Walmart Woes

I've developed an unnatural love/hate relation with Wal-Mart. I love the low prices, but I HATE everything else about the store.
How to I hate Wal-Mart, Let me count the ways!
1. Dirty stores -- not all the stores are dirty, only the old ones. The new ones are usually relatively clean, but NEVER trust the bathrooms. Even in the newest stores, the bathrooms rival bus stations and rest stops for dirtiness. I think I've been in cleaner port-a-johns.
2. Customer Service -- What customer service? At a store nearby, I walked in to exchange an item at 10 am. There were 10 people in line, and 1 worker. That one worker was arguing for 10 minutes with a customer about a return. Finally, I gave up and left. When I returned later that day, it was the same situation.
3. Unstocked Shelves -- I was buying the Wal-Mart brand of baby formula. However, they would constantly run out. I would go to the store and face an empty shelf. I would ask the clerk if they had any in the back. They would just shrug and point to the liquid formula at the bottom. I don't want the liquid, I want the powder you idiot! Baby formula is not something stores should run out of. It's not like you can switch brands back and forth. My son was sensitive, and would take a day or two to adjust to a new brand.
4. Crazy fellow customers -- Wal-Mart attracts the craziest fellow shoppers. One time, a guy came up to me and pointed to my purse in the front of the cart. "Is that your purse?" "Yes," I answered. Then he berated me for 5 minutes about how he could steal my purse in 10 sec. flat and how I shouldn't leave it in the cart. Go away crazy man! It's my problem if my shit gets stolen by crazy Wal-Mart Shoppers. Also, never leave your CART unattended in Wal-Mart, even if it has stuff in it. Someone will steal it quicker than you can say "mental ward".
5. 100 check out lines -- 2 open checkouts. Why! I don't understand why they taunt you with unused lanes when you are standing in a long line with screaming children. It's like waving free crack under the nose if a crack head. Open up another line already! Put those greeters to work!
6. Speaking of greeters, they creep me out. Get rid of the greeters. They always smile a creepy smile at you, and try to strike up an inane conversation. Also, they will tackle you if there security system goes off by mistake. There is nothing better than being tackled by an 80 year old in a blue vest.
7. Inattention to detail -- In the Wal-Mart I shopped at in Indy, a three year old boy just died because a store display (a mirror) fell on him. What? Did someone forget to tighten the bolts, or did they just haphazardly stock the display? Once, when I was in a Wal-Mart, I went to grab a plastic produce bag, and the very heavy metal holder came crashing down on my foot. It wasn't attached to the display properly. Although my smashed toe wasn't life threatening, it could seriously hurt a child. Apparently you take your life in your hands when you shop at Wal-Mart!

Toxic Boss

Everyone at some point has worked for a terrible company or a toxic boss. I had the pleasure of working for both at the same time. I think a pre-requisite for management in that company was a small brain and an over active libido.

My manager was a 19-year-old girl who was hired for her looks. She was blond and giggled a lot. I was hired for my previous experience. As it turned out, I was the only one in the whole department who knew what I was doing. I would do my manager’s job, and basically run the whole show. She would then take all the credit.

Her boss was an egomaniacal jerk. Six of us were crammed into a little office. He had a plush office right next door. The thermostat was in our office. He would get furious at the heating system, and would then run into our office and start swearing and beating on the little plastic box that covered the thermostat. The customers on our phones would always ask what was going on.

Meanwhile, he would sexually harass my young manager. He would offer to buy her clothes and give her money. Of course, he wanted a little “something” in return. I might add that he was married.

He would encourage all the managers to sleep with clients. He said this was good for business.

When it came time for my performance review, they told me they couldn’t give me a promotion from a Representative to a Specialist because I was already a Specialist. Apparently, they hired me as a Specialist, but never told me. They also wouldn’t give me a raise, because they said I was already making more than my 19 year old manager.

Then the final blow came. They won a new account, but promised the client the world without ever asking the people who actually did the work if it was possible. I was a member of a four-person team. My manager was always out on business, so I had to do her job, my co-workers where slackers and were never at work. Basically, I had to run the entire department myself. I got an ulcer and literally had a breakdown one day at work.

When we lost the client, I was told that it was my entire fault. I should have “tried” harder. When I offered to give my two-week notice, they back peddled and said that it wouldn’t be necessary. I stood up, walked to my desk, penned the notice, and slammed it down on his desk. I have never regretted leaving that horrible company. What is your worst experiance? I would love to hear. Leave a comment and share with us all. It will make us ALL feel better.

This is a picture of our son "helping his dad". He is already showing an aptitude for computers and hard work! Hopefully, he never gets a toxic boss.

Books I've Read -- Summer 2006

I saw something like this on another web site, and thought it was a pretty good idea. I'll leave out the kiddie books. But I do read a lot. Hey, it's more entertaining than drivel on network TV. A summery of books I've read this summer.

Inge: a girl's journey through Nazi Europe--Bleier, Inge J. -- This book, or rather the author annoyed me. She finds fault with everyone and everything. Her insecurity and churlishness infect the whole book. First, she says it is her father's stupidity they didn't leave Germany earlier. After her sister leaves for the US, her jealously is apparent. She is sent to live with her uncle, and she doesn't say nice things about that part of the family either. Her uncle ships her off to live in a group home, and she is angry about that. It's really frustrating, because you know that the people around her are doing all they can. An interesting read, if nothing else. And I guess I can understand her anger. It is just very raw, like wounds that never heal.

