Pillow Fort

[Angel_of_Music]

*rubs her forehead and sighs* I feel so bad for our general manager right now. So freaking bad! We had an inspection today and she was already worried as hell about this. We all knew about this for two and a half weeks. We did NOT have the right crew for today. To put this mildly.....when you have a crew of seven people.....that's you, plus six others, not including the managers, but add in your district manager AND the inspector and at the end of the inspection, the inspector is coming up to you and saying such high praise to you and handing you this...I have to say it....adorable little pin(spoilered because of size) and YOU'RE the only one on the crew to get one.....what does that tell you?

SPOILER: Click to show

I feel so bad for our general manager today. I came in ready for the day. I knew what I was going to say, I knew what I was going to do. I...to quote a Trace Adkins song that I love...I got my game on. I was freaking ready! I was walking in like 'Bring it on baby! Lets freaking DO THIS!!'. I got in there, despite still having the tail end of a cold, but it was at the last bit of the annoying cough phase(I was NOT letting my general manager down today, no freaking way in Hell...pardon my language) and I knew I would be okay. I got there, I started to stock my corner and despite being set back by taking orders, I still went into overdrive and got my corner stocked before lunch came. I got my five minute chore done. The inspector wasn't supposed to come around til lunch. Guess what? He came early while we still had breakfast. My greeting for the day changed. Instead I used 'Good morning, thank you for choosing my Wendy's, my name is Jennifer. How may I help you today?' to make it sound a little more personal/professional. When he came around, I opened the window and greeted him with a smile and said 'hello, your total is...' and when he held up his phone with a 6 number digital pay number....I KNEW it was him. I haven't done one of those for a long time, but I remembered how to do it and I put it through and said 'okay, here you are' and handed him his drink and his food, smiled again and said 'have a nice day'. The other girls were looking at me and went 'what was that about?' and I said 'that was our inspector, that code he showed me...that's how I knew it was him. In other words, look alive, it begins'. It just...went to Hell(again pardon my language, but it's fitting) from there.
We did a team huddle, were told what our goals were for the day, were told we had to keep to our stations, every time the 'stir chili' timer went off, we had to stir the chili(whoever was closest), sanitize our stations AND WASH OUR HANDS, no matter what. I swear I'm the only one that took this to heart!! I swear it was like there was no team at all!!! Every time the timer went off, I went back and washed my hands. Every time I had a coughing fit....curse my body...I grabbed a napkin when I felt it coming on...and went to the back, covered my mouth with the napkin, had my fit, then quickly washed my hands....and he was watching every time I had this happen. Our card readers...ALL FOUR OF THEM.....went down!! We could only accept cash at the time unless they decided to do a mobile order. SO!! My greeting now changed to 'Hi welcome to Wendy's. We are currently accepting cash only at this time due to our card readers being down, but if you would like to place a mobile order we can accept card that way'. We had about ten people pull out because of this. Our card readers eventually did come back up, but we had already blown it by then and failed. Well....the rest of the crew failed. When our general manager came over to me with a piece of paper and held it out for me to see the words 'we blew it', my heart CRASHED. You know what though? I didn't care. I still freaking fought! I was knocked off my horse by the Black Knight of Inspection....but I got the frick back up, mounted up and I charged right on down that line again to take him down. I DID NOT GIVE UP!! I was still willing to fight for my general manager. I wasn't going to let her down! Not only that, but in the middle of the inspection, the person we had on grill....he up and quit!! IN THE MIDDLE OF INSPECTION!!! He just quit and walked out!!! That looked so bad!! He should have at least stayed til the end of his shift or at least stayed til the inspector left!!!
I did my job. I took the orders in a timely manner, I got the drinks all set up, I kept to my position and didn't wander off. The only time I left the corner was if I needed a vanilla frosty or a lemonade or to wash my hands. That was it. If I needed something, I called out for it and someone was able to get it for me, but I had made sure that my corner was well stocked before anything else. Before the lunch had started, I had my five minute chore, plus a few other things, cleaned and wiped down. My 'five minute chore' for today was to clean the pick up window frame. I did that, plus the counter we use for bagging station, the counter where we stock extra bags and the kids meals(which I had put in a container), I got the counter where the coffee machine and ice tea containers sit. I made sure that corner was SPOTLESS! At the one point I had a soda cup fall and by some MIRACLE it did not come apart. Some soda did spray out on to the floor, but I quickly got the mop and cleaned it up. The inspector saw this. I quickly made a new soda for the customer before they were even at my window and had discard the other soda. I was doing everything I could to make our general manager look good. The rest of the crew today? There was no crew, they were not in the game. I...I feel so bad for her. When the inspector was taking his leave, he was walking down the line saying 'alright everyone, it was nice to meet you all, have a great day!' and then he's coming over to me and he goes 'young lady, it was nice to see you, thank you for being so pleasant and I was very impressed with how well you handled the whole card reader situation. The way you talked to the customers during and even after it was taken care of, you are very well spoken, here you go, have a great day'. He's handing me the pin as he's saying this and I noticed our general manager a few steps behind him and she's smiling and nodding in that 'way to go' fashion. I smiled and said 'thank you very much sir, it was nice to see you again as well, have a great day'. I've seen him before with previous inspections. Once he left, we could sort of breath, but...I just felt so bad for our general manager. When I was dropping my money today at the end of my shift, she came back to where the safe is in the break room and she went 'you know you're the only one that got one of those pins today right?' and I blinked and she went 'yea, you're the only one and I'm not getting any others. You earned that today and thank you so much for your hard work. At least you showed any effort'. I walked out of there with my head held high, but my heart just aches because I wanted to pass this inspection. Not for me, but for Deb, our general manager.

