Wednesday, March 31, 2010

On Jobs And Dress Shoes

As many of you know, I have been seeking employment for quite some time with no luck. Whenever I go to pick up/drop off/check on an application, I'm either told there are no positions at least at the time (and I generally consider myself lucky if there will be anytime soon) or that the person in charge will get back to me (which they don't regardless of how many times I follow up).  Maybe, a long time ago, jobs were easier to find, but they aren't so much anymore, at least not where I'm at. And I'm getting so frustrated that I want to just step away from it until further notice and just give my attention elsewhere.

For my job search activities, I usually dress up: dark skirt or neutral-tone slacks, a turtleneck or blouse of some sort, hoisery (black or skin-toned), a black blazer (as it's all I have access to at the time), and plain black dress shoes, more specifically a pair of Mary Janes from Wal-Mart as of late. I also take the time to wear make-up and pull my hair back in something nicer than an ordinary ponytail. Sometimes I'll even throw in a tasteful necklace or a scarf.

As far as the shoes go, for the sake of the job search, I try to go for plain black flats for professional purposes: no bows, patterns, or anything like that (at least not until I have a job where I have a better idea of what's okay). At one time, it was easy to find a pair of plain black flats, but now, they have become very difficult if not impossible to find, unless I have been looking in the wrong place. That's why I've settled on the Mary Janes, which have been wearing out as of late and should be replaced just as soon as possible. (If I did not have anything that was appropriate by any stretch of the imagination, I wouldn't be able to seek employment.)  If the job search wasn't an issue, I'd maybe get one of those "cutesy" pairs with bows, patterns, etc.

You're probably wondering where I'm going with this. You see, the plain black flats that I try to look for, represent my trying to seek employment. The plainness and sensibilty represent the income I need to earn, the security of a job, etc. The Mary Janes represent my need/motivation to treat the job search as a job in and of itself. The fact that they are worn represent my frustration, but the fact that I have yet to ditch them represents my need to resist any and all temptation to give up the job search until I've looked in every possible place in town that I'm qualified or may be qualified for. (Due to my failure at my Burger King job in 2006, the fast food industry is out of the question for me.)  The fact that the Mary Janes need to be replaced represent the need to renew faith/hope that I will get a job and a proper income stream going. The not-so-job-search-appropriate styles of shoes, such as cutesy flats and even some sandals in my closet represent my temptations to focus more of my attention elsewhere, such as my writing, my volunteer work at Doggie Bag, and even helping out at home.

There is one group of shoes I must mention: high heels, as well as flats that would be okay were it not for the bow. These groups of shoes represent options that may not be completely acceptable but could be better than nothing at all. For practicality reasons, I seldom, if ever, wear heels. Spike heels and my feet do not get along. But if they are the only other shoes that are acceptable, so be it. For me, it's the equivalent of applying (or thinking of applying) to places such as beer stores or (so help me) the local adult video stores, places which are considered inappropriate for a minor to set so much as a toenail inside. However, if those are my only options left, so be it. (In case you haven't figured it out, spike heels represent adult video stores, which I would not normally be caught dead in, and heels with width represent beer stores which are a gray area to me personally, but may be a no-no in someone else's book. To me, the latter is the lesser of two evils.) 

At Wal-Mart today, I saw a pair of black flats that I'd have no problem getting if they didn't have a bow at the toe. While I don't see them being fully acceptable for a job search they might be for when/if I break into the freelance proofreading business I had been contemplating. (While I would likely wear indoor slippers of the ballet flat variety for the at-home portion of my business, I'd need real shoes for when I go to meet clients, network my services, put up posters, etc.) The freelance work may not be what I had in mind in the first place or fit what my family expects me to do, but it may be the direction I end up taking if I want to get an income going.

