Saturday, July 28, 2018

Saturday Morning

Going to work in 15 minutes---keep wanting to blog more but have never and still don't feel like blogging later in the day--only mornings!
So maybe I can squeeze some chat in while I'm drinking my coffee. I have one socked foot shoved half into my hiking boots, the other is naked--why did it feel like a good time to write a few lines?


OK, now I've put that one boot on.
I have to wear my good solid boots (Merrells) or my old Achilles tendon injury (from Goodwill last summer) flares up. No more fashion shoes for me.
Luckily I never wore fashion shoes.
But even lightweight athletic shoes don't have enough support.

The other day a teenage boy came with his grandfather to volunteer at the store.
He practically GLOWED with effortless strength.
None of us regulars at the store are under 35, many are over 55... a few, over 85!
I sensed we were all gazing with wonder at Wonder Boy.

Things are going very well at work.
People tell me all the time they like what I'm doing, but the other day a customer was aggressively unhappy with how I'd changed the book room.
"You think books will sell like this?" he sneered.

"Well, sales are up 50%," I said.

I definitely took the bait and got defensive after a couple rounds of this.
I managed to save the encounter though by introducing myself---that made it personal, and I think we ended OK.

Oddly, that unpleasant encounter cheered me up.  
I go around wanting to know I'm doing a good job and somewhat fearing negative criticism. Then, when it came, after while (NOT at first) I felt, 
"Well, that wasn't that bad!"

The trick, I think, is not to get too attached to the bad OR the good responses. I mean, listen to the truth in them, but step aside from the emotional hooks... of both

This guy did say a truth--the fiction shelves were half-empty.
But that's because people keep buying books! Stop it, people!

I think I may take a couple shelves from the fiction area, since I can't keep them full, even with facing books out.


I was super pleased that as soon as I set up the BARGAIN BOOKS area yesterday morning (inspired by the young street women who'd bought cheap books at Salv Army)--right away a woman bought 6 books (33 cents each).

"May as well try these," she said of some British mystery novels.
Their covers were worn and pages yellowed, but in pleasantly readable shape.

 Off to work now!
First thing--mailing out another ebay sale. I find these sort of annoying, but they do make good money for the store and save otherwise overlooked items. So I don't mind too much---it's just not as close to my heart as futzing with my book section.


Have a lovely weekend, reader! XO Fresca 

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