At least now I can relax and get rid of this danged cough hopefully fully by Monday. Glad I have tomorrow off.

[Minkey55]

*puts on a mask and cuddles up in the corner of the fort*

Well after 2 years it happened. I have tested positive for covid.
All through this, I worked my retail job and never once got it. Had all three shots and carry the cards with me. Mask, hand sanitiser keeping distance you name it I did it.
I'm one of only a handful of people at work who still wears a mask even though they got rid of the rules. Why? cause my mother and nephew have COPD and I want them safe.
Sunday we had a party for all the hard work we have done over the last 2 years. We went to the local bowling alley and had food, drink and 3 rounds of bowling.
Again I had a mask and hand sanitiser, I cleaned the balls on the lanes with wipes and started to have fun.
The only time I removed my mask was when we were eating. even then I stayed back from people.
Monday had a sore throat but put that down to alcohol and all the cheering I had done.
Still there on Tuesday but Got a message on my phone that night saying I might have been in contact with someone with covid.
Tested negative, Wednesday test negative but I feel like I have a cold coming on.
yesterday tested negative but spiked a fever yesterday lunch time that broke at 3 am this morning.
Got up this morning and tested. Faint positive. Did a second one and again faint positive.

I googled what it means and a faint line means I do have covid but not full-blown covid a mild variant, these popped up as people who are vaccinated fight the infection quicker.
so now I'm stuck at home. cant go downstairs as I can't risk the ferrets catching this from me.
I'm now going to curl up in bed and sleep the day away.

[Angel_of_Music]

Aww Minkey!! I hope you get through it fast and nothing bad happens!! *-dons hazmat suit and cuddles-*

[melodysangel]

I just need to put this here. My sister just called. Her 16 yo bichon just passed. And theres nothing i can do to support her.


I feel like im in a state of suspending.helpless. So..yeah.

[Moophles]

That really sucks, MA I'm so sorry to hear that.

