A Week in Review

Wow, I checked and can't believe it has been a week since I posted last.  Where is the time going?  I don't know about you, but it seems to be flying by for me for some reason.  Maybe the change of weather, the upcoming time change since it is getting darker faster and lighter later, who knows?!

The rain continued since my last posting on October 13th.  On the 14th, I checked our rain gage, a little over four inches of rain.  We received over 9.5 inches of rain in September (although that included Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee), it keeps coming.

When the rain would break, I'd run out and take a quick picture of the sky.  This caught the clouds breaking up last Friday, the 14th.

Cooler temps have settled in this past week.  Our lows were hanging in the 50s at night, which now has sunk to the 40s.  Our daytime temps use to hang in the low 70s, which have sunk to the upper 50s or low 60s.  I suppose I'll break down and finally switch my closets, bringing in my sweaters.  The cooler weather has confirmed my fears - Fall is here and Winter is coming (baaahhhh, I say kicking and screaming!!!).  My normally clean deck is covered with leaves.

The trees are starting to change color.  They too were fighting the cold along with me, we both lost.  Here's the dogwood by our driveway beginning to change color and starting to lose its leaves.

Took a trip to my MIL's last Saturday.  On the way over to her place, I saw this huge (maple?) tree changing its leaves - picture time!  We delivered a used cell phone to her.  She declined the First Alert system I researched for her, she didn't want an ambulance to show if the button was activated in error - complete misunderstanding we decided not to argue over.  We reactivated my old Razor flip phone (cell phone).  It is streamline thin.  She can keep it with her at all times in her pocket (or bra if she doesn't have a pocket), so if she needs to make a call, she'll at least have a cell phone with her.  She also declined (for now) the chairlift.  This is more of a case of getting chairlift folks to come to her house and answer her questions.  Since the holidays are around the corner, I doubt anything will be addressed until the New Year.  I pray she stays careful and safe until she gives in and opts for these.

Our ride home from MILs we drove passed this house all decorated for Halloween.  John was nice enough to turn around after we passed it so I could take some pictures.

Every year we get less and less trick-or-treaters.  More kids are going to the shopping malls where events are being held for the little ones or skipping it all together.  We got stuck with two bags of candy we didn't need last year.  I'm not buying or giving out candy this year, I don't want the left overs.

Last weekend, we had a large male deer cross our yard - huge rack!  I grabbed the camera, I couldn't zoom or get close enough before he headed for the woods behind our house.  These pictures are not too good, you get the idea - he was huge!

You can see his shadow in the woods just beyond the foreground bush.

I tried to zoom it, looks like it blurred instead.  You can barely see the outline of his antlers.

This week, I went to the grocery store on Monday.  I had skipped the previous week since there were only a few items on my list, nothing really "necessary".  As I suspected, Monday was stock day at the grocery store, Shoppers Food Warehouse was out of a few things.  I knew I had to go to Giant Food (more expensive) anyway for their fresh fruit sale.  Giant has the freshest fruit in this area for some reason.  I ended up picking up the items that were missed at Shoppers.  John dropped his truck (1997 Ford F150) at the dealership on his way home to get the brakes replaced.  I went and picked him up.  Parts had to be ordered and didn't arrive at the dealership until Wednesday.  He used my car Tuesday to get to work, he took Wednesday off.  Finally got the call his truck was ready at 5:30pm (height of rush hour traffic).  What normally is a ten minute drive to the dealership took us 30 minutes in rush hour in the rain.  Finally, he had his truck back, newly braked ($1200 including rotors and calipers, ugh).  Another 30 minutes to get home again.


I got a call last Sunday for an interview scheduled for Wednesday.  Yes, I broke down and decided to apply to retail.  At least I would be busy, it involved some exercise for the upcoming winter, and it would be part time, still giving me time for studying and getting other things done (laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, etc).  If I decide I can't handle it, I'll resign - it's retail, the turnover is tremendous.  So about two weeks ago, I completed an online application and quite an extensive personality questionnaire (50 questions).  I really didn't expect to hear from them and actually had forgotten about the application.  When I got a call last Sunday for a interview, I figured what the heck.  I agreed to the Wednesday interview.  Yes, they called on Sunday to schedule the interview, retail does that.  When I was an HR Manager at Home Depot, I knew I could usually reach applicants on Sundays at home.

