March 9, 2011
Liars and Thieves
There's been a lot of drama lately at work. I've tired of telling the story repeatedly and really it's a long and complicated tale that I don't particularly feel like typing out right now. The short version is that two people that I work with who are dating had a fight because he was high on cocaine and she manipulated everyone to feel sorry for her and to handle her problems because she victimized herself and acted immaturely and irresponsibly. We are used to her being a selfish liar by now, but especially the past week things have been particularly awful. And he is to blame as well. Our boss asked me and a few other key people whether we should fire him or just give him a warning. We all agreed to fire him, but couldn't come up with anything that could really stick as a good reason for letting him go. So even though he is a troublemaker and creates drama along with his girlfriend and is a bad influence, I tried to think about it logically and detach any emotions from the decision. So in part I am responsible for him remaining at work. Then this past Monday I was putting change into the cash registers and so I turned to put the money in and then customers came or something so my little box of change was just sitting on the counter while I was counting or dealing with customers, whatever it was. But when I turned back to my box to get out another two five dollar bills, they weren't there. I though perhaps I had already taken them out and put them into the register, or maybe my eyes had been playing tricks on me, or maybe HE had taken them since he was standing right there. Of course so was SHE. I should have counted out my little box right then and there. I should have said something. But I figured I must have been mistaken since it was early in the morning and I was tired. Nobody would actually just take $10 from my change box, would they? Wednesday I gave my boss my change box to refill with coins since I had Tuesday off, and guess who was $10 short in change? I was so angry and frustrated and embarrassed and just didn't know what to say. I'm not going to accuse HIM of doing it when I have no proof and it was already a few days ago. But it makes me so angry that I stuck up for him in a way by being the person who said let's keep him because he is good for the store and is fast and works hard (even though he is actually lazy and avoids work, and isn't a good team player, and makes mistakes). After everything he put me through last week with all the drama and I haven't really held a grudge. I have been nothing but friendly and polite to both of them even after the incident. Even after SHE called me a backstabber. It just really hurts that they would betray me like this. It's not surprising or anything. But I feel awful, like they have besmirched my good name. How am I supposed to work with them on Friday with this nagging feeling that they stole from me, from the store? Maybe it wasn't them. Maybe I just miscounted or something stupid like that. Maybe it is my fault. But I just can't trust them, or even tolerate being around them anymore.
February 24, 2011
Stop Signs.
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| Image found using Google. |
While it was purely accidental, that doesn't change the fact that I did it, and could have injured myself or others all because I didn't see and obey the sign.
To avoid the risk of this whole blog sounding a little too cliché I'm not going o delve into the "stop signs" that I've noticed recently in the lives of my friends, or even in my own life. I want to keep this short and simple (even though I somehow have a habit of dragging out those short and sweet points into ridiculously long ramblings).
So let me just say this and be done with it:
Sometimes in life there are stop sign.
Sometimes you have to stop and wait.
Or stop and change direction.
Sometimes you have to think about where you are going, and where you want to be going.
Much too often we choose to ignore these stop signs, and when we take that risk, we can get hurt.
♥katherine
February 14, 2011
Surviving V-Day
Hello, World!
Today is Valentine's Day!
Now I realize that not everyone has positive feelings toward this particular day, but that is in part what today's post is about. Today we are going to talk about how to survive Valentine's Day as a post-graduate. So we're going to focus on two common situations for post-grads to be in: single, and/or poor...
Being Single in a World Full of Couples:
If you are part of the single crowd (and not particularly by choice) then you know there is almost nothing more annoying than a holiday that has the sole purpose of reminding you constantly that you belong to that single crowd. Between the barrage of lovey-dovey songs on the radio, PDAs, the entire aisles in stores devoted to the colour red, pink, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, it can be an emotionally exhausting time. But, as a single girl here, I am here to tell you that it is possible to survive and even enjoy this holiday with these suggestions:
1. Don't Try to Be a Couple: A lot of people seem to try and go for the quick fix and simply become un-single for Valentine's Day. You don't need to hook-up with somebody to feel loved, so don't waste your day (or, uh, night) trying to fill that void of love with some random person you met at the bar or wherever people go to meet randoms these days.