I know the feeling though, it will be okay. Just be there for her when she needs it. *sends much hugs and love*

[Angel_of_Music]

I'm sorry to hear that MA. It's always hard when something like that happens and you don't know what to say *sends hugs and love as well*

[Sweetintoxikation]

I've been quietly reading everything everyone has posted here. My heart goes out to everyone and hugs all around. <3

[Sweetintoxikation]

A little update I suppose on some things that have been happening in my small world over the last year.


My computer imploded last Summer. Didn't get a 'replacement' for the motherboard and hard-drives and graphics cards all together until around December 2021. During that time I just worked day after day. So even after we got my new computer going I haven't had time (or really mental stability/energy) to be online. I also no longer have art programs on my computer; Adobe photoshop was what I was used to using and now they charge awful amounts monthly for access to their programs. I'm not skilled enough to warrant the outflow of cash monthly. (Pooka has recommended some alternatives to me but I have not gone to find them. My fault and partly due to previously mentioned lack of mental abilities on the regular when I work so much. BUT maybe someday I'll find one I can use with my tablet and have some down time for art.)

January and February were exceptionally hard for me. Mid-January we found out our corgi, Beau, has multi-centric lymphoma. And it was a complete and utter punch in the gut. I'm tearing up even mentioning it here and we're months out from the initial diagnosis. She is in Stage 3 and has just completed a full series of the CHOP chemo therapy treatment. She is (and has been) clinically in remission since she first started the treatments in Feb. However, she will never be cured of her lymphoma. It's really not a matter of -IF- she will have it come back but when. That has been the hardest part for me. She's so young and she's been so at my heel her entire life. As much as she is my husband's dog (she loves him most) I love her equally and it tears me up. A silver lining here is that she did so very well on the treatments the oncologist believes when it comes back we can try a second round to keep her quality of life going. We're hopeful for a few months to a year of no chemo with good health and continued clinical remission for her. And still very pragmatically I know that might not happen. But the vets I've been with have helped her so much. When she was originally diagnosed she might have only had days. They got her in fast and started a treatment that literally saved her life and allowed her to reach her 6th birthday. (Her birthday was yesterday).

Following on the heels of Beau's diagnosis my youngest cat Seifer also received a terminal diagnosis. I think the week after Beau's chemo was first scheduled he tested out as having heart disease. It's structural and he's apparently had it his whole life. The vets said its possible for him to live a few more months to a couple of years. But he's permanently on heart medication quarterly vet visits for testing to monitor. For him, as with Beau, everything to my husband and I is quality of life for them. So long as they're happy, eating, and 'healthy' we will do what we need to keep them with us. But the scariest part with a cat with heart disease is it can happen anytime; he could be fine and then start to go south health wise. And the combination of sorrow for Beau and sorrow for Seifer has been hard.

It's not over though. Both are in their respective treatments and are happy and spoiled and loved. I just treasure every day a little more with them and their fur-siblings because my other 2 girls are getting older. So our little family has been a bit rough but loving.

The other months since 2022 haven't been .. remarkable beyond doing what I need to do to mentally survive work and life. That all is until last month. My uncle, the last of my mom's siblings, passed very suddenly. We're pretty sure it was heart disease related on his side. I had to take an emergency leave of absence from work to be with my mom and accompany her to my uncle's former apartment (where he passed) to clear it out for the owners to fix up and rent out. The experience does not bare to be spoken about. But it was awful. I didn't have the best relationship with my uncle, especially with his drug history and how he kept my mom so tied up in knots. But he also wasn't an awful human. Seeing how he was 'living' I could see the depression and sadness he allowed to consume him. I also saw what could happen if I didn't take care of my health. We have a family history of heart disease, cancers (several kinds), and diabetes type II. He stopped taking care of himself and it was not pretty. SO, that's been hard. Mostly because I worry for my mom. He was her baby brother and she is feeling ever so guilty that she wasn't there sooner. That she didn't visit more (during COVID! which she couldn't because of his poor healthy). So it's been a difficult month; mostly for my mom.

