and out to the sales floor . . . for a few months, that is.
Poor Ma (our long time scan person) has been dealing w/a bum knee for quite a while. She's known she's going to need it replaced but was trying to hold off until after the holidays.
Unfortunately, her doctor didn't agree and has set her surgery up for this coming Wednesday. We learned of this almost 3 weeks ago. They're estimating she could be out for at least 4 months (meaning she won't come back until early March.)
Our scan backup is not completely trained, as she also is a full time office assistant and really can't be spared for more than a week at a time (say when Ma takes a week vacation.) And our HBA girl, who is also somewhat trained to to DSD when I'm off, isn't up to date on the new computer software and scan procedures (she can activate and hang tags pretty fast, but usually Ma's the one who runs the reports, prints store requested tags, handles the sign making, etc) and also she can't come in early enough (she's a single mom and has 4 kids under 13 to get ready for school in the mornings.)
So Grasshopper decided Friday before last to ask me if I would be willing to take over for Ma while she's out and HBA girl can handle the DSD in the meanwhile. I've been Ma's backup previously before I went into the back, and can do most of the stuff she does as well as she can. Only thing was I needed to be brought up to date on the newer software for the computer as well as the handheld.
No biggie . . . I worked w/Ma for 3 days week before last and this past Wednesday for the last week (not enough training hours for this past week) so I think I've got the gist of it. Just need to remember what's going on for Mondays and which order it needs to be done in and I should be good to go.
Of course, I've got phone number for a couple of scan girls who work in nearby stores, and I've got the green book that has all the training aids for scanning - anything else I might be able to ask Office Girl if she's around or call somebody. Other than that, I think I'll be okay.
Of course, this also means I won't be in the back room freezing my assets off this winter, which is a good thing.
There again, I won't have to work the Sunday before Christmas, which means I don't have an excuse for missing the family Christmas gathering (on Dad's side.)
Only issue I'm seeing work wise is because HBA girl can't make it in until around 8, that may be a problem for those vendors who come in before that time. I've already mentioned to Grasshopper he'll have to come up with something b/c once Ma's out, I won't be able to stop what I'm doing to get these early birds checked in. Tuesdays can be a problem, b/c we have not only a wine delivery that comes early, our egg delivery is there when I step in the front door at 7 - our sausage guy also comes right before 8 as well, as well as the weekly magazine delivery. On Wednedays, it's our Pepperidge Farm cookie guy, who comes usually around 7:30.
It's okay though . . . Baby Jesus comes back from his vacation on Monday . . . he can deal with it (Grasshopper will be on vacation.) Besides, BJ is an Ass Manager, so let him "manage" that.
And, as I'e been repeatedly promised all the help I need, especially on Wednesdays getting the ad changes done, I am going to take Grasshopper up on that one. I already know I'll need at least one extra person hanging tags for Wednesday (HBA girl suggested the one who's been helping her run her freight, who did some scanning at her old store) so we should be set for this coming week.
Although this is old hat for me, I can still use booze . . .lots of it.
Poor Ma (our long time scan person) has been dealing w/a bum knee for quite a while. She's known she's going to need it replaced but was trying to hold off until after the holidays.
Unfortunately, her doctor didn't agree and has set her surgery up for this coming Wednesday. We learned of this almost 3 weeks ago. They're estimating she could be out for at least 4 months (meaning she won't come back until early March.)
Our scan backup is not completely trained, as she also is a full time office assistant and really can't be spared for more than a week at a time (say when Ma takes a week vacation.) And our HBA girl, who is also somewhat trained to to DSD when I'm off, isn't up to date on the new computer software and scan procedures (she can activate and hang tags pretty fast, but usually Ma's the one who runs the reports, prints store requested tags, handles the sign making, etc) and also she can't come in early enough (she's a single mom and has 4 kids under 13 to get ready for school in the mornings.)
So Grasshopper decided Friday before last to ask me if I would be willing to take over for Ma while she's out and HBA girl can handle the DSD in the meanwhile. I've been Ma's backup previously before I went into the back, and can do most of the stuff she does as well as she can. Only thing was I needed to be brought up to date on the newer software for the computer as well as the handheld.
No biggie . . . I worked w/Ma for 3 days week before last and this past Wednesday for the last week (not enough training hours for this past week) so I think I've got the gist of it. Just need to remember what's going on for Mondays and which order it needs to be done in and I should be good to go.
Of course, I've got phone number for a couple of scan girls who work in nearby stores, and I've got the green book that has all the training aids for scanning - anything else I might be able to ask Office Girl if she's around or call somebody. Other than that, I think I'll be okay.

Of course, this also means I won't be in the back room freezing my assets off this winter, which is a good thing.
There again, I won't have to work the Sunday before Christmas, which means I don't have an excuse for missing the family Christmas gathering (on Dad's side.)

Only issue I'm seeing work wise is because HBA girl can't make it in until around 8, that may be a problem for those vendors who come in before that time. I've already mentioned to Grasshopper he'll have to come up with something b/c once Ma's out, I won't be able to stop what I'm doing to get these early birds checked in. Tuesdays can be a problem, b/c we have not only a wine delivery that comes early, our egg delivery is there when I step in the front door at 7 - our sausage guy also comes right before 8 as well, as well as the weekly magazine delivery. On Wednedays, it's our Pepperidge Farm cookie guy, who comes usually around 7:30.
It's okay though . . . Baby Jesus comes back from his vacation on Monday . . . he can deal with it (Grasshopper will be on vacation.) Besides, BJ is an Ass Manager, so let him "manage" that.

And, as I'e been repeatedly promised all the help I need, especially on Wednesdays getting the ad changes done, I am going to take Grasshopper up on that one. I already know I'll need at least one extra person hanging tags for Wednesday (HBA girl suggested the one who's been helping her run her freight, who did some scanning at her old store) so we should be set for this coming week.

Although this is old hat for me, I can still use booze . . .lots of it.

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