2. Find Somebody to Love: I know I said that you shouldn't try and couple up just for the sake of being a couple for the day, but this point is different and not to be confused with 'Don't Try to Be a Couple'. While it's important to remember that you don't need to find someone to be with to fit in, it's also important to remember that Love isn't just about couples. You can choose to use this day to let your family and friends know how much they really mean to you. Don't worry, I'm not suggesting you have to send flowers and chocolates to all your Facebook friends, but you may have some people in your life who would Love to get a phone call from you to let them know you were thinking of them and wondering how they are. This is also a great day to hang out with other single friends. Whether you want to play a board game, watch a movie, or even go out and have a fancy "romantic" dinner with a group of your best single friends. Sometimes we get too busy with the everyday business of life, it's important to take some time to connect with those that you care about most.
3. Do "Single" Things: Today is the perfect day to pamper yourself a little, after all, you deserve it! Get your nails done, dye your hair, watch your favourite movie with a big bowl of popcorn... whatever makes you feel special. Think of it this way, all those couples are going to be busy this evening having dinner, going to the movies, and doing romantic couple-y things. Which means that all those unromantic avenues are probably less crowded with couples. Perfect time to hit up the library, gym, help out with your local soup kitchen, go ice fishing... whatever you decide, and you don't have to worry if it's something that nobody else wants to do, because you're single! And don't forget that all that chocolate is going to end up going on sale soon, take advantage of the sales to buy yourself your favourite box of chocolates at a reduced rate!
Valentine's Day for Cheap
For some of you post-graduates you may find yourself with a significant other (as the cliche goes) you face a whole new set of problems in figuring out how to survive Valentine's Day. With all the commercialism these days it can be expensive to even do the traditional sending of flowers and chocolates. With these ideas though you and your special someone can enjoy a less expensive Valentine's Day.
1. Stay In: There is something special and romantic about a home-cooked meal eaten in candlelight and then cuddling up on the couch and watching your favourite romantic comedy. You can spend an evening baking cookies together, playing a favourite board game, or sharing favourite memories from when you first started dating.
2. Go Out: Dinner at a fancy restaurant can get expensive, and even a night at the movies for two with popcorn and drinks ends up being pretty expensive. Skip the traditional dinner and a movie night for something that better fits your budget. Opt for something like a romantic walk in the park in the moonlight, or skating at an outdoor rink. Even going for a drive can turn into a romantic venture when you bring along your own meaningful songs and a picnic dinner for when you reach wherever your final destination happens to be (somewhere overlooking the city, a body of water, or where you can see the stars all tend to be winners).
3. Get Creative: If you are looking for gifts other than flowers and chocolates, you might have to start looking at places other than Walmart. Gifts are best when they are from the heart, as anyone will tell you, and you can rarely find items from the heart in mass-produced numbers lining the shelves of the nearby department stores. Write a poem, frame a favourite photo of the two of you, or even create a "coupon" booklet with vouchers for things like a romantic dinner in, a car wash, free hugs, etc. Imperfect Homemaking has some neat ideas for inexpensive date ideas like making a fondue, playing hide 'n' seek, or muting a rented foreign film and making up your own dialog for the characters.
Today is Valentine's Day!
Now I realize that not everyone has positive feelings toward this particular day, but that is in part what today's post is about. Today we are going to talk about how to survive Valentine's Day as a post-graduate. So we're going to focus on two common situations for post-grads to be in: single, and/or poor...
---♥--♥--♥---
Being Single in a World Full of Couples:
If you are part of the single crowd (and not particularly by choice) then you know there is almost nothing more annoying than a holiday that has the sole purpose of reminding you constantly that you belong to that single crowd. Between the barrage of lovey-dovey songs on the radio, PDAs, the entire aisles in stores devoted to the colour red, pink, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, it can be an emotionally exhausting time. But, as a single girl here, I am here to tell you that it is possible to survive and even enjoy this holiday with these suggestions:
1. Don't Try to Be a Couple: A lot of people seem to try and go for the quick fix and simply become un-single for Valentine's Day. You don't need to hook-up with somebody to feel loved, so don't waste your day (or, uh, night) trying to fill that void of love with some random person you met at the bar or wherever people go to meet randoms these days.
