Personal life updates......quips galore

I decided to confront the manager of the warehouse at Best Buy about what was going on and how I felt about how I was spoken to by her assisitant. She was surprised to hear how he treated me. She found out everyone in our department had a problem with him ranging from the way he treated people to not doing his job properly. I told her that when th GM of the store came back on Monday, I was going to tell him what was going on. If this is the one person that makes an entire store culture not function the way it's supposed to, then he's the one that needs to explore other options, not me.

It started like this:

Last Friday, I discovered I was scheduled to work a Saturday that I had already made other plans. I was told to talk to the warehouse manager. She was out until Sunday. Come Sunday, she told me only the GM can approve people swapping shifts due to them not getting covered. Come to find out he was on vacation, but a person already wanted to trade with me and we were both turned down. I was told by the assistant in the warehouse "If you can't work your schedule as posted, maybe you need to make other arrangements". I almost quit, but I decided to talk to the manager of my dept, she was nice enough to explain the situation and told me they really needed me because the other person that was to work Saturday quit. So I showed up, and it was a very good experience. Everyone asked me what was up when we were changing shifts since it seemed that a few feathers had been ruffled and my name was brought up.

I explained all that has happened and finds out everyone is really upset with this unnamed assistant manager. Now, because of me, everyone is complaining about him to upper management. I guess I got the ball rolling. Or the shout that created the landslide.

I have had 3 personal incidents that were out of line, and I only deal with him once a week, if even that often. I was shocked to learn that his work ethic is a poor as his people skills, and he has people upset with him pretty much everyday he works.

Now that I think of it, every problem I've had at that store revolved around him, except the hours, and now that he's run off half the warehouse staff I could get full time if I wanted it.....I don't. Actually, it's not so bad. The work is not that hard and it is kinda fun working with all the different people joking and having a little fun. We trade quips all night and before you know it, the night is over.

My afterschool program pay going to get in late this month, but they say it will be in by Wed, so I'm good. I would have paniced if they made me wait until December.My tutoring money is the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have complied a list of parts I can put on the truck to see if it can be repaired by an emssions component replacement. I hope to be putting things like creature comforts in it instead of running parts.

Tonight is Halloween. I'm going to try to make it to Franklin St tonight and take pictures and see the sights. I've had a bad time with Haloween the past few years and I wasn't looking forward to it. October 18th was the 17th anniversary of my Grandmother's death. I never did care much for Easter or Christmas after that. She was the person that seemed to make the holidays "magical". That magical part died with her. I've tried with little success to re-kindle my love of Halloween wih little effect. I guess too many things have happened along the way.

I met up with Debbie and her family this Saturday. It was great to see those guys after all these years. We talked, but the conversation was all over the place, mostly education. BTW Nate, she was FLOORED to hear you are a teacher. She invited me to her next outing, and I'll be there if at all possible.

I've noticed I try really hard to be an optimist, but my life has been a little too harsh for that. It's like I built a wall around myself for years and shut everyone out. Then I decide to look outside too see that I wasn't missing anything but drama and greif and wonder what the fuss is all about.

I noticed a few things by hanging out with Debbie Saturday.
1. There's always plenty to talk about and do, no wonder I always liked being around her so much.
2. I'm not the same person I was all those years ago.
3. Compared to Deb and Jason, I've aged badly. I don't think I look as young as they do. She hasn't seemed to age a bit.

I get into my school stories when I tell them, and she was genuinely freaked by my "crazy eyes" stare. I've noticed most teachers have the "you have screwed up" look that they try to use to keep kids inline before any real discipline happens. Punishment takes effort, or so I've learned. So when the teacher seems to show no mercy in the punishent they doled out, it's because you made them waste their own time on you for something other than what they are paid for. I digress.

Every teacher has thier own "serious stare". It ususally compliments the style they have. All the great teachers I remember have vicious stares that are the stuff of nightmares. Some teachers have the quiet deadpan stare. Debbie did hers for me, and I admit it would have made me wither inside. She has the cold, evil stare down. Ms B (one of my HS english teachers)had the sadistic matriarch slide into medusa stare that scared the Hell out of me on my first day of school. Ms Faucette, my boss, has bright eyes and a warm smile, I think she is a cool person. But her stare looks like her enitre face frowns. I'll know what "you're fired" looks like. I'd love to get some choice ones and post them. Maybe a the book on the topic, with interviews and the psychology behind it.........hmmmmm.

I'd like to do a book on assertive discipline in schools. Even in the few years I've been doing it, I've learned quite a bit about what works, what doesn't, and what is tools and techniques are crucial to achieve optimal results. I'd love to create a book with an effective program. Maybe do public speaking tours during my Summers. that would be awesome. The Wilson Discipline Approach seminar, teaches you skills and shows you rescources to keep you school under control. Sign up today!