Home for Christmas

Merry (late) Christmas Everyone!

It has been so great to be home but definitely not what I thought it was going to be like.  I imagined the bliss of relaxation, sleeping in every day, wandering around the house with nothing to do but watch movies, draw, blog, chill with the siblings, exercise, and even finish the Book of Mormon! However, I have hardly had time for any of that. 

 I got home Thursday, the 13th, and went over to Honey Baked Ham where my dad had gotten me a seasonal job to fill out all of the paperwork.  And I started working Tuesday. 

I honestly don't even remember what I said about working at Pikes Peak, but whatever bad things I said, they are nothing compared to how terrible Honey Baked Ham was.  Luckily, I am done working there because it was only seasonal!!! (But I have to find another job after I get back from Colorado)  I only worked Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, but it was absolutely exhausting!!!! I worked at least like...48 hours total i think.  The most awkward part of it all was that my managers never told me anything about my job.  I didn't know...

1. my pay, pay period, or anything about a pay card.

2. my hours: I had to ask every night when I was supposed to come the next day and then they never told me when to leave, so i just ended up staying til closing everyday.

3. any rules and procedures for breaks and lunches, so I think all week i only took two.

4. anything about how the store was run, what my job was, what I was supposed to do...NOTHING.  I wasn't told a thing.  and I wasn't trained.  I just observed and jumped in.It was so awkward!

Also!! My boss was a jerk.  She was grumpy and rude to me, and the customers.  One time a lady came to the counter during a really busy time and I was helping her and smiling and I really was happy.  I was in a good mood.  And my boss was standing near me.  The lady thanked us all for being so happy and I said, "Of course! Thank you for being so patient with us.  I apologize that we are running a little behind today." and my boss goes, "Yeah well I'M just pretending to be happy," and stomped off. RUDE!!! The assistant manager however, was nicer.  He was still rude and sarcastic sometimes, and when I'd ask questions he wold treat me like I was stupid.  But he was nicer and more friendly than the boss.  

What I ended up doing the most of was showing hams.  I stood behind the counter with about 3 others and when people would come up to the counter we would help them pick out a Ham by showing them the different sizes and opening up the wrapping so they could see the fat and the bone or what not. So that was my job.  One of the guys I worked with swore every 2 seconds even if he was helping someone, and he would talk bad about customers in front of other customers.  Most of the seasonal employees were nice and helpful but the teen boys in the production room (where they fire glaze the hams) where rude, and on some sort of drugs. Their eyes were always red and they'd try and flirt with the girls. They all reeked of smoke and weed and they'd talk about selling it in the halls and outside.  The only people that took their job seriously were the seasonal employees.  Christmas Eve was our busiest day and the store was PACKED with a line of customers trailing outside and we were extremely short on hams (which the guys in the back were supposed to be making).  I went to the production room to tell them what I needed for a customer I was helping and there was no one in there.  They ALL took a smoke break in the middle of a crazy busy time ALL at the same time. and my even my boss was out there!  No one cared that all of the employees behind the counter were being cussed out by angry customers who wanted their Christmas Hams!!!  I was livid! 

SO! that took up a TON of my time.  But I am glad for the experience because it taught me that the business was not run right at all and now I know that if I ever want to have my own business, which I am considering right now, I will be extremely selective in my hiring and I will do everything right, politely, I will have fun with my employees, and I will make sure that we provide excellent service! :)

Okay onto other things, a couple of weeks ago there was s shooting in Connecticut at an elementary school.  The gunman killed 27ish people mostly children ages 6-7 and a few teachers and staff, along with himself.  It was a hard thing to grasp.  Many mothers and fathers lost their children, and siblings lost each other.  But it is important that we all remember that these teachers and children are with Jesus Christ and and Heavenly Father now. This painting was on facebook a few days later.  Beautiful.

 There was one teacher who hid all of her students in the cabinets. When the gunman came in and asked where her students were, she told him they were in the gym.  Before heading to the gym, he killed her.  Teachers really loved their students.  She was a hero.

After work was over I actually got to start having fun haha. Me and my siblings have been catching up and watching movies.  I'm pretty sure I am now addicted to Reba.  I love it!  Christmas Eve we went to a dinner at a family's house in our ward and played some really fun games! We played one where we had to get on our knees and unwrap and eat a candy bar with a spoon, while wearing a Santa hat, socks on your hands, AND a scarf.  Oh and the candy bar is wrapped in many MANY layers of wrapping paper.  You roll a dice and you get to work on unwrapping the candy when you roll a 6.  First person to finish eating the candy bar at the very end wins.  It was a BLAST! Holy cow! I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time!  When we got home it finally hit me that it was CHRISTMAS! It never really felt like it.  My family and I were sitting and talking in the family room when Santa called (my papa calls as Santa every year) its cute. and so after Caleb talked to him he hung up and said, "I think we better go to bed now." It was so cute! And it was the perfect reminder to me of the Christmas Spirit and how even I need to believe in Santa!! :) My mom has always said "Those who don't believe don't receive."  And I like that! I'm going to say that to my kids when they get older too.  

I am so glad to be able to spend time with my family now.  It is much needed and I'm actually kinda glad I have this huge off-track period til April.