As The Station Turns 5/7-8

 Thankfully it was a busy day so time passed quickly and I didn't have to come up with stuff to do so I looked busy. 

A guy came in and claimed he saw people with their credit chip implanted into their wrists. I have a lot of doubts about that story considering all the problems you can have with the chips themselves, plus the need for regular updates and what do you do when your information is stolen? I didn't get into a discussion with him about it because I just didn't want to have that conversation. 

Again with the paper towels in the restrooms! I've worked there two weeks and I've changed them out four times. Does anyone else check the rolls? At least I caught this one before it ran out and there was one guy out on the lot and his card wouldn't work, so he was on the phone with his bank. Plus now I know how the stupid rollers work. 

When I was working across the street someone had spilled super glue all over the counter at the Truck Stop. When I went in today someone had spilled super glue all over the other counter. Why are they gluing stuff next to the register? Have they never heard of paper towels? Anyhow there are three people who could have made the mess between when I had left the night before and today. I'm suspecting it is Stinky.

Someone came in and had dried chunks of mud all over their shoes. When they left there was a lot less, on their shoes. So I got the broom out and cleaned up the trail they left everywhere. Seriously, if you wouldn't track it all over your house why would you track it all over someone else's business?

The guy with the dog showed up, I hadn't seen him in a long time and he was surprised I was working there again. Someone else was complaining about dogs but his is well behaved so I don't mind. The people on the morning shift always have treats for the dog but I don't so it's always a little disappointed. 

A homeless guy came in and wanted to know if he could fill up his water bottle, I told him sure. I noticed that he was walking around with a golf club. Did he find it somewhere? Was he playing through? Oh well, to each their own. 

And then the Homeless Millionaire showed up. He was trying to peak through the back door in hopes nobody noticed. This time not only did I tell him off but I used a bit of profanity, there were customers in the building but I didn't care. Later a customer asked and I told him the story about how he had attacked someone and had become unstable. I still hope that when he finally goes full on it's somewhere else.

The place mostly cleared out so I figured it was a good time to do the trash, except for some guy sitting at a pump and playing on his phone. I figured to heck with it so I rushed around, dumped the trash and got everything done before he finished his texting and came inside. And of course if I had waited a crowd would have shown up.

I looked across the street and there was a truck backed up to one of the doors of the Haunted Station, were they bringing something in or taking something out? Later when the truck pulled out I realized it was the Part Time Woman's big fern. I hated that thing, it sat in front of the counter and was always in the way. Perhaps it's a sign that she's planning on quitting since she hates being bounced around from station to station. One could hope.

I went in and cleaned the restrooms and after I was done several guys went in there, for a long time. That is usually a bad sign but they didn't make a mess so I'm happy. 

Some guy got 30¢ in gas and then shut off his pump. He tried to run the card a second time but it got rejected. He came in and prepaid for $10 but that didn't fill up his tank, d'uh, and came back to prepay for $30. Thankfully he was blaming the bank and not me for his screwing up. 

Stinky showed up early and actually got into his drawer. I was able to close my drawer, finish my paperwork and clock out before the Crazy Lady showed up so I only had to say "bye" to her. So the night ended well.

5/8

I woke up early and the weather is nice so I decided to go for a walk. I stopped at the West Side Station to say hi to the Weekend Guy. He was saying the Late Guy thought the Part Time Woman had stolen the fern but I said as far as I know it was hers. Weekend Guy thinks the Part Time Woman is getting ready to quit too. He doesn't want to end up covering her shifts so he isn't looking forward to it. He also told me that she had stabbed him in the back, she was really nice to him to his face and then called the Boss and claimed he hadn't cleaned the restrooms. I told him that is why everyone hates her. He thinks the Boss better get his act in order and hire a few new people before summer. I agree. Although I think they are going to shut down the Haunted Station while they redo the place in order to set up a counter service restaurant. The funny part is the Late Guy told the Weekend Guy that he might get promoted soon. I somehow doubt it.

I then stopped at the Haunted Station to chat with the Late Guy. I told him that as far as I knew the fern belonged to the Part Time Woman, he said she also took the stapler and several other items. Yep, she's planning on quitting, She still has a pile of crap stored in the back but if they are going to revamp the place she's gonna have to haul it off. She will hate that. I wonder what she'll say when she finds the movie money $100 I dropped into one of her boxes. 