2. Find Somebody to Love: I know I said that you shouldn't try and couple up just for the sake of being a couple for the day, but this point is different and not to be confused with 'Don't Try to Be a Couple'. While it's important to remember that you don't need to find someone to be with to fit in, it's also important to remember that Love isn't just about couples. You can choose to use this day to let your family and friends know how much they really mean to you. Don't worry, I'm not suggesting you have to send flowers and chocolates to all your Facebook friends, but you may have some people in your life who would Love to get a phone call from you to let them know you were thinking of them and wondering how they are. This is also a great day to hang out with other single friends. Whether you want to play a board game, watch a movie, or even go out and have a fancy "romantic" dinner with a group of your best single friends. Sometimes we get too busy with the everyday business of life, it's important to take some time to connect with those that you care about most.
3. Do "Single" Things: Today is the perfect day to pamper yourself a little, after all, you deserve it! Get your nails done, dye your hair, watch your favourite movie with a big bowl of popcorn... whatever makes you feel special. Think of it this way, all those couples are going to be busy this evening having dinner, going to the movies, and doing romantic couple-y things. Which means that all those unromantic avenues are probably less crowded with couples. Perfect time to hit up the library, gym, help out with your local soup kitchen, go ice fishing... whatever you decide, and you don't have to worry if it's something that nobody else wants to do, because you're single! And don't forget that all that chocolate is going to end up going on sale soon, take advantage of the sales to buy yourself your favourite box of chocolates at a reduced rate!
Valentine's Day for Cheap
For some of you post-graduates you may find yourself with a significant other (as the cliche goes) you face a whole new set of problems in figuring out how to survive Valentine's Day. With all the commercialism these days it can be expensive to even do the traditional sending of flowers and chocolates. With these ideas though you and your special someone can enjoy a less expensive Valentine's Day.
1. Stay In: There is something special and romantic about a home-cooked meal eaten in candlelight and then cuddling up on the couch and watching your favourite romantic comedy. You can spend an evening baking cookies together, playing a favourite board game, or sharing favourite memories from when you first started dating.
2. Go Out: Dinner at a fancy restaurant can get expensive, and even a night at the movies for two with popcorn and drinks ends up being pretty expensive. Skip the traditional dinner and a movie night for something that better fits your budget. Opt for something like a romantic walk in the park in the moonlight, or skating at an outdoor rink. Even going for a drive can turn into a romantic venture when you bring along your own meaningful songs and a picnic dinner for when you reach wherever your final destination happens to be (somewhere overlooking the city, a body of water, or where you can see the stars all tend to be winners).
3. Get Creative: If you are looking for gifts other than flowers and chocolates, you might have to start looking at places other than Walmart. Gifts are best when they are from the heart, as anyone will tell you, and you can rarely find items from the heart in mass-produced numbers lining the shelves of the nearby department stores. Write a poem, frame a favourite photo of the two of you, or even create a "coupon" booklet with vouchers for things like a romantic dinner in, a car wash, free hugs, etc. Imperfect Homemaking has some neat ideas for inexpensive date ideas like making a fondue, playing hide 'n' seek, or muting a rented foreign film and making up your own dialog for the characters.
December 8, 2010
'English Grad' is synonymous with 'Dictionary'...?
I hate spelling mistakes and grammatical errors as much as the next person, and probably even a tad more if the next person happens to be the majority of people I went with to elementary school (and even high school). I am an English major at heart and will always have a love of literature, proper grammar, and elegant rhetoric. However, I've been out of school for over 6 months now (I know this because the grace period on my student loan has ended and it's time to pay those well-spent thousands back!), and I find myself losing some of that education I worked so hard for. I blame our technologically-saturated society, of course, because text messaging and Facebook statuses are rarely filled with elegant rhetoric. Unless of course you're quoting So-and-so's latest song lyric. Truth be told though, I think it's a simple case of "Use it or Lose it" and as glad as I am to be rid of those all-night, essay-writing sessions with my laptop and a bottomless cup of caffeine, those nights from Hell (a couple of times per week) kept me sharp.
