What I've Gotten Done Today So Far

I haven't gotten any writing done. However, I did manage to fill out two job applications (which I will have to wait until Tuesday to turn in because of the weather), get my daily Bible reading done, get my daily book chapter reading done, and load/unload the dishwasher. So, today hasn't been a total loss.

As it stands right now, between now and May 19, I will be at Doggie Bag all day on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Sundays, I have church (at least by default). That leaves me with Tuesdays (when I usually do laundry) and Fridays. On those last two days, I'm not planning on having a schedule per se, but on those days, I'm going to make sure I have something I want to accomplish, such as picking up/filling out/dropping off applications, taking recyclables to the college campus, releasing a book I have registered with Bookcrossing, writing projects, etc. I don't want to feel like a slacker.

I don't know what my availability for Doggie Bag will be like once I return from Iola. It may depend on what spots have been filled, what kind of job schedule I end up with etc., but I am hoping to pick it back up when I return.

Day 33 At Doggie Bag

Today wasn't the best day sale-wise. (I wasn't sure how much we made overall, but I think it was less than $100.)

The stuff I've been authorized to price mainly consisted of bedding, curtains (including shower curtains), tablecloths, and valances. Now the list has extended to cloth napkins, placemats, potholders, doilies, and towels. The next day that I'm scheduled to go in is Saturday, so I'll be taking care of all that then. If I have time on my hands after that I'll be going through some toys to make sure they're in sellable shape. If I have time after that, I'll be breaking down some empty boxes to be recycled.

It turns out that winter stuff, if it's in decent condition, is currently being held for when it's time to put it out rather than being automatically discarded. One of my tasks today was to go through a couple of boxes which had winter stuff in it and hang it up on the "reserve" racks in the back room.

In one of the "winter" boxes was not only winter stuff, but some stuff that could pass for summer or year-round and a pair of those ballet flat type slippers with a white bow at the toe. These particular slippers were fuzzy (possibly terrycloth) and had a floral print. They were in my size too. Now, if they were up for elimination, I could've just taken them home with me at no cost to me. However they were not as far as I knew so when I got the chance to, I bought them. (Supposedly, if there's something you're interested in buying you're supposed to wait until a time when you're not on duty. However, some of my colleagues have bought stuff while on duty, but I think it's been when no one's around. It's hard to go by the rules exactly when those with seniority around you bend them a bit. But I guess they get away with it or something. Besides, the slippers are one less thing that will have to sit in storage, and the money I paid for them is going to a good cause.)

It may have not been busy salewise today, but I did have quite a bit to do.

Day 32 At Doggie Bag

This morning I was in charge of the register. I made a little over 82 dollars. I think a lot of that was in clothes.

In the afternoon, someone else took over on register, and I switched over to stocking stuff up. We had mugs, dish sets and glass sets amongst the stuff to stock up. Given how low we're running on space there, I'm starting to feel bummed out that I can't buy any of the stuff myself. (I'm not the one in my household authorized to do that.) We also got more books. I may end up buying some and taking them with me to Iola for something to do during whatever down time I have.

The back room was crowded this morning, but then someone came to take the bags of clothing that had to be "recycled."

Yeah, I'd say today was a pretty busy day.

Day 31 At Doggie Bag

Yesterday, I was the first person to show up. There were two TVs donated. I tested both of them to make sure that they worked. They did. I used one of the carts we have to transport them. As usual, there were things to be put out on the sales floor.

I don't remember how much we made yesterday, but it had started off rather slow. Normally, Mondays are busier for us.

A couple of people had brought a lot of donations. This has made the back room rather crowded. I've tried to sort some of it out if not get it out on the sales floor. If there's still a lot there tomorrow when I go in, that's what I'll be doing I'm sure.

By the way, as it turns out, I won't be needed all week after all. Between now and May 19, barring anything unforseen, I'll be going in all day on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I don't know what my availability will be like after I return from Iola.

Went To A Write-In After Church

This month, I've been involved with something called Script Frenzy. The challenge is to write a hundred-page script in a month. I'm rather behind on it, but I have until the end of Friday, so there is hope.

After church, I went to a write-in for it, where people would bring whatever they used to write, and they'd write and chat. Only two of us showed up though. Oh well, better luck next time.

