Developments at 'Bucks

Things have been interesting inside the box lately. Seems the store is undergoing some remodels. As part of the remodel, the deli/Starbucks area is going to be changed. Also, as part of the remodel, the store is not going to renew its Starbucks license. So as of Aug. 19th, I will no longer be a Starbucks employee. (Darn! I really like my SBK's Speedos pic.)

What is worse, the new coffee shop in the store will not open until October. So there will be about two months where we will be doing "other things." These other things consist of working in the deli or in the butcher shop. I know me, and if I am working in either of these places, there will be blood. No, not mine, not even from the poor cow that gave its life for that steak; no, from the customers who only want "just a taste" of the cheese, or "that lobster over there."

Also, and I am sorry to say this, but the folks in the deli are not the brightest bulbs in the pack. (Nick will back me up on this one!)

We have heard this information, not from our supervisors, but from one of the workers from the other end of the store (which happens to be nearly a football field in length). We finally nailed the bosses feet to the floor and he grudgingly admitted that the rumor is true. Now, why didn't we hear it first? AAaaaarrrrrggggg....

We have plans for the Iced Coffee Idiot! He came back again and flaunted the fact that he knew our managers would back down. He said, when challenged about getting more than one free iced coffee, "Do I have to call the manager over here, AGAIN?" Now it has become personal for all of us in the box. We will do nothing illegal or dangerous, but we do have some of the worst iced coffee ever made just waiting for him!

So, I am again looking for another job. Some of us were not designed to work in sales! Especially sales of salads and t-bones.

Oh, I also decided that if I get a job in someplace other than the store, I would write the former neighbor little note telling him it is ok for him to come back into the store now. (yes, I know, I am totally passive-aggressive

Thoughts on the Neighbor

I have been thinking more about the situation with the neighbor. I think one of the hardest things to admit is that the guy scares me! I don't want to be near him. I don't want to have anything to do with him. I don't want him coming into the store.

Oh well.

Big Time Passive Aggressive

I really feel like a fool. I let my passive-aggressiveness get the better of me. I really acted like a child.

It all started when the idiot neighbor came into the store. I hate how he still just pisses the hell out of me! I hate how he digs up things about being bullied that still really hit a nerve.

Well, I decided to give him a cup of coffee just to be "nice." (Yeah, right. I wanted him to wonder what I had put into his coffee and make him paranoid. I did not put ANYTHING into it. I wouldn't do that.)

I found him in the bottle return section of the store and said that I had a cup of coffee just for him and put it in the cup holder on the cart. Suddenly he came bursting out of the bottle return yelling at me for (what sounded like) "saying coffee in front of his baby!" He also then called me a few other words which I will not repeat here.

He then proceeded to complain to a supervisor that I was trying to burn his kid by placing coffee near him. Finally, he took a complaint form from 'bucks and I guess is going to complain that someone tried to give him a free cup of coffee.

It just makes me angry that throughout this whole thing, he was the bully and the asshole and we are the ones who ended up moving and having to pay to have all our utilities moved. I thought that when I became an adult that I would be free from bullies. And it makes me mad to think that he might assume that since we moved, he "won."

I find that this tends to be a pattern of behavior of mine when I feel like I have lost all control: I try to do something to show that I do have control of something. I don't want some ox of a person thinking that he has some kind of control. And what ever happened to "be kind to your elders" anyway? That may also explain the "personal adornment." I just need to do something that says that I can make a difference in the world.

I feel like I am totally stagnating at good ol' 'bucks. My view of the world has become mighty small. All I do is stand and look out at people shopping for (and eating) fruit all day.

Maybe I am trying to get fired. Who knows. I NEED a new job!!!

More on Moving

I'll tell you, there is nothing that will increase your energy more than having the Idiot Neighbor sitting outside playing with his future juvenile delinquent and strain on the correctional systems kid. I was childish at first and gave him the evil eye. But then I just kept on moving, not even acknowledging his presence. I usually would say "Hi" to him when I would see him, I tried to be neighborly, but since we don't have to live near them, not anymore.

Oh well, I was going to stop but he gave me the incentive to keep on going. So I guess I can be grateful for that!

A New Address

Nick and I will be moving. After dealing with the neighbor, the apartment complex is going to allow us to move. We are moving to a ground floor in another building. It is good in that we are getting away from the idiot living under us. It is also good in that we get a ground floor with a patio. The not so good part is that we have to move, we have to changes all the addresses, and we have to get the utilities changed.

But hopefully now we will not have to worry about getting attacked by the person who lives below us. What is also nice is that the model apartment is above us so we will not have anyone living above us.

I hope this is a chapter that is finally over.

Going Postal

I really am beginning to understand how someone could "Go Postal." I would consider myself to be a fairly laid-back kind of person, but yet, lately I have really wanted to hurt someone. I know that after it happened, I would feel like crap. But there still is this desire to exert power over something in my life.

The idiot neighbor from downstairs again was pounding on the ceiling. I just want to deck him! So many other things have been happening in life that having a bully do his thing is just pushing me that much closer to doing something stupid.

I think it all has something to do with feeling like I have some kind of power in the world. Everything else seems to be exerting power over me, I finally want to be able to exert some power of my own. I want to the one making the decisions and not just following whatever I am being told.

I used to be in a situation where I was able to exert influence. Now I seem to have none at all. Part of me just wants to do something just to make something happen.

Package me up in the straight jacket. Get the macaroni and glue ready. I'm on my way!

