For a while I was thinking about getting a new camera, but I'm not sure I will now. I don't know anything about cameras, and I think I'm wasting my money by assuming that a more expensive camera will create better pictures--well, in a way it would, but I know it has more to do with how someone handles their camera and the settings they use.

The main reason why I wanted to get a better camera was because when I took pictures outdoors or in a room where light was shining through a window, anything white would be glowing like a fire. My dad kept telling me I have to adjust the white balance, but I always thought it had nothing to do with that. I could mess with the white balance all I wanted, but anything white would just glow. I could adjust my white balance to the "sunny day" option, or "cloudy day" one (cloudy days are the worst since everything is washed out). I could even do it manually and it didn't seem to make a difference. Where any light is shining, and it's shining on something light colored, it's too bright.

Even though this is the main reason why I want to get a better camera, but I don't think I should spend money on something like that when I'm not a photographer, either. Photography isn't my thing, so should I spend upwards of $500 for something I'll use to take occasional pictures of dolls and places I visit? I mean, it would be really nice to take really nice pictures of scenic locations and some of my prized projects, but I just don't know if it's really worth it. I could run into the same white balance problem with a more expensive camera, too, and it'll all come down to using the settings and handling the camera. Or something. And besides, I've managed to take decent pictures--even nice ones--of some of my custom ponies in the past, even though I struggled a lot with the white balance until I figured out I could just lower the exposure to prevent super white areas and just adjust it in Paint Shop.

And I suppose there could be other factors involved as to why I'm so unsatisfied with the pictures I take--other than I'm a perfectionist.......and that cameras can't really capture what the eyes see--but again, I don't know hardly anything about cameras.

I don't wanna go to work tomorrow! ;_; I don't want to deal with @#%&&*$%@ all day!

At least I don't have to wake up early, and my shift isn't that long. But still, I've never worked a Black Friday before, so I'm a little scared. I don't know if I'll be on the register or if I'll be on the floor, or both. Since everyone's working tomorrow, I guess I don't have to worry about customers constantly asking me where stuff is. There should be plenty of people on the floor to help them.

Darn it. I wanted to do stuff today but all I did was go to church and go home and sleep. Well, then we went to Home Depot to look at stuff and buy paint, but what I really wanted to do was start figuring out how to make a new arm for my Megara doll.

I have tomorrow off, too, and I'm going to help my mom paint the laundry room. Shouldn't take long, though.

I finally bought a Barbie outfit for my Megara doll that I've been waiting to buy for a while. I almost forgot about it, but then I realized that now that I've gotten paid a few times I ought to treat myself to something I've been wanting to get, so I started looking at doll clothes. I didn't feel really comfortable getting any doll clothes by Volks or Azone, because it's all so expensive, and I saw a dress I thought was really cute but the shipping was way too high, higher than I thought was really necessary.

So I found this three-piece outfit on eBay by a seller I've seen sell neat Barbie clothes for cheap. I've always wanted to find a bad@$$ outfit for my Megara doll, but Barbie is so...pink and...pink. And frilly. But at last, I found this, and I knew I had to get it. I bought the last one, too. I just hope it looks good on my Megara doll. I think it will. And I know it will fit because it says it'll fit regular Barbie--though I'm assuming they mean the Barbies with the newer body molds. My Meg doll has the old mold where she has a super skinny waist and giant boobs. But I don't think it'll matter because the dress looks to be form fitting and the jacket wraps around anyway.

I've never worked at a place where communication was so bad.

So today a guy from FedEx came in and needed someone to sign for a package. Because someone told me anyone could sign for these packages (and I saw them sign it), I said I could sign it. Well, later the assistant manager called me and said that only managers are supposed to sign for these packages, and then I'm supposed to page a manager to "receiving."

I am so tired of people at work giving me mixed messages. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. I know that what the manager says is what goes, but I'm starting to get leery about what the other regular employees tell me. I don't know where that other employee got the idea that anyone could sign for the packages, but from now on I'm going to verify everything with my manager.

So sometime last week I lost my little notepad I use for work. I got it when I was working at Michaels and it was very useful, so I decided I would take it with me at Walgreens. I was surprised to see that I didn't hardly ever use it other than to write down my locker combinations and the numbers I use to get onto the register. A pen I got from Hollister-Stier was also attached to it.

I wasn't too worried because I thought maybe I left it under the cosmetics counter or maybe it was still in my purse or bedroom, but I searched around at the store today and didn't find it, and no one said they had seen it. Frack. I bet what happened was I sat it down on a shelf, got distracted, and left it there for some dimwitted customer a customer to pick up and take it because they thought it was cute or something.

