In my apron pocket...

You know how I've talked about my job requiring me to wear an orange apron?  Well, as I've mentioned, I was hired for the hardware department.  And it's perfect for me.  I think our department is one of the largest in the store.  Seven whole aisles of doorknobs, all of the cool power and hand tools (most that I've never, ever heard of before), 756, 588, 399 different screws and nails.  I have made it a personal goal to learn 4 new tools every day I work.  At that rate, I probably only have to work 22 more years to learn every tool we carry (:

Yeah, it's pretty awesome.  I've certainly learned a lot, but man, as I've told you, I still have a whole lot more to learn.  The other day was a perfect reminder of that, unfortunately.
It was my second day on the job I think and I was assigned one of those cool-looking cell phone looking store phones.  You know, the ones that you can scan with, call on and walkie-talk with anyone else who has one?  Well it started ringing in my apron pocket and when I answered it, the volume must have been turned down pretty low (and I didn't know how to adjust it), because I had difficulty hearing him, but our conversation went something like this:

Man: "Is Paul Maylor there?" (At least, this is what I understood.)
Me: "I don't know Paul, but let me ask if he's here."
Man: "Ok."
<<I put the call on hold.>>

I proceed to ask one of my co-workers who was making keys if he knew who Paul Maylor was.  He didn't, so he told me to have him paged.  I did.

Pretty soon my phone starts buzzing in my apron pocket again, so I answered it again.  Our conversation went something like this:

Me: "Paul never picked up?"
Man: "Who?"
Me: "Paul.  You asked for Paul Maylor, right?"
Man: "Um, no......I asked if you have any Palm Nailers."
Me: (Feeling absolutely STUPID.) "Oh.  Let me check." hahaha

I couldn't ask anyone for help because there wasn't anyone around!  They were all off helping other customers.  So, with the very last ounce of dignity left, I went off in search of a palm nailer that I had no idea what on earth to look for.  After a couple minutes,  I admitted to the customer that a) I had just been hired, and b) I had no idea what I was looking for.

Yes, I know...the shame!

The customer was awesome and told me to look for a tool that resembled a baseball.  (I sure wish I were kidding.)

This is what he I was looking for:

(I included the picture in this post because I'm pretty sure some of you also didn't know what it was, right?)

(via Google)

Well, wouldn't you know it?  I found it!  I could hardly contain my excitement!  I told the customer the price and he graciously went on to tell me the project he was working on, thanked me and told me he would be in the next day to buy it.  I am so thankful he was so nice.  We really have the best customers ever.

So....I guess you've figured out by now that I exceeded my goal that day:  I learned FIVE tools.

xo, 

Relay Race called Life!

As I was being wheeled in to surgery a couple weeks ago, I thought of how my doctor had told me beforehand that I would need to take it easy for "only a couple of days," and then start slowly on my daily routine.  I had my procedure done on a Wednesday, so I thought I'd give my self an entire week to recover and then pick up the pace a little at a time.

Ha!  Fat chance.

I have been crazy busy since that day.  I've mentioned how I'd had to miss so much school and work while I was sick.  Well, since I only needed a few days to recover, I literally felt as if I were one of the runners in a relay race.

And not just any ol' relay race like the ones I remember from elementary school P.E.
Nope.  I felt as though I were competing in the flippin' Olympics!

You know how the runners wait for the baton to be passed to them and how they actually have to start their run before the baton is actually in their hand?  
Yep.  That was me.  And I was the one on the final leg of the race for the gold.

Life picked up for me at 100 mph, with the kids, spouse, school, work, dog, homework, house, etc., etc., etc.  And not necessarily in that order.
That's one of reasons I hadn't had time to blog.  Shoot...to be honest with you, I hardly had time to go to the bathroom.

So, I've returned to school and love my classes except one.  Now, I don't hate it, but it is so darned challenging for me because I've never been great at science and I probably never will be.  Truth is, I've always sucked at it.  I certainly would never, ever, ever have (gasp!) chosen this class on my own, but the university I attend requires two science classes before they let you...you know, GRADUATE.  So three times a week I am subjected to a torturous hour of science. (sigh.) 

I've talked about how I got a job, but I don't think I've mentioned that my job requires me to wear an orange apron  (:      And I love it.  I was lucky enough to have been placed in the hardware department...how awesome is that?!  Very, huh?  I think yes.  I've certainly been learning a lot, that's for sure.  I've had some pretty proud moments of helping customers with DIY projects they are working on with no help from my awesome co-workers.  I've also had some pretty hilarious things happen at work that I don't want to forget, so  I will certainly blog about it later.

So, with work and school, I only have one day off a week: Sunday.  This has been somewhat difficult to adjust to, but I am so blessed that I'm not sick any more and am able to work and go to school.  I seriously was beginning to doubt my sanity during the time I was sick.  It was that bad.  After being sick month after month after month, it was almost impossible to envision a light at the end of the tunnel.  But it was there, and I've finally reached it!  God is good.

The kids and the hubs have been very helpful around the house, which is a awesome.  Gabriella has completely taken over laundry duties for our family, and Marko has been in charge of dishes, trash, and straightening up the living/dining rooms.  They don't seem to mind too much and I am so very grateful and proud of their hard work.

So...although the relay race has always been one of my favorite sports to watch, I'm was definitely not a fan of being thrown into the race literally from the time I signed my discharge papers at the hospital (:

You know, I sure wish those olympic people would hurry up and mail me my medal!

Have a great Thursday!!