Downstairs Update Part 2

Well, I met with the property manager and the maintenance person. We walked around the apartment. We stomped around the apartment. We tried to make as much noise as we could. And low and behold... It makes a bunch of noise the neighbors' apartment! There is something about the neighbors' apartment that seems to magnify the sound. Even when we were doing nothing but walking around, it was very noisy downstairs. So, I am sorry that doubted the integrity of the idiot neighbor, but he has such a wonderful way of helping us to solve the problem.

The manager said that she has a "chat" with him on how to appropriately let people know that there is a problem. She said that she hoped it helped. She also told me that I have not been the only person to complain about the behavior and attitude of the neighbor. I guess at least I was not singled out for his "kindness."

Downstairs Update

Got a call from the management. Mr. Downstairs was at the office. I don't know if he finally went, voluntarily, or if the management threatened him to come. At least he was there. We made an appointment for us to be moving around up here while the management listens downstairs. If there is a problem, LET'S GET IT FIXED! But I am not going to not walk in my own apartment just because the idiot downstairs has a chip on his shoulder or whatever. And as for the baby with bionic ears...

The ??? Downstairs

Ok, I just about totally lost it yesterday.

I was walking upstairs when I heard THE NEIGHBOR pounding, again. Now granted, I probably was not walking as lightly as possible (I had just gotten back from work) but I was not purposely stomping to anger the asshole man.

Well, that pounding did it. I was tired from work and I was tired of trying to not disturb the folks downstairs. But since we can NEVER be quiet enough for them, it was time to again bring the management into the situation.

I told the management that either the harassment stops or we WILL be released from our lease. Having to constantly be afraid we are making too much noise is not conducive of relaxing. I also said that from our point of view, it appears the management is doing nothing to address the situation, just telling us something will be done and then ignoring the situation.

Well, I had had it. I told them that was it. Something was going to change.

I later got a call from the property manager. Kind of cryptic. She said, "Can you tip-toe until Monday afternoon? I think I have something that will make us all happy. I am not at liberty to say right now, but I will have more information on Monday."

So it will be interesting to see what is going to happen. More information as it becomes available.

Turd Eating Dogs and Other Things

Well, life has been interesting.

Fortunately, we have not had another encounter with the highly intelligent gentleman from downstairs. Unfortunately, everything we do we hold our breath waiting for the oaf to pound on the floor/ceiling or on the door. Maybe the call from the manager was a good thing.

We found that the poodle dog has been eating the cat turds from the litter box. In the house, the litter box was downstairs, but here, everything is on the same level. We were wondering why the dog was producing turds longer than she was, and why the cats didn't seem to going. Then I caught the pup dragging a turd across the hall about to dine. We are trying some obstacles to keep the dog away from the box.

I am currently working in another brain-dead job. I am "doing things with buttons" for BMWs and Hondas. If you buy one of these in the near future, I may have either sent the buttons to be painted or put parts of the car together. This kind of thing is VERY boring. I don't know how people can do this for years and years.

Today is a beautiful day and so it looks to be a play day. I have to preach tomorrow, but I am rerunning one from the past. I like this one so I am going to do it again. One of the wonders of moving around a lot; you only need one set of sermons!

The Neighbor

Well we had a second run-in with neighbor.

I guess we have fornicating elephants us here, or so he says. He is also wondering how fornicating long it will take for us to move in. And then, he would not shake hands with me and called me a fornicating phallis head.

So we have been informed that if the behavior continues, we are to call the police. And rest assurred, we will.

What is sad is that they will not let gay people adopt but neanderthals like the one downstairs just have to get horney to bring children into the world.

In the new place

Well, I am sitting in a chaotic room. And considering that we just moved most of the stuff today, it looks pretty good.

Nick's sister and BIL came over and helped move. WHAT A HELP! We had three ball=busters to move, a washer, a dryer, and a large sofa. Thanks to the help, we got them all moved. My back hurts tonight, but it could have been much worse.

Last night was hard on me. I realized that it would be the last night we would spend in the house. I walked around and remembered when I first moved in. All the dreams I had about the place. Now I looked out and the yard was dark because we sold the landscape lights. The pond is gone because one of the neighbors wanted the liner. Things were gone. The house was not the same. Then it struck me that what was important in the house was asleep in bed. All the things were just that, things, but Nick was sticking by me even when everything else was falling apart.

I met a couple of neighbors and they seemed very nice, one even gave us some dryer duct. But then I met the downstairs neighbor. Actually, I met him yesterday and didn't know it was him. When I brough stuff over yesterday, there was this guy just sitting near the door of the building. I kind of said "hi" as I went in but he didn't say anything. Then he would move over to a picnic table that was near. Then he was sitting again near the door. I was getting a little weirded out by this bum (?) who was sitting aroudn the door. Well, while we were moving funiture, we suddenly heard a pounding on the floor from downstairs. So I walked downstairs and knocked on the door. Who should open the door but the "bum." I said, "Sorry if it sounds like we are moving a bunch of furniture, but we are moving a bunch of furniture. WHen we get moved in, it will quiet down." To which he replied, "It better."

WHAT AN ASS!

It is rude enough that he would pound on the floor, but to now just laugh it off when I went down to explain... I hope this is not a foreshadow. But in walking downstairs, I also want to let him know that pounding is not an acceptable way to send a message.

I'll post some pictures when I bring my camera. It is currently in the house, as is a bunch of "stuff." You know, that danderuff that defies categorization. Most of it should probably be thrown away, but I am not ready to do that yet.