Having anxiety and being shy sucks. I'm the biggest introvert I know. I am never the life of the party. If I go to a party or social gathering (which is rare in itself, usually I'll try to find an excuse to not go), I will stick by who I'm most comfortable with: my girlfriend, my family, friends. I hate being this way. I've been shy and and introvert my whole life. It's not something I can change about myself. Meeting new people and doing new things scares me.
Which makes getting a job THAT much tougher. I was so nervous for my first interview that I drove past the building. I couldn't do it. My second interview I actually did, but I was second guessing EVERYTHING I said. They eventually called me back, but I didn't even have the balls to answer or call THEM back. They ended up texting me asking if I was still interested and I said no. Trust me, it wouldn't have been a good fit. Also, I realized the pay was less than I originally thought.
I've done three phone interviews so far, and I've literally been shaking moments before they called. I feel like I did them pretty well, but obviously not well enough. The first one didn't get back to me. The second had the in person interview mentioned above. The third didn't get back to me, either.
Why does it have to be so fucking hard for someone like me? Now I got some recruiter emailing me saying they want to meet in Seattle. Driving to downtown Seattle is stressful enough! That's why I didn't do the first interview scheduled: The drive there was stressful enough with traffic.
I've had borderline panic attacks throughout this process. Fortunately I haven't had a full-blown attack because I know how to calm myself. The last attack I can remember was on 4th of July a couple years ago when my girlfriend and I were looking for somewhere to park near Gas Works Park. Of course, I had no luck. Some asshole pedestrian stood in the only open street parking spot waiting for someone else. I remember driving further and feeling the attack coming on and not being able to do anything about it because I was driving and I was in an unfamiliar area. I eventually pulled into a Safeway parking lot and collapsed as the attack came over me.
I wish there was something I could do to make this easier. I wish an employer could understand my anxiety and make accommodations. I wish I didn't fucking have this anxiety.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Hottest Female Celebrity By Birth Year
Well if you by some chance follow this blog of mine, you know I don't mind talking about hot female celebrities. Well in this one I'm going to go year by year discussing who the hottest celebrity is that was born that year. I started this some time ago and just had to modify it a bit. I will go from 1960 to 1999, so these women will be 19-59 years old. And we're starting with the oldest.
1960: Julianne Moore
Runner Up: Valerie Bertinelli
This was no contest. Julianne Moore may have sex appeal until she's 70. Had to look a bit to find my runner up, Valerie Bertinelli.
1961: Lea Thompson
Runner Up: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Lea Thompson is aging like fine wine. She's been hot ever since "Back to the Future" and "All the Right Moves". Haven't heard of it? You should check it out. JLD is a fairly close 2nd.
1962: Jennifer Jason-Leigh
Runner Up: Demi Moore
Not a lot to choose from here... special shoutout to Diane Franklin as she was a fox in the 1980s but now... she just missed the cut. JJL wins without much competition. I've never found Demi Moore that attractive, surprisingly, but even I can see is still pretty.
Edit: This originally had Kelly Preston (RIP), and out of respect for her, I have removed her from this.
1963: Gail O'Grady
Runner Up: Jennifer Beals
I'll be honest; I haven't seen Gail O'Grady in anything, but a quick Google search told me enough. Jennifer Beals is a runner up where there wasn't much to choose from.
1964: Marisa Tomei
Runner Up: Mary-Louise Parker
Now this was a tough one. Marisa's certified MILF status and MLP still has it. I had to leave out Courteney Cox and Monica Bellucci, among others.
1965: Sherilyn Fenn
Runner Up: Diane Lane
Sherilyn Fenn in the 90's... wowza. Diane Lane is aging pretty gracefully, but I had to go with my personal preference.
1966: Salma Hayek
Runner Up: Helena Bonham Carter
I think I picked the overwhelming favorite. Salma is easily the hottest Latina actress over 45. I've noticed a lot of ladies with three names, and HBC is yet another of them. Yet none of them have been my favorite... yet.
1967: Kari Wuhrer
Runner Up: Miranda Otto
Kari gets it by just a bit. She oozes more sex appeal than Miranda (and has done more scenes of that nature).
1968: Molly Ringwald
Runner Up: Naomi Watts
Molly plays moms usually nowadays and she's still hot. Naomi was the runner up because she's aged pretty well.
1969: Jennifer Lopez
Runner Up: Amy Pietz
I know, no Jennifer Aniston. Anyway, J-Lo was a clear frontrunner. No contest. Amy Pietz, if you don't know her, was most notably Donna on the office, one of Michael Scott's flames.
1970: Rachel Weisz
Runner Up: Jennifer Connelly
Into the 70s and I find quite a few beautiful actresses. Had to go with Rachel Weisz as I've liked her for a while. Jennifer Connelly is the runner up, because I mean come on.
1971: Christine Taylor
Runner Up: Cara Buono
Ben Stiller is a lucky man. I've always liked Christine Taylor (maybe not so much when she wore a bald cap on "Friends", lol). Cara Buono is known for recently playing the MILF on Stranger Things, mom to Mike and Nancy.
1972: Sofia Vergara
Runner Up: Alyssa Milano
Sofia is a Columbian goddess. She's got everything. Alyssa is aging well, and she beat out Gabrielle Union and Amanda Peet for runner up.
1973: Kate Beckinsale
Runner Up: Lena Heady
Kate's just gorgeous and has been for a while. Haven't seen her in much, though. Lena's most known for "Game of Thrones" and looked pretty hot, usually in the earlier seasons.
1974: Jenna Fischer
Runner Up: Penelope Cruz
I love Jenna. She's perpetually going to be a MILF to me now. Penelope is aging very well and doesn't look as old as she does. I had to leave out Elizabeth Banks (too many unsexy roles) and Amy Adams (never found her sexy) and Eva Mendes.
1975: Marion Cotillard
Runner Up: Christina Hendricks
Marion is maybe the sexiest French actress... ever. Such beautiful blue eyes. Christina makes it mainly because of her two... assets. Best in Hollywood.
1976: Diane Kruger
Runner Up: Michelle Monaghan
Oh man this year was tough. Had to leave off Reese Witherspoon, Amy Smart, Melissa George, Carice Van Houten, Anna Faris, and Isla Fisher. Diane's just hot... even without makeup. Michelle's just got a natural beauty about her where again, she doesn't need makeup.
1977: Melanie Lynskey
Runner Up: Marguerite Moreau
This one was just as tough, but for a different reason. Not as many contenders, but it was tough to decide who was #1. I choose Melanie because she's defied Hollywood and remained curvy, which I like. Marguerite is aging really well and has such a gorgeous smile.
1978: Aimee Garcia
Runner Up: Zoe Saldana
Aimee has stolen my heart after she was on Dexter. She's so hot; got the nicest little ass. Zoe is gorgeous but I'm not as sexually attracted to her.
1979: Rosario Dawson
Runner Up: Jennifer Morrison
This surprised me too. Rosario doesn't look 40, yet she is. Wow. Jennifer Morrison was hot on "How I Met Your Mother" and that wasn't too long ago.
1980: Eliza Dushku
Runner Up: Olivia Munn
Another tough one. I chose Eliza; I've had a crush on her for years. Olivia Munn beat out Nazanin Boniadi among others for the Runner Up.
1981: Krysten Ritter
Runner Up: Summer Glau
Two bad-ass actresses here. Krysten was Jessica Jones and kicked ass. Summer was Cameron Phillips on "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles".
1982: Hayley Atwell
Runner Up: Priyanka Chopra
I am hereby declaring this the best year for hot actresses. Holy shit. The ones I had to exclude were Jessica Biel, Sophia Bush, Jenny Slate, Elisha Cuthbert, Gina Carano, Lacey Chabert, Allison Brie, Esme Bianco, Lauren Cohan, Cobie Smulders, Kelly Clarkson, and Yvonne Strahovski. Phew! Hayley Atwell is just damn near perfection and I love her. I mean, if Captain America is willing to go back in time for her... And Priyanka Chopra is easily the hottest Indian actress... maybe ever.
