".... We'd be bankrupt"

I had an 11 hour day.  Holidays. 

I got up at 5, had a cuddle with Biscuit, took a shower, and did my God Time later.  I just finished it, in fact, before I turned on the computer. 

We got picked up and went to the warehouse.  Ron "ordered" so much stuff I didn't have any room for my snacks.  I was pretty upset.  I did manage to get 5 things but that's all we could fit. 

I had a great guy help me load the truck, they really have some nice guys. 

I got to work and unloaded the carts, then took them out.  I loaded them with "fresh" inventory and took them into the building. 

One of the managers stopped me "Gimme one of them sodas".  What?  She pointed at the cart. 

"They're all warm, anyway, you don't want them." 

"I'll get ice.  Gimme a soda."  Free, she meant. 

"If I gave everyone who wanted, a free drink" I told her "We'd be bankrupt." 

She got very offended and stomped off.  I hope I didn't make an enemy there but some of the managers are really bad about demanding free merchandise.  If I give her something free today, then it will be something free tomorrow, and the day after... and pretty soon I will be bankrupt.  She makes at least $50K a year.  She can afford $1.25 for a soda.  And a cold one, at that. 

It reminded me of the manager who thought it was "funny" to steal a case of honey buns off my cart and refuse to give them back, because, after all, "They were 'free', right?"  I just stared at him, deadpan, until one of the other managers made him give them back. 

Recently I had a guy wanted to run a tab.  Even if he hadn't treated me horribly in the past, I told him "No credit". 

Now, I have no problem helping people out.  Recently I found one gal in front of the soda machine, nearly in tears.  She extended her hand to me, full of change.  "I only have 70 cents (price is 75), but I really need a soda..."  I was happy to get her something.  I'd rather make a little less profit, have goodwill, and make some kind of sale, and Ron was OK with it when he heard. 

Ron agreed with me today, in fact.  He was shocked I'd even bothered to mention it to him.  Of course I wasn't giving away free merchandise. 

If we have dented cans, ones we can't stock, we will give them away to whoever is at hand.  People are always happy to get them.  I have also given away partially filled bags of chips - ones that were "short" enough that the customer would be upset.  I've had a few that only had one chip.  The customers and I had a good laugh over that. 

I got the soda cart into the building.  I had a second cart, with sodas, and some chips on top (the 5 cases).  As I brought it in "Freebie" yelled something at me about "chips" but I didn't hear her.  I just kept pushing the cart. 

Did she want a whole meal?   I don't know.  I was busy stocking and helping Ron, for hours.  The bottled vendor is acting up again, it's not lining up with the shelves when it goes up and down.  That's a problem. 

The coffee machine coin mech says it is disabled from machine.  Or board, or something that will probably cost us a couple hundred dollars.  [sigh] 

All the other machines were OK. 

I wore my Santa hat.  People seem to like it. 

Finally done, we went to the bank, lugging a big canister of dimes.  We did a "coin dump", where they send it to a sorting facility and then credit our account.  They basically put the money into a giant plastic bag with a durable seal.  They put the coins in the bag, and seal it.  They put the deposit slip in another compartment and seal that, then away it goes.  Ron will get the credit to his business account. 

Done at the bank; Chuck picked us up.  We went to eat at Carl's Jr - we all got chicken strips.  10 is way to many for me or Ron.  I could barely eat 5.  They were good, though. 

Happily they agree with my pills.  I forgot about chicken strips and lithium don't get along, at least for me.  Traffic was very long coming home, but we made it. 

It was after 5, way too late for a nap even if #6 wasn't home. 

They had some excitement this morning.  #6 has 3 vehicles, his work truck (it has storage compartments built into the truck body), her SUV (seats driver and 7 passengers, just enough for her family of 8), and a ugly burgundy 13-passenger van.  Various people drop their kids off in front of the house in the morning, the kids all pile into the van, and they go to school. 

Today, though, they came back.  "Oh, they have a flat" our driver remarked. 

All - 10? kids piled out of the large van and got into the 7 passenger SUV.  Notice the problem?  Not enough seatbelts, not safe at all.  But they were laughing and carrying on. 

I hope they all made it.  The van is back in front of the house (it was gone earlier), so I suppose they did. 

I have heard of some horrible accidents, too many kids in a vehicle, no one in seatbelts, rollover, kids thrown out of the vehicle, etc...it's really awful.  Don't the parents care? 

I don't know.  I assume they do but you've got to be careful. 

When I got home I put our leftovers away and then did my God Time.  I have just enough time to spend maybe 20-30 additional minutes online before I have to go to bed. 

Tomorrow, I get snacks.