Aside from that I just (in April) passed my 2nd year in my new career choice and still need to take my NMLS test sometime in the next couple of months. AND still need to work on personal health. I need to lose some weight because I want a chance to try IVF next year. I'm getting older (*SHOCKED GASP HORROR*) and I.. want to try to become a mom. I don't want to have that regret of not trying. A mental struggle though is looking at myself and not just getting tired. The truth is I have type II Diabetes in combination and in part due to my PCOS. The last year I have learned that a lot of the issues I've had my entire life have been scientifically linked to my PCOS and it's not just hormones or reproductive disorder. It's a metabolic issue that impacts and messes with my entire body. Including and most awfully my mental.

What I don't share with people or didn't is that I have general anxiety disorder and my personal anxieties negatively have impacted all aspects of my life. BUT what I didn't know until this year is that it's also made worse by the hormonal surges or lack there of of my PCOS. And my type of PCOS can't be treated with the medication my general practitioner doctors have been shoving down my throat for years! If anything its been made worse! :D (<sarcastic smiley) So my journey to help myself is a long one but I'm working away at it slowly. My mental has been 'improving' over the last 2-weeks enough that I don't want to curl up in a tiny ball and sob 24/7/365.

I guess this is longer than I meant it to be. And please PLEASE don't take any bad vibes from this if you read any of it.

I guess what I should say is: TL:DR

2021 & 2022 have been rough. My dog is doing better and is currently clinically in remission (HOORAY! HAPPY) and my youngest cat terror is still knocking things off counters and purring happily on his meds. I love all my fur-babies. I have mental and physical work to do on myself still but the last 2-weeks are improving. I'm still working and still love my job. I miss this community and I wish to send you all the best of luck, love, GOOD VIBES, and pixie dust I have at my disposal because I truly want nothing by the very best for each and every one of you.

*hug*

[Rayvin_Kittiy]

I did read all of it and it sounds pretty rough but Im glad your starting to feel better and Im glad your fur babies are doing ok so far as well. I completely understand (from personal experience) how cancer and other such diagnoses in pets can come suddenly and throw you for a loop mentally. They are very hard to deal with. Im glad that you are taking care of yourself and its good to see you around again <3 *hugs* I hope things continue to get better for you guys.

[Angel_of_Music]

Toxi, I had to look and see who you were at first because I didn't recognize the name, but it is nice to see you around. Having read all that you've been going through, I'm glad you're doing alright despite the things that hit you. Take it easy and don't feel bad for not being around. We're not going anywhere <3 *hugs*

[Sweetintoxikation]

Thank you both. :) I know I'm not the only one who's had rough days/weeks/months. My thoughts and best wishes still go out to everyone who has a hard time. Wishes that it will get better and quickly. But I appreciate your hugs as well and return them happily. :D *squish hugs*

[Operetta]

I wasn't sure where else to put this, so I'll put it here. Rasa and I work in the same office, and our workday ended rather weirdly. We went to lunch and were in the process of heating up our lunches - we take our lunches to work instead of eating out - when our supervisor came in to tell us there was a bomb threat, and we had to exit the building immediately. One of our security officers was right behind him and hustled us out. At first, I thought it was just a drill, but it was an actual threat... for our building specifically. That, unfortunately, did not surprise me as our building contains the offices that people are usually angry at. So, we were stuck outside waiting for them to clear the buildings. Like most places, it's been super hot here. So, the heat index was somewhere between 100 and 105 while we waited for over an hour. Then we saw people leaving and were told that if we didn't need to go back into the building we could go. Well, the car keys and everything were inside, so that was a no go. Eventually, they cleared us to go back in, get our stuff, and go home. Rasa and I had to throw away our lunches as they were not edible any longer, which was rather annoying. We despise wasting food of any kind. So, yeah... weird end to the day.

[Angel_of_Music]

Oh wow...retta that would have me a little shook. Granted we had a 'bomb threat' the one year I was in high school and we had to be diverted to the middle school til everything was cleared, but it had as ll chattering about it. With the one you experienced being real, that would have me shook. Glad everything turned out okay...except your ruined lunches, that's never fun.

