Mandatory Retirement

The temp outside is a nice, almost toasty 74 (F).  This afternoon we should be hitting the low 90s (F).  Originally, the forecast had them hanging around for a few days.  That's changed.  Tomorrow our high will be in the upper 80s (F) and Thursday it will be a few degrees cooler as more seasonable weather moves back into the picture.

I paused my Trainwell subscription yesterday.  I was going to cancel, but chose to pause it for the time being.  I did take screen shots of the routines and print them off, so I'll still have the structure for the next few weeks.  At some point I'll have to decide if the expense balances out with the daily contact I get through texts and the occasional videos.  

The husband of the woman who returned that tiny bit of carpet was in yesterday to buy padding.  I nodded to him, he didn't nod back, but then he didn't glare at me either.  As I mentioned to Treaders, one of the big reasons we have problems with returns is that our corporate office has an algorithm that predicts if a customer is likely to shop with us again.  Refusing a return drops that likelihood a small %, and every teeny, tiny bit is a step towards failing to make our projected growth.  

Today's going to be fairly busy.  One of the things on the to do list is to get a haircut.  Tomorrow, I'm getting my picture taken for my driver's license and that means looking civilized.

And I have this pretty, white flowery thing growing along the top of my fence.  Last year Howie chewed most of it away.  This year he's left it alone.  I guess it doesn't taste good anymore.

 

I saw where Steve Scalise, a big supporter of the Orange Anus, was talking about the Supreme Court and how the Republicans like the fact that there are  only 9 justices, and that this are lifetime positions.  In fact, Republicans are so enrapture with the way things are set up, he's going to initiate a constitutional amendment to keep the Democrats from changing anything.  There are a bunch of MAGA yokels out there who have no idea how difficult the job is to amend the constitution.  His statements are aimed at those louts.  Also keep in mind that there is also serious concerns among Republicans that should Democrats get enough votes in November, they might just add a judge or two.  This is most likely the reason Alito, who had said he was going to retire, has put off his retirement.  Though, if the Democrats do get in power, they don't need an amendment to the constitution to set a mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court Justices.  Retiring Alito and Thomas would change the makeup of the court until more judges could be approved, and a majority of Democrats in the Senate would keep the Orange Anus from putting in a real loser. 

The Gift

So, I get to go back to work today.  Ho... hum.  We will be busy at the Returns Desk as customers bring back the impulse buys, those gifts which somehow failed to ring the bell.  There will also be those looking for deep discounts in our remaining Christmas decorations.  They will probably be sorely disappointed.  We dropped them by 50% a week before the holiday.  All that remains is the shit stuff no one really wants, like ugly inflatables.  They weren't as big a seller this year as they have been in the past.  Let us hope that like all trendy things they have peaked.

And, out of all the toys the dogs got, their favorite is not the one humans liked.  Maybe we should think more like dogs... and cats, for that matter.  The adorable T-Rex sits silently on the hallway floor, abandoned by Lily and Biggie as another toy has completely stolen their attention.  I uploaded this from my phone, so my apologies if it plays sideways. (It only turns sideways if you blow it up)

That's the Wuba Fish from Kong.  And I thought Biggie would just walk in... wrong.  Now it's one of those moments the world gets to see.

Gallup posted one of their regular polls.  The Idiot Jerk's approval rating has actually gone up a couple of points... since the impeachment hearings have started.  This was always the potential problem.  Not from Democrats, mind you, but from Independent voters.  They are the largest voting block in the country.  Our hardliners need to keep that in mind.  No matter how watertight they might believe their case against the Idiot Jerk to be, the Independents will be the ones who make the decision in the ballot box this coming November.  We may think they want a T-Rex, but really, it's the Wuba Fish they're going to find most satisfying.

The Returns Theif

Yesterday there was an incident at the Returns Desk.  First of all, you have to know that the clerks there were very busy.  In this day and age, everybody returns things.  Every day.  Constantly.  Little things and big things.  Nobody wants to pay for something they're not going to use.
Yesterday a customer brought back a large tool box.  He had loaded it on a flatbed cart to make it easier to move.  And he said to the Returns Clerk, "I bought this, and then my wife saw the same thing at Costco for a lower price, so she bought that one and I'm returning this one since I don't need two."  He handed her his receipt, she scanned it, and the box sitting on the flat bed, and he went on his merry way.
However, there was a problem.  The tool box he was returning was large, very large, so large, in fact, it was in 2 boxes, not one.  And it was expensive, over $700.  And he only returned the top, much smaller half.  Of course the Returns Clerk didn't know there were 2 boxes.  Nothing on the packaging says there are 2 boxes.  He kept the much larger, lower half, the one with all of the drawers, and the casters to roll it around.  The Clerk should have questions the $ amount to begin with, that's a lot of money to spend for a tool box that's only 18" high and 4 feet long.  When I asked her about it she said, "but he had a little boy with him."  My response?  "So, crooks are crooks, kids are great decoys."

Anyway, this thief, with a kid, kept the bottom half which he will probably sell for about $200.  Did he know what he was doing?  Of course.  If she had called him on it he probably would have claimed to not know there were 2 boxes, and that he'd have to go home and get the bottom half, and leave with the top half.... and go to another store and try the same trick.  Just think, that kid's going to grow up to be just like him.