If I can get myself motivated, I'll probably write some more on my script.

Day 30 At Doggie Bag And What I Did After That

Today was a rainy day. I managed to sell roughly $50 worth of stuff.  We have a new staff member. Her name's Buffy. Part of her hair is pink. She was working the back room most of the time.

Sometime after I had gotten home, Mom, Layla (the dog), and I had to leave because of the open house. We got some burgers from McDonald's and then went to the park, where we ate and hung out. Mom tossed some fries for Layla to go after to keep her occupied. Layla did go after those. (Hmm. Maybe that's what we need to do the next time we have to be away from the house and take Layla with us, get some fries and toss them for her.) She's still not used to the world outside of her territory. Because I knew we would be gone for a couple of hours, I brought a book along with me. By the time we got home, I had so little of the book left that I finished it when we got home. (I only have three books left to read on my reading list. I may have to either get some more or take a haitus after I've read said books.)

Tomorrow's The Open House

Tomorrow, there's going to be an "open house" for the house. It's one of those home viewer things. My stepdad will be at work. My mom, the dog, and I will have to go somewhere else (after I'm done with my shift at Doggie Bag). We've been doing some cleaning today in preparation for tomorrow. I sent a good chunk of my sweaters to storage sent I won't be able to wear any of them anytime soon.

Depending on timing, it doesn't look like I'll be able to get to the "write to Dad" routine right away, but I'll have to do it just as soon as possible, like when I'm home for good.

Day 29 At Doggie Bag

I was the first person at Doggie Bag today. That happens sometimes. Throughout the day, there were things to be put out. Something came up with one of the staff members, so she had to leave after half an hour after having gotten on duty, and it turns out that she'll be gone indefinitely. I've got hours every single day next week in an attempt to make up for her absence. I could still do my job search around said hours, though.

The store's bookscase has gotten kind of crowded. I may need to go in and buy some of those books to register with Bookcrossing, read, and then release. After all, the books have to go somewhere, and they won't do anyone any good sitting on the shelf.  But it'll probably be after I've gotten the books that are currently on my reading list read and released.

Once again I brought home bag loads of clothes. However, a lot of it is stuff that cannot be considered spring/summer appropriate by any stretched of the imagination, so it'll have to go in storage. I may have to see about some space bags.

Such was my day. I'm sure working a full week next week will be interesting.

Got In A Job Application

This morning, I filled out and turned in an application to the local Aldi's. I have two more applications (to local hotel/motels) to fill out, but since I have "work" tomorrow, it'll likely be Friday or Tuesday before I can turn it in.

Day 28 At Doggie Bag (A Short Day) And A Trip To The Park With Mom And The Dog

I decided there was some stuff I needed to take care of at Doggie Bag, so I took care of that. I also came home with more clothes that would've otherwise been discarded.

Today, we had some people over to look at the house. One of the rules in real estate is that when people come to view a home, those living in it shouldn't be around if it can be help. So, during her lunch hour, Mom came and got me and Layla (the dog). We went to Braum's to get some burgers (including one for Layla) and then to the park.

Layla isn't used to being anywhere other than in the house or the yard. So, it was difficult to play fetch with her. She was also a bit stressed in the car. I heard my mom tell my stepdad on the phone that we needed to take Layla out more often because she doesn't really know what to make of the world outside her territory.

Hmm. Maybe I should look up "The Dog Whisperer" and see if there are any pointers I could work with.

Day 27 At Doggie Bag And Some News

The big project of the day was to get the back room more organized and less cluttered. Electrical stuff had to be tested. Stuff had to be priced and put out.

There was some news today. First, a few staff members will be transferring elsewhere. Two people will be transferring out next week. Another will be transferring out in three months. Second, the manager informed us that he and his significant other will be going to Iowa for a couple of days and getting married.

In other news, I may be going to Iola (which, like Pittsburg, is in Kansas) this summer to babysit my sister's kid. It may conflict with the job search, but Mom said that if, while I'm in Iola, someone calls me and wants to set up an interview, we may be able to arrange it so that I can be in Pittsburg for the interview but then return to Iola.  If I end up getting a job before the summer and therefore can't make it Iola, that'll be okay with my sister too. I'll likely go around the weekend of May 23 and be back on the first or second week of August.