1983: Felicity Jones
Runner Up: Camilla Luddington
As you might be able to tell, I have a thing for British women. Felicity just has such kissable lips. And Camilla just has a killer body. Yowza.
1984: Scarlett Johansson
Runner Up: Katharine McPhee
ScarJo, how could it be anyone else? She's still so fucking got it. As for Kat McPhee, she's still got it as well and she's stayed relevant by appearing on TV.
1985: Gal Gadot
Runner Up: Kaley Cuoco
Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman, enough said. Kaley's been one of my faves for a while and she still is.
1986: Emilia Clarke
Runner Up: Alexandra Daddario
Holy fuck this year is also packed. First off, I love Emilia Clarke. Her smile melts my heart. And Alexandra Daddario literally IMO has the best body in Hollywood. The ones I wish I could've included were Teresa Palmer, Oona Chaplin, Kat Dennings, and Brittany Snow.
1987: Karen Gillan
Runner Up: Lyndsy Fonseca
This wasn't quite as good as 1986, surprisingly. Karen's recently come onto the scene and boy she's pretty. Lyndsy I've known from HIMYM for a while and I still find her very attractive. The only other ones I considered were Rose Leslie and Blake Lively.
1988: Vanessa Hudgens
Runner Up: Alicia Vikander
I've always liked Vanessa... she doesn't seem to age much. Alicia surprised me with how young she is, less than a year older than me. Others I considered were Emily Browning and Emma Stone.
1989: Lily James
Runner Up: Elizabeth Olsen
My birth year!! Now I know I said 1982 and 1986 were impressive but it's nothing compared to my birth year, 1989. Holy shit! I'm amazed how many well-known and beautiful actresses have made it from my year of birth. Lily is just my bae and my #1 celebrity crush right now. Elizabeth Olsen is up there as well. Ok, for the ones I couldn't include... *takes deep breath* Brie Larson, Nathalie Emmanuel, Lily Collins, Nina Dobrev, Juno Temple, Hannah Murray, Hayden Panettiere, Lucy Hale, Jane Levy, Ashley Benson, Lorenza Izzo and Kelly Marie Tran. *Phew!*
1990: Emma Watson
Runner Up: Sophie Cookson
Like I said, I have a thing for British actresses. 4 of the last 5 have been British, with the runner up here as well. Emma's been in my heart since appearing in Harry Potter. I love Sophie in "Kingsmen". The ones I had to exclude were Margot Robbie, Jennifer Lawrence, Eiza Gonzalez, Rachel Brosnahan, Tristin Mays, and Christian Serratos.
1991: Addison Timlin
Runner Up: Emily Ratajkowski
Both my top picks are married, and Addison's starting a family but I don't care, they're still gorgeous. Emily is still in supermodel shape. Excluded were Shailene Woodley, Emma Roberts, and Bonnie Wright.
1992: Daisy Ridley
Runner Up: Vanessa Marano
Wow, another jam-packed year and another British actress at the top. Daisy has stolen my heart ever since she burst onto "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Vanessa has the perfect contrast of pale skin and black hair. I had to exclude a ton here... here they are: Kaya Scodelario, Cara Delevingne, Emily Osment, Jessica Henwick, Selena Gomez, Kate Upton, and Jennette McCurdy. Yikes.
1993: Adele Exarchopoulos
Runner Up: Miranda Cosgrove
If you haven't heard of Adele Exarchopoulos, it's because she's a Greek/French actress who doesn't do a lot of mainstream stuff except "Blue is the Warmest Color". Let's just say she won me over there. Surprisingly, Miranda Cosgrove got my runner up. Yes, annoying little Megan from "Drake and Josh". I had to exclude Naomi Scott, Olivia Cooke, Letitia Wright, Maika Monroe, Debbie Ryan, Hunter King, Victoria Justice, and Ariana Grande. Another jam-packed year.
1994: Taissa Farmiga
Runner Up: Lucy Boynton
Well now we're getting into a bunch of names I don't recognize. Taissa wins it easily. Lucy I've only seen in Bohemian Rhapsody. There weren't many others (Dakota Fanning and Saoirse Ronan).
1995: Sammi Hanratty
Runner Up: Laura Marano
This was a bit harder than 1994 to choose from but not by much. Sammi wins it easily, she's so adorable. Laura appears on this list just like her sister Vanessa, and both were runners up. Had to exclude Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid.
1996: Anya Taylor-Joy
Runner Up: Sophie Turner
Just when I think I won't see many more recognizable faces 1996 smacks me in the face! This was a tough one. Anya is gorgeous and I love her in everything she's in. Sophie from Game of Thrones... well I had to. The ones I had to exclude? They are Zendaya, Hailee Steinfeld, Kaitlyn Dever, Katherine Langford, Abigail Breslin, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, and Ella Purnell. Wow!
1997: Odeya Rush
Runner Up: Camila Morrone
Not as many this year but still a few. Odeya wowed me in "The Giver" and Camila in "Death Wish". Ones I had to exclude were: Maisie Williams, Chloe Grace Moretz, Bella Thorne, Kylie Jenner, and Stefania Lavie Owen.
1998: Ariel Winter
Runner Up: Peyton List
Well we're getting near the end. If you've seen Ariel on "Modern Family" in the more recent seasons you know what I'm talking about. I don't recall seeing Peyton in anything but she was the only other one I could come up with. That's it.
1999: Katelyn Nacon
Runner Up: Joey King
Wow, we end with a bang. Katelyn is just a perfect brunette... nothing I'd change about her. Joey has grown up into a beautiful woman with a great body. Had to leave out quite a few: Kiernan Shipka, Bailee Madison, Nell Tiger Free, Sabrina Carpenter, Lily-Rose Depp, and Kerry Ingram.
Well, that's it! I could try to go to 2000, as they are of age, but I couldn't find enough there. I might update this list as I discover actresses (and as time goes on).
1960: Julianne Moore
Runner Up: Valerie Bertinelli
This was no contest. Julianne Moore may have sex appeal until she's 70. Had to look a bit to find my runner up, Valerie Bertinelli.
1961: Lea Thompson
Runner Up: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Lea Thompson is aging like fine wine. She's been hot ever since "Back to the Future" and "All the Right Moves". Haven't heard of it? You should check it out. JLD is a fairly close 2nd.
1962: Jennifer Jason-Leigh
Runner Up: Demi Moore
Not a lot to choose from here... special shoutout to Diane Franklin as she was a fox in the 1980s but now... she just missed the cut. JJL wins without much competition. I've never found Demi Moore that attractive, surprisingly, but even I can see is still pretty.
Edit: This originally had Kelly Preston (RIP), and out of respect for her, I have removed her from this.
1963: Gail O'Grady
Runner Up: Jennifer Beals
I'll be honest; I haven't seen Gail O'Grady in anything, but a quick Google search told me enough. Jennifer Beals is a runner up where there wasn't much to choose from.
1964: Marisa Tomei
Runner Up: Mary-Louise Parker
Now this was a tough one. Marisa's certified MILF status and MLP still has it. I had to leave out Courteney Cox and Monica Bellucci, among others.
1965: Sherilyn Fenn
Runner Up: Diane Lane
Sherilyn Fenn in the 90's... wowza. Diane Lane is aging pretty gracefully, but I had to go with my personal preference.
1966: Salma Hayek
Runner Up: Helena Bonham Carter
I think I picked the overwhelming favorite. Salma is easily the hottest Latina actress over 45. I've noticed a lot of ladies with three names, and HBC is yet another of them. Yet none of them have been my favorite... yet.
1967: Kari Wuhrer
Runner Up: Miranda Otto
Kari gets it by just a bit. She oozes more sex appeal than Miranda (and has done more scenes of that nature).
