You're kidding me.

I am a single female.

Ninety-nine percent of my co-workers and customers are of the male type. I've recently learned that if any customer takes an interest in me and decides to ask my co-workers about me, this is the general reply:

"She's single, you should ask her out."

One of my co-workers loves to see people squirm, he even smiled and remarked on how he thinks it would be awesome to watch that type of uncomfortable conversation unfold.

Thankfully, most of the customers have realized that it would be really awkward if I turned them down and then they still have to shop at our store, so they've been smart and not acted on my lovely co-workers advice.

There are several levels on which this pisses me off. He has a daughter and I am starting to think that daughters are bestowed upon guys who have asshole tendencies when it comes to women. He has a wife, I have no idea if she had to deal with this sort of bullshit or not. But if she did, I'm sure he was compassionate enough to say "Deal with it."

The getting hit-on part I can deal with. Co-workers that encourage it for their amusement, that's just a bit much for me.

W00t!

I'd say I work in a pretty competitive business environment.

We have a budget to work towards as a store, Friday Specials for the customers and counter guys (I say guys well, because, it mostly is.), and the counter/inside sales email is sent out every month by our GM. This email lists the top ten counter/inside sales associates in three categories, two of which deal with monies and the other is by tickets written. It's added up, averaged out and I'm sure there are even 8x10 glossy photos with circles and arrows and photographs on the back but what matters(?) is the number at the bottom of the email, who is that months Inside/Counter Associate.

Yeah, I was numero uno for the month of September for our region (read, the state of Desert).

I normally don't care too much about where I place on the overall list, as long as I'm somewhere on two of the three. I'm not a sales-driven person. I tend to work with the customers who don't necessarily want the best deal, they want the weird stuff and they need it yesterday. They have jobs that require all aluminum items because it's going into an MRI room. They need registers for a house that will have an energy bill higher than most peoples mortgages. They are looking for a fan that can handle 22000 cfm and will have 22" round ducting.

I think the two big reasons that I'm bragging are: I was actually kind of hoping to move away from sales with the promotion and the #2 boss gave me a call to congratulate me on being first on the list. An atta-boy like that makes me feel like I do matter, I'm not just a cog in a big sales machine. Even though tomorrow I'll probably get an email asking about why our branch has such craptastic daily report card.....it's all good.

Pre-punishment?

I'm looking forward to October. 

I get to turn another year older. 

Metallica will be in town. 

I am hoping to run a 5k with my dad. 

One of my best friends is coming down for a visit. 

I am going to Disneyland with the famdamily. (Do they serve beer at the Happiest Place on Earth? I'm looking forward to walking around the park drinking with my parents.)

Halloween! 

While my friend is in town, I'm going to work half-days since I'm using all of my vacation for the Disneyland trip. Getting off of work at noon will be sweet. 

The payment for all this? 

My boss is having surgery tomorrow and I expect him to be out for at least a week. The warehouse manager at my store is on vacation starting tomorrow and will be gone all of next week as well. I've not done any of the reports/reviews in the month that I've been at my new post due to my manager wanting me to build a rapport with our customers. Guess what I get to start doing tomorrow? Yeah, all those reports and reviews. I actually brought one of the reports home tonight. It's still in my truck. I have to have it done by tomorrow at the end of the day. 

I must bleed Blue. 

This sucks. 

Random

"If we cuss, are you going to turn us in?"

I had this asked of me when I visited the store I was going to be working at when I first started with this company. I had just been introduced to the three or four warehouse guys, on my way in to meet the counter guys and store manager. The guy who asked it? A guy about my fathers' age, give or take a few years, who worked in the warehouse.

All I could do was laugh. I told them of course not, I had grown up around the military and I had dated a sailor. I can cuss a blue-streak with the best/worst of them and occasionally forget my manners and do. Out loud. 

Mom, I know you're proud and Wood, I learned half of the choice phrases from you. I think mainly from when you were driving the Bug. ;)  

Who wants this with their toast?

More than a tweet but less than a post

Neko Case singing about home! If you don't know about the pretty parts of town this song could make you think about the gritty parts of a bigger city. 

I started at my 'new' store today. I neglected to tell most of my customers that I was moving stores. Yeah, I know, shame on me. They found me anyway. Their main concern? Can they still order from me since I've been promoted/moved? "Of course you can." is my reply. My manager says that I have a following. A following in wholesale? Okay. Customers who are used to seeing me at my old store, in addition to asking me if I'm lost, are asking if this is a permanent relocation. I've been replying with something along the lines of 'not too much is permanent around here'. The only constant in this company is change. 

A guy friend of mine told me that I have to stop working out, I'm looking good. I laughed and I thanked him. It's a nice compliment to hear. 

For some reason, I've really been digging Supertramp as of late. I've been wishing for a set of really great speakers to blast Bloody Well Right on a Saturday morning while I sit on my porch and drink my coffee. Is it the harmonica, the horns? I don't know, but I like it. 

I've noticed that I've been laughing more in the last year. It's a nice feeling to be happy. I have my little-black-rain cloud days but overall, I'm in a good place. 

Too quiet.

I've received a promotion. I've earned a promotion. I've been promoted. 

I think my parents are more excited than I am. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of what I've accomplished to get to this point. I've worked hard to get to this point in my career. It's a huge stepping stone to my (so-far) ultimate career goal with this company. I told my mom and dad over the phone, I think my dad may have jumped out of a chair when he heard the news. Mom was just as thrilled and I know that Wood was just as happy and proud of me as they are. I'm a lucky kid to have that many grown-ups looking out for me. Dad and I are going to go to dinner to celebrate. Mom decided that she would drink a margarita for me, I'm sure Wood drank a beer in salute as well. 

What did I do? I went to the gym and lifted for an hour and then ran for 30 minutes to get to that 3.2 miles. Well, I ran about 2.75 miles before I ran out of gas and then had to slow down to an easy jog. But who cares, I did it. :)

Isn't this one of those movie moments where you're supposed to go out with your friends and at least celebrate at happy hour? Or go goofy-golfing? I'm not complaining, just saying. 

Anyone want to come over and help me drink this bottle of wine?

Newb.

In case you were wondering, your standard freon gauges will indeed work with that 208/230 3 phase unit you're working on.