Wow, I've said a lot here. You know, maybe I could write a poem about this, though I don't know how I would go about it.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Day 17 At Doggie Bag, Or Some Things You Just Don't Learn In School

This morning we had an informal meeting regarding what clothing should or shouldn't be put out on the sales floor. The "shouldn't" list consisted of clothing that was stained, torn, or out of date. The stained/torn part is easy, but the "style" end of it is a gray area to me personally. (While allegedly out of date clothing was being pulled from the racks, there were maybe one or two times I was asked my opinion.)

I had admitted that I was not the most fashion-conscious person in the room. (And some of the clothing that is currently in style is not something I'd wear.) Besides which, for all I know, there may be customer who could care less about the latest trends and would just get whatever.

A lot of wintery-type shirts got moved over to the $1.00/bag section where the coats and other items used to be in order to free up space for spring/summer clothes. Clothing that had been in the $1.00/bag section had to be pulled to be recycled. However, staff members were welcome to anything in danger of being recycled. I managed to get four skirts, two blouses (a white one and a pink one) and a tan cardigan. If any of it turns out not to fit, there's always Salvation army. (As much as I have avoided adding to my wardrobe due to the amount of clothing I already have, I figured it would hurt to integrate some business-like clothing in, partly as an incentive to keep focused on the job search/getting an income stream going but also as a subtle "reminder" that I'm a grown woman. Somehow, the whole jeans and t-shirt routine doesn't really send me that message, although there is a time and a place for that kind of clothing.)

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Freelance Proofreader Anyone?

So, last week, I had gotten a postcard with a typo on it. Today, at church inside the bulletin was an announcement regarding a prayer breakfast (which I won't be going to due to a scheduling conflict). The last sentence said, "All Men Are invites to attend [italics mine]."

This is one of those areas where my detail-oriented side kicks in. When you write something, sometimes you get so caught up in saying what you need to say that things like spelling, grammer, etc. slip through. (Been there, done that.) There are publications with proofreaders of their own. I'm lucky if I could find a proofreading job in my particular hometown. However, maybe I could do it freelance. (I still have yet to obtain a job, and I've got to do something in order to meet some pending financial obligations, not to mention take care of some personal needs of mine.) Of course, I have to figure out how I will go about it, what I will charge, etc., but it may well be worth it.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Day 16 At Doggie Bag

I went in today to see if the person that was supposed to open showed up. They didn't, so I ended up staying until 12:30. Supposedly, there's a good chance that I'll be needed from 10 to 12:30 on Saturdays. That's okay, though. I usually don't have anything going on then that can't be done at a different time.

The first hour was busy. I don't know how much was sold, but some of the clothes got sold. We currently have a promotion where, for $1, a person can buy a paper Easter egg on which their pet's name and their name is written and then displayed on our window. I was able to sell one of them.

Right now, I'm eating lunch, and Layla is next to me.  Well, just now, she left my room. Anyway, I think my plans for today is to read for four hours for the read-a-thon I'm involved in and then get some editing done on my Nano Wrimo novel.

Friday, March 26, 2010

My Day, The Reading I've Done, And Some Stuff That Came To Mind Lately

I was able to go over to Doggie Bag to see about those white slip-on shoes I had thought about getting for those quick trips outside, but they didn't seem to fit so well so I ended up not getting them. I checked St. Mary's and Salvation Army to see if they had anything that fit what I was looking for. No luck. I've decided that if necessary, I'll settle on an old pair of black flats that I had been too lazy to throw out. They're not doing me any good just sitting on my shoe rack.

I did some reading and released one of my books. I may be releasing more within the coming week depending on how much time I devote to reading.

I've been doing a bit of soul searching lately, mainly in regard to my mouth, both online and offline. As I had mentioned on Sunday, I had offended someone on their blog on Saturday. I did leave an apology, but I haven't been to their blog since Sunday (and I didn't say a word then). I had been to said person's blog several times before and left various comments at various times (nothing especially nasty although there were things I didn't agree with at times; some of the other comments were neutral ones). Anyway, that weekend, it was a wake-up call to me that if I hadn't already, I was in danger of being branded a "troll" or at the very least, giving people cause to think I had nothing better to do than go on other people's blogs and run my mouth (not that anyone said I was, at least not that I know of). Basically, I decided to lay low for a while and "prove" that I did in fact have a life by focusing more on my own stuff including my own blogs.