1968: Molly Ringwald
Runner Up: Naomi Watts
Molly plays moms usually nowadays and she's still hot. Naomi was the runner up because she's aged pretty well.
1969: Jennifer Lopez
Runner Up: Amy Pietz
I know, no Jennifer Aniston. Anyway, J-Lo was a clear frontrunner. No contest. Amy Pietz, if you don't know her, was most notably Donna on the office, one of Michael Scott's flames.
1970: Rachel Weisz
Runner Up: Jennifer Connelly
Into the 70s and I find quite a few beautiful actresses. Had to go with Rachel Weisz as I've liked her for a while. Jennifer Connelly is the runner up, because I mean come on.
1971: Christine Taylor
Runner Up: Cara Buono
Ben Stiller is a lucky man. I've always liked Christine Taylor (maybe not so much when she wore a bald cap on "Friends", lol). Cara Buono is known for recently playing the MILF on Stranger Things, mom to Mike and Nancy.
1972: Sofia Vergara
Runner Up: Alyssa Milano
Sofia is a Columbian goddess. She's got everything. Alyssa is aging well, and she beat out Gabrielle Union and Amanda Peet for runner up.
1973: Kate Beckinsale
Runner Up: Lena Heady
Kate's just gorgeous and has been for a while. Haven't seen her in much, though. Lena's most known for "Game of Thrones" and looked pretty hot, usually in the earlier seasons.
1974: Jenna Fischer
Runner Up: Penelope Cruz
I love Jenna. She's perpetually going to be a MILF to me now. Penelope is aging very well and doesn't look as old as she does. I had to leave out Elizabeth Banks (too many unsexy roles) and Amy Adams (never found her sexy) and Eva Mendes.
1975: Marion Cotillard
Runner Up: Christina Hendricks
Marion is maybe the sexiest French actress... ever. Such beautiful blue eyes. Christina makes it mainly because of her two... assets. Best in Hollywood.
1976: Diane Kruger
Runner Up: Michelle Monaghan
Oh man this year was tough. Had to leave off Reese Witherspoon, Amy Smart, Melissa George, Carice Van Houten, Anna Faris, and Isla Fisher. Diane's just hot... even without makeup. Michelle's just got a natural beauty about her where again, she doesn't need makeup.
1977: Melanie Lynskey
Runner Up: Marguerite Moreau
This one was just as tough, but for a different reason. Not as many contenders, but it was tough to decide who was #1. I choose Melanie because she's defied Hollywood and remained curvy, which I like. Marguerite is aging really well and has such a gorgeous smile.
1978: Aimee Garcia
Runner Up: Zoe Saldana
Aimee has stolen my heart after she was on Dexter. She's so hot; got the nicest little ass. Zoe is gorgeous but I'm not as sexually attracted to her.
1979: Rosario Dawson
Runner Up: Jennifer Morrison
This surprised me too. Rosario doesn't look 40, yet she is. Wow. Jennifer Morrison was hot on "How I Met Your Mother" and that wasn't too long ago.
1980: Eliza Dushku
Runner Up: Olivia Munn
Another tough one. I chose Eliza; I've had a crush on her for years. Olivia Munn beat out Nazanin Boniadi among others for the Runner Up.
1981: Krysten Ritter
Runner Up: Summer Glau
Two bad-ass actresses here. Krysten was Jessica Jones and kicked ass. Summer was Cameron Phillips on "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles".
1982: Hayley Atwell
Runner Up: Priyanka Chopra
I am hereby declaring this the best year for hot actresses. Holy shit. The ones I had to exclude were Jessica Biel, Sophia Bush, Jenny Slate, Elisha Cuthbert, Gina Carano, Lacey Chabert, Allison Brie, Esme Bianco, Lauren Cohan, Cobie Smulders, Kelly Clarkson, and Yvonne Strahovski. Phew! Hayley Atwell is just damn near perfection and I love her. I mean, if Captain America is willing to go back in time for her... And Priyanka Chopra is easily the hottest Indian actress... maybe ever.
1983: Felicity Jones
Runner Up: Camilla Luddington
As you might be able to tell, I have a thing for British women. Felicity just has such kissable lips. And Camilla just has a killer body. Yowza.
1984: Scarlett Johansson
Runner Up: Katharine McPhee
ScarJo, how could it be anyone else? She's still so fucking got it. As for Kat McPhee, she's still got it as well and she's stayed relevant by appearing on TV.
1985: Gal Gadot
Runner Up: Kaley Cuoco
Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman, enough said. Kaley's been one of my faves for a while and she still is.
1986: Emilia Clarke
Runner Up: Alexandra Daddario
Holy fuck this year is also packed. First off, I love Emilia Clarke. Her smile melts my heart. And Alexandra Daddario literally IMO has the best body in Hollywood. The ones I wish I could've included were Teresa Palmer, Oona Chaplin, Kat Dennings, and Brittany Snow.
1987: Karen Gillan
Runner Up: Lyndsy Fonseca
This wasn't quite as good as 1986, surprisingly. Karen's recently come onto the scene and boy she's pretty. Lyndsy I've known from HIMYM for a while and I still find her very attractive. The only other ones I considered were Rose Leslie and Blake Lively.
1988: Vanessa Hudgens
Runner Up: Alicia Vikander
I've always liked Vanessa... she doesn't seem to age much. Alicia surprised me with how young she is, less than a year older than me. Others I considered were Emily Browning and Emma Stone.
1989: Lily James
Runner Up: Elizabeth Olsen
My birth year!! Now I know I said 1982 and 1986 were impressive but it's nothing compared to my birth year, 1989. Holy shit! I'm amazed how many well-known and beautiful actresses have made it from my year of birth. Lily is just my bae and my #1 celebrity crush right now. Elizabeth Olsen is up there as well. Ok, for the ones I couldn't include... *takes deep breath* Brie Larson, Nathalie Emmanuel, Lily Collins, Nina Dobrev, Juno Temple, Hannah Murray, Hayden Panettiere, Lucy Hale, Jane Levy, Ashley Benson, Lorenza Izzo and Kelly Marie Tran. *Phew!*
1990: Emma Watson
Runner Up: Sophie Cookson
Like I said, I have a thing for British actresses. 4 of the last 5 have been British, with the runner up here as well. Emma's been in my heart since appearing in Harry Potter. I love Sophie in "Kingsmen". The ones I had to exclude were Margot Robbie, Jennifer Lawrence, Eiza Gonzalez, Rachel Brosnahan, Tristin Mays, and Christian Serratos.
1991: Addison Timlin
Runner Up: Emily Ratajkowski
Both my top picks are married, and Addison's starting a family but I don't care, they're still gorgeous. Emily is still in supermodel shape. Excluded were Shailene Woodley, Emma Roberts, and Bonnie Wright.
1992: Daisy Ridley
Runner Up: Vanessa Marano
Wow, another jam-packed year and another British actress at the top. Daisy has stolen my heart ever since she burst onto "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Vanessa has the perfect contrast of pale skin and black hair. I had to exclude a ton here... here they are: Kaya Scodelario, Cara Delevingne, Emily Osment, Jessica Henwick, Selena Gomez, Kate Upton, and Jennette McCurdy. Yikes.
1993: Adele Exarchopoulos
Runner Up: Miranda Cosgrove
If you haven't heard of Adele Exarchopoulos, it's because she's a Greek/French actress who doesn't do a lot of mainstream stuff except "Blue is the Warmest Color". Let's just say she won me over there. Surprisingly, Miranda Cosgrove got my runner up. Yes, annoying little Megan from "Drake and Josh". I had to exclude Naomi Scott, Olivia Cooke, Letitia Wright, Maika Monroe, Debbie Ryan, Hunter King, Victoria Justice, and Ariana Grande. Another jam-packed year.
