I went to work today, tired, hungry and not looking forward to another day of doing the Elite Team's work. And sure enough, when I got there, there were quite a few cars in the lot, seeing as it was 915 and we don't open 'till 10. Dammit. And it appeared that the new DM must be there because all the managers' cars were there.
So I go inside, put my shit away and go about my morning routine of turning on TVs and the like while snacking on some crackers i happened to find in my bookbag. Sandra paged us to the front counter and I figured it was morning meeting time.
Only on my way to the front counter I realized that there were a lot of ppl in street clothes there and a bunch of CC people in company-issued button-ups, not fleeces like a lot of the Elite team wore. Ashleigh whispers that she thinks the store is closing.
"No," I said. "The Elite Team said last week that they weren't here to close the store." After all, they'd changed about 8.2 million things in my department and we were, suprisingly, doing quite well. Our department was 11th in the company in our focus TV category. Fantastic.
So then I look over at one of the women standing there, Julie, who is our HR representative and notice that the booklet she is trying to hold at her side, but is instead waving around.... says "Store Closing Booklet."
Fucking A.
I mean, seriously, I've always known this was coming. It's been hanging over our heads for the last four years. Literally. It was four years on the seventh that I have been working at Circuit City. In those four years, I think that everyone had the time when we were throughly convinced that the store would be done. But we made so many switches, changes, improvements.... and I thought that in the last six months, things were looking a lot better. I mean, I still complain a lot, but mostly because I honestly felt that the manager had a personal vendetta against me. Not that I'm being crazy but some of the shit she'd say to me was rediculous. She told me that I should re-evaluate my employment at Circuit City because I was honest with her and told her that school was my number on priority, not work. She coached me and gave me a corrective and threatened my job because I was regularly 7 minutes late. Yet the people who show up 10 , even 20 minutes late, or just don't show up at all... nothing. And when someone put the SOP for scheduling on her desk because she couldn't seem to get it right... she accused my sister and I of doing it before she even looked into it.
The point of all that....
Really, as much as the scheduling sucks, some of the managers are not quite right... Circuit City isn't that bad. I mean, there were the perks... I made 9.25 for doing nothing more than most retial associates. I've gotten cool shit for cheep. I met James. I rocked out with my sister a lot. I am not a stupid girl; I actually know quite a bit about electronics, computers and the like. I met a lot of freakin' cool people. I became unafraid to talk to strangers. I developed some kickin' sales skills that could come in handy at a later date... I mean, the Regional Pres. of Pizer offered me a job two weeks ago!
So despite all the bullshit, packing everything up and saying goodbye is actually going to be a kind-of sad experience. I've spent four years of my life, that's 20that's the majority of my working years, in one place. It's errie, looking at empty shelves that I damn near killed myself trying to fill with products, to see product on pallets waiting to be shipped, to think that I'm going to walk out of that store on February 22 for the very last time. Ever.
Maybe I'm being over dramatic. But really, it's bittersweet. I think I'll miss the guys the most, though. I may laugh and joke about being the only girl in my deparment, but the guys I've worked with have been pretty cool. I came over there, knowing I had to prove myself, and despite their joking, I feel like they at least respect me a little bit. Sure I'm a little spastic about stand-build tags, but that's another story all together. I mean, I've been wasted in Canada with Josh and Nick (I need that picture off Steve's wall), been asked for advice about damn near everyone's relationships, whined to everyone, seen Rob off to Iraq and welcomed him back.... crazy shit. We've all grown up, that's for sure.......
I'm just concered about money because, while we get a good severance package (I will if they fix my hire date, anyway) I am obv going to need another job... and here's the problem. I'm going on Spring Break and cannot and will not back out. So I'm here for three weeks, gone for one, home for 5, and then I'm off to intern. Who's going to hire me for that? I can't collect unemployment b/c i guess good ol' Ohio passed a law that full-time college studnets cant file for unemployment anymore. Shit. I just hope Lou will maybe give me some decent hours when he re-opens April 1. Cross your fingers or Mimi might get repoed.
But oh well. All chapters of one's life must come to an end at some point in time. I guess this is it for me. Time to move on. So long, Circuit City. It's been a ride.
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