The other "mouth mishap" I had was yesterday. I had mentioned my mom's late Himalayan (who was put to sleep a couple of years ago in January due to major health problems) in a conversation. My stepdad told me that my constant mentionings of said cat really bothered my mom, and that I needed to back off on that. I probably should have know better than to ever mention him really as his passing was a difficult thing. More importantly, I was raised on Christian standards, which include the Ten Commadments. Does saying or doing anything that offends or bothers either my parents comply with the commandment, "Honor thy father and mother?" Of course not. (I tell you, I have violated that commandment so many times, it's sick.)

In short, I have a history of saying things that I shouldn't have said at the time (or at any time in many cases, and I could give you more examples, but you'd be looking at a novel). In order to decrease the risk of my mouth causing any more problems, I've decided to minimize the use of my mouth (which, unfortunately, isn't always feasible) and, whenever possible, keep my mind and/or hands busy with something (whether it's a household task or a sudoku puzzle or something else) in order to keep from needless chatter.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Day 15 At Doggie Bag

I was the first person to show up at Doggie Bag today. It was raining this morning, so I had brought with me my Mary Janes and a dry pair of socks to change into. There weren't a lot of customers today, so I took care of prepping some bedding, towels, etc., pricing and putting out what I could. Anything that was torn or stained had to be thrown out. There were other things to put out as well.

This afternoon someone bought over $200 worth of stuff. One of the things she bought was a dress that was on one of the mannequins in our window. After I had taken the dress off the mannequin, thereby making it naked, I had to find something to make the mannequin un-naked (and please don't ask me if that's even a word) until I settled on a sparkly purple skirted suit.

 Such has been my day. I can't wait to see what other little surprises await me on my next shift.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

What I Got Done This Morning And A Musing

I managed to get in application in at the Family Resource center which is diagonal from my house. Supposedly, it'll be good for a year before I'd have to reapply.  I also took some recyclables over to the college campus.

I was going to go over to Doggie Bag to see if a certain pair of slip-on shoes was still available, but by the time I got done with my business at the college, it started to rain, so it seemed best to go straight home. I'll probably try again on Friday.

The reason for the slip-on shoes is so that I'd have something to put on to check the mail, help carry something in, etc. without feeling like said shoes need to remain on for a substantial amount of time in order to justify my putting them on in the first place (as has been the case with the typical tennis shoes or any other type of shoe with laces, buckles, etc.). I used to dress all the way to real shoes every single day regardless of whether or not I had any business calling me beyond the front door, let alone off the property. Nowadays, I limit putting on real shoes to if I anticipate going outside or somewhere else or performing select tasks in which real shoes are needed for safety purposes; otherwise, I'll usually wear my white satin ballet slippers or a pair of blue flip-flops which have a fuzzy detail at the v-strap.

Don't ask me how I came up with this idea, but for me, putting on "real" shoes for the most part is symbolic of preparing to face the outside world (of which even other people's homes appears to be an extension; for that reason, in my family at least, more often than not, regardless of what the host/hostess wear or don't wear on their feet, guests remain in whatever shoes they came in).  I think that's why, if I plan on going somewhere, I will put the shoes on just as soon as possible rather than wait until the minute it's time to go. And taking them off when I'm going to be in the house for only a few minutes or am going in to grab something? Forget it, especially if the shoes are of the lace-up variety.