The Late Guy had several questions about ordering from the supplier too, mostly that if he scans something does he have to place the order right then. I told him no, he can scan stuff in all week and then place the order before the deadline on Monday, I guess the Truck Stop Manager does it all on Monday morning. He was happy to find out all that. Even though I'm operating off the "I'm not the manager anymore, it's none of my business" I gave him some advice to not put in a big order until after Memorial Day to let the old stock run down and so he'll have all new stuff on the shelves at the start of summer. He probably won't listen. 

And then I came home. 

A quick update, I saw the Homeless Millionaire in the alley behind the Haunted Station, and was having quite the intense conversation, with himself. Later I saw him dragging stuff down the street. Later I saw him heading back to the edge of town with a stolen shopping cart. That guy is really losing it. 

As The Station Turn 5/6

 When I got to work the Manager told me that the Crazy Lady hadn't showed up for two days. I really wish they'd hire a couple of people and cut loose the dead weight. Also, just as I figured, the price of gas jumped 30¢ a gallon overnight. I did have a laugh later on when I looked across the street and they set the cash price 10¢ too low on their sign. I bet the Dyslexic woman, who was working the morning shift today, was getting a lot of crap about the higher price on the pump. And, the Late Guy was probably the one who changed the sign, he's really proving his worth as a manager (and making me look good in the process)

The people on the morning shift like to haul the floor mats outside, and leave them there, I have to haul them in the first chance I get. Except today it snowed and they got soaking wet. I had to wait for a couple of hours after the snow ended plus I had to mop up the floor where people tracked up the uncovered floor. I hate that. 

A Coke repair guy showed up looking for old equipment they had already removed. I told him he was looking for the West Side Station. I don't think he believed me. He got on the phone and left, for the West Side Station.

It was a boring night so when the Tow Truck Driver came in and we got into a long conversation about strange murders in the area I was kind of glad, killed about an hour (pun intended). The best one was a body they found hanging in a tree despite it just being a hundred yards of a regularly traveled road. Seems the guy was a cop who got involved with drug smugglers, got busted, turned states evidence and then disappeared. Well, they found him.

Since it snowed the place was empty. The clouds cleared off, the sun came out and there was a spectacular photo opportunity, low lying clouds, snow covered mountains peaking out above them and the perfect afternoon sunlight. And just as I got to the door a caravan of 5th wheel campers rolled in. They were part of construction company and the rest of the trucks showed up, along with several tourist. When the place finally cleared out, almost an hour later, the photo op was over.

When I was being swarmed on a woman asked me if her husband had come inside. This might be a surprise but I had no idea who her husband is. And it turns out he was outside waiting for her the whole time.

The Storyteller came in and the place was empty so he told me about his dog, again, and his wife, again, and his car, again. He left happy. 

I was going to do the ice in the soda machine and a couple showed up, to do a weeks worth of junk food shopping. They got into a long conversation about Reese's and which was best, pieces or cups. Finally they finished and then got into a long conversation about Slushies. And then they left. 

Some annoying guy at the pump kept hitting the "Help" button which I then have to clear off the register. That button is for handicapped people and he clearly isn't. I glared at him and he turned on his pump, filled up and left without coming in. Seriously, every time you hit a button like that at a pump it sets off annoying noises on the register, Stop Doing It!

A truck driver came in and told me he had to walk from across the street since they were already closed. The Weekend Guy had been working over there and he must have gotten bored and closed up. It must be nice to set your own hours. 

As the clock ticked down I wondered if anyone from the Graveyard Shift would show up. The Crazy Lady had missed two days and Stinky likes to take three day weekends. If nobody came in I was going to get really angry at the bosses. Anyhow they both came in, the Crazy Lady was really being sick (I don't think she'll win any Academy Awards). Skippy showed up too, in case nobody had come in and he had to lock the place up for the night. I bolted as fast as I could. Hopefully I only have to put up with this for a couple of months and then the rumors come true and I get to move over to the West Side Station where I don't have to wait for someone to show up.

