Not my job, actually: My management. From Neetin (ASM1)'s words of telling me that the bus strike is an 'inconvenience' and asking for a doctor's note when I'm sick for a day, to Chris' (ASM2) refusal to let me give away a shift when I need to wasn't bad enough-

Donald, the Store manager (The guy who impressed me a lot when I first met him, because he seemed incredibly competent, if a little smarmy: at least it was a smarmy I could see and understand) did a series of FUCKING ASSHOLE moments today.

First? He was supposed to work a 1:30-9:30 shift. He took a second break at 6 and didn't come back for almost 45- when he did come back it was to find John had stepped outside for a minute to speak to his cousin. He bitched John out for being gone 'for too long'. I took my 15, came back. The store is EMPTY, there are 5 reps on the floor, Donald is standing out the front of the store. John asks if he can take his break now; donald tells him he has to wait. Just bacause.
Little more than an hour later, he took off (and went home, but we don't know that yet), leaving us with no senior staff and Ben in charge with the keys. We can't get into the safe if we need a starter kit of a $50 card, and have no one of authority.
He left at 7:30. He didn't tell any of us where he was or why he was going or when he'd be back.

The guys called at 8:30, and he said he wasn't anywhere nearby and he'd be back around closing.

At 9 he hasn't shown up. We start to close tills after 9:15 because we were major busy with clients till then. Ben is also not leader material and so didn't think to kick anyone into gear before closing to get some things done. But we still manage to work at it. My till is over 140 dollars though- so we call Donald up, and he says he'll be there shortly. We figure out it's an issue with input from till 5, fix it, get everything settled and figure we're just about done.

Donald comes in, 9:25. First words out of his mouth? "Who did the cabinents?----Well, they don't look done.----Where's John and Andrew?" HE goes to the back- John's changed into his normal clothing.
Donald asks him why the back isn't clean- John tells him he was about to organize it, it won't take a second. Donald tells him he should have done it before getting out of uniform. you don't get out of uniform till you're done.
My manager is in a fucking BAND T-SHIRT and KHAKI SHORTS while he chews this guy out for being out of uniform.

He sends John home. He then chews US out for not taking charge, for Ben not delegating and for all of us closing tills. There's a discrepency in my till- the declared amount is 100 bucks short. odd. John had double counted for me- Donald calls him back into the store. We find the money (in the float) and John asks if he can go- since he clocked out.

Donald says- in the snottiest damn voice: "It's not my fault you clocked out. I'll pay you for your time, go clean the back."

He continues to chastize us and tell us 'we'll discuss this later'. Apparently this is all our fault because we should have inherently known to do his job for him when he wasn't here.

We didn't get out till 10:10. 40 minutes late.

I nearly told him off right there on the spot- only two things stopped me. One, I need this job for going to California in July,
and two, he didn't directly speak to me, save to acknowledge that I was busy.

But it was a damn near thing, lemmie tell ya.


------------

I do not have an appropriatley enraged icon.

I'm watching that TLC show about getting a makeover. What not to wear. A mom and daughter special.

The daughter is a black girl, chubby, has a great face and awesome skin. Really kickass hair that's cut to her jawline and straightened and the bottom third is dyed purple. She's a hot-topic kid. Hoodies and cool t-shirts, hand warmers and striped tights.

They threw out all of her wardrobe. Telling her she was 18 and a woman now, not a little kid. That she looked like Beetlejuice with striped tights. That she didn't think she thinks she looks good, so she's 'hiding' herself.

Also, if she makes herself look like she likes people, she'll be attractive to boys.

Seriously.

She is really happy with herself. She says she has a cool outfit, and she loves her style. They tell her that her look says 'don't look at me' (When its the opposite) and they ask why she wants to say that. Her answer was 'because people suck'.

They keep telling her that she has to do this and make a change. She doesn't like the outfits. She doesn't want to look like 'everyone else'.

It's interesting- she's journaling and talking that she has low self esteem and self confidence issues that are 'probably beyond repair'. She doesn't get what they want her to look like. but she can fake it- she's always been able to fake it. But faking it is only skin deep, really. It was surprisingly honest. And she's really quite self aware.

"We've told Kristin to express herself with more feminine accessories"

Their first day of mom and daughter was a major bust. So the show did something different- they gave them a full closet of clothing that would work and fit them. They then let mom and daughter pick out outfits for each other. Somewhat better. Now they've been 'primed' so they can shop more.

Now comes hair and makeup. All this time, the mom has been getting good advice- she needed an update, especially for her work in law. So her makeover isn't anything against what she wants (unlike the daughter who isn't very interested) and is really suited for her..

Now we shall 'soften' Kirstin's hard, punky edge. To 'leave high school' and lose colour from her hair and get a cool semi-punky haircut to look 'chic'

The hair isn't bad- though colour wouldn't kill her.

"Why are you trying to make yourself look edgy instead of enhancing your natural beauty" (with makeup"

They tell her she's pretty, really pretty, she has gorgeous features- and then tell her she has to do this wear this be this to be pretty. Sure, she looks beautiful when they've finished with her.

"The pair that hid their personality with their clothing' Because obviously you show your personality by wearing the normal.

Now she can 'reinvent herself' to 'become a person who's more inviting'


She seems ok with it at the end, but I wonder how she really will feel on it in a week, when her friends are the same people she hangs out with and her life is the same. Changing your clothing doesn't change who you are. And your sense of style attracts people, in some ways, who have the same interests as you. Argh.

Heaven forbid you wear black and be mainstream unorthodox.


Oh man- Clinton says She's now the daughter you thought you'd have when she turned 18"
nice save for the mom who corrected him though- "This is the daughter I've always had- she just looks more like it on the outside now".


Now she 'looks happy and not depressed' so 'maybe people will get to know me more because I am a happy person'
You know, why don't we work on that self confidence issue? Like the source? And maybe tell her that she can be awesome and look however she wants? And that friends who judge you based on how you look aren't worth a whole lot? Sure, appearance is important. We do judge for first impressions- its instinctual. But not the most important part of your life unless you make your living to be in a business that uses those judgements, no matter how inherently flawed.

Argh.