Perpetual Ruminations

Sunday

Wow, what a crazy weekend. I worked all weekend, as is normal for me, but usually Saturdays are busy and then Sundays tend to be a bit slower. They kind of pick up early in the day, around ten or so, and peak around two or three, then start to slow down as the afternoon unfolds. By four, I'm usually wondering if I should stay or go home, since it's not busy enough for two people, but I stay just because there may be a rush around five. Most of the time, the rush isn't enough to warrant two guards, but sometimes it is.

This weekend started getting kind of crazy on Friday. It seemed like it was not just a bit busier, but it was nuttier; if that makes sense. It's like along with the normal weekend shoppers, there were a lot of out of the area people coming by, too. Then to top it all off, it was like there was a full moon, or the gates got left open at the asylum. And, this was Friday afternoon. Normally Fridays can be a little busier, that's why they have us schedule double coverage for the afternoon. But, it's kind of the opposite of Sunday.

It starts out pretty normal, except there is a little more traffic from the contractors who want to get their stuff before the weekend. It makes it a little busier, in the morning, and by noon some of the early weekend shoppers may be showing up, but not much. A lot of times we could get by with just one guard, but there are times when two are needed. As the afternoon passes, the traffic in the yard tends to pick up a bit at a time, and by mid afternoon it's nice to have two guards working. By the time the night guard comes on, it's usually a good thing there are two working, as it can be pretty busy. But, by five thirty or six, it's slowing down, again.

Saturday is quiet in the morning, and picks up as the day goes on. The mornings are typically slower than during the week because there isn't any vendors coming in, no packages, as a rule, and a lot of people don't get up and get an early start. But, by eight or so, there is a little traffic, and it just picks up as the morning goes by. It's not real busy, but it keeps a person jumping through the morning, and by ten it's usually getting busy enough to need two guards. It normally stays busy for the rest of the afternoon, and even on into the evening. But, around ten to about two is the busiest part of the day, then it slows some. It's still enough to keep two guards busy, but there is usually time for one to take a break, or eat some lunch while the other covers everything.

Sundays are kind of messed up all the time, or so it seems. There may or may not be freight coming in, and sometimes there is a semi or two waiting when I open at eight. The same with guests, it may be quiet when I get there, or there can be three or four guests waiting to get in the yard. Some are shopping, some are returning things. No matter, if they are there around eight to eight thirty, they are in a big hurry. It's kind of funny, some guests will show up right at opening with a huge return, no paperwork to help list items or SKU numbers, and it's all just piled in a heap on the trailer or in the box of the pickup. They will not have any idea what they have, and how much of anything. They are either waiting when I open the gates, or show up shortly after, while I'm still logging and doing my paperwork, and get all upset because they are in a big hurry.

Of course, it takes a while to just write everything down, and since there is no reference for any of it, it takes even longer. Because they didn't bother to put the items in any kind of order, it slows it down even more, and as I'm digging through the pile trying to find everything they are getting hotter and hotter because they are in hurry. Sometimes they actually start yelling at me and making it even more difficult because it's taking so long and they are going to be late for church. I don't bother to ask them why they decided to do a return before church, I just stick to the task at hand.

Then, I finally get the forms filled out, and explain to them that someone from Menards also has to verify the counts and items, sign off on the forms, and then they can get unloaded. Of course, the yard doesn't have much for help yet, since it's opening time, and if there is freight in the yard, they are unloading the truck, so it takes a long time to get someone over there to sign them off. Then, they have to take the paperwork up to the service desk to get the money refunded for the return. Of course the same thing is true inside the store at this time, there is hardly no help there yet. Since the mornings are kind of slow, they don't want to have a full crew just standing around. So, it takes a while to get someone at the service desk to authorize the return. So much for being in a hurry -- but a week or two later they will do the same thing all over.

Anyway, Sundays start out kind of slow, but they can also be kind of busy. By ten it's picking up some, and by eleven it's busy enough to need two people. It stays busy through the noon hour, then about one it kind of slows right down. But, depending on what's going on, it can be kind of steady and keep both guards busy, or it may die out and then they all come in a rush. Most times it's kind of slow through the afternoon, but there are big rushes that hit about once every hour or so. But, by later in the afternoon, it's slowing down, and by four it's not busy enough for two guards, but they both stay just in case there is another rush at five. Sometimes there is, other times there isn't. It may stay kind of busy up to six or so, but really not enough for two guards, but enough to keep one pretty busy. By six or six thirty, however, it just dies right out, and then it's slow for the rest of the night.

But, this weekend it was busy on Friday, Busy on Saturday, and even busier today. It started earlier all weekend, and it never slowed down. Today seemed busier than yesterday, and it continued right up to closing. In fact, some guests were still showing up as Rhonda was trying to close down the yard. On top of being busier, there was just a lot of crazy people and nuts mixed in with the normal weekend crowd. I almost got run over three times today, and I can't even begin to count how many times someone just did some totally off the wall crazy thing. And it wasn't just out in the yard where we had to deal with it, they were showing up all over the store, and town.

I don't know why the weekends are so screwed up this month, I suspect it has something to do with the unfavorable weather we have been getting, but then again, it could be because it was nice out today. The biggest reason I don't understand, I reckon, is it doesn't make any difference if it's nice out or not, sales or not, or anything at all, that could cause this. All I know is, by the time I get done work, I'm shot and I just want to come home and get as far away from the craziness as possible.