As The Station Turn 5/4-5

 The first thing I discovered when I got to work was the drain on the Coke machine had clogged up and the ice melting down from the hopper was filling it up. I had to bail it out every hour. I figured I would be evil and not tell the Graveyard Shift, instead I would get it all dried out just before I left, that didn't work out.  (to be continued at closing time)

The company we get our bulk supples from have started something new and they have an inspector come around to check the stores, to see if the prices are right and is there any outdated stock. The Manager hates her. She was doing her thing and it worked out for me because I got some outdated pretzels and trail mix. Thankfully the woman finished up and left before I was fully into my drawer so I didn't have to deal with her.

They told me a pump tech was suppose to show up and do a pressure test. It meant my pumps were going to be shut down for an hour or two, oh no, I'm going to get paid to not have to deal with customers? Terrible! Anyhow he never showed up.

I got a text from the Late Guy, the lottery had a game that ended and he had to pull the tickets but he didn't know what to do next. I had told him before but you know how that goes. I told him to take them out of the case, put them away and when the lottery guys shows up he'll pick them up and credit the unsold ones back to the station. I told him to let the other people on the shifts, especially on his day off, to know where the old tickets were in case the guy showed up while he was off. I hope he listened to that.

On Monday Mrs. Late Guy works a split shift from 10 AM to 6 PM. While they were doing the shift change the Manager was teaching her how to contact the fleet card companies to let them know about price changes. Yep, Mrs. Late Guy is being trained to be the new Manager.

A guy pulled into the diesel pump and then left and drove across the street. The price is the same over there btw. I was laughing because they have a problem with their sump pump and the diesel is running really slow. The guy was there for a while. If he had used our pumps he could have gotten back on the road right away. 

For the first four hours, while Mrs. Late Guy was there, the place was dead. We were sitting around bored and kept finding little things to do, I even went out and swept up random bits of trash from around the pumps and on the back side of the building. As soon as she left, busy. I was going to do one quick thing and got hit with a full string of tag teamers, where the heck were they earlier?

A guy from Australia came in, he was driving from Florida to Pueblo Colorado. What a strange place to end a cross country trek. Perhaps he was just stopping there overnight but it's not exactly a tourist destination. 

Someone came in and made a huge mess in the restroom. They got most of it in the toilet, or on the toilet. I was trying to rush and got the toilet cleaned and here came a swarm. I discovered that the mens room was out of paper towels so that was the second thing between waves, then the sink and finally the floor. However I also had to take a break because the Storyteller came in and didn't get a chance to say anything the day before due to the crowd. So I listened to the story of his broken down car again and something else and then I ran to mop up the floor. I had to double rinse the mop because there was a bit of a stink. And then some other guy came in and was in their way too long but he didn't make a mess. 

Just before the end of the night the register decided to crash. I had to do the whole turn it off and turn it on again and then wait for it to reload. Thankfully I didn't have any customers at that time so it wasn't a complete disaster.

After the restroom, after the register, after a bunch of slow motion customers while I was trying to get things done I got a guy paying with a stack of ones. Instead of handing me the bills he counted through them. Then he counted them down on the counter, and then he spread them out all over the counter. I finally got pissed and grabbed them in a big wad and counted them and prepaid his pump. I think there are people who just don't want to spend money so they take as long as possible. Just Hand Me The Money!

The Graveyard Shift Guy came in and opened his drawer. He said it looked like he was working alone, I didn't know because nobody told me anything. And if I don't know I'm not going to stick around and have the excuse "I though the Crazy Lady was just running late". My plan had been to not tell them about the Coke machine drain but I couldn't do that to just him, so I let him know to keep an eye on it, and then rushed out before the phone rang. 

5/5

I had to make a Walmart run so I headed over the mountain. The price of fuel over there was 30¢ a gallon higher then over here so as soon as I got back I headed to the Downtown Station. They are having the same problem as the Haunted Station, the card readers are down and they are having to use the backup inside scanner, so I paid cash. She told me someone said they had been to a place where it had already hit $4.75 a gallon. Goodbye summer travelers. 

I stopped by the Haunted Station and the Late Guy was angry at the Random Woman. I got use to her but she's driving him crazy. Sometimes she dumps the trash, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she cleans the coffee pot, sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes she mops the floor, and so on. He's going to have a word with her, this won't end well.

Also he told me the Crazy Woman didn't show up last night at all. I kind of knew that was going to be the outcome. I wonder how all this will play out. As long as I don't have to deal with it I'll be fine. I guess I'll find out on Wednesday. Also I don't want to go to the Graveyard Shift so if they mention it I'm going to give them a flat no, I've worked there long enough I shouldn't have to do it again. 

