2005-09-19 - 12:27 a.m.

WOW I am proud my new employer is the sponser of the NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL!

My store manager who had made it sound like I could work a schedule of MON and FRI nights consistently, two weeks ago scheduled me for MON, TUE, and WED nights.

The middle manager who is my immediate supervisor took note and was apologetic. He gave me his email and in writing I wrote the REQUEST for the consistent schedule and he then forwarded it to the manager. (Who had previously verbally said it would be fine!) SO I checked the next schedule and saw I was on the two days and thought that problem was resolved. So this week I came in to work on MON, and then FRI.

Around 2am my supervisor said "Do you know you are on the schedule for tommorrow night?"

I said "NO"
and he pointed out that I was on for Sat and wasn't actually on the schedule for then! He said "Its fine your here tonight! Don't worry about that....but can you handle tommorrow, or is that too much" (He's aware I have the kids to care for and not as much opportunity to sleep days after work as the young single folk!)

I said I could work it fine, but that I hope we could resolve the scedule ! I apologized I erred and hadn't read the posted schedule CAREFULLY but had looked at it, saw the two days,and I wasn't careful and missed the DETAIL that it was MON and SAT rather than the MON and FRI I expected!

That problem with details and not being careful that I have.....

One of the reasons I am happy to experiment in this treatment of ADD is that I have become so very aware of my JOB PREFORMANCE issues that I have had ON EVERY JOB EVER which are so obviously ADD related! I was unaware of them when younger and have grown in awareness as well as my own self discipline and organizational skills TREMENDOUSLY ! I marvel at just how WONDERFUL my boss at PEOPLE INC TOM S! Was in working with me ! HE MUST HAVE KNOWN what ADD looked like and recognized it.... being a professional in an agency working with disabled adults for twenty plus years, and yet he never MENTIONED that to me, and so marvelously worked on my organizational skills in such a patient and professional manner! HE did some things that made me SUCCEDDFUL as the SITE MANAGER that I recognize were KIND and in a way accomadating... and now I apprechiate that all the more as I can look back and recognize how he was able to make my strengths shine and work with my weaknesses. As an example, I had a CHRONIC problem with lateness... which could have resuleted in being FIRED. YOU CAN'T BE THE BOSS AND BE LATE ALL THE TIME! You can't BE the Boss of a staff of over 25 and expect to be a MANAGER with Respect and credibility and expect others to be on time if you are late! The administrator CHANGED MY HOURS so I came in ONE HOUR EARLIER than all my staff. This was done so we had time to meet ... but REALLY was done so that I wasn't LATE for out shift organizational meetings that my job entailed leading!

Anyway... at Target I am the lowly retail worker who is dependent on getting the work hours based on the MANAGERS need for bodies rather than on my desire of WHEN to work.

So Westely is dealing with me working the next two weeks on SAT rather than FRI as he preferred. Lucky the weather is cooling so his desire to go to VA on weekends to MOW is ended anyway! (That was the real reason to want FRI rather than SAT night! SO he could take off SAt morn as soon as I got home to do any needed maintenence in VA!)

Because he travels for work it is best to try to avoid conflict by attempting to get a consistent schedule which is NOT midweek when he might be gone and I can't work as I then have to be home with the kids! For some reason the manager at this TARGET is reluctant to give anyone a consistent schedule. He is either not that good at scheduling himself, or he thinks that having employees available like puppets on a string is better for him as if people want the cash they will then work when needed. So keep em hungry for hours.... and keep em dependent on HIM MAKING their schedule for them so they don't get too comfortable and DEMANDING.... or too independent. That dependency translates into more compliant workers as it asserts the AUTHORITY of the manager.

Hmmm.... That really may be the case: BAD MANAGEMENT.

If so they'll have poor attrition of staff! They hired on guy who in his interview said he can not work SAT to SUN overnight as he has responsibilities at his church. He too has been scheduled each SAT! They also told him 35 hours is Full Time and he was EXPECTING to get a full time job w/ benefits, but after training discovered he was hired for Part Time and they are careful to be sure he doesn't exceed 34 hrs.

Anyway... not unusual or unexpected stuff.

ON the flip side... I am proud TARGET is the sponser of the BOOK FESTIVAL!

I was HOPING it would be LATER this year as I had a dream of paying this months legal bill ( My former attny accepted my proposal of $300 a month until paid off) and then being able to budget and plan for a trip to D.C. JUST WITH KATERINA to the book festival! I figured one advantage to NOT WORKING on FRI nights was that MAYBE I could fly, along w/ Katerina, in and out of D.C. for the festival!

Bummer for me though that it is THIS COMING weekend! Way too soon for me to budget for!

That will be a goal for NEXT YEAR though! I REALLY WANT TO BRING HER TO IT!

This week I did enjoy the excitement of getting SOREN'S winter coat!

I found nice jacket that has a fleece inner vest that can be worn seperately or added into the outer shell, ON CLEARANCE at LLBEAN. I THREW OUT THE SALE FLYER thinking I'd just go on line when ready! So I went on line that SEPTEMBER SALE was just NOT THERE! VIA LIVE CHAT the customer service folk helped me find the coat item #. They said those sale items in the flyer don't even go on the web as they are things there are not alot of in stock.. and they sell out really fast. Old discontinued items and overstock still lingering from last year. I had to WAIT for a deposited check to be available in my account to buy the coat! I got nervous it wouldn't be available by the time the check cleared, so I went on E-BAY to look for a backup plan. I then had the excitement of watching the auction for a lightly used Navy CHILDREN's PLACE BIG FAT DOWN JACKET which had just one HORRIBLE picture of it, and started bidding at .99. I hoped the bad picture would deter other E-BAY gamblers! My theory worked, as the other nice coats kept going up and down jackets sold for around $20 (plus shipping) or so... but no one else bid on the coat I picked!

So for a total of $8.97 I purchased the back up coat! Then my check cleared and I was able to also order the LLBean jacket, which is nice as it can serve a different function. I wanted a REALLY WARM down jacket for those bitter snowy Buffalo days. The LL BEAN jacket hasn't a hood, so it won't be as suitable when the weather is bitter out, but it will be perfect for FALL and early winter because of its ability to convert from a lighter jacket to a more substantial one.

That was my big thrill this week! I am excited to hear what the E-Bay purchase is like as it will be a real surprise!

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