I haven't curbed my enthusiasm for bloggin'

As this is my 163rd post, I have played my requisite number of games, and now...the postseason begins. For my first act of play-off ball, I am turning over 'Caught in the Traps' to a joint enterprise between myself and a (mostly) silent partner.

"Caught in the Traps" is the first in a banner of 'Terminal Rabu' blogs and sites, and I will do my very best to uphold the standard. This means...writing almost every day, writin' about baseball whenever I damn well please, and offerin' up a hot hot assortment of stories and arguments. Okay, it will be the same ramblin' rants, but now at least there will be more of them. I am hoping to set up offices in London, (via Toronto, of course), Cleveland or Baltimore, or somewhere in Ohio, New York City, (x2) Boston, and maybe even Africa, but not anywhere in the 'burbs.

Bum bum bum...

We Stare at ya Layin'

Some desperate people are starving for attention at our Mickey D's.

I'm the best...around!

Today at work, I received a complaint that I don't pack my litre containers enough, from a guy who did not tip. Later on, I received a another complaint that I pack my half-liters too tightly, (causing the lid to fall off), from a guy who seemed to take it in stride, gave me another chance, and on top of that, tipped me real well.

The moral of this story is err on the side of generosity, as complaints and criticisms will able be forthcoming, but it is more beneficial to be seen as giving too much, rather than too little. There will always be those who complain for the sake of having somebody listen to them, (for example, in my first week on the job, a woman complained that 1. She didn't have enough ice cream on her cone, and 2. the ice cream seemed to be falling off the cone). In essence, this woman's complaints canceled each other out, and I just nodded my head in agreement.

Now, for the most part, I don't get dissed by my customers for my transgressions. Greg's customers are very respectful to me, which is odd, because often they treat me with great respect and then yell at their children, spouses or selves. I definitely got dissed more at the C.N.E., but this was to be expected because 1. I had the priviledge and honor to meet some of the scummiest people imaginable, who still seemed to flaunt huge bankrolls, and 2. Dora the Explorer seems to be the favorite toy amongst cheap parents. Seriously, Dora was my roasted marshmallow of the Ex, because everybody wanted one, but nobody seemed willing to work for it. They wanted me to give it to them at cost. Similarly, when potential suckers...whoops, I mean 'players', started their line of questioning with "how do I win the big one", I knew that this would be a non-transaction. At Greg's, people who start off by asking "You don't have (insert flavor here), are normally setting themselves up for trouble. I try to be an accommodating person, but if you're asking for a flavor that's not there, chances are that you're going to be disappointed by the response.

This pattern changed a few days ago when a woman asked for Chocolate Orange and it just happened to be in the bottom freezer, or two weeks ago, the guy who left and came back in order to pick up Green Tea, his all-time favorite. BTW, neither of these flavors really appeal to me. The Peanut Butter Banana flavor, on the other hand, is salivatingly amazing. What always happens though, is the next person asks for the flavor I've just cleared to make room for Green Tea or Chocolate Orange, or requests a flavor I've never seen in my two months working there, or who seems open-minded to try new flavors and then settles on the 'Toasted Marshmallow', and the process continues.

I'm incredibly accommodating, aren't I? And just for the record, if a fellow employee challenges me, claiming that my milkshakes are watery or that the counter isn't clean, I do everything in my power to change their minds. I'm all about accommodation. Though I wish that I could get time and half at work. If I just completed a six hour day, shouldn't I then get paid for nine? Or at least get a private room to scoop in?

That would be sweet.

Too Soon!

Christmas ads, already?

It's the beginning of November and fifteen degrees outside. Christmas is not for another fifty days, (or more!) Who in their right mind would even consider doing Christmas, (or Chanukah) shopping today? Besides, I am still planning my Rememberance Day festivities. I know that's in poor taste, but I'm workin' on the eleventh, and can't really think of an appropriate way to commererate the holiday. I heard a customer suggest puttin' out a lemon poppyseed on the day, but that doesn't seem any different, (or more offensive for that matter), than wearing a little red felt poppy.

Seriously, I understand the significance and everything, but it just seems as though having every sports and newscaster wearin' a poppy for a few weeks seems like a cursory nod to a solemn event. I would argue that it seems more than a little bit trite, especially since the day itself isn't for another six days.

It's not like the Halloween costumes come out on the twenty-fourth of October, and are worn continously for the next week.

I wish that more people had come in to the store on Halloween. I only saw one couple in costume, and they seemed to be reveling in the spirit of Halloween year round.

At least the Dance Cave had a ghoulish atmosphere, but boo to the DJ for not playin' Sara's request of 'Close to Me', and also for not pickin' the Battlefield Earth guy for best costume. He must have spent like five blozorgin' light years workin' on it.

It's more than tefillin.