As The Station Turns 5/03

 When I got to work Mrs. Late Guy was pissed, she had just mopped the floor when a guy got a full Slushie, and dropped it. And of course the place was full of people who had to walk through the mess and track it all over. So she quickly remopped but with sticky crap it takes at least three passes and she only got two in. So I spot mopped the rest of the night. Seriously, get a grip and put the lid on tight.

Some guy came in and was bitching that there wasn't any prices on anything. Well, they change too fast to go around redoing them every week. He claimed "That's how they get you". Well here's an idea, fuck all the way off and go to McDonalds where they put the price on the big sign behind the counter.

I really lost my temper today. Sometimes the register refuses to process a card and gives you an error message about "can't process monetary amount", I think it has something to do with the EBT they installed a few months ago. Anyhow the first time it happened I tried to find out how to fix it but the guy got frustrated and paid cash. I asked the people on the over shifts about it and they said push the "More" button and you'll see another button that says "Convert". So the second time it happened I pushed the "More" button and all it showed me was the EBT choices. This guy also paid cash. Again, I asked everyone about it and they once again told me what to do, but never showed me anything. Today the guy got $129.00 worth of gas and didn't have the cash, he had to pay credit. I did what they said and nothing. I called the Late Guy and he told me the exact same thing, nothing. He was sending Mrs. Late Guy but who knew when she would show up. So finally I rang it up a Non Grocery for his card and then rang out the pump under Cash. Later I ran out a refund on the Non Grocery. The Boss is going to complain but I don't care, if there is a problem they Need To Tell People How To Work Around It!!!!! Anyhow Mrs. Late Guy showed up and actually showed me the secret button, which had nothing to do with the More button. They could have shown me the first time I asked but nooooooo! But I patted myself on the back, even though I wanted to curse and tell her off I maintained and blamed the computer.

And, thank goodness Mrs. Late Guy showed up, a trucker came in with a fleet card, but the equipment needed to run it broke down and they didn't replace it, so you have to call it in. However the phone decided to not work at that exact moment. All I got was a message that the circuits were busy and couldn't connect. And of course I got a line of customers right then. Mrs. Late Guy volunteered to use her cell and get the info while I waited on everyone. Thankfully the call went through, she got the information and the truck driver was on his way. 

I found a sticky patch on the floor and since the place was empty I figured I would clean it up really quick. I touched the mop handle and, a crowd came rushing in. They know, they can sense that I'm going to do something. But if I pretended I was going to do work to get a crowd the place would be empty.

A woman came in, she was looking for "24 Hour Energy". Ummm....we don't sell anything like that, try the guy hanging out on Beggar's Corner, he might be able to hook you up. Anyhow I figured she was looking for 5 Hour Energy and pointed to where the rack was. 

I was laughing because I looked across the street and the Random Woman had a large bus. It appeared to be a college team which means her restrooms would be swamped and a mess. Better her than me.

I went in the ladies room and there was a puddle around one of the toilets and a trial out to the sink. I'm hoping someone was washing off the seat before they sat down as opposed to having really lousy aim.

I was stocking the shelves and I got out the box of the individual packs of pills. Inside the box was a chunk of a broken shot glass. How long had it been in there? Who broke a glass and didn't look for all the pieces? Honestly. I considered taking the chunk and throwing it in the bottom of the outside trash bag so it would cut through when someone tried to dump it, but I didn't, instead I walked it out to the dumpster and chucked it in there. You're welcome everyone else who works at the Truck Stop. 

The Storyteller Guy came in but I had a mob of people so he got his coffee, told me about his broken down car (again) and his dog (again) and then left. Maybe he'll come in on Monday and it will be slow so he can tell me a whole story, perhaps the time he was working for the railroad and...

Skippy is back, this is a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is I don't think he likes me and he was shocked to discover all his pals are gone, so perhaps he won't be coming around at night. I mean he wandered around, pretended to do some stuff and left, whereas the Boss hangs around, talks about stuff and watches videos on his phone, at a high volume. However the bad thing is it means they aren't going to hire new people to replace the ones they fired. It means on Memorial Day I'm gonna be swamped and working solo. If only I could hit the lottery before then. 