[Angel_of_Music]

*just flops and sighs* So now that I have a some what clearer mind...even if I'm still pissed...today royally suctioned. I went in and I was in a good mood. I checked the fridge as to what I needed to stock in there and saw I needed water bottles, the milks for the kids meals, salsa, sour cream, and to stock the salad dressings. Okay cool. I went back to the walk in and grabbed the milks first. I only had seven chocolate milks and nine regular milks, so I figured I'd just grab the two packs on the walk in and take them out. Normally I load up my apron with the amount I need. I was then told I could count my drawer. So I went and did that. I'm bringing my drawer back out and Cheryl, our opening manager, was carrying the milks back to the walk in going 'I don't know how brought these up there...' and I said 'that was me' and she said 'you don't need all this!' and I said 'yes I do' and she went 'no you don't! It's full!' and I said 'no, I do need those' and she said 'you're fucking blind!!' as she turned around and walked back to the front. I went 'excuse me?' and she opened the fridge and went 'what are those?!' and I said 'chocolate milk, BUT what's behind those? Nothing' and she just shut the fridge door and stormed off going 'whatever!'. Okay...who put a bee up your butt? So that soured my mood for a little. Once I got back to stocking, I was okay, but whenever I had to stop and take and order AND make the sandwich, it threw a wrench in the works. I know that if I call out for sandwiches, no one's going to come running over to make them for me, so I made them myself and did my best to make them as quick as possible. I had one DoorDash order come through and they wanted ten sandwiches. Great. So I only had so many sausage, so many eggs and so many biscuits. I called out for sausage, eggs and biscuits and..wow...I actually got some help. We were behind on transition, but I was still trying to stock my corner.

Lunch rush started and we were starting to get hit pretty hard, which I had a feeling we would. The card reader in the back was starting to act up, so we opted to do cash payments in the back, card payments up front. So when I had a customer, after they placed their order I would ask 'okay and are you paying with cash or card today?'. If they said cash, I'd tell them their total and 'first window please, thank you!' or if they said card, I'd say their total and 'second window please, thank you!'. It was working fine. Granted most of the payments were card, but that was okay. So I was taking orders, taking card payments, getting drinks, bagging orders, handing orders out and if I had to, work on getting fries and nuggets. Was anyone helping me bag? RARELY!! The one manager came in and she bagged maybe five orders and then went to wherever. One of the other people that would normally help me out, she would either bag an order and not hand it out or she'd be at some other spot. Then here's the thing, if there were no customers up front, the person who was on front register would disappear with the other girl, so that left me running around like a chicken with no head and no wings trying to get everything together for my orders and get them out on a timely manner and if I had someone on hold at the speaker, get to them before they got annoyed and/or drove off.

At one point this early afternoon, after 1 I think, I had a guy place his order and I asked if he was paying with card or cash, he said card, so I told him his total and second window. When he got to my window, I told him his total, accepted his card with a 'thank you' and I hit pay on my screen. It said that the order was currently locked at terminal 4, so it's at the back. I called back 'can you store that order back to me please?' and I'm hitting 'pay' on my screen til I see what I need pop up. Well it never did. So I called back again and still nothing. I hit the button on my head set and asked my back five person if she could store the order, to which she informed me she was in the bathroom. Okay, she never said she was running to the ladies room nor did anyone else let me know that 'oh hey, your back five person ran to the ladies room real quick' nor did anyone make a move to help me out!!! I had three people capable of going to the back and hitting the 'store' button on the back register!! Two of them were just leaning against the fry station and talking!!! Okay, so I'm frustrated right now and I brushed by the sandwich maker and the two non-helpers and as I'm going by, in frustration I said 'Jesus flying mother!'. I hit the button on the register, went back up, paid out the order, handed the guy back his card, his drinks and handed out his meal and continued doing my job. Next thing I know something's going on, Erin was called in and, to put it bluntly, shit hit the fan.