I don't think any of the information in there would be of any use to a criminal mind. I had my name written in it just in case I did lose it like I just did, but apparently that didn't help any.

Now I need to go get a new one, maybe a plainer one so I wouldn't be sad about losing it. I wouldn't have lost it in the first place if I had an apron. I thought someone ordered an apron for me, but I never did see one come in. I wonder if they're only for managers. But my manager also said he ordered more shirts for me, but I have yet to see those, either. But with an apron I could keep a box cutter and not leave it for someone else to take. It's such a hassle to have to carry stuff around. We're not supposed to leave box cutters unattended, so I tend to leave it behind the front register where another employee will make it disappear.

And speaking of which, it's like box cutters are some kind of endangered species of office supplies in that store. I don't know why they're in such short supply. When I ask for one, no one can seem to find one, not even in the office. I spent all day tearing tape off of boxes today because no one gave me a box cutter. Some people have suggested I use scissors. Oh, that's real safe.

Then there's a complete lack of scissors behind the front register. I've never seen a pair of scissors at the front register EVER. So when a customer asks, "Can you open this for me?" I have to say, "Sorry, I don't have any scissors back here." The photo department does, luckily, so I can direct them there, but it's so freaking annoying when I want to cut something for myself, and there's no scissors! At least I managed to get a calculator in there, even though it's actually the cosmetic department's. But then someone took that too, and I found it and brought it back.

I think that's all now. I'm getting too sleepy.

Gah!! I'm close to being finished rehairing a doll when I ran out of hair. I knew I should've ordered more hair when I realized I wouldn't have enough. Now the seconds special at Restore Doll is over and I can't just order one skein. Who knows when she'll have the seconds special again this year. I just don't want to pay more, and I don't want to have the extra skein sitting around. I probably would've had enough hair if it weren't for the layout of the plug holes. This doll has a part that goes all to the back of the head (did it have pigtails originally?), and I only just realized that I can't have a part that far down because then the hair will just hang from the middle. Now I have to add extra plugs around the back of the head to cover the scalp.

I guess I can try finishing the other doll, since I'm hoping I'll have enough hair. Maybe I'll just wait until the seconds special comes back to order more hair, but I've already waited a long time to try and finish these.

Ugh. I seem to have forgotten that I need to start paying for my own health insurance. My dad's been paying it since I left for Ecola, but now that I have a job I can start paying for it myself. Honestly, I'd rather have dental.

I really hope I can move up to full-time status at my work sometime in the future, so I can get benefits. I know I'll still have to pay a monthly rate, but maybe it'll be better. It sounds pretty good.

I'm just griping because I want to be able to reach my goal for Boston quickly, but this would be a setback. I guess there's nothing I can do about it. I also still owe my dad for Zibble's vet bills.

I got a bigger paycheck than I was expecting. I actually called my manager to make sure it was correct, and it was (I thought maybe it was doubled on accident). I didn't realize I had worked that many hours. I also didn't realize what my manager has been trying to do since day one. When they hired me on, he said he intended to move me up to full-time at some point, but I didn't know how they were going to do that. Apparently what he's doing is giving me all these extra hours so I'd be working at least 30 hours a week, and if I can be working 30 hours a week for a consistent number of weeks--I don't know how many--then I can be moved up to full-time status. See, I thought one had to wait for an open full-time position to move up, but I guess it can happen other ways as well.

Things have been going well at work. I was at the other store today, but yesterday I took some more hours at my home store, even though I wasn't scheduled to work. I felt really....I don't know, rusty? At the cash register. It took me a little while to get back into the rhythm.

So I'm around half my goal already for going to Boston next summer.

Uh. I haven't felt much like updating. I don't know why. I mean, it's not like stuff hasn't been happening, I just haven't felt like writing about it.

Lately I've been working over at another Walgreens for the time being, as a fill-in. I'm glad because they're putting me on the floor instead of at the register. I sometimes help check people out in the cosmetics department's register, but that's only once in a long while. I wish I could be on the floor more often at my home store. Being stuck at the register all the time doesn't allow me to get to know the rest of the store better so I can help customers find stuff. Today I was actually able to help people find things, and this wasn't even my home store.

Today all I did was check expiration dates on things like baby food/drinks and medicine. Kept me busy, and was actually relaxing. Way better than being on the register.

I'm afraid I might be coming down with something. I know that the first indication is my throat. Every year I get some funky throat sickness. It's not like a sore throat, but more just being sensitive. I can feel it right now. It's very slight, so I'm not sure if it's because I'm paranoid about getting sick, or if it's real. I really don't want to get sick. I would much rather have the regular flu where I'm only sick for a few days and then it's over, because when I get this throat thing it'll last for a week or longer, depending on if I start coughing on top of it (that can last for a month). Better go gargle some salt water, I guess.