I realize some people do not allow shoes in their own homes. In fact, I know there are parts of the world where wearing shoes inside a private home is a no-no in most if not all cases. (Whether or not slippers take their place varies from culture to culture.) My mom and stepdad had talked about possibly having a "shoes-off" rule at some point, but I have yet to see any steps taken toward that. (And I'm the lowest ranking member of the household, so for me to instigate it, even if I was able to completely accept the concept without question, is out.) For the time being, there are times when I wear shoes at home, but it's to a lesser extent than what I used to. Even if never wearing shoes inside kept outside dirt, germs, etc., at bay, there's no promise that the floor will be pristine. However, one of my main reasons for limited at home shoe wearing is the fact that whatever incidental walking occurs outside the home tends to take its toll on the shoes themselves, and wearing them around the house would wear them out even more. Another thing is that if one's shoes (and sometimes even socks depending on cut, material, and even condition of the shoes) become wet from rain or snow, they're not generally all that comfortable to wear anyway.

What I think I will do when/if I get my own place will be to wear slippers whenever possible, and have at least one pair of shoes near the door so that any guests who want to take their shoes off as well can do so without feeling like they are doing something inappropriate.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

What Little I Got Done Today

This has been yet another slow Tuesday. I got some laundry done and finally filled out an application that I had obtained weeks ago. I'll be turning that in tomorrow when I go to take some recycling over to the college campus. The place I'm applying to may not be hiring right now, but at least it'll count towards my attempts to seek employment.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Just Got Back From That Seminar

Okay, so I got back from the job seeker seminar I had mentioned earlier. I did mention the typo on the postcard to the person that had printed them. No, it didn't land me a position as a proofreader, but she did thank me for bringing it to her attention.

Day 14 At Doggie Bag

As usual, in the morning, there were carts full of stuff to be put out on display. I think that took up two hours of the day.  The manager's dog Trixie, had on a pink t-shirt that said "Spicy Girl" and had three pawprints below the slogan. It looked worn out, but supposedly that's her "work" shirt as there was some gardening done earlier today. (From my understanding, that dog wears clothes year round.)

I also had some sheets, etc. to measure and tape up. This time I was able to price some of them and get them out on the sales floor. There were also more clothes to put out. Someone donated a bunch of belts and ties. I asked someone that was working in the back if he had any need for a floral tie (which one of them was), but he said no. There were some other um, interesting ties there as well.

That's all I have to say about that as I wait for my load of whites. (I'll have to do the rest of the laundry tomorrow since I'm going to that seminar tonight, the one I mentioned in my last post.)

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Some Interesting Mail I Got Yesterday

Now that I've calmed down about the drama surrounding something I said on another person's blog yesterday, I would like to share with you some interesting stuff that I got yesterday.

One was a book from Scotland. Someone from Bookcrossing was trying to give away a book they had, and I was the only one that took them up on their offer (as far as I know). It was supposedly mailed earlier in the month, and it came today. (My mom was the one who checked the mail and was confused about how I got a book from Scotland until I explained the situation to her.)

Another was a postcard regarding a job-seeking seminar I've started attending this month. The interesting part was this, "The goal of Pittsburg Area Job Seekers is to help persons find unemployment [emphasis mine] through education and networking." Mom suggested that when I go to the seminar tomorrow night that I take the postcard with me and bring the typo to the attention of those running the seminar. I mentioned this on a bookcrossing forum, and a couple of people said that it could get me a job as a proofreader.

Snowy Sunday, And Can Christians Believe in Karma?

There's still snow in the ground out here. It's so bad out there that I was talked into forgoing church today. 

It's just as well that I didn't go today. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate due to my stinging remorse over a comment I had made on someone else's blog. It wasn't anything dirty nor did it involve cursing, but I nonetheless offended that person even though I didn't mean to. (I'd rather not mention the person's name out of respect for them nor do I wish to go into details as I am too embarassed to do so.) Later in the night, I left a comment apologizing for offending them and saying that if necessary I was willing to shut up and never say another word on their blog again.  I may end up staying away from said blog altogether for a while.  I also wouldn't blame them if they ever show up here and leave a harsh remark.

