the foreseeable future. And that's great. :)

Oh and in case you're wondering, about a week after I was hired in P. the S. store called and wanted to know if I could interview and I asked if I could work at both stores. The lady was mad that "they got to you first" but said there's nothing she can do about it now.

Oh wait, THERE'S MORE....but yeah, you WILL have to wait because I have a lot to do today and I can't sit in front of the computer for hours anymore.

LOVE YOU!