A truck driver called to see if we were a Flying J or a Pilot. Bad news dude, there isn't one within a 100 miles. Also, there is this new thing called "Google", you can access it from your phone and get directions to the place you are looking for. Another guy called and said the web said we had a restaurant, I think he got the wrong place. 

The Graveyard shift showed up early, I got out of my drawer early and left on time for a change. A crappy day ended on a positive note. 

As The Station Turn 5/02

 I wasn't looking forward to going to work because the Part Time Woman is suppose to be training at the Truck Stop on the Saturday morning shift and I was going to have to deal with her for about 10 minutes during shift change, however she wasn't there. I asked Mrs. Late Guy about it and she told me that Part Time Woman was suppose to work on Friday night and then Saturday morning but had "called in sick" for both days. This means in the first two weeks she was suppose to be training at the Truck Stop she hadn't worked a single day there. Mrs. Late Guy pointed out that the city is doing their Cinco de Mayo party this weekend and she probably went to that instead. If what I've been told is right they are going to shut the Haunted Station down while the refurbish the place for a walk up counter service restaurant which means that if the Part Time Woman doesn't know what to do at the Truck Stop she won't be working at all. And I won't mind. 

I wanted to zip outside and check the trashes so I could plan when I was going to toss them later, however a guy came in so I was stuck behind the counter waiting for him. He finally got all his stuff done and I made it to the door when a woman came in to buy smokes. She apologized for interrupting me but she's a regular and I told her I had 8 hours to do it so no big deal. She got her stuff and left, good, chance to go check the trash and...the first guy came back in for more stuff. Eventually I did get a chance to check the trash, one needed dumped. 

There is a regular at the Truck Stop and the last time I saw him, about a year ago, he didn't look too good. Plus he was driving a van with a bad fuel pump and had rigged a hose to his carburetor and was literally dumping gas into it to drive (needless to see the cops caught him and took his license plate until he got it road worthy) He also lives in an old restaurant, not a house that was converted into a restaurant but an actual restaurant. Anyhow he came in today and doesn't look too good, and he's now driving an old motorcycle that looks like he pulled it out of the scrap yard. He couldn't get the gas cap open and was prying away with a screwdriver. I'm fully expecting to see that guy in the obituaries some time by the end of the year.

A guy in a big box truck pulled into the auto diesel pump, the difference is that it only has a nozzle on the driver's side and not a satellite pump for the semi tank on the other side, and he came in the wrong way. So  instead of pulling forward and turning around he backed up, backed around, and backed into the #10 pump, which is still out of order. So he had to back up and pull over to the #11 pump. I enjoyed the show. 

An old guy pulling a 5th wheel trailer and a golf cart on a second trailer pulled into the semi diesel pump. The problem is they have a larger high volume nozzle and it wouldn't fit into his truck's gas tank. Nobody else was there so I explained to him that he could pull through the regular pumps, around the building and then into the auto diesel pump. He seemed kind of confused about it so I carefully explained it to him again. Then I watched to make sure he didn't run into my car. He got around, figured out the pump and then left, and pulled the second trailer over the curb as he was exiting the lot. Personally I think the second towed trailer should be banned and there are people who have reached an age where someone should check to make sure they should still have a license. And he was heading to Texas so if you live there beware.

A guy came in and was having an unpleasant phone discussion with his girlfriend. At one point he said "Of course you're upset, hearing the truth hurts." I wonder if she's still his girlfriend. He was having a really bad day because he had been out checking the horse's water tank, bent over and dropped his vape into the water, ruining it. He was buying a new one and they ain't cheap. 

So last week I posted about a kid that pissed me off, he had filled up a cup of soda, dumped it out, filled it up a second time, dumped it out and then ran out the door. Today he came in and actually bought two cups of soda, and I charged him one size up to pay for what he had wasted last time. He wasn't paying attention to what I rang out. So now we're somewhat even. 

And then the Homeless Millionaire came wandering towards the station. He didn't look good and forget walking a straight line. I rushed over and met him at the front door and told him point blank that he had been banned and wasn't allowed in the station anymore. He said some gibberish and left. But then I heard a guy at a pump shouting at him. The guy came in and said the Millionaire had punched his car. I told the guy the Millionaire had a no trespass order and I could call the cops but the guy didn't want to get caught up in that hassle so he passed. After the guy left I called the Random Woman across the street to warn her about the Millionaire, I told her if he showed up to lock the door and call the cops, to not even mess with him since he's become too erratic and possibly dangerous. I didn't see him the rest of the night and I'm still hoping that he wanders down to the Conoco and causes all his problems there.