I'm old school.  A retail job interview is still an interview and therefore, I dressed and prepped.  As it was pouring down rain, I skipped curling my hair and just put it up in a bun.  I walked into the store and asked a guy with a name tag if he could tell me where I might find the person (giving him the name) that I had an interview scheduled with.  He asked my name and then squeezed a "microphone" that attached to his shirt with an ear plug in his ear, announcing my arrival.  The store was extremely busy and filled with Halloween decorations.

I was asked to sit in a small room just off the entrance, someone would be with me shortly.  About five minutes (seemed like half an hour when waiting), a small woman introduced herself and sat down.  She informed me the position I was interviewing for is part time Front End Supervisor (FES).  The work schedule will be 15-25 hours a week to include weekends and evenings.  I was thinking to myself, the newly hired get the worst hours, so this means both evening and weekends, especially with Christmas approaching.

I know from my six years as an HR Manager at Home Depot, the FES is the person who has the responsibility over the cashiers.  The woman went on to explain the FES has "the keys" (money responsibility).  The position is also responsible for closing up at night (again, money responsibility).  The woman went onto inform me the store normally closes at 9pm.  However, a month before the Christmas holidays, the store changes closing time from 9pm to 10pm.  Two weeks prior to Christmas, the hours change again from a closing of 10pm to 11pm.  After Christmas, the closing time returns to 9pm.  There is a dress code of khaki colored pants and a black shirt with a collar or vice-versa.  I presume everyone is given a name tag like the guy had that hailed my interviewer (probably the internal communication of microphone with earpiece as well).  The woman stated she would process a background check on me and call me in a day or two.  I thanked her for her time and left.  Here is where I interviewed.

Wednesday morning when I stepped into the shower to get ready for my interview that afternoon at 2pm.  I slipped and twisted my knee or a muscle around my knee, I think.  We have a bathtub with a shower head combination.  I had placed the rubber mat on the bottom of the tub and forgot to secure the suction cups on the bottom of the mat to the tub to make sure the mat didn't slip before I stepped on it to get into the shower.  Sure enough, I slipped, grabbed the handrail and caught myself, whew.  Everything seemed fine.  I didn't fall, I didn't hit anything.  I went on to the interview.

Wednesday night, my leg was sore, but I figured it was just from the jarring I took stepping into the shower.  By Thursday morning, I could hardly stand on my right leg, it was also a bit swollen.  When John came home from work, he took a look at it.  My knee was swollen but not bruised.  I am able to walk on it, although it is painful.  This morning, the pain subsided a bit.  I am also taking Advil.  Tonight the pain is back (more Advil :)   I put ice on it last night and tonight in intervals to keep the swelling down - it's working.

Yesterday (Thursday), the woman called about 5:30pm to say she would like to make me an offer of $9.50/hour for the part time Front End Supervisor position.  I accepted the position and asked when she wanted me to start.  She asked if I could come in tomorrow (Friday/today) to fill out paperwork and bring my IDs and start on Monday (10/24).  I didn't go into any explanation other than to say I was unable to start this Monday.  I stated I can start the following Monday (10/31).  She said she would check with the Store Manager and call me back today (Friday).  She never called back.  I'm chalking it up to another case of if it was meant to be, it will be.

I did not want to start off the new job on "a bad foot" so to speak by going in there on Monday, perhaps limping or not being able to stand for extended periods.  I hesitate going to the doctor immediately, nothing is broken.  It could be that I just twisted something and it will heal if I stay off it for a couple of days and keep my knee iced.  I want to at least give it the weekend to see what happens and then make a doctor's appointment for next week, if necessary.  I figure if I can stand on it and walk on it (painfully right now),  nothing is broken.  I didn't fall, I caught myself.  I didn't hit my knee on anything.  My leg twisted in the shower when the shower mat slipped after stepping on it, and I caught myself on the handrail in the shower.

Do I have a job or not?  I suppose we'll see.