Day 26 At Doggie Bag

Like any Saturday, today was quite busy at Doggie Bag. (The manager said that there would eventually be more people on duty on Saturdays.) We are still giving away Easter stuff at this time.

After the person who was scheduled to do the register in the afternoon came in, I stayed around partly to get some stuff ready to be priced but also because someone who had a lot of donations was expected. Those people did come, and well, the back room is pretty crowded.

Apparently, a lot of people are doing spring cleaning and/or rummage sales.

My Newest Blog

I've started on a new blog called The Way Of The Accommodite which has been inspired by my relatively "submissive" nature. Feel free to take a peek!

Day 25 At Doggie Bag

Today, I wore the black-and-white top I had worn on Monday (I had washed it on Tuesday) and black pants (with pantyhose underneath) and my black strappy sandals.

As usual, there were several carts of stuff to be put out. (I'm beginning to get to the point where I'd be surprised if there wasn't anything to be put out in the mornings.)

There have been a few changes. The sign-in sheets have gone from notebook paper to spreadsheet-style. As of today, we've been giving away all our Easter stuff altogether. (We're that desperate to get it out.) We've also had to have the dressing room locked because of some incidents. (I'm not sure what that means.)

My big project for the day was to tape bundles of 15 hangers together to be sold for $1.00 each. I started out taping ones of the same color if not style together, but then, closer to the end, I ended up having to resort to doing assorted color bundles. There were also curtains, etc. to prep for pricing, but I ran out of time before I was able to get to them all. If I don't go in Friday, I'll likely take care of it when I go in on Saturday.

Today was a pretty busy day for the most part, not to mention we sold $170 worth of stuff.

Day 24 At Doggie Bag, Job Applications And Some Outdoor Stuff

On Monday, two of my colleagues and I all wore skirts as we had decided we would. (The manager wasn't around to see it. I don't think he'd care one way or the other if he had been around.) There was at least one cart of stuff to put out on display. (We've really been getting a lot of donations.)

There were also several shirts and sweaters up for elimination, so I took some home. They'll have to go in storage for now because of the time of year. Prior to getting off duty, I bought one of the big bags to help accomodate the load.

Yesterday, I managed to get an application from Aldi's and a couple from a couple of hotels in the area. I'll probably see about some more on Friday.

For a little bit today, I started weeding the brick patio out back. After I did some weeding, I sprayed down some weed killer.

I may do more work on the patio on Friday, or I may do some other outdoor stuff.

Day 23 At Doggie Bag, My Big 2-5, And Another Attempt At Selling The House

Yesterday, I dressed up for another shift at Doggie Bag: gray pants, a blue blouse I had "rescued" from elimination, pearls, pantyhose, and bronze strappy sandals. It was another one of those days when I had customers at the door just before it was time to open. I managed to make some sales.  During one of the slower periods, I reorganized some of the clothing racks. On the children's rack, within each size section, I had tops on one side, and pants/skirts on the other. Within the sizes sections of ladies' shirts, I put sleeveless shirts together, sleeved button ups together, then shirts that buttoned only at the neck, and then those of the pullover variety.

When I got home, I traded in the sandals for black satin slippers. I had dinner with my mom, stepdad, and sister. We had pork chops, mashed potatoes, carrot coins, applesauce, and purple Jell-O. For desert we had chocolate cake and ice cream. For my birthday, I got a big black purse, a black, cap-sleeved, floral print top with a lowish neckline, and a black beaded necklace with a bracelet to match.

Later, I went drinking with my sister. I wore blue jeans, my new top with a sparkly tank top underneath, my new necklace and bracelet, and pink strappy sandals. My sister did my hair for me and supposedly found a few gray hairs. (Nice.) A friend of my sister's eventually joined us at the bar. I had four rounds of Bourbon in Dr. Pepper (the "single" version).  Did I get drunk? You bet. But I didn't do anything like flash inappropriate parts of my body. The drunk version of me is far more low key than that. I was giggly at times and wobbly.

Apparently, my sister had a bit much to drink as well because at some point she called my mom and stepdad to tell them that they would need to come get me as she would not be able to safely get me home herself. I don't know how long I was there, but when they did come, even though I was drunk, I did remember to buckle my seat belt. On the way home, my stepdad asked me why, compared to how much I drank at the bar, I take longer with one drink whenever I drink at home (something I don't do very often).

