Knack Knack

Somehow today balanced yesterday out, badness vs. goodness.

I was asked to a craft demonstration in the store today. At first, I was put off, seeing as how we usually just fill out the appropriate paperwork saying we did when we really didn't. But today I had to. My boss asked me and said I had to because the District Manager was coming in for a visit. Great.

My craft of choice? PAPER CRAFTS!

I made dozens of cards and, to everyone's suprise, they were stunning. My bosses adored me for it. "This is beautiful! You are so talented!"

ALAS! A KNACK!

I sat in front of the store for two and half hours putting together all sorts of goodies I got to pick out and use the store's money to buy! I made birthday cards, thank you cards, I Love You cards, wedding cards, baby cards...Customers would walk by and compliment me on my obvious fabulosity. At one point my boss, the one who upset me yesterday, came up to me and said "You're a natural. Craft Corner with Marissa on HGTV. It's your calling."

And when I got ready to leave, they both thanked me. It's times like these that I really like my job.

What I didn't mention, however, on the flip side, was that today was Inventory day. I arrived at 10 o'clock and the parking lot was FILLED. I thought it was going to be a repeat of Monday (coupon day, nonstop.) What I didn't realize was that all of those 50+ cars in the parking lot belonged to Inventory People. I walked in and saw hoards of people in maroon and silver jumpsuits. If I didn't know better I would've called the Nassholes at NASA to report alien invasion. These people looked like space men. All sorts of beeping and codes to translate. I felt like a fish out of water. Not to mention they DESTROYED the store. Flowers thrown about, yellow tags with meaningless numbers sticking out everywhere.

So I'm happy when I see a few handfuls of space oddities treading in their little moon boots past my craft corner and out the door. I thought it was over. I was so wrong.

Their counts were wrong. They didn't match up with ours. You know what that means, take every last employee and match them up with an "Inventory Specialist." If the man I was placed with was a "specialist" I would hate to see what an "Inventory Unspecialist's" job would entail. After taking a good look at the man I was placed with, and the others my other coworkers were placed with, I came to the conclusion that UGLY is a prerequisite for the inventory industry.

They shoved this huge list in my hand, filled with numbers upon numbers that I couldn't decipher and a truly "special" specialist. And his breath was kicking. Like a boot. I've never been so happy to hear "Marissa to your register, please, Marissa to your register."

It was music to my ears, though I think all that craft glue from my demo went to my head.