When people realize that I have an English degree there are usually a few questions that immediately follow. Generally the assumption that I plan on teaching, or want to be a novelist, followed by a quizzical expression at my disinterest in either of those career paths and something along the lines of "so what else can you do with an English degree?"
Then they lock that information away in their brain somewhere and suddenly I become their personal expert on anything to do with literature and language. "What does 'ostentatious' mean? What's the ending like in Lord of the Flies? What's another word for 'not being very good at writing'? How do you spell 'occasion'?" And while I may know the answers, I feel an enormous amount of pressure on my shoulders to know these things because I have an ENGLISH DEGREE! This might seem ridiculous if you haven't got an English Degree, but my fellow graduates with your English degrees placed in frames, placed in boxes, and placed in the very back of your closet, I hope you understand. I misspelled something today, and I felt like a failure. I wanted to delete my post (it was on Facebook, big surprise), but since someone had commented below and referred specifically to my comment, I felt I needed to leave it there. My big, fat, spelling mistake left there for all to see. At which point of course I realized, it's just a mistake, a simple error.
And if that word was part of an essay, I would have double-checked it's spelling first. Dictionaries exist so that I don't have to be one!
Let me say right here, right now, I don't really know what I'm going to do with my English degree. I knew I loved English and so I studied English. Perhaps I will never do anything with my degree, but aside from the massive debt that looms over my bank account on a daily basis, I really don't mind. I've always believed that you should study what you love, not for the money, not for the stable career, but for Yourself.
When people realize that I have an English degree there are usually a few questions that immediately follow. Generally the assumption that I plan on teaching, or want to be a novelist, followed by a quizzical expression at my disinterest in either of those career paths and something along the lines of "so what else can you do with an English degree?"
Then they lock that information away in their brain somewhere and suddenly I become their personal expert on anything to do with literature and language. "What does 'ostentatious' mean? What's the ending like in Lord of the Flies? What's another word for 'not being very good at writing'? How do you spell 'occasion'?" And while I may know the answers, I feel an enormous amount of pressure on my shoulders to know these things because I have an ENGLISH DEGREE! This might seem ridiculous if you haven't got an English Degree, but my fellow graduates with your English degrees placed in frames, placed in boxes, and placed in the very back of your closet, I hope you understand. I misspelled something today, and I felt like a failure. I wanted to delete my post (it was on Facebook, big surprise), but since someone had commented below and referred specifically to my comment, I felt I needed to leave it there. My big, fat, spelling mistake left there for all to see. At which point of course I realized, it's just a mistake, a simple error.
And if that word was part of an essay, I would have double-checked it's spelling first. Dictionaries exist so that I don't have to be one!
------------------------------
Let me say right here, right now, I don't really know what I'm going to do with my English degree. I knew I loved English and so I studied English. Perhaps I will never do anything with my degree, but aside from the massive debt that looms over my bank account on a daily basis, I really don't mind. I've always believed that you should study what you love, not for the money, not for the stable career, but for Yourself.
------------------------------
Goodnight, K.
November 21, 2010
Big, Bad Boss
Maybe it's just stress, but Boss has been really rude, insensitive, and annoying lately. It's getting to a point where it's more than just him trying to do his job, he is making it a miserable place to come to work and people are getting fed-up with him!
Yesterday Shawty and Miss Tommy Texter were working on cash together, talking and giggling, but getting the job done! Boss thought they were laughing at the customers because of their race (which is completely ridiculous!) and yelled at both of them and sent one of them home early... for having a good time while working? I understand if they were shirking on their responsibilities, but they were helping the customers quickly and being friendly. Boss even told Miss T&T that she had better show up today prepared to work or to hand in her uniform when he sent her home early. He apologized to Shawty today, and maybe would have apologized to Miss T&T today too, but when she came in she was ready to hand in her uniform: "Do you want my uniform now? Or in two weeks?"
For everyone who is having trouble with their boss lately, wistfully dreaming of being their own boss someday, this is for you... Just be glad this isn't your boss! (Warning: Language is NOT child-appropriate)!
♥K
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