I've been taking part in this "read the Bible through the year" program and have yet to come across the word Karma, but I wonder if I'd be going against Christian standards by acknowlegding the general concept (i.e. what goes around comes around). If the idea really is true, and I do get a nasty remark from the person I offended, don't get mad at them as I will have deserved it all the way. (To the person I offended: if you are reading this, you know who you are, and I really am sorry for upsetting you yesterday and will understand if you do not wish to hear from me again and/or you wish to chew me out here about anything.)

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Snowy Saturday

Lately, in my hometown, the weather would jump back in forth between cold and warm. Today, it's snowing. It doesn't look like I'll be going anywhere today. I did get in my daily Bible reading and RAB-PIA reading. Hopefully, I'll get some editing done for my novel in November. (I've done a little on it, but the progress is kind of disappointing.)

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Day 13 At Doggie Bag

It turns out that we have an new staff member at Doggie Bag. Her name's Kayla. She's 19 and has a two-year-old.

As usual there were carts of stuff to stock and because St. Patrick's Day is over, all the stuff pertaining to that had to come down. Now it's Easter stuff that's going up.

Up until today, children's clothing was 50 cents unless otherwise marked. However, there was a problem with people taking the tags off in order to get the item for the default 50 cents. So now, all the children's clothing has to have an actual price on it.

I only got in a few runs on the register myself, but I heard that overall, there wasn't very much sold.  Oh well, that happens.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Day 12 At Doggie Bag And Reading-Related Stuff

Today I released a book on the way to Doggie Bag and started another one when I got home. (I just remembered that I still have my Bible reading to do today.)

During my time at Doggie Bag, I was mostly in the back preparing blankets, curtains, etc., for pricing. Some of them were torn or stained and had to be thrown out. (There could be more coming in for all I know.) After I finished with that, there was stuff that needed to go out. We've been getting a lot of donations lately. It must be a bunch of spring cleaning.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Another Disappointing Day

I slept in today, like until after 9. I had wanted to see about getting some stuff done at Doggie Bag, I had laundry to do, which takes quite a bit of time. I might go in for a couple of hours tomorrow to get a start on preparing curtains, bedding, etc., for pricing.

I got in my daily Bible reading and my daily RAB-PIA read. Otherwise, today's been pretty much a lazy day. I really need to keep my weekdays as productive as possible.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Day 11 At Doggie Bag

When I got to Doggie Bag today, there were three carts full of stuff to put out on the sales floor. It also turns out that there are even more blankets, sheets, etc. that need to be prepared for pricing. I wasn't able to get to that today. There was too much to put out and at times a huge crowd. I'll probably go in tomorrow or Wednesday to get it started.

Someone stopped by and gave me a ham as a present. It's in the fridge right now. I guess my mom and stepdad and I will need to come up with ways to use it up.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Some Overtime At Doggie Bag

I started a project on Thursday where I'd prepare bedding, curtains, etc., to be priced (but I'm not allowed to personally price anything).  It needed to be done before Monday, and the store is closed on Sunday, so I put some hours into it yesterday and today. There was a lot of stuff to measure, fold, etc. I'm hoping I didn't mess it up. I guess I'll find out on Monday.

I got home, and dinner was already on the table: corn beef, mixed vegetables, potatoes, and homemade coleslaw. It was pretty good. I don't remember the last time I had corn beef.

I'm not sure of everything I'll do tonight. At the very least, I'll likely catch up on Bible reading for this "Read the Bible in a Year" program I'm doing via the church I've been going to, get some reading done for RAB-PIA, updated my pedicure (I'm going to change the polish from Broadway Burgundy Frost, which has been chipping latlely anyway, to Tahitian Green in honor of St. Patrick's Day coming up), and either stop by Facebook, due some editing to my novel from Nano Wrimo, or get my email read and inboxes cleaned out.  I'm also waiting on a call from a friend from St. Louis, but they haven't called yet.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Before, During, And After My Eighth Day At Doggie Bag

This morning I basically waited around for my sister to pick up her corgi Cosmo who had been at our place since Tuesday night due to my nephew getting his tonsils out. He played some fetch with me and wrestled with his "Aunt" Layla.

