Saturday and Sunday morning

So, yesterday. 

I keep Biscuit's metal food bowl on top of the kitchen table so the other cats won't bother him when he eats.  Someone (a cat) got the great idea to knock that bowl down on the floor at 3:30 AM yesterday.  It made quite a clatter. 

Well, I was up after that, so was Ron.  We had planned to sleep in a little more but that wasn't going to happen.  I did wait about a half hour before I fed the cats because I did not want to set a precedent of: if you want to eat knock Biscuit's bowl down in the middle of the night.  I did not want that. 

I took a shower with my rosemary/mint shampoo (by Suave) and conditioner, and a nice bar of Dr Bronner's peppermint soap I got at Walmart.  It's good wakeup aromatherapy. 

I do like having nice bath products.  A bar of soap will last a while, too, unlike a meal.  So I did that, got dressed in work boots, jeans, and a t-shirt (pretty warm here, in the 70's). 

We went to the warehouse.  The driver pulled into the driveway head-facing the house.  But we are on a slope (not tremendous) but it makes it very hard to push the wheelchair in the back compartment if you park head-in.  It was a little before 7 AM. 

#6 had made yet more noise the night before.  So I told her to back in the other way so we could load Ron easier.  Her vehicle makes the backup beep but I didn't feel bad about that.  I have to go to work, you just want to party all night on your welfare dollar (I will remind you I got their welfare papers in my mail box on more than one occasion and the return address makes it very clear it's welfare, I didn't open anything).   I am certain it woke them ALL up but I don't feel bad about that.  I'm going to build the economy and you are going back to sleep. 

Respect us and maybe we will respect you.  I am heartily sick of being the nice guy in response to multiple loud late night parties, abusing my animals, etc.  I don't feel bad reminding them we work early on weekends. 

Besides, many times I have seen him leaving the house when we do on a weekend, so he ought to understand our position.  I do have to wonder what substances are being used to have a loud, all night party and then go work construction for 12 hours straight the next day.  It begs the question. 

We went to the warehouse, then to work.  Someone who rode in Jack's truck broke the handle to open the door, they apparently grabbed that handle and put their full weight on it when getting into/out of the truck.  One second of observation would have schooled them it is a plastic handle and unable to handle that kind of weight.   Ron did not do it.  Jack was disappointed and I hope we can give him some money to help with the repair. 

We unloaded and went in the building.  I stocked, I stocked the hell out of things.  Ron did some assistive work but I did most of the stocking, which is fine.  Remember my job is pretty physical - I actually like it, and hated sitting behind a desk all day. 

So I stocked and Ron did some work in the stockroom.  The other vendor has hundreds of square feet in the stockroom, I have 34 square feet.  Literally, that is all I get, I measured one day.  I make it work very well, I went vertical like the Japanese and have stuff on racks up to the ceiling.  I think I have a much more efficient use of space than he does. 

And you will notice I never talk about how the other guy does business.  The other guy has told me he would not share the stockroom with another vendor if we left - in a very large part, I am sure, because no other vendor would accept this treatment.  BUT Ron and I run a just in time inventory and only have enough at any given moment, for about a week. 

The other guy has 6 big carts, they fold, they are made by Mag-liner.  Here's an image:

You can fit a lot of inventory on it if you stack it high.  I have one cart like that. 

The other guy had the rubber tires on his hand trucks, which went flat and required constant refilling with a compressor.  I went the other way, mimicking Dr Pepper, and getting solid tires on my truck.  It was a big PITA getting it to the shop but we did it and got the solid tires, NEVER regretted it.  It is much easier to use. 

The other vendor's guys noted this and kept borrowing my hand truck when I wasn't around.  Even though they have 6 of their own.  I didn't say anything.  I just kept talking up my solid rubber tires to the guy and telling him how easy it was to use, and stock. 

He eventually went the same route and replaced all his tires.  Things were fine for a couple of years. 

Now, because my space is so limited, I have to park my carts in a certain configuration or they won't fit.  I park the magliner, folded, with the plate facing the south wall.  I have come in several times and found my carts moved when I wasn't there, and the mag liner pulled out and facing backwards.  They are still using it. 