A Midwife's Tale -- Laurel Thatcher Ulrich -- A fantastic, if not slightly dry, look at daily life at the turn of the 1800's. The diary of Martha Ballard covers births, deaths, and everything in between. The author draws connections to the diary to cultural changes that were occurring in America after the revolutionary war. All in all, a good read, even if I did skip a few parts. The author got a little long-winded at times. This book has now been made into a documentary on PBS's American Experience.

Hiding in plain sight: the incredible true story of a German-Jewish teenager's struggle to survive in Nazi-occupied Poland, Lauer, Betty -- The title tells you everything about this book. It is a true story of a young girl that manages to elude the Germans with a fake identity card. Even though she has the official card and has relocated to larger city, she lives in constant fear and poverty. Throughout the book, she has several close calls with both German citizens and soldiers. Sadly, she loses many family members to the tragedy of the Holocaust. The most amazing thing about her story is that she never gives up, even when her life appears hopeless and lost.

Double Deuce Parker, Robert B. -- Okay, as you can tell, this is my new favorite author. A mystery. The main characters, Spenser and Hawk try to solve a double murder, a young mother and her 3 month old child who where gunned down in a drive-by near the projects where they live. Gives a lot of insight on my favorite silent tough guy, Hawk.

Night passage Parker, Robert B. -- The first in a new series by Parker, this book introduces us to Chief Stone. Stone is a cop that has problems, but he is trying his best to work them out. I hate the ex-wife. I wish he would lose her. I don't think he does, because she keeps showing up in later books.

Love stories of World War II -- Larry King -- This was a really good book. A very heartwarming story about how couples meet and came together during the worst of times. Although all the stories didn't have happy endings, it still left you with a warm and fuzzy feeling. This book leaves you believing in romance and true love. Probably not the best book if you just broke up with your significant other.

Stolen Lives: Twenty Days in a Desert Jail - Malika Oufkir -- Malika was born into a life of privilege in Morocco. Her father, a general in the King's army was close to the royal family. She is "adopted" by the king to be a companion to his daughter, who is about Malika's age. She misses her family dreadfully, but feels like she can't ask to go back. The first part of the book describes her life of fancy and luxury in the palace as a pampered child. When she gets older, she returns to live with her family. After her father falls out with the king, he is arrested after a failed coop attempt. In retaliation, her, the rest of her family, and two family friends, are thrown into a desert jail. Unbelievably, they are held in harsh conditions for 20 years. After a daring escape, they are eventually released. Many readers find Malika arrogant and spoiled, however I feel like she is just relating her life in the best way she can. She was, after all, practically a princess. This is a very hard book to put down. I would highly recommend. It is amazing that things like this still happen in the modern world.

THE FOURTH

There is nothing that compares to the smells, the sounds, and the lights of a good fireworks show. This is what the 4^th of July means to me. Oh yeah, and all that patriotic stuff is pretty good too. I always get a tear in my eye when the Star-Spangled Banner is played.

When I was a kid, we always went to the fireworks show, but my dad would complain and moan. He hated the traffic. At the time, we lived in Fort Wayne Indiana. The show at the Coliseum was spectacular, but I think the whole city showed up. Parking wasn’t a problem, because they had a huge lot, but getting out was. It would take us hours to get home. Dad would grumble and moan the whole time. To this day, I would rather wait around for the lot to clear after a show than rush out and get stuck in the traffic. I have never really understood the people who leave early. I mean what’s the point of going if you miss the end?

My most memorable 4^th was the year we went to visit my family who lived at the time in the high New Mexican desert. They had bought tons of fireworks, and of course, it was just our family and the rattlesnakes. If I remember correctly we had a big cookout in a fire pit and then shot off a ton of bottle rockets and shells. I think that was the year I fell going down the path to the backyard and put a prickly pear cactus through the palm of my hand. I can remember sitting there with my hand in a bowl of water while my uncle picked out the needles. Ahh, the memories.

This year, we decided to try the fireworks show with our 14-month-old son. For the first time, we would expose him to a timeless American tradition. Last year, he was only 3 months old, and we thought it might be a bit much for him.

The only problem is that the shows around here all start around 10 pm. Way past the little guys bedtime. But it worked out okay. I put him down for a “nap” about six, when I woke him up to leave he looked very confused.

Luckily, the local fireworks where held within walking distance of our house. We loaded the stroller full of bug spray, flashlights, and picnic blankets and made our way to the local park. We felt a little smug about the fact we didn’t have to deal with traffic. The city lot near there isn’t very big, and people were parking all the way up the street by our house, about a half-mile away from the park. It would have been pointless to drive anyway.

The scent of the holiday filled the park air. Pizza, hot dogs, and funnel cake filled the air with a heady smell. Vendors sold glow in the dark necklaces and light sticks. Kids raced by, beating each other with bats. My son was wide-eyed, staring at the mass of humanity.

They had a pretty good cover band. They played some Chicago covers and a few bluesy numbers. Our son was dancing and clapping along with the music. I was amazed that he was getting so into it. The stage was far away, as we had chosen to sit near the back so we could make a quick getaway if the boy got upset.

When the fireworks started, I braced my self for wails of fear. However, he just grabbed a handful of my shirt, and a handful of dad’s shirt, and stared wide-eyed and open mouthed at the display. I know he was a little confused, but he seemed to enjoy it.

No, it wasn’t the biggest show I’ve ever seen. In fact, it was a little tame and short, but it was perfect for the little guy. It was over in 15 minutes. We held our hands over his ears for the finale, because it was extra loud. But he loved it. What was the best part of the night? He went right to sleep as soon as we got home.