I win! Twice!

I never win anything. Until recently.

On Saturday I went over to Moscow Building Supply because I had been hearing ads on the radio for about a week about the sale. And I wanted to eat the free hot dog. And they are only about three blocks from my house. So I went and the hog dog bun was cut crooked, the dog was cold and the portable Pepsi fountain blew wet gunk all over my pants. So it looked like the day was going to be a bust. Except for one (two) thing(s).

I entered for door prizes. I entered myself and Rachel. And both names were drawn. I now have a red kerosene lantern and a nice cedar box planter!

I'm trying to decide between snap dragons and pansies for the the planter and I guess I'll have to learn a little somethin' somethin' about kerosene...

I want to Go!

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1233058520070412?feedType=RSS

Thanks, Richard.

man! why did I graduate?

I'm reading the posts about Austen on Dr. Leithart's blog and I want to be in that class so bad!

Vaguely Indecent

If it were me in the situation, I would have done the same thing (I guess) but I still think what happened was non-ideal.

About three minutes after my shift started, about a week ago, two ladies approached me from the rear and asked where the scissors are. I directed them to the wall a few feet away and I started to walk off. They then asked if any were open packages. I said "No." As it turned out, they needed to cut something. They showed me what and I sort of paused. One of the ladies had used the public restroom and had gotten the pocket of her jeans stuck in the zipper. Therefore she could not zip her jeans. To this day, I still can't figure out how this happened exactly. I try not to think about it too much but, somehow, I can't help myself; I can't figure it out. I went up to the front and brought her the cashier's scissors. She was rescued.

Another victory for the best darn sales associate Michael's Arts and Crafts has ever seen!

cool stuff in the Bible

• Job 36:24-25

Remember to magnify His work

Of which many have sung.

Everyone has seen it:

man looks on it from afar.

• Exodus 11:7

" But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know the difference between the Egyptians and Israel" NKJV

"But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man of beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel" ESV

I wonder if translation differences are greater in Hebrew than in Greek. It seems that most New Testament differences are more like putting "he said" before or after the thing being said. In the Old Testament, it seems that there are a lot more metaphors and turns of phrase. And with the greater flexibility of Hebrew, it makes for some more interesting translations.

• Exodus 17:8-16

This is the story where Moses holds up his rod and the Israelite army prospers under Aaron -- against Amalek. In verse 14, God says to Moses, "I will will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." So I wonder, is that wiping out still to come? Or did God mean that Amalek would be wiped out except for being mentioned in Exodus?

Strangely

I have an interview at Applebee's on Monday.

I dropped off an application several weeks ago and today, I got a phone call. I'm not sure waht I want to do there, if I want to do anything. Maybe I can work lunches and stay at Micahels for nights.

Hey Richard!

Why can't matches play baseball?

I forgot to add

I also like sweeping Michael's. I get to push a big push broom up and down all the aisles and it's really satisfying and fun. The pile of junk I collect by the end is amazing. Usually lots of leaves, flowers, punch outs to hang things on the pegs, sparkles, feathers, grapevine, cardboard and even dust.

For Your Needs Away From Home

Many people ask me if I like Michael's. I think my tendency to ramble will take over if I stay with essay form so here's a list of what I like and don't about working at Michael's.

My department is the following things: silk flowers, yarn, wedding, Easter eggs, embroidery, latch hook, baskets, candles, silk hanging baskets, St. Patrick's Day, foam cut-out crafts, and I'm still supposed to keep the leftover Valentine's Day stuff clean on the clearance rack.

Don'ts

• Avoiding management. I don't like this for two reasons a) because I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing and I like to know what I'm supposed to be doing and b) I'm supposed to become a manager -- and I can't avoid myself.
• Hours. I work from mid-afternoon til nine usually. Which is kind of a pain because I have to miss choir practice and singing at the nursing home, and I like those things a lot.
• Petty corporate rules -- like the "cashier compliance log." Everything at Michael's come from Irving, TX. Occasionally, when I get to work my time card is missing. It's in a binder where my mistakes are pointed out to me in no uncertain terms. I have to sign the form (not initial it and not date it) and then I'm allowed to sign in for my shift. This may be a fine system but I got in trouble for not circling the phone number (when I wrote in down by hand) on a check. This was my first day on the register and that was my only problem.
• The fake pollen on the silk flowers generates very real sneezes
• "I'm looking for a round container, you hang it on the wall and it's in blue packaging. I need to know where that is. Now." People get angry when I don't know where stuff is.

Do's

• Wearing an apron. The novelty has worn off a bit, but I still like the fact that I'm instantly identified as a part of something. I'm expected to know things and be polite and professional. In the orientation for the first job I ever had they made us all take turns walking around the room wearing a cape. Just to get the idea that being at work is acting. You have to act interested and act like the right kind of employee. An apron is kind of the same thing -- it helps me take a job that I mostly don't like and reminds me to do right.
• Wrapping things in paper at the checkout counter. I think it's neat that some lowly cashier (me) gets to "permanently" determine how that item (frame, mug, vase, etc.) will be protected. Whenever I buy something that has been wrapped, I always try to re-wrap it the way it was wrapped originally. Especially if it's a gift. It's just nice to keep the folds in the same place.
• Price tag gun. 'nuf said.
• Helping people, and hearing their stories. I can't remember anything in particular but the next point is a pretty standard example.
• The nutty people that I meet. I met a lady with a 15 foot tree that she decorates for each season in Victorian style. I helped her pick out the Easter eggs she would use this year.

I am not getting as many hours as I want and I'm not so sure they are actually going to make me the manager they said they were -- there's a sign out front saying that they are hiring another one! But I'm working really hard at being cheerful and Mrs. Paul (kirker) has offered me some part time work as sort of a personal assistant as she runs the, several, family businesses. I will probalby learn payroll, and I'm going to learn to paint end o' this week. She would only probably want me about two days per week, but I think that could be really fun and I know it'll be really helpful.

Look What I Can Do!

I can knit.

The other day I found a kit for ages 8 and up "Learn to Knit Your Own Teddy Bear". So I thought I'd give it a try. It was really fun. Every day I work in a different aisle restocking things and everyday I feel like doing a different crafy thing. Next I'll try embroidering some pillow cases.

I want to get buttons for the eyes, but it came with adhesive felt so I stuck them on.

He's sitting on my rocking chair.