There is a regular retired guy who comes in, he gets a cup of coffee and a snack and then says "did I tell you about....?" Every time he says that I always tell him no and he proceeds to tell me a story he told me at least 10 times before. It makes him happy since I'm sure everyone else in his life says "yeah yeah, I heard that one before". It's probably why I see him three or four times a week. Today was about the big cookie jar full of pennies. 

A guy came in and wanted to know if he was still in Texas. Not for 90 miles. I told him he was almost in Colorado. He must have been asleep for a long time, I hope he wasn't driving.

In Denver there is a huge car auction, I'm not sure how often they hold it, perhaps every three months. They sell abandon, repossessed and trade in cars that dealerships are looking to get rid of. They are sold for scrap and there are several companies that pass through the station, they will find one car that runs and hook up a second car with a tow bar, take them back to their scrap yards, either in Texas or Juarez, part them out and then melt down the remaining steel to be reused. I like them, they don't make a mess, they pay cash and get anywhere from $100 to $300 at a time. 

My last customer of the night was a guy looking at the vapes. He appeared to be in that "better check" age range and what do you know, his ID wasn't in his pocket or in his truck. He must have left it in his overalls when he was at work, gosh. I told him the inspectors were in town so I had to see all ID's this week. He left without argument. I bet he's use to coming in when the Doofus worked there and never asked. That's a good way to get stuck with a huge fine. 

Stinky and the Graveyard Shift Guy came in so I closed my drawer and did my paperwork fast, I was in a hurry to go home. I warned the Graveyard Shift Guy about the Homeless Millionaire and nobody had told him the guy had been no trespassed from the lot. Honestly, a little information goes a long way, and will eventually prevent police involvement. I noticed the Random Woman was still across the street, I wonder if she got a lot of auction car drivers too. And, that was the end of my day.

As The Station Turn 5/1

 I went to the store and then stopped at the West Side Station to say hi to the Weekend Guy. He confirmed that the Manager of the Truck Stop is planning on retiring in June. He can't believe that she is doing it just as the summer really gets geared up. I said it makes perfect sense, get out before things get bad.

I also told him about the Homeless Millionaire, he said the guy had been talking erratic for a few days and he too was wonder when the crash was coming. He said the same thing everyone else had "I'm surprised the Crazy Lady didn't shoot him". Also they are moving everything around at the West Side Station, I told him it was so they could set up to sell hot foods, which won't work at that station since it's right across the street from McDonalds and they don't get the semis.

The Weekend Guy told me that the Boss has been in talks with the owner of the old warehouse next to the Haunted Station. Gotta wonder what plans they have for that place. I expect everything to be completely different next year. 

I then dropped by the Haunted Station but the Late Guy wasn't there. Someone had been sick, I'm guessing at the Downtown Station and the Random Woman had gone in to cover and so Mrs. Late Guy was doing the morning shift at the Haunted Station and the Late Guy would be covering the afternoon. Today the Part Time Woman is suppose to be working her first shift at the Truck Stop and Mrs. Late Guy (who hates her) was going to have to work a couple of hours with her but she got out of it. But it also means that the Part Time Woman will be doing her shift with The Graveyard Shift guy and he doesn't care, he won't show her anything or teach her anything so this should be a disaster. The Boss is bouncing the Part Time Woman around in hopes of pissing her off and getting her to quit. This should be interesting. 

I told Mrs. Late Guy about the Homeless Millionaire. I guess he had been in earlier in the morning and got pissed because his debit card has been cut off. He claimed he could buy a new pin but I'm pretty sure that is just something in his mind. He got angry and left. I told her if he came back to just call the cops, it's reached that point and who knows what he is going to do. Later I saw him out in the middle of the street yelling at cars. I'm worried about the guy and I hope they pick him up soon. 

I went back to the Haunted Station in the afternoon because the Late Guy was having problems with the lottery. However when I got there the problem had cleared up, oh well I had to go for a walk anyhow so it worked out. He told me they are going to gut the station and redo it all so they can set up a walk up counter service where the old restaurant use to be, he even had to go take a class. I figure they are going to put him in charge of it once they have it up and running.