Holy crap, u guyz. The Post Office is hiring in my town.


I was starting to fill out the application when I remembered... They've lost billions of dollars to the economy, distribution centers have closed all over the country, and they've laid off hundreds of workers. Do I really want to work for a place like that? Can I trust that the economy's not just going to get worse? Even if they were the hire me, and things got worse, I would likely be the first person to get the boot.

Sooo... I stopped. I know my hope for a long time was to get a job with the Post Office, but that was before the economy really started getting bad.

I have waaay too much going on right now, mentally and emotionally. I need to just stay the course, knowing that this is the path I was meant to take, and that I shouldn't try to escape it and try some other path whenever the road gets rocky. I'm safer where I'm at right now, even if I'm not liking it very much. I guess I just have the newbie blues.

I had this whole giant entry typed out when my screen went black again. I need to get this thing fixed. But even after Livejournal saved it and restored the whole thing, I realized I didn't want to post it.

Let's just say I didn't have a very good day at work, but tomorrow's a new day. I wasn't scheduled for tomorrow, but my manager needed someone, so I'm going in tomorrow.

Nothing much going on. Just working. I'm getting better at the register and handling the phone. I have no idea when I'm getting paid. Probably this week, but I can't be sure. I get the next two days off after this. I guess for the last week of this month I'll only be working six hours. I hope the manager can give me a few more for that week, but it seems a lot of people are getting skimpy hours that week except for a few.

Why is it that when I really want a certain kind of outfit for my doll, I can't find it anywhere so I decide to make my own, and then some months later I find what I want all over eBay? I'm finding swimsuits for Obitsu-type dolls now. Problem is I still can't justify spending the money right now.

I need to get back into art making again. I haven't touched a pencil for a long time now. I can draw and stuff, but what I really want to do is start making dolls and doll clothes again, and maybe ponies. But I need to restock on things, like hair and clay, and that costs money. I know I just started working again, but that doesn't give me a free pass to start spending money on whatever I want. I'd like to wait a while.

I don't know how I feel about going back into making My Little Ponies. I've never felt like I could come up with anything original, only make ponies after anime characters and stuff like that. I just want an excuse to sculpt wings again. Maybe I could just churn out random pegasi or something, just to satisfy my desire to create.

I actually had a fairly good day at work today. The computer system was down, so I couldn't do any computer training today. Instead, I was on the register the entire time. I feel like I'm getting better and better, but I'm still leery about the phone. I know I'll eventually get used to it.

They finally put a "trainee" sticker on my name tag because I asked them to. The other new guy has one, so I wanted one, so the customers know why I'm slow.

I'm also getting better at ringing up cigarettes, but for some really strange reason whenever the register asks, "Looks under 40? Clear NO, Enter YES," my brain has a hard time figuring out which freaking button to push. It's like I can't read it or comprehend it. I hesitate before pushing the button. I suppose I'll get better at doing that eventually. I do feel like I was faster today.

I get tomorrow off. :)

It's really starting to feel like fall.

Today was just information overload. I pretty much sat on the computer for four hours, doing the computer part of the training. They kind of didn't want me to do that. Rather, they wanted me to be on the computer for a short while, then get on the register, then get back on the computer, and stuff like that. Buuuut, I was a little engrossed in the computer training and the time just flew by, and no one came to tell me to stop so....

I haven't completely finished the computer training, but I'm close to being done. For the last three hours I was on the cash register with someone spotting me. I remembered a lot of how to do certain things, but some things were different of course. My biggest fear is answering the phone and checking people out at the same time. I am the worst multitasker ever. Luckily, while I was working at Michaels I didn't have to worry about using the phone so much, because they always put me on a register that didn't have a phone. Some of the phones were broken or being replaced, so they didn't have a lot of phones at the registers. Here, though, the phone is an arm's length away, if not a little further, so I feel it's in an awkward place. I got on the intercom a few times, but I always feel awkward doing that.

So far, everyone I've met is super nice. The girl who spotted me on the register has only been working for Walgreens since April, and to me it seemed like she had been working there for a few years already. Maybe it has something to do with her previous experience in retail (she said she worked at Wal-mart for two years). She was so full of knowledge on how everything worked. Everyone has been so patient with me. This is a stark contrast to Michaels. Here, they told me I could have someone help me at the register until I feel comfortable doing it myself. At Michaels it was like, they spotted me for about an hour and let me go on my own, and when I asked if I someone could watch me again, they said no. Okayyyyy.... But it worked in the end anyway. I mean, I had to make my mistakes and learn from them.

