As The Station Turns 9/03

 I decided to get up early and buy my weekly lottery ticket. The state has several new games and I'm interested in buying them just to see. Except the station only has older tickets, ones that have been there a while, plus an empty space. I know you shouldn't criticize the people who take over your old position but the Late Guy is really slacking. The Weekend Guy was complaining because a new pack of tickets were back locked up in the office and one is probably the one I was looking for. Also lottery tickets are individually numbered. When I filled up the display I would go from low to high but the Late Guy is just putting them in there however. If anyone ever breaks in and steals them they won't know which tickets to void. It's a bad system.

When I was at the Haunted Station there was a rack of pastries near the front door, and they sold well. Today I noticed the rack was gone as was the selection of pastries, muffins, danish and flavored breads. I have to wonder if the Late Guy is paying attention to what sells and where it sells at or is he just doing whatever he wants. I'm not calling him a bad manager but.... I have to wonder what is going to happen when they add hot food to the mix.

Also the Weekend Guy was complaining about the air conditioner. I told him it was the belt, when it heats up in the afternoon it gets loose. It's a simple repair, and not a thing I'm going to do. I also told him the handyman has taken a full time job and won't be available anymore. Gotta wonder what happens when they put the grill and pizza oven in the building. I'm starting to appreciate getting sent to the Truck Stop.

When I got to work the Manager was chopping weeds around the lot. I think the Boss must have been complaining about the amount of work people are doing, or not doing and the Manager took it personally. He doesn't complain at me because even when I'm doing nothing I try to look busy by pretending to straighten shelves.

There was a UPS truck parked at the out of order diesel pump. It turns out he blew a tire and was waiting for someone to come repair it. They can't just go to a tire shop, they have to do it through one of their contractors and the nearest one is 30 miles away. 

Some people pulled up to the pump, the guy stuck the nozzle in his tank but never ran his card and he was out there for a while. He hung up the pump, and then ran his card. I got busy so I wasn't paying attention but then I got the "timed out" alarm from the pump, they hadn't pumped any gas. When I looked out they had pulled to another pump, I had to wonder if the first pump wasn't working. Then they left. Then they came back to complain. The guy said he got 11 gallons on the first pump but his tank didn't show it on the gauge, they only got one gallon on the second pump. When I checked I found out the last person to use that pump was two hours earlier. He then checked his account on his phone, there was no charge. He was totally confused. The best part was he left and didn't get more gas, I hope they got to where they were going on one gallon.

The Manager was complaining about the slushies building up ice, she figured the temperature was set too low on the machine, I told her I would look into it. The truth is they aren't mixing them properly, too much water, they need to let them run all the way down, drain the remainder out and then refill them with a fresh mix. However the entire world likes to tell me I'm wrong about anything I say so I didn't say anything.

I decided to go check the trash and as usual the pissers all showed up.

A guy walked up to the register, said "uhhh..." and headed out the door. I have no idea what that was about.

The weather apps all said sunshine today so I brought the Bad Hawg, and it rained. It was sunny bright and raining. And the cloud only dumped on the area around the Truck Stop. I ran out to put a bag over my battery and the handlebar controls and then the cloud moved on for about a mile and ran out of rain. It's as if the Universe is mocking me for trying to help out with the environmental crisis, and save money on gas.

The Manager of the West Side Station came in. Their ice maker broke down so she came to get a couple of buckets to fill up her machine. However she forgot that she had them and had gone home. I wouldn't mind if I didn't have to fill up the soda machine tonight. In the end I had to fill up the machines and do 9 bags of ice. The good news I got to rotate the freezer, pulling the old bags out, putting the new ones on the bottom and the old ones on top.

The second time I went to do the trash a car pulled in, circled the lot and then left. I went back to try to do the trash again and they came back, and got fuel this time. I have no idea what the first drive through was about.

The Tire Guy came in for a refill on his soda. I don't think he is just coming in for the soda, he likes to complain about his day. He had to go service a semi on the highway. He had to do new tires on a piece of heavy machinery. And it was hot all day. Everyone else probably doesn't want to hear it from him but I listen. 

As I said I did 9 bags of ice today and one guy bought 6 of them. I was hoping he wasn't transporting a body but when I looked out I saw the horns, he must be a successful hunter. Or a clever murderer.

When I went to do the ice the Stuffed Dog Guy came in. He's looking horrible. Later when I did a second round of trash he came back, and he's hooking up with the new Homeless Woman. I know it's mean but after I deal with them I wash my hands.

I figured it would be a good chance to check the restrooms but there were two cars sitting at the pumps. When more cars came in they left, they never got gas, they never came inside, just parked at the pumps. I hate that.

I wanted to take a quick photo but a regular came in and she wanted to tell me about her day. Then someone parked right in the middle of where I was going to take the photo. Then the Boss came in, then someone else parked right in the middle of the shot. Then the sun went down and the opportunity was gone. 

The Boss told me he was having to shuffle people again, and originally he was going to ask me to cover a shift on my day off. The Dyslexic Woman's son had been arrested for threatening someone but he was stoned off his nut and acting crazy. Instead of taking him to jail they took him to a psych ward in Roswell. Now she was going to have to drive down there and pick him up. The Boss is going to have the Random Woman cover the Downtown shift and the Part Time Woman cover Friday afternoon at the Haunted Station. This means that the Late Guy is going to have to stay at work an extra two hours. But the good part is I still get my day off. I get the feeling the Dyslexic Woman has moved to the top of the next to be fired list. And all on Labor Day Weekend, how convenient. 

The Cheese Slippage Guy showed up for his usual smokes but he didn't have the money on his debit card, he had to run his credit card. I was nice about the whole thing because again, I don't want him to lose it at the Truck Stop.

The guy who lives in the old restaurant at the trailer park came in. I guess he never saw the Bad Hawg before. We had a conversation about that. I still expect to see more people riding around now that gas has gotten insane. btw, $6 a gallon for diesel now.

The Graveyard Shift women was late again and shuffling around again, and still not wearing a back brace. I'm not saying she's faking but.... And I didn't see Bigfoot. I think I'll turn off my phone on Friday.

Towards the end of the shift my head started pounding, which made me sick to my stomach, and I was hungry too. I figured I didn't want to go home and cook so I'd splurge and hit the McDonald. However, I brought the Bad Hawg and you can't take a bike through the drive thru and I'm not going to leave it out front with all my stuff. I went home and fried an egg and some sausage. btw Fredrick The Cat and one of the raccoons were hanging around, they didn't like the fact that I was putting the tarp on the Bad Hawg while they were trying to eat. You'd think they would be use to me by now.

9/4

I went for a walk and stopped by the West Side Station. It was the usual complaints from the Weekend Guy, the Manger there is doing everything wrong, everything is broken, the Part Time Woman is driving him crazy, he hopes they fire the Random Woman and then he can work regular shifts at the Haunted Station, and everything is wrong.

I went by the Haunted Station and the Late Guy was telling me how everything was wrong. He's hoping the fire the Random Woman, the Part Time Woman is driving him crazy and the brand name company that is coming in has plans to redo the entire place. I also noticed that the air conditioner isn't working again. And then I went home. 

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