It was maybe a little before 9:30 this morning when my sister came to pick up Cosmo. After she left, I got myself ready to go and then left. Once again there were a few cart's worth of stuff to get out on the sales floor. The manager's dog Trixie (presumably something terrier, but as far as I know, there's no way to confirm or deny it) had on a black-and-purple sweater. (Anytime I've seen that dog, she's had on a sweater.) She sniffed me a couple of times. (She must've smelled Layla and/or Cosmo on me.)  There were also a lot of clothes to put out. It turns out we made barely over thirty-eight dollars today. It wasn't one of our better days, needless to say. I'll probably return tomorrow if not on Saturday since there's a project that I had promised the manager I'd get done before Monday.

I came home about ready to crash. Yet, after I hung up my jacket, put my purse in my room, and switched from my sneakers to my white satin slippers, I went straight to unloading the dishwasher (which I ran this morning) and then putting in what few dirty dishes were in the sink.

You know, it's kind of funny. I remember, at least in middle school, when I'd come home from school tired from the day, and yet not only would I have homework to do, but oftentimes my sister would have me do the dishes the minute I got home, something I resented. (At the time, our parents were in the process of a divorce, and we were living with our mom, who wasn't always able to be around due to work. So, you could say that in a way, my sister had to be the third parent.) Yet, here I am, at 24, coming home, not exactly ultra-perky, and yet one of the thoughts that comes up is, "Okay, I'm home. Time to take care of xyz." I'm not completely sure where that came from, except maybe from my mom, whenever she'd take care of fixing dinner almost immediatly after coming home from work (but part of this depends on my stepdad's schedule; if he's off at seven or earlier, she'll cook with that in mind. If it'll be nine before he's off, then she and I will usually eat dinner without him).

Does anyone else have that thing where they come home from work, school, etc. and regardless of how tired they may be, automatically switch into "household task" mode?

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Did Some Dog Sitting Again

My nephew had his tonsils taken out today, and my sister was at the hospital with him. As of last night, her corgi, Cosmo, has been at my house and will be here until sometime tomorrow (and after he leaves, I'll go put in some hours at Doggie Bag).

Cosmo has wrestled his "Aunt" Layla (my stepdad's golden/lab mix) and played fetch. There were times when he'd bring a ball or a squeaky bone to me and put it on my bed so that I'll throw it for him. Then he'd go get it and bring it back. Sometime this morning, when I threw the ball from my bed, it landed in my mom and stepdad's trash can. (Their room is only a couple of yards from mine.) Both dogs have been taught not to mess with whatever's in the trash can, so I had to go get it out. (There was hardly anything in there since trash was taken out last night.) There were also a couple of times when Cosmo got up on my bed to "snuggle."

Right now, he's laying at my feet at my desk. I don't know why. I don't know where Layla is at the moment though.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Day 7 At Doggie Bag

Today, there was a lot of stuff to put out on the sales floor. There were three or four carts worth of items plus some clothes. I overheard the manager say something about how now that the weather is getting warm enough for people to clean out their garages they're finding stuff to get rid of. It also turns out that we ended up making slightly over $200 today.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Allergies And A Job-Related Newspaper Clipping

There was a point in the middle of the night last night when I couldn't sleep. I think it was because of my sniffling and sneezing. The weather's getting warmer, but the dust and pollen isn't really doing me any favors. I think whenever I go out in public, I'll make sure to have some tissues and (if I'm able to afford it) hand sanitizer.  I don't know about the rest of you, but one thing I've heard about coughing/sneezing is that it should be done the crook of one's elbow. There is one group though, called Tradition in Action, that doesn't buy that advice. In fact they refute it in the article, Why Not a Handkerchief. They also advocate bringing back the practice of carrying around handkerchiefs. (Now, they are a  Catholic-based group, and while, due to my combined American Baptist/Disciples of Christ background, I don't necessarily endorse Catholic teachings, I am open to whatever they have to say. )