1994: Taissa Farmiga
Runner Up: Lucy Boynton
Well now we're getting into a bunch of names I don't recognize. Taissa wins it easily. Lucy I've only seen in Bohemian Rhapsody. There weren't many others (Dakota Fanning and Saoirse Ronan).
1995: Sammi Hanratty
Runner Up: Laura Marano
This was a bit harder than 1994 to choose from but not by much. Sammi wins it easily, she's so adorable. Laura appears on this list just like her sister Vanessa, and both were runners up. Had to exclude Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid.
1996: Anya Taylor-Joy
Runner Up: Sophie Turner
Just when I think I won't see many more recognizable faces 1996 smacks me in the face! This was a tough one. Anya is gorgeous and I love her in everything she's in. Sophie from Game of Thrones... well I had to. The ones I had to exclude? They are Zendaya, Hailee Steinfeld, Kaitlyn Dever, Katherine Langford, Abigail Breslin, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, and Ella Purnell. Wow!
1997: Odeya Rush
Runner Up: Camila Morrone
Not as many this year but still a few. Odeya wowed me in "The Giver" and Camila in "Death Wish". Ones I had to exclude were: Maisie Williams, Chloe Grace Moretz, Bella Thorne, Kylie Jenner, and Stefania Lavie Owen.
1998: Ariel Winter
Runner Up: Peyton List
Well we're getting near the end. If you've seen Ariel on "Modern Family" in the more recent seasons you know what I'm talking about. I don't recall seeing Peyton in anything but she was the only other one I could come up with. That's it.
1999: Katelyn Nacon
Runner Up: Joey King
Wow, we end with a bang. Katelyn is just a perfect brunette... nothing I'd change about her. Joey has grown up into a beautiful woman with a great body. Had to leave out quite a few: Kiernan Shipka, Bailee Madison, Nell Tiger Free, Sabrina Carpenter, Lily-Rose Depp, and Kerry Ingram.
Well, that's it! I could try to go to 2000, as they are of age, but I couldn't find enough there. I might update this list as I discover actresses (and as time goes on).
10 Hottest Marvel/Avengers Ladies
With Avengers Endgame out in theaters and absolutely CRUSHING the box office, I thought I'd rank the 10 Hottest Marvel and Avengers actresses. They're lucky to have such beautiful and talented women take part in this saga. I'm going to rank my ten favorites, from "Meh" to "Yowza!" Also there will be spoilers so don't say I didn't warn ya.
10. Cobie Smulders, Agent Maria Hill
Cobie's gorgeous and she's at 10. Yeah. She played Agent Hill terrifically and I hope she's not done with that character.
9. Evangeline Lilly, Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp
I was a bit skeptical about Kate from "LOST" being a superhero, but she pulled it off so well. This is the only kind of wasp I'd ever want near me.
8. Tessa Thompson, Valkyrie
She's got such a great mix of cultures in her DNA: Mexican, Afro-Panamanian, British... Yep she's definitely easy on the eyes.
7. Letitia Wright, Shuri
I don't really find pure black women that attractive but there's something about Letitia Wright. I think it's her coyness and her intelligence shown on screen.
6. Zoe Saldana, Gamora
She somehow managed to be a part of the two biggest box office hits in history, and she was a delight in both. I just wish she hadn't died, but Thanos had to sacrifice someone.
5. Brie Larson, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
I'm honestly surprised she's this low. I think she's beautiful but I haven't seen her in quite enough to get that attracted to her.
4. Karen Gillan, Nebula
It's crazy how in real life she's a redheaded British bombshell but in Avengers (and Guardians) she's just this blue, hairless alien. Not quite as attractive. But I still would with Nebula. Just not as much as the actress who plays her.
3. Elizabeth Olsen, Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlett Witch
It's amazing how Elizabeth has become a much larger name than her twin sisters, at least in the entertainment industry. Elizabeth has an amazing body and I'm glad her character was brought back from the snap.
2. Hayley Atwell, Peggy Carter
I know why Captain America stayed "back in time". It was for her. And I certainly don't blame him. I wonder if they had any kids? If I was CA, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of her.
1. Scarlett Johansson, Natasha Romanoff/The Black Widow
She's been here since the start. Well, since Iron Man 2, which was one of the first few MCU films. It's such a shame she had to die (Why couldn't Hawkeye have died instead?!) but her beauty and power will always be remembered.
10. Cobie Smulders, Agent Maria Hill
Cobie's gorgeous and she's at 10. Yeah. She played Agent Hill terrifically and I hope she's not done with that character.
9. Evangeline Lilly, Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp
I was a bit skeptical about Kate from "LOST" being a superhero, but she pulled it off so well. This is the only kind of wasp I'd ever want near me.
8. Tessa Thompson, Valkyrie
She's got such a great mix of cultures in her DNA: Mexican, Afro-Panamanian, British... Yep she's definitely easy on the eyes.
7. Letitia Wright, Shuri
I don't really find pure black women that attractive but there's something about Letitia Wright. I think it's her coyness and her intelligence shown on screen.
6. Zoe Saldana, Gamora
She somehow managed to be a part of the two biggest box office hits in history, and she was a delight in both. I just wish she hadn't died, but Thanos had to sacrifice someone.
5. Brie Larson, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
I'm honestly surprised she's this low. I think she's beautiful but I haven't seen her in quite enough to get that attracted to her.
4. Karen Gillan, Nebula
It's crazy how in real life she's a redheaded British bombshell but in Avengers (and Guardians) she's just this blue, hairless alien. Not quite as attractive. But I still would with Nebula. Just not as much as the actress who plays her.
3. Elizabeth Olsen, Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlett Witch
It's amazing how Elizabeth has become a much larger name than her twin sisters, at least in the entertainment industry. Elizabeth has an amazing body and I'm glad her character was brought back from the snap.
2. Hayley Atwell, Peggy Carter
I know why Captain America stayed "back in time". It was for her. And I certainly don't blame him. I wonder if they had any kids? If I was CA, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of her.
1. Scarlett Johansson, Natasha Romanoff/The Black Widow
She's been here since the start. Well, since Iron Man 2, which was one of the first few MCU films. It's such a shame she had to die (Why couldn't Hawkeye have died instead?!) but her beauty and power will always be remembered.
Friday, May 3, 2019
Hitting Rock Bottom
I've hit rock bottom. Being terminated from a retail job is just that. I hate that it happened and I hate myself for what I did. I want to go back in time and undo what I did. And I am about as depressed as I (hopefully) will ever be. Don't worry, I don't do self-harm. That's just stupid (IMO).
I'm lucky to have friends and family that care about me. A sister who is just the world's best sister. Parents who've done so much for me. And I made friends at my job, a lot of whom I may never see again (at least not on a regular basis anymore). I let everyone in my life down. It's the worst feeling. Part of me feels guilty, part of me feels wronged. What I did certainly merits punishment, but termination? I was hopeful that I'd be back in a limited or restricted role, but nope. It's just a terrible feeling. I want to scream, punch something, destroy everything.
I'm hoping in the end this'll turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Maybe if I hadn't made the mistakes that got me terminated, I would've been stuck at Safeway forever. I would not have wanted that. Numerous times in my ten years there I thought about leaving. I'd apply for a job once in a while, but nothing became of it. Since I had my job to fall back on, nothing urged me to go for another job. It will be nice to do something different. No longer will I have to help those asshole Safeway customers. There are certain customers I will certainly not miss, and knowing I don't have to see them anymore certainly cheers me up. There are a few customers I will miss, but there are more that I won't.
I have tried to make the most of my time away from work. Cleaning, organizing, cooking dinner for my girlfriend on a fairly regular basis. It's given me a chance to clear my head and enjoy not having to work. But I also feel guilty. My roommate and girlfriend both work five days a week and I feel guilty for not working while they are. In this manner I do look forward to a new job and working again, even if it involves helping customers.
