Factotum

Went to a Japanese mall for dinner yesterday, had pork-egg and soba noodles. It was very, very Japanese. It's always nice to see these pure pockets of foreign culture in cities. Otherwise it's been work and rest. So let's talk about today's shift. I'm sure that'll enthrall y'all.

It was a 4.15-10pm shift - just short enough to deny me a lunch break (but they don't pay lunches, so it doesn't really matter). This was changed to a 4.15pm-12am shift. Then back to the original 10pm finish. Then back to the midnight finish where it settled. I was then coerced into helping the (service) deli clear out their display 'cause it was faulty and the meats and cheeses and salads had to spend the evening (and night) in the walk-in fridge. I have never handled so much meat in my life. Beef, porks, everything, you name it. They went on the bottom 'cause they were liable to get their juices all over the cheese if they went on top. Then all the salads on their stands. Except the olives. The poor olives were left behind. They're a hardier fruit I suppose.

Back to bagging until dinner break (BBQ chicken salad wrap in tomato wrap - yummy!) then got sent to the bakery section where I helped the bubbly young baker to ice her cakes, frost her cupcakes (and decorate them with stupid plastic things that totally cheapened the whole effect in my humble opinion), get cookies in and out of the oven, label, and set out the display. Just as we were finishing (talking about our nationality - more british [Irish, Scottish, English all mixed. Nobody seems to remember Wales here. But then nobody comes from Wales. Except Rhys Jones. And Tom Jones. And Catherine-married-that-old-guy-who-was-fun-in-those-films-that-totally-tried-to-be-Indiana-Jones-Zeta Jones] and german and native american. That's one person, not going to mention the Deli guy. Can't be bothered typing it all. You have two parents, figure it out. Anything less than a quarter and it stops counting.) a really confused (trying to be nice) woman comes and demands to have one of the display cakes. The ones for tomorrow. And refuses all the zillions of cakes on the racks. And takes ages with the bakery girl, sending her 'round the bend. Bakery girl relents, gives her the type she asks for. Then she asks me about it - she didn't get the one she pointed at, maybe this one is not chocolaty enough. I assure her that all the cakes are the same and even take the time to point out the chocolate layers in her cake. She asks if it is delicious. I tell her that, although I have not tried it personally, I hear it is top-notch stuff then head out to collect trolleys from all over the car park where the ever lazy Californians dump 'em. When I come back in, said cake is sitting at a till to go into the not-for-resale box. With a hand scape out of the side and a finger swipe in the icing. I will not describe the bad feelings I then experienced. Wasteful people annoy me. I know that I'm not perfect, but I try. I try not to do really stupid things that cost other people money too. She didn't pay for that. And wasted a whole cake that she forced the poor bakery person (who just wanted to get off her shift and get to a party, she was already well into overtime) to get. In fact, this reminds me of something...

A disease ravaging America. A horrendous crime spree. A depressing social comment.

The eating of food in the supermarket before paying.

Can you people not wait until that food is legally yours? What are you teaching your kids? Who the hell taught you that it was okay? Why do you do it? I know you pay for it eventually (not always though, see above) but until then IT IS NOT YOURS! Argh. This is making me angry. Enough.

The shift then finished out in usual style for a late one - good banter with the work mates and customers (including one that I recognise as a regular now 'cause he's funny and always good banter) and the odd jobs that get done at the end of the night. Interesting shift for me, probably not for all of you who have better things to do than read my blog. Yeah, you. You know I'm right. This reading has no literary merit. Go read a book.

In other news, my driver's license finally came in the post, in all its yellow glory. The picture is pretty bad though. Not as bad as my Costco, but worse than my recent passport photos. I look like a bum. Not that I don't usually look like a bum. You know what i mean.