Where have I been? Why, I have found employment at Hobby Lobby!

My Hobby Lobby 

I started working at Hobby Lobby Friday September 10th. The day before I had gone over there and filled out an application, and got hired in on the spot! I nearly leap for joy that I had a job and was finally going to get off the couch, which manages to steal vast amounts of time from you very quickly. The next morning, I got there early and looked around and saw a big empty room. We were there to build the shelving, making the aisles. I wanted to find someone who was a good worker, someone who would make me look good and hopefully be a little fun to be with. I paired up with another "mature" woman who lives very close to Sandra P.'s house, and who is originally from New Jersey. Of course we talked about the job situation, kids, and life in general. It was very nice to meet someone who shared so much of my background. Gloria has the combined characteristics of my Aunt Helen and Alyce. She was familiar and comforting.

So, I worked 9 hours on Friday, 8 hours on Saturday and Sunday, and then for the next 2 weeks, we were scheduled to work 12 hour days - what with only two 15 minute breaks, and an hour lunch. After the aisles were built (by lunch on the first day), we opened boxes and emptied them and cut the boxes up and threw them away. The next day (Saturday), there were guys whose job it was to take the boxes away, which was a big help.

The second day we started out cleaning the glass display stands. Ouch, the lower shelves had to be done on your knees! Then I wandered over to an area where racks were being put up on the shelving, and then clips were placed and glass was attached to each shelf. I can't believe that nobody broke anything. In the afternoon, I made cardboard baskets to attach to the shelving (this was to be the floral area). I also removed an adhesive strip from a 2' by 18" sheet of plastic, and rolled it up and stuck it to its other side, forming a tube about 300 times. They are the collars for holding the fake flowers.

The following few days were spent unloading 12 semi-tractor trailers of all their boxes using hand carts. We worked liked ants: scurrying around piles of boxes and moving them to other parts of the building. Then going back again to get more boxes. It is hot, and we are all sweating, which has turned out to be quite a team building exercise. Everybody has bonded... sweat together, and the boundaries dissolve! After the boxes got moved out of the trucks, then we spent another couple of days opening all the boxes and moving the stuff to its respective area, where they were priced and stocked.

By then, I was no longer working with Gloria, who had quit and started working at the post office. I was working with one of the setters, Juanita Graybill, and discovered that both she and her mom to be quilters. I have requested a queen sized quilt and shams in the wedding ring pattern ($375), with the colors to be blues and maroons. She will be sending me samples soon. What fun!

Opening week was pretty neat with people coming in and thanking us for opening up the store... Every day I see someone from my past, whether it is a neighbor, co-worker or friend. I hope to be teaching knitting classes soon. It will augment my paltry paycheck.