I'm Exhausted.

With Christmas just now behind us and New Years just around the corner, I find myself absolutely EXHAUSTED.

I've been working retail for the first time in ten years, and I find that it's hard on me physically. My knees hurt, my back hurts, my feet hurt. Basically, I just hurt.

I hurt, and I'm tired.

Working at a store where you make your living mostly on commissions equates to EXCELLENT holiday paychecks. Unfortunately, it also brings out the lunatics.

Case in point... I'm ringing up a customer whose total purchase is just under $20.00. She was trying to come up with 55 cents. It's the holiday season, if I have the change in my pocket, I'll tell them don't worry about it and put the change in myself. (ONLY if it's under 50 cents and I happen to have that change... hey, like I said, it's the holiday season!) I was about to contribute to her purchase when I take notice of her Coach purse. Then I see her dig through her wallet which has at least $200.00 in it. I decide to save my change for someone who actually needs it and wait patiently for her to dig up the change. She says, "I just don't want to break a twenty for 50 cents".

I wait... and wait... and wait some more. I'm watching folks line up behind her. I mentally shred her to bits while I remind myself that I need this job. She is also cursing under her breath. I inhale and exhale...I apologize to the folks lining up behind her and assure them I'll be with them in "just a second".

At one point she actually closed up her purse and sighed loudly. Like she EXPECTED me to tell her to just forget the change she was short.

Sorry. Not happening. You want the pictures of you and your gold toothed boyfriend posing in front of that Escalade, you're going to have to either COME UP WITH THE FUCKING CHANGE ALREADY, or pull out one of the SEVERAL 20's you have nestled in that 400 dollar purse.

She let out a couple choice words and ended up breaking a twenty.

She actually said (and I'm quoting here) "I can't believe I have to use a twenty to come up with 55 cents"

I practically yanked the bill out of her hand and completed my transaction, I quickly moved on to the next customer and apologized again for the wait. If I said she held up my line for five minutes, I wouldn't be exaggerating.

Sometimes... I hate people.

Seriously.

That happened two days ago, today she came back in and dared to bitch about what we charge for a fax. (I'm assuming she's another mall employee... Mall employees are the only ones who come to us for faxes) After the fax went through she decided to question my pricing even though I told her what the charges were before she handed me her precious work schedule.

I guess if that's the worst I have to deal with I'm doing better than Ribeye.