Erin is our assistant manager. She called back the two non-helpers one by one, called back someone else and then I was called in. I'm like 'what happened?' as I'm going back. I walked into the office, closed the door and said 'what's up?' and Erin said 'I want your side of the story, I want the truth, no lying or cutting any corners. I told this to the others that came in before you' and I asked 'about what?' and she said 'the incident where you called someone a monkey'. I was like 'what?! I never called anyone a monkey!!'. So I told her my side of the story of how I needed an order stored, my back five person was in the bathroom, no one made a move to store the order and then repeated the three simple words that I said. I then added on that 'I would NEVER in my life call anyone a monkey! I know better than that! My mom would kill me if she ever heard me say that!!'. Erin had written down my side and said 'I know sweetie, but now I need to call Deb and go from there. I'll call you back'. So my stomach is now doing flips, I'm pissed off and I just want to finish my shift. A little after 2, Kendia's coming over and saying 'listen, I need to clock you off the register and you need to go back to Erin' and I said 'I would never call anyone anything, you know I wouldn't' and Kendia's like 'listen, I didn't want to get involved because I don't want anyone thinking I'm biased' and I'm thinking 'you could have stood up for me a bit more!'. So I took the money I had to drop in the safe, grabbed my slip and went to the office, once more closing the door. There in front of Erin and being slid my way was a write up sheet with 'presumed racial remarks' written on it. My heart shattered!! She needed me to sign it and I was being sent home early. I'm on the verge of TEARS!! I've never been written up before and now here it is for something that could potentially cost me my job!! Kendia's worked with me long enough to know I've never said a racist thing to anyone! Deb, our general manager, has worked with me almost 5 months and she's never heard anything racist from me either!! Erin told me I could refuse to sign the sheet, but she'd have to write it that I refused to sign. I'm trying not to cry, but it's getting hard to hold the tears back. I signed the paper, all the while going 'I'd never say anything racist in my life! I never called anyone a monkey' and Erin can hear the distress in my tone and she said 'it's not that I don't believe you sweetie, but there are protocols I have to follow' and I said 'I know, but still, I'd never call anyone that. I can't...I can't lose this job.' and she again said 'I know, but there are...' and I said it with her and said 'I know I know...' and she said that Deb and Jen would be in contact with me and I was being sent home early.

So I'm still on the verge of tears at this point as I went and grabbed my back pack, threw my hat and apron in it, grabbed my other hat, and just about ran/crashed out of there. I clocked out and was gone. I was in tears as soon as I crossed over to the larger set of parking lots and I was just looking for anything to throw. I was so pissed off that I didn't realize I was pushing myself to walk way too fast in the heat til I got half way home. I had to stop myself and take a few deep breaths. I had texted Deb at the one point and she said she believes me and suggest that I write a statement. So I did. I wrote a statement, got pictures and sent them to Deb, who then in turn sent them to Jen who is our district manager. She said it would be better to have go through the chain of command; me to her to Jen to Elena, Elena being one of Jen's bosses. The ONLY time I have EVER used the term monkey down at work, it was pointed at ME because I have jokingly called myself the 'monkey in the corner' and everyone laughed at it. Other than that, I have NEVER used it in a racist way and NEVER would I use it in such a way!! I am so torn up about this whole freaking thing that I am PRAYING that it goes in my favor and I can keep my job! It's my first ever write up in the three and a half years that I've been there, but I'm still torn up. If I do remain employed there, I really have to watch my back now.

[springacres]

That is rough, AoM. I work at a public library and witnessed a similar situation at work not long ago, so I know how easy it is for people to take offense because of a misheard or misinterpreted statement or action. Best of luck, and I hope that your three and a half years of good, steady work at your store outweigh this one write-up. Also, good for you for going through the chain of command and for writing down a statement of what happened. I hope things turn out okay.