I apologize for the recent... lack of substance

Looking over my blog, I realize that I haven't made a substantial post in a while now. I'll try to review the past week so, in various formats. Try to keep up.

I'll just handle everything at work in one clump.

Work: Work's been... interesting lately. It's hard to organize it chronologically, so I'll experiment with some other methods.

Joel's last day was today. I am infinitely glad for that. He was an alright manager and got his stuff done, but he annoyed everybody. Not in a small stone in your shoe way, but in a large group of fire ants on your leg kind of way. He cooked for Mark M today - just him and me after 2, when Mark left. He made a few comments early on, so I kept quiet most of the shift. I did rip into him a few times, when I just couldn't take it anymore. He started talking about me being a "big, dumb animal" that "wasn't beaten often enough in school", which meant I "didn't know my place." That was about his only verbal remark - most of it was just making weird noises in a futile attempt to mock me. He does to a lot of poeple - mainly people that aren't afraid to speak up - JJ, Allison, myself, Krista, et al. I don't know if I already mentioned it, but the other day, he referred to me as a "bald faggot" several times. I feel that both times, he was crossing the line.

Ruben left as well - his last day was yesterday. He was actually fairly cool, if annoying at times.

I've been asserting myself as a blue shirt more, and have been meeting some resistance from some parties. One shift, I was fountaining, and Javi was taking inventory in the back. I noticed Kenny wasn't taking out the courtesy tray (Erin said, 'I know you don't care, but your timer went off', and I personally watched him not take it out through two cycles), so I asked him about it. He asked me, "Why? Why are you asking me?" I wasn't quite sure how to respond. He later went back to bitch to Javi about me.

Kenny: "Why's he asking me about this? He's not above me."
Javi: "Actually, yes he is."

So that was nice, to have Javi back me up. He didn't take it out any more often, though, except when Javi or I asked him about it.

lil' Dave: He's still being a smarmy little arrogant ass. One night shift (I think it's the same shift I had the issues with Kenny, come to think of it): He was filling up the ice, in preparation to go home; I pushed it back and asked him to get another. He got really pissed off. At several times during the evening, he was just standing around talking while there were orders to be made and what-not; I called him on it - "Dave, there's drinks to make." "Do you need something to do?" He wasn't too happy about that, either. Finally, he was putting up some sundae cups, and he looked at me, and said "Will, are you gonna be a manager (it might have been 'are they gonna make you a manager')?" "Yeah." "Good. I was going to quit and get a real job, but now I'm going to stick around for a while." Weird, indeed.

Krista: Apparently, I made a comment about her being annoying after I thought she had left, only to find she had come back in in the interim. So she's real pissed at me. Big whoop - she is annoying.

JJ: She's a triflin', shady bitch. She made the following comment to Freddie: "Why don't you just get in line to fuck Katie like everyone else?" That doesn't fly. She also tries to tell blue shirts (me) and assistant managers what to do. I don't like working with her, unless she's carhopping, and about to leave.

Katie: She's dating some guy who comes up here every day and orders a Dr. Pepper. Or something like that. He's on drug probation right now, which seems a little odd, considering her reply to Freddie.

Jenny: She's damn cute. Reminds me of a cute puppy with big, floppy ears. She said she'd marry me, or something like that. She likes guys with big noses. (?)

Jimmy: I hate this guy. He's really annoying, and sucks as a cook. He's complained about Larry telling what to do, and stated he doesn't have to listen to him. Except he does. We had an interesting debate about various things, mainly drugs and alcohol, Saturday night. I don't like Scott or Pedro, either. In fact, I basically just hate new cooks. Jason's back, and I don't care for him either.

Sunny: Patronizing bitch, as always.

I've noticed something - as I mature at Sonic and move up, the list of people I really don't like and would rather not work with grows. That's terrible. It's a combination of two things - first, we're getting in some new people that suck, and secondly, I'm more aware of how people are.

We had a meeting Saturday morning. Ray talked for a little about listening to managers and blue shirts, which is interesting, since I'm the only one right now. I'm finally getting my blue shirt raise, three months overdue. I'm also beginning assistant manager training.