Because they keep going in my area, I had to get rid of a "risky" set up with my extra cart sitting on top of the soda,could fall and hurt someone if bumped.  It has been fine for years but they keep going over there and moving my carts.  I can't take the risk and we can't afford to get sued.  Now I am short a cart, but I still have 3. 

So I thought about it while I was working and decided it was not worth it to chain it up.  If they break it they are buying me a new one, with solid rubber tires.  If they hurt themselves on it they took it without permission so I am clear. 

Anyway, I had a lot of stocking to do and I did it.  Ron helped with other aspects of the business, sorting change, etc. that we NEED to make sales. 

We didn't get a chance to sort quarters but I did everything else. 

So I did it all, it was a very long day.  Ron did do what he could and happily his hand is almost better.  I helped a lot of customers. 

One customer was complaining (we get this every year) we don't take credit cards. 

Let me tell you about credit cards:
1.  The antenna would not work in our area. 
2  They put a $5 hold on your account so it appears you got charged $5 for the candy bar, then in a few days it runs through at the $1.25. 
3.  We have to buy the equipment
4.  We have to pay fees every month just to have the account.
5.  They charge fees on each transaction. 
6.  We would have to raise prices, assuming, like I said in #1, we could even get a signal. 

So it's not really feasible.  And I am with Ron but I would NEVER say it: if you are so poor you can't come up with a couple of dollars for a snack, you shouldn't be shopping with us.  You should take your credit card and go to Walmart, buy some 28 cent cup of noodles and have that for your lunch, instead. 

I just said "They would charge us fees and we would have to raise prices". 

But a lot of people are so conditioned to do everything on the card, I used to be like that working for other people, I would put the whole check in my account, debit card everything and online purchases, maybe take $40 out now and then but it was all electronic.  Now I am pretty much the opposite, I work primarily in cash - when I am saving money I generally save it in cash and then pay cash when it's time. 

I am doing that with Spotty and Baby Girl, saving cash for his neuter and her grooming, I prefer to pay cash at the vet and they have gotten a lot out of me this year - and they earned it. 

I already wrote that into my budget.  Credit card payment, Spotty, Baby Girl (I budgeted $50 for her grooming), some in my account, and cash in my pocket. 

So we finished and I was tired, my feet hurt in my boots.  And we came out and PRAISE GOD the driver was just pulling up.  So happy to see him.  We went home (straight!) I ate and sat there for a minute after I took my pills and fed the cats.  I was exhausted.  I was going to bed. 

So I did.  I woke up around 9, drank a couple bottles of water, took some vitamins, and went back to sleep. 

I slept until 7.  I picked up some, Ron decided he wanted to de-hoard his room.  He is like me, once you get him started he is pretty ruthless and virtually everything I touched went in the trash can. I am not going to take out trash, cat litter, recycles, until 11 because I don't want to disturb my "good" neighbor in #2. 

I will respect the hell out of you if you return the favor; and I like to think she likes having me there. 

I still need to do the litter boxes, I have not yet and Spotty's urine is pretty pungent with him intact.  But not for long!  He's a good boy and I can put up with a little discomfort and it is basically just yelling at me "HEY HEATHER SCOOP THE BOX". 

It was adorable, at one point I had the fridge open and I saw Cleo's hamburger.  I called her and she came running from the back room, tearing down the hall towards me and the burger.  That is really awesome, if I ever need to evacuate (weather or whatever) it is great to know I can "get" her.  And it was very sweet to see her respond to me like that.  It makes me feel like I have done a good job with her.  She wasn't too happy with me taking her to the vet, twice.  But I think we are good now. 

Biscuit is lying on the floor competing with Mama over who gets to lie next to me on the floor.  Cute.  I am well caffeinated so I am good for a while. 

I will be running to my bank later (they are open a few hours on Sunday) to put some money in my account.  I have 2 ideas about what to get my aunt (OK for her to keep reading).  One will involve some online purchases, the other will also.  I already got the primary parent gift so not worried about that. 

I may get my Dad a Starbucks card or something but not urgent. 

Now I had better go get those litter boxes.