Lastly, I am afraid. I'm nervous. I'm anxious. I have social anxiety. I'm good with people I know, but when it comes to strangers and new people, I just crumble. I always second guess what I do or say around new people. Therefore it makes it tough for me to get a new job. I'm anxious that I won't be able to get a job because of this. My anxiety gives me anxiety. I just have to suck it up. I have savings to live off for a bit but not for terribly long. Like I said before, I mostly feel guilty that my roommate and girlfriend are working but I'm not. Here's hoping an employer takes a chance on shy and anxious me, because if they do I will be their hardest working employee. I will not make the same mistakes again.
I'm lucky to have friends and family that care about me. A sister who is just the world's best sister. Parents who've done so much for me. And I made friends at my job, a lot of whom I may never see again (at least not on a regular basis anymore). I let everyone in my life down. It's the worst feeling. Part of me feels guilty, part of me feels wronged. What I did certainly merits punishment, but termination? I was hopeful that I'd be back in a limited or restricted role, but nope. It's just a terrible feeling. I want to scream, punch something, destroy everything.
I'm hoping in the end this'll turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Maybe if I hadn't made the mistakes that got me terminated, I would've been stuck at Safeway forever. I would not have wanted that. Numerous times in my ten years there I thought about leaving. I'd apply for a job once in a while, but nothing became of it. Since I had my job to fall back on, nothing urged me to go for another job. It will be nice to do something different. No longer will I have to help those asshole Safeway customers. There are certain customers I will certainly not miss, and knowing I don't have to see them anymore certainly cheers me up. There are a few customers I will miss, but there are more that I won't.
I have tried to make the most of my time away from work. Cleaning, organizing, cooking dinner for my girlfriend on a fairly regular basis. It's given me a chance to clear my head and enjoy not having to work. But I also feel guilty. My roommate and girlfriend both work five days a week and I feel guilty for not working while they are. In this manner I do look forward to a new job and working again, even if it involves helping customers.
Lastly, I am afraid. I'm nervous. I'm anxious. I have social anxiety. I'm good with people I know, but when it comes to strangers and new people, I just crumble. I always second guess what I do or say around new people. Therefore it makes it tough for me to get a new job. I'm anxious that I won't be able to get a job because of this. My anxiety gives me anxiety. I just have to suck it up. I have savings to live off for a bit but not for terribly long. Like I said before, I mostly feel guilty that my roommate and girlfriend are working but I'm not. Here's hoping an employer takes a chance on shy and anxious me, because if they do I will be their hardest working employee. I will not make the same mistakes again.
Monday, April 1, 2019
50+ Annoyances of Working Customer Service at Safeway
It's hard to believe, but I have worked at customer service for over two years now. Things have changed in that department, but some things never will. And there are certain things I hate when I'm back there. Here's my list of them, 50, just like I did with checking:
1. A customer waiting for a while (long line, or I'm handling Western Union) just for something the self-checkout attendant could have helped them with, like a question, change for a large bill, or cigarettes. I always feel bad that they had to wait.
2. A customer who comes back and needs something changed with their Western Union money transaction. Usually, that requires calling WU, and it takes 10-15 minutes on average. And if there's no management to call to help other customers, it REALLY sucks.
3. Being in charge of the liquor case key but not being able to get the liquor call because of customers needing help at customer service.
4. A customer complaining that Just 4 U doesn't work. It's really not that hard, and it's probably something you did wrong.
5. Customer's getting upset at me enforcing rules, such as money orders are cash only (used to be), the limit for any transaction (WU, money order, etc.) is $3,000. Do you want me to lose my job?! Plus, I didn't make up the rules.
6. Customers who return 5+ items. The more the worse. Like really, what is your angle? I call these people serial returners.
7. Customers who call and talk forever and ever on the phone, especially when I have things to do or people to help.
8. Customers who want lottery tickets when that particular game is drawing. Know the rules and times, people, if you're going to waste your hard-earned money.
9. When customers bring their rotten food to get money back. Either take a picture or just have your receipt, I will take their word for it 99% of the time. Leaving me to dispose of the rotten food.
10. When I'm behind on my closing duties, yet customers keep coming or the self-checkout attendant keeps sending me customers they could help.
11. A checker making a mistake (scanning something twice, missing a 50% off item) that I have to fix.
12. People asking me things that not even management sometimes has a good answer for, such as why a particular item hasn't been in stock for a while, or why we stopped carrying a certain product. THEY TELL ME NOTHING. ALL I HAVE IS CONJECTURE.
13. A checker acting annoyed when I was crazy busy when they paged for an office call, and I missed it.
14. A checker needing help or an override when their problem was so simple/didn't require an override (like entering in the price manually when they could just type in the numbers next to the bar code).
15. Counting a till and it's way off for an unexplained reason.
16. Going to exchange a till that is a complete mess. I never need store coupons! Why don't you put bills and coupons in envelopes? They are there for a reason!
17. The bill counter being a piece of shit and displaying "No call" for every bill, or getting a jam.
18. A person needing to do a Western Union transaction who barely speaks English.
19. A person needing to do Western Union who is unhappy with their policy (Only can be received in Euros, have to include a test question, etc.)
20. A customer needing help with the DVDxpress. Safeway does not own, nor is responsible for it!
21. The phone constantly going off, especially when a holiday comes up and people ask our hours, or if there was a big storm and people call and ask if we're open.
22. The floral, deli, or meat department not answering their phone.
23. Customers calling for floral, bakery or meat after they've left, leaving me to answer the phone and tell them they can't be helped.
24. Something being down (Western Union, Money Orders, Orca) and customers getting mad at me for it.
25. People asking questions about Orca that even Metro Transit experts would have trouble answering.
26. People complaining about the price of cigarettes.
27. Someone asking for a manager (possibly a phone call) and they're busy (conference call, checking)
28. Starting my shift or getting back from break and the counter is a mess and unorganized.
29. Having to fill out a SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) Form because a customer sent over $3,000 or sent over $1,000 to China.
30. Trying to get stuff done like changing out checkstand changers, organizing the department, or doing pulls of large bills, and I keep getting interrupted by customers.
31. Needing a particular key (Lotto, Propane, Master) and it's not in its assigned spot.
32. Someone trying to return a gift card. All gift card sales are final, and they always have been. I do the return, I get in trouble, and the store loses money.
33. Alternatively, people coming back with a gift card saying it doesn't work, or they peeled the code off like a moron and expect us to be liable and replace it. You have to contact the company for whom the gift card is for! Once we sell it and activate it, it's out of our control.
34. A customer not knowing how a product works and needs me to explain it to them like they're a freaking child. I've had multiple customers come to me with the cartons of soup/broth saying the seal was already broken. No, idiot, the seal broke when you opened it! Also had a foreign couple that didn't know how to open a small trash bag.
35. Management telling me to pull customers from the self-checkout line because they failed to schedule enough checker help (and I have other things that need to get done).
36. Customers either not communicating clearly with lotto or changing their mind on either Mega Millions or PowerBall, forcing me to either buy the mistake ticket myself or have the store take it as a loss (because we can't cancel for those two games).
37. A customer having a lot of questions about a Rug Doctor (something I have never personally used).
38. When a customer tries to return a fairly expensive item without a receipt. Either you're scamming us, or you're a freaking idiot. If you buy an expensive item ($20+) and there is ANY chance you might return it, hold on to the freaking receipt! Or at least remember the day you bought it. I know for sure I have done returns on stolen items, but there's nothing I can do, because Safeway doesn't have clear-cut return policy rules nor do they help me with the ability to look up transactions by something other than day/checkstand number.
39. When a customer returns a food item they say was bad, and most of it is gone/eaten. I'd say over half the time this happens they are trying to scam us out of a free product they actually fairly enjoyed.
