As The Station Turns 8/12

 Hell Week Redux Day 5, and make it a double.

Whatever was burning last night must have been stomped down fast because the air is clear this morning, at 5 AM.  Later I found out that it had been a shift in the wind and the fire was still burning strong on the Colorado side of the mountain. If it shifted to the west it would shut down the interstate and that would cause traffic chaos

The first time I got stuck going back to the Truck Stop the Crazy Lady would mumbly, very loudly, under her breath that I was taking too long to finish my paperwork and was just "milking the clock". My attitude was "bite me, I'll take as long as necessary". Today she spent a half hour cleaning the restrooms, something she could have done for the eight hours she was on her normal shift. No wonder she's on the short list to get fired.

They had said they weren't going to put in an order this week so I wasn't going to have to deal with the supply truck, however the last order didn't have any tobacco on it so they had to put in an order. Thankfully it was a slow day so it gave me something to do, plus I got free pizza! When I was checking the order there were four large Digorno pizzas. They weren't on the invoice and they have to remain frozen so we don't have anywhere to put them out. Since they're perishable the driver can't take them back. So I put them in the ice freezer and took them home at the end of the night. Also, pepperoni, none of that fancy stuff so it works out perfectly for me. I count it as an overtime bonus.

I needed to use the restroom so I was waiting for a couple of lingerers to leave. They finally did and another guy came in. He started asking me questions about the lottery, I finally got a chance to talk and tell him we don't sell tickets but he could get them across the street. The Powerball is up to a Billion Dollars so I got a lot of lottery requests throughout the day.

I saw the Professional Mooch again. He's hanging around the station next door. Good, stay away from here.

I was almost done with putting the order away when the worlds slowest couple came in. They would pick stuff out, walk around, find something different so they would take the original item back and put it away, then repeat the whole process. All I have to do is take that thing from over there and put it over there and I'm done, but nope, had to wait for these people. Finally the came up to the register, and changed their minds one more time, I had to delete items and ring out new ones. I wanted to shout at them "Just Pick Something!" And then I got my work done.

A woman came in looking for a map. Have you tried 1999? 

The Dyslexic woman was working the Morning Shift at the Haunted Station and she called. She was paranoid about the shipment and wanted to know if they had come to the Truck Stop. I told her that since they don't open until 8 they were at the end of the local deliveries. About a half hour later they showed up. I guess the Late Guy had to go in since they brought stuff for the changeover and he had to check it all out. I was chuckling since he wanted to be in management, you don't really get a day off.

A woman wanted to check her lottery ticket and I had to tell her across the street. She didn't think her husband would want to go over there since they were pulling a trailer. I told her they have a really big lot and it's easy to get in and out. She was going to just leave it but I told her she could check it on line. She took it with her. 

A guy showed up on a bike. I had seen him across the street and I just knew. He wanted to know if he could plug in his charger and I told him no. He said there was an empty plug and I very loudly repeated No! Then he wanted to look in the freezer where we store stuff. I told him to leave it alone. I know the type, you be nice to him once and he sets up shop, bugging people for money and eventually it ends with the cops. He got the idea and left. I saw him across the street again, I bet the Dyslexic Woman let him charge his phone and then he went in and made a mess in the restroom. He went to the station next door, and probably over to McDonalds until they kicked him out of there. After a while he was back at the station next door but he didn't bother coming back to the Truck Stop. Also the entire time he was hanging around nobody else was in the station, I could have been getting work done but instead I had to keep an eye on him.

The soda machine was acting like it was low on Pepsi and of course I was busy. When I finally got a break I went to check, it seems someone took the plastic bag of mix out of the box and it was just laying loose under the counter. And the Late Guy had come by to take some photos of the plumbing he must have moved the bag so the nozzle was on top and not making contact with the liquid. I flipped it around and the machine worked fine. Thanks dude. He says the new company wants to get rid of the room at the Haunted Station where the ghost had died. I bet that won't go over well Also it's a support wall and where the chimney for the old heater was so that will be a major construction project. It sounds like they're going to have to close the place down for several weeks.

I wanted to change out the trash but some guy pulled in, and parked right in the middle of the front door. An acre of parking and that was where he had to stop. He was pulling a boat on a trailer and he had to check his tires, the straps, the hitch and everything else. I didn't know if he was going to come in or not. Finally he left and here came the next crowd.

I was done with one shift and starting the next, I was exhausted and figured I would take a break. Of course the phone rings. It was some guy looking for the manager, probably a scammer. I told him to call back next Monday.

I was hoping the bicycle guy would go back to the Haunted Station while the Weekend Guy was there, that would be fun. But he never came back, he must have gotten chased off from everywhere else. You have to keep in mind that during the early years of Colorado's marijuana legalization the town got overrun with hitchhikers heading to the state and they caused a lot of problems. Fights would break out in their camps, robberies increased and it was a general mess. Now when someone shows up they get run off before they turn into another Homeless Millionaire situation.

A herd of elk rolled through the station.

There is a hall that opens into the walk in cooler and back to the office. There are big signs on the doors that say Do Not Enter and No Restroom. I also put up the Wet Floor pylons up. Even with all that an old guy was going to head back there. I had to call him back and point him in the right direction. Laster when he was leaving he wished me a Merry Christmas. So that was interesting.

A guy told me he was on pump C, all the pumps have a C on them and they also have numbers. He said he was in the black truck, there were two black trucks. A guy looking through the shelves told me he was in the black truck on pump 12 so I figured he was in the black truck on pump 11. Seriously, again, pumps have had numbers on them since the oil embargo of 1974. That was 52 years ago, you'd think drivers would learn to look for the pump number by now.

I saw Where's Waldo! He's pretty easy to spot when there isn't a crowd around. He was trying to be sneaky by wearing a black hat but I knew it was him.

A guy came in wearing a "Mean Tweets-Cheap Gas. '24" t shirt. He was bitching about the high prices. Oh the irony of it all. I felt like pointing it out but you know how it goes with trolls, it's probably Biden's fault.

It was almost the end of the night and I only needed one bag of ice for the cooler. That's when I got swarmed on. Eventually they all cleared out and I got my 2 minute job done.

A family came in, they all hit the restroom, they all searched the entire store until they found the snacks they were looking for. They went out to their car, got in, pulled out, backed up and got gas.

I had been there for 16 hours, my feet hurt, my legs hurt, I had to put my back brace on because my back hurt and I wanted to go home. Of course the Graveyard Shift was late. They were shocked to see me for the second time today. 

I went home, ate a quick dinner, went to bed, had weird dreams and then did it all again the next day.