And for the first time I knew something he didn't, he hadn't heard about the construction company wanting to rent the lower lot. I was telling him how it would work out for the boss, but he was going to be selling a lot of coffee first thing in the morning. Then I came home. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

As The Station Turns 4/30

 It's raining today, which means the floor will be tracked up the whole time. But at least I have a good excuse for not mopping. And the weirdos mostly stay home. 

They changed the price of fuel again which meant that the Late Guy was going to have to go in and do the sign. I had to laugh because he wanted to be the manager. I also realized that he's change the sign more times in a week than I did all last year. 

The touch screen on the credit card wasn't working, I had no idea how long it had been like that but people were having to use the touch wand. So, I got under the counter, unplugged it, plugged it back in again and it worked. No wonder they always tell you that stuff when you call the help line.

A bus pulled into the Haunted Station but then left and went to the Chevron. The Weekend Guy is working across the street today so I had to wonder if he rushed over, locked the door and put up the Closed sign and then hid until they were gone. I wouldn't put it past him.

A woman came in, used the restroom, wandered around the station and finally bought some stuff. As she was standing there I realized she was wearing a company shirt from a rival station. I don't think she was spying but I had to wonder why she didn't go to the station for the company she worked for. Odd.

The Part Time Woman was going to be working across the street and I wanted to see what time she showed up. However some guy in a big rental truck, and towing an overpacked pickup on a trailer, blocked my view. No problem, he'll probably leave before she gets there, but he hung around outside, not getting gas. Then he brought his young son inside and headed to the restroom, for 20 minutes. Then he came back out and finally started pumping gas. Then he came in and they looked all around for snacks. Then hung out in the parking lot, then he and the kid came back in to use the restroom again. He was parked out there for 45 minutes and when he finally left the Part Time Woman was across the street and I never saw when she got there. It's as if they know what I'm doing. 

It was so cloudy and dark that I turned the canopy lights early. The Weekend Guy didn't and he looked closed all afternoon. The lights went on after the Part Time Woman went to work. I know he did that intentionally.

The Boss came by and was telling me the Manager is thinking about retiring in June. She could live off her husband's retirement, and she's talked about it for the past 20 years. I believe her this time. There is also a theory that the Manager of the West Side Station may also be leaving which would explain the rumor of my potential moving over there. But that means they'll have a whole new staff at the Truck Stop in the next 6 months. The future has never been this unknown. 

They just finished repairing the pumps and the #10 pump stopped working. The bosses get mad when you mark a pump out of order and I didn't have a lot of diesel customers so I just kept telling them to move to a different pump and left the problem for someone else. And then #11 started rejecting all the cards, I didn't tell anyone about that either. And I'm off on Friday so it's really someone else's problem.

I went to do a last minute check on the restroom and there was hair on the floor of the men's room. And not loose strands but wads of hair. Are they undergoing some kind of medical thing and losing chunks? It was odd. 

A guy came in and it took me a minute and I suddenly realized, I had worked with that guy a long time ago. He was a bit of a goofball and had started getting into drugs, which caused him schizophrenic episodes. Things got really bad for him. I didn't ask what happened and I kind of hoped he didn't recognize me. 

It was the end of the night, I was out of my drawer, finished my paperwork and was ready to leave. Stinky was slowly counting in his drawer and the Crazy Lady, who had opened her drawer, had wandered off to who knows where. Some woman was asking about cigarettes and didn't know what the brands were. I told her that there was regular Marlboro so she was going to go out and ask if that was good enough. I told the Crazy Lady that there were all kinds of red flags on that one and to be sure to check an ID. Or the woman was Canadian.

Anyhow, for the big news of the day, the Random Millionaire has been acting more and more erratic for the past week. He's been losing his temper over nothing, riding out into traffic and mumbling to himself. I figured if he was going to go over the edge I hoped he did it down at the Conoco. Well, on Wednesday night he came in to the Truck Stop and got into a huge fight with the Crazy Lady and in the end he punched her, in the chest. I don't think it was that hard but none the less there is a zero tolerance on physical violence so he now has a No Trespass notice on him. Everyone said the same thing "I'm surprised she didn't shoot him" (yes the Crazy Lady is always armed). So, this is going to be interesting.