Today is the official start of our "Civil War Week". For those of you not familair with U of O football, this is the week leading up to our big game with the other major Oregon football team, the Oregon State Beavers. A very big game for O fans. Emotions run high and everyone shows their colors... parties are planned... and football leads most conversation as you shop, etc.
Last Friday I was dissapointed that I had to miss the Duck game. Randy taped it for me and stopped watching himself at the half so that he would have surprises when we watched together as soon as I got home.
That of course was Black Friday. It was busy and I was exhausted by the non stop ringing up and bagging. How many times can you say "Did you find everything you were looking for today?" and not sound like a robot?
The funny thing was that at a quarter to four, it stopped dead. The game was about to begin. People were pouring chips into bowls and popping the tops on beer all over town. Meanwhile I suffered a weird let down of sorts. As I said, it was an exhausting and busy pace all day long until that moment. Time flew by but by four o'clock, each and every minute was at least ten minutes long. Normally, my last two hours go fast and I feel elated that I am about to go home at last. This time, it took forever to get to the point where I could remove my till and count it out.
The drive home, which involves a trip through a busy part of town and a freeway looked more like it was three A M than six thirty P M. No cars. I sat at red lights and seriously considered driving through them since no other cars shared the road. As I neared my exit... which is also the Autzen Stadium exit... there was a big sign telling me that it was closed for football traffic. That put me a ways past my house and a bit of back tracking to get there. Several homes have their lights up, so at least I had pretty things to look at.
For some reason I had it in my head that I'd be working through the civil war game. Crap! Then last night Randy pointed out that I have that day off. YAY! I can hardly wait. For my birthday, T and K gave me a nice Duck shirt... which I will wear that day. You gotta show your colors right?
Mom and Ron are going to take tickets at the game in the VIP section. They earn money for their charity doing this. Mom is a Duck fan and poor Ron, is a Beaver fan.
I think we are all feeling sorry for Ron at this point. The Beavers are going down.
Not that it won't be a heck of a game. It will. Too much emotion and history are in this game. Look what happened to BSU this weekend. We don't want to count our ducklings too much before they hatch! But I do believe!
Meanwhile, I will work. Sigh. In fact, I have to go suit up now. So have a great day everyone. I hope you do something that you enjoy today and that many smiles grace your face. Big grins!
deadwood be done
8 years ago
Glad you made it through Friday in one piece and how nice that you get the day of the big city rivalry game off!!!
ReplyDeleteWork gets in the way of so much fun stuff, though, doesn't it? If only we didn't have this pesky need for money. I could fancy a life of leisure I reckon :-)
Good luck to your team! I hope wearing that shirt brings them luck.
ReplyDeleteOkay, Black Friday down - how many more shopping days until Christmas? :-(
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy your game between the water creatures.
Secret's message makes me smile :-)
ReplyDeleteGo Ducks!
Yay for work - okay yay for the money that work brings!
Glad to see you're still out there. Happy (belated) Thanksgiving.
ReplyDelete"Did you find everything you were looking for today?" is one of those funny things, I think. Well, no, I didn't, but what're you going to do if I say no? I mean, I just waited in line for 15 minutes to check out. Are you going to drop what you're doing and go look for whatever it was I wanted?
If the store actually cared, they'd have more staff on the floor, wouldn't they? Naw, we'll just make the cashiers provide a pale imitation of service.
The French call it "le boulot." It means "work", or "the grind," but it has those connotations too: we don't actually provide good service, just something that vaguely resembles it.
When I was a stock-boy, if a customer asked us where something was, we often used to just send them to an aisle very far away. From us, that is. Unless we were feeling particularly helpful, or if it was a nice old lady, or if we honestly knew the answer to the question and said customer was polite and all.
If we were really feeling ornery, we'd send them to "aisle 11."
The store only had 10 aisles.
I wish you the best with "le boulot." Robotic it may be, but if you have a warm fire and a cold beer to come home to, it probably won't take.
Ha - I like C4C's idea about aisle 11. But, I'm sure ALL your customers are nice and you never ever have to do that! :-) Glad you hung in there and can enjoy the civil war. Remember the alamo!
ReplyDeleteI was saddened by Auburn coming back to win, and Boise losing in such a frustrating fashion, as I wanted Boise to play your Ducks for the championship. That would have been a great show.
ReplyDeleteI think your team is the most exciting I've ever seen in college ball.
laura b.-- Phew! It was a close one! I'd like a life of leisure too, but I hear they are going to raise the retirement age to the day I drop dead. Grumble.
ReplyDeleteChurlita-- Me too, now I have to get it exchanged for one my size.
ReplyDeletesecret agent woman-- Only 24 shopping days left. Then let the returns begin!
ReplyDeleteC4C-- Hahaha... yay for money!
ReplyDeleteI liked the water creatures comment too. Randy laughed long and hard over that one. : D
Cricket-- That is truly funny. Actually, we are supposed to turn off our register lights and walk with the customer to find whatever they need... if there are no other customers in line. If there are, we call the floor person in that section to come and escourt them to what they are looking for.
ReplyDeleteBut yes, it feels very robotic, as does asking them if they need stamps or any dairy products... the things people most often forget while shopping.
Pamela-- I have some great customers that I like a lot. Yesterday I was told that I had eyebrows to die for, the kind that women pay good money to have waxed and drawn on, but lucky me, its natural. I lauged. DaBear calls them scary.
ReplyDeleteThen I got invited to a gentleman's house for diner. I'm sure he was joking. We have the same favorite soup. ;-)
Suldog-- This is such a year for my Ducks! The first time we have been 11-0. They have great coaches and so much heart. Best of all, they don't seem to have the huge ego problems that some get.
ReplyDeleteAt the start of the year everyone was worried about Darren Thomas, our QB because he was an untried freshman. I think he has done a bang up job of coming through. And they play like a true team... together, all for one.
I have to agree, they are the best.
big grins my friend!