In other news, it turns out that my mom and stepdad are trying again with selling their house. It'll be on the market as of Monday. So, we'll need to be more careful about cleaning it up and whatnot. Something I'll probably do this week is weed the patio in the back and pick up and trash in the yard. It's times like this when I wish I didn't have to worry about my job search but could instead focus my attention elsewhere.  But for multiple reasons, until I have a job the search has to stay in effect.

One More Day Until The Big 2-5

That's right, I'm turning 25 tomorrow.

I don't have a lot planned for tomorrow, though. I have some hours to put in at Doggie Bag in the late morning/early afternoon, and in the evening, I'm having a quiet dinner at home with the family (mom, stepdad, sister).

Maybe I'll do something on Sunday. Maybe I'll go for a walk or something then.

Today, I didn't get much done. I turned in an application, but I realized a mistake I made on it, so I'll need to do a follow-up letter regarding that. I'm really going to have to step things up on my job search next week. I feel like, until I have gone through practically every square inch of Pittsburg, I can't put the job search aside if I don't want the you-know-what to hit the fan in my family.  At the same time though, I'm going to also look into some freelance work.

I had noted in a previous post that I got a postcard from the people who were running a job seeker's seminar I've gone to, and there was a typo. Well, said typo has since then been corrected. The word "unemployment" is now "employment," so the statement is as follows:

"The goal of Pittsburg Area Job Seekers is to help persons find employment through education and networking."

That's all I have to say for now. I'll let you all know how my birthday turns out tomorrow.

Day 22 At Doggie Bag

This morning, what I wore today was probably the most "dressed up" I've ever been for a day at Doggie Bag. I wore a black knee-lengthish skirt that I had gotten at a clothing exchange, the pink blouse that I had worn last week (which ties at the neck), pantyhose, and black strappy sandals. I even took the time to wear full make-up (i.e. foundation, eye shadow, blush, lipstick).

As usual there were things to be put out. The clothing that was on the $1.00/bag rack was up for elimination today. (The new $1.00/bag rack consists of womens long-sleeved tops.) I didn't have a chance to go through it to see if there was anything I wanted out of there as I was busy with a lot of stocking. While I was doing that, someone who was off-duty went through the former $1.00/bag clothes and took a lot of them to a homeless shelter. (I'll have to figure something else out for getting more blazers into my wardrobe.) However, there were other items that weren't on the rack but were up for elimination. I was able to take home a couple of skirts and some tops (which I put in a bag I had brought over).  I think the occasional free clothing has become one of my favorite perks of working at a thrift store.

Speaking of skirts, a couple of my female colleagues and I decided that we would wear skirts this coming Monday. I haven't decided which skirt I'm going to wear yet.

Getting Back On Track On Life's Journey

As I've said before, I'll be 25 as of Saturday. I've realized lately that, as I'm about to turn a year older, there are things that I have slipped up on that I need to get back on top of:

• I still need to get a job. I managed to pick up an application today and hope to turn it in on Friday. As my Mondays and Thursdays consist of volunteer work at Doggie Bag, I really ought to make applications a priority on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Maybe I'll go pick up one or two applications in the morning or at the earliest possible time on these days.
• I've gone a couple of weeks without writing to my dad. If I go too long without writing/calling him, he takes it personally, and it goes against my morals to by any means hurt the feelings of either of my parents. For me, constant contact of some sort with my parents will always be a moral responsibility for me as a daughter until their death or mine. So, I'll need to make sure I write to Dad either on Saturday or Sunday of every week.
• The emails in my inboxes are piling up. Amongst the pile are surveys from sites I had signed up with in an attempt to get some money in my pocket. I'll need to make time for those every afternoon and/or evening unless I have any business at that time that keeps me away from my computer and/or the Internet.
• My rewrites for the novel I wrote in November. I was nowhere near the fifity hours that the editing challenge I took part in last month called for. Again, it's another thing I'll need to make time for every afternoon and/or evening, especially since it is one of those things that my dad will be asking me about, and as far as I know, a lot of my business is my parents' business.
• My script for this month. There's still time for me to get the 100 pages, but it's another thing I'll have to work into my routine.
• A novel I started on in January. I did not go near the 50,000 words that I was aiming for. I need to finish it.
• My RAB-PIA reading. I've gone whole days without reading something from the list. At least I got in a chapter if prologues count as chapters. I may need to place myself under the rule that, if I hadn't gotten in my daily chapter before bedtime, that I do not go to bed until I do.
• Also, if I'm going to do my freelance writing/proofreading, I need to figure out the details of any part of it that I do locally plus take a certain assessment on ODesk. Then, I need to figure out what jobs in the listings I will bid on. It'll need to be part of what I do after turning in an application. 