40. When a machine malfunctions (Lotto, CoinStar) and I have to fix it while other customers need help.
41. When customers form two different lines, and I don't know who was next.
42. When I have to help a customer for a long time (Western Union, calling someone) and they don't allow me to help other customers in the meantime,
43. Repeat customers who always get pint-sized bottles of liquor. They would save money by buying the 750ml every two days, but apparently, they can't force themselves to stop drinking. Sad.
44. When I have a list of things to do that keeps getting longer, and I stress out about it because I'm too busy with customers.
45. When one of the national Lottery games gets a really high jackpot and clueless customers come wanting to buy tickets but not knowing what the hell they're doing.
46. Customers who send multiple Western Unions, not allowing people behind them to be helped in between transactions.
47. Getting a complaint about an unruly customer, a customer asking for money, and having to tell the manager.
48. When a customer has a deal on an item (such as Free on J4U), but we don't carry it.
49. When I have to check because we're shorthanded, causing me to fall behind on customer service closing duties.
And lastly,
50. Having to deal with people. That's it. 90+% of the people I deal with at customer service are people I couldn't care less about.
BONUS:
51. People that buy a lottery ticket and tell me to sell them a winner. If I could control that, I'd sell myself a winner before you, fool.
1. A customer waiting for a while (long line, or I'm handling Western Union) just for something the self-checkout attendant could have helped them with, like a question, change for a large bill, or cigarettes. I always feel bad that they had to wait.
2. A customer who comes back and needs something changed with their Western Union money transaction. Usually, that requires calling WU, and it takes 10-15 minutes on average. And if there's no management to call to help other customers, it REALLY sucks.
3. Being in charge of the liquor case key but not being able to get the liquor call because of customers needing help at customer service.
4. A customer complaining that Just 4 U doesn't work. It's really not that hard, and it's probably something you did wrong.
5. Customer's getting upset at me enforcing rules, such as money orders are cash only (used to be), the limit for any transaction (WU, money order, etc.) is $3,000. Do you want me to lose my job?! Plus, I didn't make up the rules.
6. Customers who return 5+ items. The more the worse. Like really, what is your angle? I call these people serial returners.
7. Customers who call and talk forever and ever on the phone, especially when I have things to do or people to help.
8. Customers who want lottery tickets when that particular game is drawing. Know the rules and times, people, if you're going to waste your hard-earned money.
9. When customers bring their rotten food to get money back. Either take a picture or just have your receipt, I will take their word for it 99% of the time. Leaving me to dispose of the rotten food.
10. When I'm behind on my closing duties, yet customers keep coming or the self-checkout attendant keeps sending me customers they could help.
11. A checker making a mistake (scanning something twice, missing a 50% off item) that I have to fix.
12. People asking me things that not even management sometimes has a good answer for, such as why a particular item hasn't been in stock for a while, or why we stopped carrying a certain product. THEY TELL ME NOTHING. ALL I HAVE IS CONJECTURE.
13. A checker acting annoyed when I was crazy busy when they paged for an office call, and I missed it.
14. A checker needing help or an override when their problem was so simple/didn't require an override (like entering in the price manually when they could just type in the numbers next to the bar code).
15. Counting a till and it's way off for an unexplained reason.
16. Going to exchange a till that is a complete mess. I never need store coupons! Why don't you put bills and coupons in envelopes? They are there for a reason!
17. The bill counter being a piece of shit and displaying "No call" for every bill, or getting a jam.
18. A person needing to do a Western Union transaction who barely speaks English.
19. A person needing to do Western Union who is unhappy with their policy (Only can be received in Euros, have to include a test question, etc.)
20. A customer needing help with the DVDxpress. Safeway does not own, nor is responsible for it!
21. The phone constantly going off, especially when a holiday comes up and people ask our hours, or if there was a big storm and people call and ask if we're open.
22. The floral, deli, or meat department not answering their phone.
23. Customers calling for floral, bakery or meat after they've left, leaving me to answer the phone and tell them they can't be helped.
24. Something being down (Western Union, Money Orders, Orca) and customers getting mad at me for it.
25. People asking questions about Orca that even Metro Transit experts would have trouble answering.
26. People complaining about the price of cigarettes.
27. Someone asking for a manager (possibly a phone call) and they're busy (conference call, checking)
28. Starting my shift or getting back from break and the counter is a mess and unorganized.
29. Having to fill out a SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) Form because a customer sent over $3,000 or sent over $1,000 to China.
30. Trying to get stuff done like changing out checkstand changers, organizing the department, or doing pulls of large bills, and I keep getting interrupted by customers.
31. Needing a particular key (Lotto, Propane, Master) and it's not in its assigned spot.
32. Someone trying to return a gift card. All gift card sales are final, and they always have been. I do the return, I get in trouble, and the store loses money.
33. Alternatively, people coming back with a gift card saying it doesn't work, or they peeled the code off like a moron and expect us to be liable and replace it. You have to contact the company for whom the gift card is for! Once we sell it and activate it, it's out of our control.
34. A customer not knowing how a product works and needs me to explain it to them like they're a freaking child. I've had multiple customers come to me with the cartons of soup/broth saying the seal was already broken. No, idiot, the seal broke when you opened it! Also had a foreign couple that didn't know how to open a small trash bag.
35. Management telling me to pull customers from the self-checkout line because they failed to schedule enough checker help (and I have other things that need to get done).
36. Customers either not communicating clearly with lotto or changing their mind on either Mega Millions or PowerBall, forcing me to either buy the mistake ticket myself or have the store take it as a loss (because we can't cancel for those two games).
37. A customer having a lot of questions about a Rug Doctor (something I have never personally used).
38. When a customer tries to return a fairly expensive item without a receipt. Either you're scamming us, or you're a freaking idiot. If you buy an expensive item ($20+) and there is ANY chance you might return it, hold on to the freaking receipt! Or at least remember the day you bought it. I know for sure I have done returns on stolen items, but there's nothing I can do, because Safeway doesn't have clear-cut return policy rules nor do they help me with the ability to look up transactions by something other than day/checkstand number.
39. When a customer returns a food item they say was bad, and most of it is gone/eaten. I'd say over half the time this happens they are trying to scam us out of a free product they actually fairly enjoyed.
40. When a machine malfunctions (Lotto, CoinStar) and I have to fix it while other customers need help.
41. When customers form two different lines, and I don't know who was next.
42. When I have to help a customer for a long time (Western Union, calling someone) and they don't allow me to help other customers in the meantime,
43. Repeat customers who always get pint-sized bottles of liquor. They would save money by buying the 750ml every two days, but apparently, they can't force themselves to stop drinking. Sad.
44. When I have a list of things to do that keeps getting longer, and I stress out about it because I'm too busy with customers.
45. When one of the national Lottery games gets a really high jackpot and clueless customers come wanting to buy tickets but not knowing what the hell they're doing.
46. Customers who send multiple Western Unions, not allowing people behind them to be helped in between transactions.
47. Getting a complaint about an unruly customer, a customer asking for money, and having to tell the manager.
48. When a customer has a deal on an item (such as Free on J4U), but we don't carry it.
49. When I have to check because we're shorthanded, causing me to fall behind on customer service closing duties.
And lastly,
50. Having to deal with people. That's it. 90+% of the people I deal with at customer service are people I couldn't care less about.
BONUS:
51. People that buy a lottery ticket and tell me to sell them a winner. If I could control that, I'd sell myself a winner before you, fool.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Stuck
So, on this blog I post a bit about work at Safeway, and this will be no different. However, I'm going more in depth and making more than just a list of some kind. I've been put in a position at work that I'm not happy with, and there's not a whole lot I can do. There are a few things I can do, but they all have reasons why not to do them. I'll explain later.
At the end of October/beginning of November our previous front end manager quit and got another job. I was her backup at the time. I had previously told her that I didn't like doing the position, but she kept me as her backup anyway. After she left, I was thrust into the role of doing the front end manager position five days a week, a shift I didn't even like doing two days a week. Apparently, I do too good of a job at it.
