What a day.....and it's still not over...

My day started much like so many others....I walk out of the house and hit the wall of heat....I dash for my car where I ride the big 2 blocks to work in the a/c....yes, I rode to work...shoot me! At my weight and with this heat...well you do the math...I wouldn't last to 9th street and they can't replace me yet, I'm still irreplaceable (or so I tell myself). Anyway, I get to work, put tickets on the table in Salty Yarns for the worker bees to tag the merchandise and I sit ignorant of all that's going on or not going on. I was busy with Jamboree confirmations which did go out finally so expect yours if you sent in a deposit, everyone except Nelsa. Yours is coming Nelsa, but each time I did a letter further down in the pile I'd find another letter from you so after 2 times I decided to wait until I got to the end of the pile. So tomorrow Nelsa your confirmation will go out, I promise. I thought I had Jamboree contained until Diane Austin called to make sure I got her fax....from May....which was a follow-up to her call when she spoke to Mary. Well, needless to say that made Sara and Mary both say I needed to let someone take care of Jamboree, which made me kick my own ass and get it in gear. So I'm now on top of it once again. O.K. Sara went behind my back and go the brochures out, but I did put them in the shop, I'm not completely worthless. Anyway, I get a call telling me 19 cases of Lang have arrived so I went into the shop to direct traffic only to find that the tickets are still sitting on the table. So I get Blake back on ticket duty (16 years old..brain is mush...no wonder it wasn't done.) Mary had told one of the boys from the laundry room to come help me so he arrived and he began moving boxes where Connie told him to move them only she wasn't watching him and he moved them into the storeroom instead. Of course after he had moved half of them I came through and asked where the boxes were, Connie said where we always put them, and then I notice the storeroom door open. Again, miscommunication and poor "Sharker" the young man from the laundry room then had to move the boxes again. After opening 19 cartons we found no packing slip...so then I couldn't even ticket the stuff. Honestly, it fries me that companies ship stuff without invoices or packing slips with prices on them. Between that and Trollbeads, I swear I'm going to kill someone. I placed an order with them on 6/21. They usually have a one day turnaround and yet I went into the 4th beadless. So I called them 6/30 and inquired about the order...I received an order but not the right one. It's this sort of crap that makes me furious. And of course when you call the company it's never their fault...computer glitch, bad day, hair giving the computer person a fit and she can't concentrate...always an excuse. But by the 2nd week in July we got the beads...and boy did we get beads. So our new troll display is up and running. It really is beautiful and shows off the beads much better than the old display case. Good purchase! I started this blog way back in the beginning of July, and today is the 18th. I seriously don't know where the time is going. It's almost over for us since business drops way off the third week of August.... Anyway, since I last blogged we've become somewhat of a water park...unfortunately we didn't want to. Last Sunday, I was asleep on my sofa, when at 4:30 a.m. (always never 10:00 a.m.) I was awaken to a pounding on my door. Once I stopped cussing I got up and opened to door to find a young man standing there and the first words out of his mouth were, "You aren't going to believe this..." and all I'm thinking is, "I can't believe you knocked on my door at 4:30 a.m.) Anyway, he started talking so fast I couldn't believe it...and I kept looking outside to see what water he was talking about. I finally asked him where the hell he came from, and he said, "The Lodge." Then I couldn't function because I was wondering how the hell does a tenant from the Lodge know where I live. But after about 5 minutes I started to focus on what he was talking about and apparently there was a flood happening in his apartment on the first level of the lodge. Water just coming down the wall. Knowing I didn't know crap about the water I called Vernon...after all why should I be the only one awake. After getting Vernon up I just laid back down and went back to sleep...I had handed the problem off to Vernon and I was satisfied I had done my job. I was a little concerned that Vernon might just fall back asleep, but not enough to actually get up and go to the Lodge to see what was happening. But when I arrived at the hotel in the morning I found that apparently in a room upstairs on the 3rd floor (of course...never the first floor units) which was unoccupied that night...a toilet cracked....no one there...and the water went through the room occupied on the 2nd level and then through the ceiling to the apartment on the first level. The tenants in the first level use to stay in the building where I am so they knew where they could find me. They tried Vernon and even said his door was open, his computer on, but no one would answer the door. (Thanks Vernon!) Anyway, when it was all said and done, because Mrs Sobnosky wouldn't give up until she found someone we got away with very little damage and in 24 hours we had it cleaned up and folks back where they started. Then a few days ago I got to the hotel and there's a look you get when there has been a problem...don't even bother to say Good Morning, because you just know it's not good. I'm not sure why Sara went to the basement ... but apparently needed something and found herself walking through water.
One of our 3 hot water heaters sprung a leak and flooded the basement which meant our paper supplies located there were ruined. I'm telling you this isn't as much fun as it use to be. I'm smiling less and less. Anyway, Vernon and Mike put a band aid on that so once again...nothing major (I have a feeling that band aid isn't going to last forever...but if we can just get through the summer.) But the sun shone on us this week with the arrival of the "ladies from New York, and Virginia". They had contacted Sara on facebook (if you recall she is now handling that while I handle the blog...she's posting pictures as much as she can)...anyway, she had mentioned that a group of stitchers had contacted her but told me little else. They arrived a few days ago and were so kind and gracious and didn't seem to mind my joining them each evening. I just love these ladies...several of them were knitting socks which I was fascinated with and so now, of course, I'm back on the sock trail. So I want to thank, Norma, Tina (or little Tina as she was know by me), Cindy, Janice, Kristin, Ruth, Caroline and Jeanne for being gracious enough to welcome me into your group. I had fun and learned so much...I can't wait until you return to show you the pair of socks, or perhaps pairs of socks you inspired. They should all get "A"s as well, for using the lobby as their stitching room. It must have been 100 in that place...honestly I thought I was going to die and yet they didn't even break a sweat...amazing...am I the only one who feels the heat? My word, I feel like a fish out of water with this heat. I was sad to see them leave today. I was hoping that a couple of the retired ladies would stay down here and help me run the shop and knit socks, I'm telling you right now, you will see a pair of socks from me in the near future. I know I said this a few years ago, but now I really mean it. If you aren't part of a regular stitch group you really should join. These ladies were having the best time just being together and you could tell they really enjoyed each other's company. And the tips you get from others...invaluable. For instance, using a plastic sandwich package holder as a bobbin. It was so small and there was yarn wrapped around it so I thought it was a cute little thread bobbin and then they informed me that it was the piece that goes around the twisted neck of a sandwich bag...now folks that's recyling at it's finest. Anyway, Norma, Tiny, Cindy, Janice, Kristin, Ruth, Caroline and Jeanne...we miss you already! Of course this being Sunday, Greg, Linda and Candi stopped by to stitch and bitch...as usual a good time was had by all. Linda has almost completed her Blue Ribbon project.."Schoolgirl Samplings" and it is beautiful. I can't wait to see this one finished. Candi spent the day pulling her painted fingernails off her fingers so not too much was getting done there. And Greg is trying to redesign a piece which meant he spent part of his time here taking stitches back out. Me, well I did what I do best, I sat and talked them through their stitching...somebody has to do it. And now..here I sit waiting...which I don't do well. I tried grabbing a little nap, but my head kept snapping as it fell backward...plus the last time I fell asleep like that...in the shop...I got caught and there's just nothing I can come up with to explain what I'm doing...the woman actually apologized for waking me up...(if I was the boss I'd fire myself).