Oh My Stars...

Where do I begin? How about at the beginning. I have been having a love affair with paper since I was about 5. Isn't that right, Mom? Well, the romance is over. We have broken up. I have touched and counted more paper in the past 4 days than I have EVER wanted to in my life!!! Thousands upon thousands of pieces of paper...one by one...and...AND...we had no scanners! You read that right. Our whole data base was lost the day before. We were not able to scan anything. Every wretched piece of paper had to be looked up in our little cheat book Becky so graciously compiled the day before. Every piece. And I'm telling you, thousands.

The pandemonium started on Thursday. When I got to work at 8ish the line was down the block. When we opened the flood gates the people poured in and didn't stop until about 11 hours later when we were forced to lock the door early because of the overwhelming crowds. We continued to check out those people until around 10. The staff stayed to clean up the devastation until about 1:30 in the a.m.. We got about 1/15 of the work accomplished.


I am here to tell you that Thursday line was snaked around the store and those crazy people stood in it for 5 hours!!! They ordered Jimmy Johns. Some of them made arrangements with their "neighbors" to watch each others carts while they took turns going out to dinner and returning to finish waiting in line. There were lifelong friendships formed in line that day my friends. People watched each others children grow up and move away. It was incredible.


The staff was stunned, most of them into delirium. Now, many of you know this already...I do love to talk. It's what I do. But this was too much even for a seasoned gabber like myself. My tongue had blisters on it by the next morning. Most of them from me commiserating with all of our lovely and devastated customers. I'm telling you, our boss hired a massage therapist for us but I think a grief counselor would have been just as useful. I would say every 2nd customer asked the same question..."why?" "Why are you taking my favorite store...why!!" They cried at the counter. They're scared and confused. I can't blame them.

Lots of them brought us food. Cupcakes from Indulgence. Homemade Texas sheet cake, which can I just say is the BEST thing I have ever tasted!!! One loyal PITer bought us all Pumpkin Spice Latte's from Starbucks. We had cookies delivered. Chocolates. Bags of candy from Martins. It was fabulous.

So, I'm gonna have about 120 hours on my paycheck...I'm not made for work like that. I'm not like the other girls at work. They amaze me. I'm weak. A weakling. A softie. I can't go on. Seriously, I think Becky might be a robot. She doesn't even complain. Hey Becky! How many hours have you logged so far this pay period? 200? She doesn't moan, fake fall asleep at the counter...none of those shenanigans.

Oh, one last thing before I go pass out on the couch. So Thursday night, no maybe it was Friday, doesn't matter...this lady comes into the store visibly shaken. Says someone left their

two kids in their car while they came in to shop. And one was a baby in a car seat. Well, they also left their car keys because the older kid tried to drive the car and hit another car in the parking lot!!!! I am sooooooooo not kidding!!!!

Good Night...