Why don't I like it? It's stressful at times for one. Even just falling behind on giving people breaks stresses me out (maybe not as much as it used to). But the stressful part is having to deal with situations and customers that I either A) Don't know how to resolve too well or B) Give me anxiety because it is THAT stressful. But I think I could handle that if I had to. The biggest reason I'd say I don't like it is the hours. 10-7. EVERY DAY. Well every day you work that is. That's 9 hours of your day, not counting the couple hours of getting ready, transportation, etc. I even have to stay late sometimes because someone called out sick or it's really busy (fall behind on breaks). I just hate those hours because it doesn't give me a ton of time to do anything else that particular day. I wake up, get ready for work then go to work. I get home, I eat dinner, and then before I know it, it's 9 o'clock and I'm drowsy. Welp, there went my ENTIRE FRICKEN DAY.
I must add that I was not asked to fill in my previous front end manager's position. I was not asked if it was ok if I filled in while they found a full-time replacement. I was only asked to take the position officially, which I have repeatedly declined.
So, I'm going to make a list of what you might be suggesting I do. Here they are:
1) Ask to not get scheduled as FEM anymore
2) Find another job/quit
3) Do such a bad job at FEM that they have no choice but to demote you.
Here's why I have yet to do any of those three:
1) Our store doesn't have many other options for the position. The two people who have been covering my days off would not want to do it five times, and I'm pretty sure one of them would quit if forced to do it five days a week. The other does too many other things including night Person in Charge. Also, if I were to ask to not be scheduled, they don't have to listen to me.
2) I have been looking at other jobs, actually. I have applied for four so far I think, but none have gotten back to me. I'd apply for more, but I have limited time and most of my time is spent looking for something that suits me well. I also don't want to quit before finding another job, because I don't want to be unemployed and I need a stable income.
3) I have kinda tried doing this. But I do care about our store, having worked there over nine years. I made a silly intercom announcement that pissed my manager off, but that's it. I've ignored what they've asked me to do. My managers keep insisting that I make my checkers ask for hunger bag donations for the needy and that I ask myself, but I refuse to do so. Doesn't matter. I feel like the action required to get demoted from FEM would also be bad enough to be suspended/terminated, and I can't risk that. I've started being late recently, but only my head bookkeeper has noticed.
However, there (hopefully) is a light at the end of the tunnel. I found out from one of my coworkers that applied for the position herself that our manager will make a decision on the new Front End Manager, but after the holidays (oy). I haven't heard of anyone applying but her, and I'm being totally honest, I don't think my manager wants her as FEM. But if he has no other choice, what can he do? I'm sure he'll try reaching out to other stores. So if I can just make it through the holidays, I should be ok.
So my plan is to tough it out going into 2019. My two big New Years Resolutions will be to get a new job and to lose weight. If by mid January (my birthday), I'm still getting scheduled as Front End Manager, I'm going to spend all of my free time working towards another job. If I absolutely have to, I'll stay in retail/customer service. But if my manager continues to postpone his search for a new FEM (after the holidays), I'm either going to put my foot down and request to not work that shift, or I'll be spending all of my free time looking for another job.
Wish me luck. I'm hoping to not make it to my ten year anniversary with Safeway (which would be in April). But if I get put in a better position, I might ride it out a tad longer. Time will tell.
At the end of October/beginning of November our previous front end manager quit and got another job. I was her backup at the time. I had previously told her that I didn't like doing the position, but she kept me as her backup anyway. After she left, I was thrust into the role of doing the front end manager position five days a week, a shift I didn't even like doing two days a week. Apparently, I do too good of a job at it.
Why don't I like it? It's stressful at times for one. Even just falling behind on giving people breaks stresses me out (maybe not as much as it used to). But the stressful part is having to deal with situations and customers that I either A) Don't know how to resolve too well or B) Give me anxiety because it is THAT stressful. But I think I could handle that if I had to. The biggest reason I'd say I don't like it is the hours. 10-7. EVERY DAY. Well every day you work that is. That's 9 hours of your day, not counting the couple hours of getting ready, transportation, etc. I even have to stay late sometimes because someone called out sick or it's really busy (fall behind on breaks). I just hate those hours because it doesn't give me a ton of time to do anything else that particular day. I wake up, get ready for work then go to work. I get home, I eat dinner, and then before I know it, it's 9 o'clock and I'm drowsy. Welp, there went my ENTIRE FRICKEN DAY.
I must add that I was not asked to fill in my previous front end manager's position. I was not asked if it was ok if I filled in while they found a full-time replacement. I was only asked to take the position officially, which I have repeatedly declined.
So, I'm going to make a list of what you might be suggesting I do. Here they are:
1) Ask to not get scheduled as FEM anymore
2) Find another job/quit
3) Do such a bad job at FEM that they have no choice but to demote you.
Here's why I have yet to do any of those three:
1) Our store doesn't have many other options for the position. The two people who have been covering my days off would not want to do it five times, and I'm pretty sure one of them would quit if forced to do it five days a week. The other does too many other things including night Person in Charge. Also, if I were to ask to not be scheduled, they don't have to listen to me.
2) I have been looking at other jobs, actually. I have applied for four so far I think, but none have gotten back to me. I'd apply for more, but I have limited time and most of my time is spent looking for something that suits me well. I also don't want to quit before finding another job, because I don't want to be unemployed and I need a stable income.
3) I have kinda tried doing this. But I do care about our store, having worked there over nine years. I made a silly intercom announcement that pissed my manager off, but that's it. I've ignored what they've asked me to do. My managers keep insisting that I make my checkers ask for hunger bag donations for the needy and that I ask myself, but I refuse to do so. Doesn't matter. I feel like the action required to get demoted from FEM would also be bad enough to be suspended/terminated, and I can't risk that. I've started being late recently, but only my head bookkeeper has noticed.
However, there (hopefully) is a light at the end of the tunnel. I found out from one of my coworkers that applied for the position herself that our manager will make a decision on the new Front End Manager, but after the holidays (oy). I haven't heard of anyone applying but her, and I'm being totally honest, I don't think my manager wants her as FEM. But if he has no other choice, what can he do? I'm sure he'll try reaching out to other stores. So if I can just make it through the holidays, I should be ok.
So my plan is to tough it out going into 2019. My two big New Years Resolutions will be to get a new job and to lose weight. If by mid January (my birthday), I'm still getting scheduled as Front End Manager, I'm going to spend all of my free time working towards another job. If I absolutely have to, I'll stay in retail/customer service. But if my manager continues to postpone his search for a new FEM (after the holidays), I'm either going to put my foot down and request to not work that shift, or I'll be spending all of my free time looking for another job.
Wish me luck. I'm hoping to not make it to my ten year anniversary with Safeway (which would be in April). But if I get put in a better position, I might ride it out a tad longer. Time will tell.
Customer Service at Safeway - Everything We Do, They're Positives and Negatives
Having worked over two years at customer service, I have a pretty good understanding of all we do back there. Sometimes I will do a ton of these in one day and sometimes I won't do it at all (except Lotto--people always come for Lotto).
Lotto: This is the one thing I'm guaranteed to do every time at customer service. I'm actually surprised if I cover a break at customer service if no one comes for Lotto.
Positives: It's a game, and anyone who's worked over a game (amusement park, bowling alley) can agree that there is some aspect of fun to it. And VERY rarely is dealing with a lotto customer stressful. I know enough about the games that if they dispute something I have a good argument to back it up.
Negatives: People that complain about never winning. It's not exactly designed to payout a lot, people. People that play it so often that it gets annoying. People that pay with exact change in cash that could do that very same thing at the lotto machine.