We've had two customer service 'incidents'. This morning, I was taking orders, and some lady ordered three Rt. 44 slushes. She called back and clarified, she was supposed to have 4 slushes. I told her it'd be 6.88. She came in a few seconds later and demanded to know who took her order, because they called her an idiot. Which I DID NOT. I told her her total was 6.88; she must have misheard me. I've been taking orders for over 3 years; I know better than that. Secondly, some guy was being a total bitch last night. He ordered three steak toasters, a bacon toaster, and some sides and drinks. I didn't take the order, so I don't know how he phrased it, which might be an issue. He ordered it with the bacon on the side. He came back and said it wasn't in there - I bagged it, and it was. Unless he meant a breakfast toaster, which he probably did. He comes back a second time, complaining that the patty on his remade bacon toaster sucked - piece missing, old, etc. So Joel gives him a full refund and some more free food. He comes back a third time, saying that he got a bacon toaster, instead of a breakfast toaster. I can buy most of it, but if he noticed the patty sucked the previous times, how did he not notice it wasn't a breakfast toaster? Seriously.

And anyone that makes a comment about the importance of customer service or making people happy will be put on my idiot list, permanantly. I know that - I'm just venting and ranting.

I asked for this Friday and Saturday off, because I just want a few days off. I left a note that if it was any problem, I could work those days. So what does he do? Gives me them off, but a terrible schedule the rest of the week:

Mon: 8 - 5
Tue: 8 - 3
Wed: 8 - 2 (truck)
Thu: 6:30 - 2
Fri, Sat: off
SuN: 10 - 5

It's nice that I got a ton of hours and the weekend off, but it's annoying to have to go in so early repeatedly. I'll be sleeping during the day, which is going to dirve Mom nuts. She'll live.

That's it for work, I think.

School: Speech class is almost over - just the test tonight, and I'm done. I didn't do the persuasive speech because frankly, I don't need to - my grade will be high enough anyway. In retrospect, I would have done it on the benefits of pollution. School starts August..

STUDENT SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2004

INDEX CORE COURSE SCTN TIME DAYS LOCATION INSTRUCTOR
266092 MATH 2358 0011 900A- 950A -M-W-F- DERR 00336 Shen J
266124 MATH 3305 0071 200P- 315P -M-W--- DERR 00333 Snyder D F
269420 031 CHEM 1141 0029 1200N- 250P -----F- CHEM 00117 McVey W J
269445 030 CHEM 1341 0002 1000A-1050A -M-W-F- CENT 00157 Feakes D A
269678 CS 2308 0001 1230P- 145P -M-W--- DERR 00241 East
271272 050 MU 2313 0003 1100A-1150A -M-W-F- MUS 00236 Hall R D

Fun stuff. It comes out to something like:
MW 9 - 3:15
F 9 - 2:50

So that'll be fun. I guess if someone wants to stalk me now, they can. I'll still be working full time as well, so that'll be fun.

Personal: Ha. What life? Exactly. I went up to Blazer Tag and played DDR again. I played doubles, and afterwards, some wierd old guy brought me a bottled water. I gestured to my 1.5 liter bottle, and told him I was good. He told me to drink up, he wanted me to do that again for his kids (he was the chaperone for some church group that had come to Blazer Tag for some good Christian wargame simulation). I told him the other people there were mostly better than me, although I didn't know about doubles. Mike, the big guy, said he was better than me in general; I said well, you're a bar raper. (For those of you who don't follow the lingo, a bar raper is someone who has their hand on the bar the whole (or a significant portion of the) song, significantly lessening the challenge, as a lot of their weight isn't on their feet anymore. Some people use both arms, others just switch arms. It's an issue that divides DDR players into two camps - those who feel that it doesn't matter, do whatever, and those who feel that it makes the game a lot easier, and demonstartes a lower skill level than someone who does a song equally well without using the bar. I pissed them off. All of them. They all bar rape. Unabashedly. Except maybe the guy with the big hair; I don't recall seeing him play that often, so I don't know, but I don't think he does. I stand by my statement, and anyone who responds with something about everyine being free to have their own opinion or do things however they want to will be put on my idiot list permanently. So yeah, I don't know if I'll be going back there anytime soon. I'll probably just go back to playing at Le Fun. - it's cheaper, with more mixes. The only downside is less people.

Rose, Katie, and James stopped by my Sonic Saturday night. They ordered some food and I did get to go out and talk to Rose for a bit on 31. She told me about Ozzfest; they had a great time. I got them their drinks free, 'cause I'm cool like that. When I went out to my truck after closing, I found a note written on a napkin on my steering wheel - "We (heart) you Billy - KT, Rose, and James". Awesome. I also stopped by there Friday before going to play DDR. Rose assumed I'd be sleeping with her that night, but I was going back to play D&D afterwards, when Matt and Luke got out of work.

Brett invited all of us to his wedding, in December (?). I might go, but probably not. Michael's dating Lauren Wyatt now (sorta), who's in California visiting Matt and Chelsea. Yes, that Chelsea.

I haven't been up to too much else - playing Chrono Trigger a lot, since I picked up Final Fantasy Chronicls at Gamespot a week or so ago.