As The Station Turns 6/29

 It's still the holiday busy season so I walked in to a crowd. The Manager was in her usual grumpy mood but she was in a hurry, she had already counted down her drawer and rushed through her paperwork, and left. So I had that going for me. 

Mrs. Late Guy works a split shift on Monday so it gave me the opportunity to ask her about the shoplifting incident. She said the guy was checking out stuff on the oil rack and looked confused. She asked him if he needed help and that was when he grabbed the antifreeze and ran out. I figure he couldn't tell the difference between the gas and diesel engine formulas. And here's the crazy part, she tried to chase him. They were out on the lot shouting at each other when he was running off. When she found out the guy was a crazy carjacker she had a little panic attack. Here's the rule, don't chase them, just call the cops

Pump 7 is still acting up, yesterday I put a "Please Prepay Inside" sign on it but I took it off at the end of the day, because the owners hate when employees make rational decisions. I wanted to do it again today but I didn't want Mrs. Late Guy see me do it, but she was going to be hanging around for the next four hours. Anyhow she went outside to make a phone call and I had my opportunity, except for a family that was hanging around waiting for dad, it turns out he was outside chatting with someone the whole time. And of course by the time they were done Mrs. Late Guy was off the phone and a crowd showed up. When the next opportunity rolled around some guy was at the pump for a really long time. Finally I got the chance, and of course I took it off at the end of the night. 

Mrs. Late Guy got a call and had to take off. I hate to say it but there wasn't much of a difference.

The world's oldest biker gang showed up. And then they hung around for a really long time. It turns out they were waiting for a couple of other guys who were about a 100 miles behind them. Wanna hear an interesting coincidence? One of the old guys left his club hat behind at a gas station near the Texas state line. Well the two other bikers were wearing their club jackets so the clerks asked if they knew a really really old biker and they said they were on their way to meet up with him. He got his lost hat back.

By the way, Mrs. Late Guy was mixing up some slushie mix and I discovered they've been doing it wrong this whole time. You're suppose to put some warm water in the bottom of the mixer bottle, then dump the powder in and let it dissolve, then shake it up, then fill it with the rest of the water and then dump it in the machine. They've been dumping the powder in the bottle and adding the water, it gets really clumpy that way. She was amazed at how well the right way works. Also the directions are on the mixing bottle. Sigh.

Mrs. Late Guy finished her shift and left, and the the Boss showed up. I thought he was going to hang out in NYC until after the fireworks but he's back early. He needed something that was locked up so he had to call Mrs. Late Guy to come back and get it for him. He was tired from his trip and bitching that Skippy had been smoking in the company car and now it stinks. He asked me how things were going and I said "fine" despite the fact I've been bitching all month. Thankfully he got his paperwork and left right away. I still don't know what the 4th of July plan is.

I got a gap in traffic just long enough to do the ice and trash but as I was going to do the restroom a carload of pissers showed up followed by a swarm. I did a quick wipe of the place but the Graveyard Shift is going to have to do the actual cleaning of the place. 

The Storyteller came in and told me about going to the grocery store and forgetting at least one item. When his wife gave him a list he came back without that one item because he had forgotten the list in his pocket. I've only heard that story a dozen times. I told him I aways forget my list on the kitchen counter so he felt better. 

A guy from the state highway department was outside with GPS surveying equipment checking out the position of the street curbs and the service lines. I saw him today trying to do the turn lane, that guy is brave considering the holiday traffic. They are very close to starting the bridge project, that is going to be fun.

The Unstable Guy came in and once again saw I had rode the Bad Hawg to work, he probably believes that the Jeep wasn't mine. I can get away with it until the first snow. He was also a few cents short on his card and I let him slide. Again, when that cheese slips off the cracker he may not come up to the Truck Stop.

Two guys came in and bought 6 gallons of oil. If you need that much for your truck you have a big problem.

A guy came in with a fleet card, I hadn't seen one of those for a while since they mostly work at the pump now. He said the only information I was going to need was his driver ID, then there was a pause so I asked "and what is your driver ID?" Thankfully it went right through with no extra information. 

The Crazy Lady came in early, I got out of my drawer and almost went straight home. There was a guy parked in the middle of the exit. Two things I never understand, people who stand in the middle of doorways and people who park in the middle of a business entrance. If you're going to chat or play on your phone do it out of the middle of the road. He got out of the way and I got to go home. 

I'm avoiding the place on my day off because I don't want to get caught by the Boss just before the 4th, and wind up with extra shifts.