Whew! That's a lot right there, isn't it? I really should get busy.

Day 21 At Doggie Bag

Today was the manager's birthday party. I put in some hours afterward.

It turns out that the manager and his significant other have a new puppy named Chuck whose original owner wasn't taking good care of him. That puppy was quite energetic.

There were clothes to put out and hangers to take to the back room. Things slowed down sometime after three, I think.  We've gotten crowded on toys so they're now 1/2 off.

Day 20 At Doggie Bag

Today, everything in the store was half off. Apparently, that big sale paid off because we made a little over $211.  I personally bought a pair of black satin slippers with the bow at the toe. Normally, they'd be $2 but they were only $1 today.

In addition to the slippers I brought home a white lace shrug, a pink lace jacket, and a black sweater that would've otherwise had to be recycled. If the stuff ends up not fitting, I can always send it somewhere else.

As usual there were tons of things to put out in the morning, not to mention clothes. (People must've gone crazy with their spring cleaning this year.)

Tomorrow, there's going to be a birthday party for the manager. I'll probably go unless something comes up.

Happy Easter, Everyone

I went to church this morning, as usual, and this time, there was a breakfast. I just now got home and am about to eat a ham salad sandwich.

Later today, my sister and nephew, and (I think) my sister's boyfriend (not the father of said nephew) will be coming over, and we'll be having an Easter egg hunt.

Anyway, I hope you all have a good Easter.

Day 19 At Doggie Bag

This morning, I had hangers to take to the back room. There were also shorts to be put on the reserve rack.  I also had a rack to put outside as well as a couple of strollers.

I managed to sell what turned out to be roughly $44 worth of stuff, and some also donated several bags worth of stuff. One of the people that came in today was someone I knew from church.

After the person scheduled to operate the register in the afternoon came in, I worked on getting bedding, curtains etc. ready for display. I was there until 3:15 roughly.

Yes, it's safe to say that I've had a busy day.

In Store For Me In April

I know the month of April began yesterday, but I figure I'd go ahead and fill you in on some things I have coming up this month (in no particular order):

• I'll turning 25 a week from tomorrow.
• I'm currently reading A Bride by Christmas by Heather Graham et. al. This is the last in a series of books I had bought at Doggie Bag earlier this month.  I don't know how long it'll take me to finish it, but after that, I will be reading a copy of Lost Horizon by James Hilton, which originally belonged to my late step-great-grandmother. When I'm done with that, I'll be reading The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands. The particular copy I have was from having redeemed some points from a survey site. The last book on my current list is Push Comes To Shove by Wesley Brown, which I had mailed to me from Scotland. I may or may not get to all of this reading this month.
• As of yesterday, I have been involved with Script Frenzy  which is a challenge to write a 100-page script in a month.
• I'll still be attending job seekers seminars and seeking employment. However, it looks more and more likely that I will be breaking into freelance proofreading as well. I'll likely be taking on local clients as well as making bids with online jobs.

That's what I have so far. I'll let you know if I have more come up.

Day 18 At Doggie Bag

It took me a while to decide what top to wear today until I decided on a pink blouse designed to tie at the neck, which I had gotten on Monday. (It's not really something you'd expect to see on someone my age. I wore it with jeans and Mary Janes.)

As usual there was stuff to put out. While I was doing that, Trixie (the manager's dog) was in a tent we are trying to sell. (It gives new meaning to the term "pup tent" I'm sure.) The toy section has gotten so crowded that I have been contemplating scoring some boxes or something to put stuff in.  There were also summer clothes that had to be put on a "reserve" rack until time to put them out on the sales floor.

I'll probably go in tomorrow afternoon to prep some bedding, etc. for the sales floor.