Today was also my first time ringing up cigarettes. Since I don't smoke, I only know the Salem brand since that's what my mom smokes, but everything else is unknown to me, and I don't know what certain terms mean, like 100s and slims. But it says it on the box, so I guess that's all I need to know. I learned about the packaging, though, about the hard boxes and the soft packaging.

I guess what I'm most stressed about isn't really whether or not I can do the cash register correctly. Since my job is to please customers...that's what stresses me out. But I was assured that the people who usually come to this particular Walgreens are elderly and well-to-do, so a jerk doesn't come around very often.

I suppose that's it for now. Getting sleepy... But I must watch the first new episode of the new Inuyasha anime series! I actually forgot all about it. :P

I went in today at Walgreens to finish up getting my information into their system. It was the first time I was clocked in--though I didn't clock in myself. But I was only there for about an hour or so. The manager gave me the choice of either staying to start some training on the computer or coming back tomorrow morning. I don't know why, and I regret it, but I chose to do it tomorrow. It's not like I've got anything else to do today, but I pressed the new shirts they gave me to get them ready.

I'm so glad the store is so small. Michaels felt so overwhelming, and when I was putting in applications I wanted to avoid the large retailers, but I ended up applying at some anyway. I think I'll be able to handle this store okay. I just hope and pray that I'll be able to catch on to the cash register quickly. That's really my only concern.

I think I'll consider tomorrow to be my official first day of work.

EDIT: My manager called and asked me if I wanted to take on some overnight hours over at another Walgreens. o_o I was like, "...Nooo." I probably would've if I had been working there a few months, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I hope I didn't come off as sounding...unwilling, like unwilling to work.

Got back yesterday from our trip. We went to Vancouver (WA) to celebrate my aunt's 50th birthday, and we had a surprise party for her at a restaurant. It was really a lot of fun to get together with the family, and we probably won't see them again until sometime next year. I have a bunch of pictures of places we saw while there, and I need to upload them at some point over at Facebook.

As for Walgreens, it looks like I'll have to wait a little while longer before I can start. Apparently I didn't complete the third, and final, section of the application process where they do a background check, so I had to go in today and do that. So I still don't know when I'm going to start yet, but I'm hoping it can be as soon as this week. I'm really anxious to get started.

Yesterday, after we got home, my aunt and uncle came over to drop off their plants and their cat. They're going across the country to visit their two kids (my cousins) who live in Arkansas and Tennessee. It's going to be interesting having a new cat around the house for a few weeks. Her name is Alazay, and she is the fattest cat I've ever seen. She's always sort of been that way. Her and her siblings were found in a box on the side of the road by my cousin, and she took in Alazay and one of her brothers, and gave the rest away. Alazay's brother ran away after he had been sick from eating Purina One cat food, which caused crystals in his bladder I guess. He accidentally got out of the house and never came back. He would've been fine if he hadn't run off, because they were giving him medicine for it. Eventually Alazay got sick from the same problem, but she got better with treatment. I stay the heck away from anything Purina now. Apparently it's been known to cause bladder problems in cats, but I don't know for sure. But I'm staying on the safe side.

We put Alazay in her own room with all her stuff, and last night I went in to see how she was doing. As soon as I opened the door she was right there and wanted to leave the room. She wandered into my room across the hall and was sniffing and growling. After a little while she started making her way back to her room when she spotted Bobby coming down the stairs. That really freaked her out, and she darted under my bed. It took us a little while to get her out because she refused to come out. My mom had to pull her out once she was within reach. She's been under the bed in her own room since we put her back in. I think she's calmed down, though. We're going to slowly introduce her to Bobby, and hopefully they'll be able to tolerate each other for the next few weeks. I don't want to lock her away in a room the whole time. I want her to be able to go freely move around the house if she wishes.

In a way, I'm kind of glad Zibble's not here. Bobby and Alazay have so far preferred to run away from each other, but I would be afraid Zibble would attack her. She had that kind of fight in her. I really miss Zibble. :( Alazay was sniffing the area on my bookshelves where Zibble used to spray, and my heart just ached.

We're leaving tomorrow to go on a trip for the weekend. I won't say where because I don't want a certain someone to know. I don't know if she knows I have this journal here or not (I've lost count of whom I've told), but I'm staying on the safe side because it's supposed to be a secret. And I want to make a public entry 'cause I need to. I'll talk about it later.

I guess I don't have much else to update. I went to a clinic on Monday to take a drug test since I'll be starting at Walgreens this coming Monday. That took forever. For something that was only going to take five minutes, I had to wait like twenty minutes. Or longer. I wasn't exactly keeping track, but I kept wondering when the heck they were gonna call me in. I should know tomorrow at what time I need to come in to work on Monday. I'm so glad to be starting work again.