Getting on My Nerves 101

Today was an incredibly off day at work. And by off I mean the 7 or so people closing (sans creepy Reuben) were in no mood to be there.

After my post, I spent the next two hours sort of writing my loneliness story (this is what it is saved under) and watching The History Channel. I think I passed out in between 360 Battle and page 2.

Going to sleep late does not mean that I woke up late. As soon as 9 o'clock rick-rolled around I was up and groggy. Did I mention the whole having to go to work thing also. On a Saturday from 5 to close. Closing, simply gives you false sense of security during the day. I mean if you go into work at 5 (like I did) you have a good 7 hours lounging around the house. But the closer it gets to your departure time you realize that you have been robbed of your whole day because it has basically been leading up to this.

I took a nap at 3 only to realize that I had to get ready to leave by 4:30. Needless to say I almost stepped out of the house in my Michigan University t-shirt and jeans. A lot has happened at work since I got my internship. The managers weren't to pleased with my new and exciting announcement. They were worried that I would ask to have my hours cut which would symbolize me moving on from the bookstore. I assured them that my hours would remain the same but that I needed two days off during the week more importantly on Wednesday and Friday. This seemed like a fair compromise and starting next week I will work 4 days at the bookstore and 2 days at the production company leaving one day to myself. Oh, the joys of being in my 20's.

Some of my co-workers have also displayed weird reactions to my internship, particularly some of the older ones. First came excitement ('you can do it'), then came advice ('be professional') but now there seems to be...('you think you're better than us now') tension. I had to close with one said co-worker tonight and though she is usually very friendly she was cold and distant when I tried to talk to her. Because I am a highly sensitive person, I immediately felt her new vibe and I wanted to ask her what was wrong but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I just sulked for a little until I found a good book to read.

Saturday's bring out the worst people (including the employees). People who don't know the titles of anything. People who insist that you should know, and then when you don't know they want someone else to help them. That's the only thing I get offended by. When someone asks you for a book and you try to locate it the best you can for them only to walk away when you tell them the book is not in the store. The part that annoys me is that 5 minutes later they want to know if someone else can look for it.

Some days I hate the book store. Some days all of my co-workers hate the bookstore and we have no problem saying this in front of the person who is asking for the latest book from Oprah's book club. Brad, a hilarious 5th year sophomore, said that everyone who works at our bookstore is an intellectual misfit. That's the only reason any of us got hired. We know books, we are smart enough to do anything yet...we are still there. Waiting for our real lives to begin.

Some days I am resentful of the bookstore, and this resents makes irritable. Today I was harassed by a customer wanting a travel guide for Tunisia (it's in Africa). She was in her late 50's and came up to customer service as if she was heading on the plane tonight. My manager and I were discussing Kelly Osborne and her recent stint to rehab.

"Where is the travel section" she asked,looking to both of our faces for an answer.

Because the travel section is my favorite, I agreed to take her.

"What country?" I asked her, not because I cared but because I wanted to make sure I took her to the right section.

"I just need the travel section" she said with a slight irritation. Her tone was ugly and impatient. Like wherever she wanted to go would disappear if i didn't show her the damn section. There are two things I don't like (which go hand in hand) people who repeat themselves because they don't want to listen.

"I know, but I need to know the country in order to get you in the right section"

"Oh, Tunisia". I have never heard of that country, but on pure luck I took her to the right area. She was with a friend who first saw the Africa books and they began thumbing through it as I made my exit. Just as I was leaving she said "thanks" but I was too annoyed to reply.

At customer service I was getting ready to talk about the douche bag lady in Travel when guess who popped up at my computer. "So I didn't see the guide I wanted" she began "can you look it up for me here".

I shrugged my shoulders and typed in something. The book she wanted wasn't in stock but that didn't stop her from trying to have a meaningless conversation with me. I don't know why this lady annoyed me. She was invading my personal space with questions that I wasn't too keen on answering. I was annoyed that she kept repeating things as if I were deaf. I was annoyed that she kept coming to me for questions. I was annoyed and could not hide this annoyance from her.

She must have gotten the point. She tried once again to say 'thank you' but I started a conversation with someone else. So she said it over and over again until i relented. From the giggling teens in the sexuality section to parents who let their kids run crazy, we all wanted to close the gates and go home come midnight.

Home. Where you can sleep in a warm bed. I have tomorrow off. I should try to finish another book, but I fear I will spend all day surfing the net for a cheap desk. IKEA is my new best friend.