The Last Eight Days - Part One

Here is the first part of a pre-written blog, that I had been writing while I was still working for the previous company.

Now it is Sunday (7^th August 2011) and I am at Lincoln.  John & Kel are at the fish bar today, Richard is duty manager, M’Lard is in the café, Kester is helping with the garden centre, Dan is on trolleys, Rose and Rachel are in the kiosk, Carol and Damien are Checkout Supervisors, and Michael Twell (assistant Deputy Manager)  is also in today.

I’ve done a lot of chattage today, especially with John and Kel.  John suggested I call the music blog Troubadour’s Musings or something like that.  I like those words, but am not sure if they fit that blog.  I think it could actually be an alternative title for this one to be honest, because I’m not so sure about Ramblings of A 40 something anymore.

In my first break Kel came over and sat with me.  We talked about the Rock Band and Guitar Hero games, possible emulators for the DS, guitars, amps, music, and all sorts.  He mentioned that the first thing he learnt to play was the E pedal bass for Van Halen’s Running With The Devil, which brought about a conversation on Van Halen, Extreme, riffs, and all that sort of stuff.  I think I’ll listen to the first Van Halen album on the way home – thanks Kel.

Kel plays guitar now rather than bass, and he loves metal!  I may see if there’s some potential music project there.  It’s always tempting to jam and rock out.  It’s been a few years since I’ve played with a band.

I’m already weighing up the potential for solo gigs again, although they scare the hell out of me – on my Jack Jones!  Solo gigs really do scare me, and I am like it all the way through.  I don’t know what it is, but being on my own in front of an audience is frightening, more so than band gigs.  Perhaps I’ll be less scared now that I’ve been doing this job?  Who knows?

Stu and Gary are working the Wines and Spirits today, with Joey seeming to have wangled a day off.  Polly is working in the garden centre as well.  Yes, I do seem to know a lot of the people’s names here don’t I.

I have actually averted some crime today, including someone trying to walk out with a trolley containing just shy of £440 worth of goods.

Now I am writing on the Monday, and I am at the store in Stavely.  A much smaller store, and I’m not really sure how to explain where it is.  It’s supposed to be close to Chesterfield, but I wouldn’t know as I follow a sat nav blindly.  I do know that someone I worked with in Chesterfield usually does his shopping here.  I use the A1 to get here.

It doesn’t take long to get here, but it was a 37 mile journey still, and my light is on to show low fuel.  I’ll put the £2 I have in there and see if I can get back.

Once again it is a farewell trip, and I haven’t been here since January.  I’ve bumped into the wife of the car park attendant for Lincoln while I’ve been here – twice in two days in two stores!  That is very weird.

I left Newark later than intended because I bumped into my mum there, which surprised me because the last I knew she had moved to Shrewsbury, but now she and her boyfriend have moved to Ollerton.  That is some flipping move!

I still don’t understand the logic of this retail security lark.  Yesterday I got  that trolley of goods as a stop at the barrier, but today the alarm sounded.  I checked their items (which were paid for), but then they complained to the manager and I got told off for it.  He said that it would cost the store thousands if that customer sued them, which is awful.  I’ve felt bad when the barriers sounded on me in stores, but I wouldn’t sue the store if security stopped me to check.  It’s their job.

Anway, that was then, and now I am writing on the Tuesday and am back at Lincoln again.  Mark is on the fish bar and has already asked me why I am leaving.  I said that I had got another job and that if a job turned up to work as staff in Lincoln, that I could possibly apply in a few months.  Who knows?

John is here as well today, as is M’Lard.  Management wise there’s almost the full gamut here – Richard, Paul, Michael and Matt!!!  Blinking heck!  There’s only Steve missing.  I was going to be funny and post up “How many managers does it take to work a Morrison’s store?”  I thought better of it though…  Still tempted though.

I’ve heard from my new employers today and have been informed what days I will be working, but not where and what times.  Hmm??? Triple question marks there, and perhaps an exclamation mark here too!

I chatted with M’Lard on my second break and found out that his real name is David and not Donald.  That John got me with that one!  He said it’s a name he’s used to now, and doesn’t mind it.

Another nice shift at Lincoln.  Tomorrow I am off for three days, possibly.

Thank you for reading, please take care.

17 August 2011 (40 years, 8 months, and 22 days old)