On an unrelated note, as I may have mentioned at different times, I'm currently in the process of looking for a job. Apparently, while I was at church (I generally go alone), my mom happened to find a newspaper clipping regarding a workshop for job seekers that takes place on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Barring anything unforseen, I might check it out.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Saturday, Carbs, And Earworms

Today was the fifth anniversary of my hometown's branch of Home Depot, where my stepdad works. They had some sort of workshop for the kids as well as indoor mini golf.

Outside the band my stepdad's in (he's the drummer) played, and I was appointed to run the refreshment table. There were cupcakes, cake, and chips (as well as drinks). I don't think that Dr. Atkins (with all due respect to him) would've apporved of all of those carbs. That's okay, though. I'm not currently on any kind of diet, but if I was, I'd probably due things differently than what Dr. Atkins prescribes.

After today, I've contemplated someday starting a business that specializes in all things carb and possibly running shoes. (One time, when my mom and stepdad and I were having leftovers for dinner, I had lasagna, bread and chips. My stepdad joked that I was preparing to run a marathon.) However, one, I don't know how I would go about doing that, and two, it'd probably help if the economy were to let up.

This morning, for some unexplained reason, I had the song "Shop Around" stuck in my head. I've played it multiple times on YouTube when I got home. Another song I had in my head was "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins. (I haven't played the latter song today.) I made a note of my earworms on Bookcrossing. No one has said anything yet.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Friday

Last night, I realized that the pen I had borrowed to mark the dates on the price tags yesterday was in my pocket.  So, this morning I went up to Doggie Bag to return it. I explained the situation to the people who were (presumably) on duty at the time, and they thought it was funny.

I also did a little looking around at another thrift store in town, St. Mary's. I thought about getting a copy of The Grapes of Wrath that I saw, but changed my mind. I really should concentrate on the books that are already on my reading list.

After lunch (I had some leftover pasta and deer meat), I caught up on my Bible reading and then read a chapter of Rogue's Reward. Then I had a bit of a nap.

The weather is getting nice out. If it keeps up, I may look into getting some stuff done on the patio and in the yard.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Day 6 At Doggie Bag

Today was busier than the last day I worked at Doggie Bag. The project of the day was to put "3-10" (a.k.a March 2010) on the back off all of the price tags on clothes. Apparently, Doggie Bag has a policy where if something has been around past a certain amount of time, it's to be discarded. Sometime after that, I stocked some of the racks.

I think the next time I go in is Monday, barring anything unforseen. Who knows what waits for me then?

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tuesday

Today, I slept in. I haven't done much of anything today. I did laundry, bought some slippers at Dollar General (white ballet flat style; I've wanted ones in such a style for quite some time), swept the floor, and released a couple of books I had finished over the weekend.

Tomorrow, I may be meeting up with someone I met in November. I'm thinking it'll be somewhere on the college campus. Thursday, I think I'll be putting in more hours at Doggie Bag.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Day 5 At Doggie Bag

This was supposedly one of the slowest days that Doggie Bag has ever had, at least in the morning. In the morning there was about 27 dollars worth of stuff sold. I think it got better in the afternoon, but I'm not sure.

During the slower periods, I would try to busy myself with a display that needed to be stocked/organized. I went through the socks, (and yes, some people buy used socks and apparently used underwear; not that it's something  I would do unless I was desperate) and ended up throwing out ones that either had no mate or had holes in them. It almost inspires me to go through my own sock drawer. (Hmm, maybe I should do that after dinner.)

Supposedly, there will be eight people on duty tomorrow with hardly anything to do, so unless someone needs me to cover for them, I'll probably focus on the job search and/or take some stuff over to the college campus to be recycled.