Western Union: This is the one thing I was most apprehensive about when learning customer service. Now that I have it down, it's pretty darn easy. There's always the occasional snag I'll run into (more on that below).
Positives: If I'm having a slow day, WU's help the time go by. Most of them are fairly straightforward, and about half are with customers I help fairly routinely, so they know the drill.
Negatives: Helping someone and another person is right behind them and has to wait a long time to be helped with a quick thing. Also, when snags happen, such as a customer not understanding something, or a change occurring in WU (such as a fee going up). The worst is a customer needing a change on their WU that requires me to call and get their transaction refunded, and send it through again. UGH!
Returns: This is something I was already accustomed to doing as a checker and SCO attendant before customer service. And I didn't mind it at all. But after working customer service for a while, I hate it. People constantly try to scam us by returning items without a receipt which in that case always puts me in a tough position.
Positives: Nothing difficult about it, most of the time fairly straightforward.
Negatives: What I mentioned above. Scammers. I know I've returned items that customers have stolen. There's not a lot Safeway does to help me. They don't set out clear parameters on what I can or can't do refunds/returns on. The more I've worked customer service the more I hate doing returns and refunds.
Orca: Dealing with Orca Cards is one of the easiest things at customer service. Most people will just add money to their card when necessary.
Positives: Like I said, one of the easiest things to do. Plus, it is informative for myself as a fellow Orca Card holder.
Negatives: When customers want to do the monthly pass and are clueless as to what amount they want. When customers have questions about it (nearest Orca/Transit office for example) that I don't know the answers to.
Rug Doctor: Rug Doctors have to be one of my least favorite things to do. I've never used one myself so it can be tough to answer people's questions about it.
Positives: Fairly straightforward, and when people return them it's very easy to deal with.
Negatives: Time consuming, usually makes people behind the person I'm helping have to wait. Also when people have literally any questions about it. I don't know how to use one myself, nor do I have the need to (I don't own, I rent).
Phone Calls: The thing I was most dreading when being trained at customer service. Whenever I hear that "Attention Service Staff, 2, 0, 0" I always have to let out a groan.
Positives: Most of the time it's fairly straightforward. Most of the calls are either for someone else (a manager, DotCom) or are a fairly quick question, often about a product.
Negatives: I don't like talking on the phone. I have kind of bad hearing and have a lot of trouble hearing people through any static or an accent. Also when people complain to me. I've even gotten prank called once. I felt a little violated.
Bookkeeping: My favorite part. Get to handle money, account for it, balance tills, etc.
Positives: Very fun, VERY few stressful moments, get to handle money.
Negatives: When I'm bothered by a customer in the middle of balancing a till or doing something important, bookkeeping-wise, or when a till comes up quite a bit short.
Questions: This is a surprising amount of people that visit customer service. Sometimes it's people simply wanting to know where something is (a product, the restroom), or sometimes it's a customer asking if we have more of a product.
Positives: I'd say over half are fairly straight-forward and easy questions to answer, and usually just take a few seconds.
Negatives: However, there are always customers who want something not in stock, or want us to carry a product, or want a particular item and are upset we don't have it. If it was me in their shoes, I'd either go to another store or be content with getting a similar product.
Money Orders: This is very simple, just ask the customer how much they want on their money order, they pay for it, the machine prints it out for them.
Positives: Very easy, most people know exactly what they want and have the right payment method handy.
Negatives: Before we changed our policy from Cash Only, people that would get upset that we wouldn't take Debit. Fortunately, we do now. Also, people that have no idea what to put on their money order, or the rare occasion that people try to get a refund or get it cashed (No can do, amigo).
Well, that's pretty much all we do at customer (now guest) service. There are odd requests here and there, but this is 95% of it.
Lotto: This is the one thing I'm guaranteed to do every time at customer service. I'm actually surprised if I cover a break at customer service if no one comes for Lotto.
Positives: It's a game, and anyone who's worked over a game (amusement park, bowling alley) can agree that there is some aspect of fun to it. And VERY rarely is dealing with a lotto customer stressful. I know enough about the games that if they dispute something I have a good argument to back it up.
Negatives: People that complain about never winning. It's not exactly designed to payout a lot, people. People that play it so often that it gets annoying. People that pay with exact change in cash that could do that very same thing at the lotto machine.
Western Union: This is the one thing I was most apprehensive about when learning customer service. Now that I have it down, it's pretty darn easy. There's always the occasional snag I'll run into (more on that below).
Positives: If I'm having a slow day, WU's help the time go by. Most of them are fairly straightforward, and about half are with customers I help fairly routinely, so they know the drill.
Negatives: Helping someone and another person is right behind them and has to wait a long time to be helped with a quick thing. Also, when snags happen, such as a customer not understanding something, or a change occurring in WU (such as a fee going up). The worst is a customer needing a change on their WU that requires me to call and get their transaction refunded, and send it through again. UGH!
Returns: This is something I was already accustomed to doing as a checker and SCO attendant before customer service. And I didn't mind it at all. But after working customer service for a while, I hate it. People constantly try to scam us by returning items without a receipt which in that case always puts me in a tough position.
Positives: Nothing difficult about it, most of the time fairly straightforward.
Negatives: What I mentioned above. Scammers. I know I've returned items that customers have stolen. There's not a lot Safeway does to help me. They don't set out clear parameters on what I can or can't do refunds/returns on. The more I've worked customer service the more I hate doing returns and refunds.
Orca: Dealing with Orca Cards is one of the easiest things at customer service. Most people will just add money to their card when necessary.
Positives: Like I said, one of the easiest things to do. Plus, it is informative for myself as a fellow Orca Card holder.
Negatives: When customers want to do the monthly pass and are clueless as to what amount they want. When customers have questions about it (nearest Orca/Transit office for example) that I don't know the answers to.
Rug Doctor: Rug Doctors have to be one of my least favorite things to do. I've never used one myself so it can be tough to answer people's questions about it.
Positives: Fairly straightforward, and when people return them it's very easy to deal with.
Negatives: Time consuming, usually makes people behind the person I'm helping have to wait. Also when people have literally any questions about it. I don't know how to use one myself, nor do I have the need to (I don't own, I rent).
Phone Calls: The thing I was most dreading when being trained at customer service. Whenever I hear that "Attention Service Staff, 2, 0, 0" I always have to let out a groan.
Positives: Most of the time it's fairly straightforward. Most of the calls are either for someone else (a manager, DotCom) or are a fairly quick question, often about a product.
Negatives: I don't like talking on the phone. I have kind of bad hearing and have a lot of trouble hearing people through any static or an accent. Also when people complain to me. I've even gotten prank called once. I felt a little violated.
Bookkeeping: My favorite part. Get to handle money, account for it, balance tills, etc.
Positives: Very fun, VERY few stressful moments, get to handle money.
Negatives: When I'm bothered by a customer in the middle of balancing a till or doing something important, bookkeeping-wise, or when a till comes up quite a bit short.
Questions: This is a surprising amount of people that visit customer service. Sometimes it's people simply wanting to know where something is (a product, the restroom), or sometimes it's a customer asking if we have more of a product.
Positives: I'd say over half are fairly straight-forward and easy questions to answer, and usually just take a few seconds.
Negatives: However, there are always customers who want something not in stock, or want us to carry a product, or want a particular item and are upset we don't have it. If it was me in their shoes, I'd either go to another store or be content with getting a similar product.
Money Orders: This is very simple, just ask the customer how much they want on their money order, they pay for it, the machine prints it out for them.
Positives: Very easy, most people know exactly what they want and have the right payment method handy.
Negatives: Before we changed our policy from Cash Only, people that would get upset that we wouldn't take Debit. Fortunately, we do now. Also, people that have no idea what to put on their money order, or the rare occasion that people try to get a refund or get it cashed (No can do, amigo).
Well, that's pretty much all we do at customer (now guest) service. There are odd requests here and there, but this is 95% of it.
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