working girl

So yesterday, I went to work.
Like, actual work.

Just to fill new readers in, I used to work at a local fashion jewelry store called The Jewel Box. I started out as a regular sales associate in college and worked my way on up to assistant manager.

(the front of the store... sorry it's blurry. Old pic I got off the internet)

(front window... again, sorry for the bad pic)

They also had me start working at the main office... buying in merchandise, setting prices, helping manage inventory, work on a website, etc.

And then they decided to order an engraving machine.

No one else wanted to try it, not even the owners.
The sales rep did a sad job of showing us how to work it. Basically, I had to start from scratch on that thing, with no manual (can you believe it? they didn't make a manual...). Anyways, I became the "jack of all Jewel Box trades". I didn't really have much of a choice. It was just given to me, and because I'm the total definition of a yes-(wo)man, I took it. But hey, it resulted in a raise, bonuses, and a trip to Cancun. So I can't complain.
Eventually, I went from full-time to part-time, and because nobody else knew how to engrave, I had to give up my store duties and only work in the office. I missed my girls at the store, but I ended up gaining forever friendships with the ladies that worked at the HQ.

(some of my fav JB girls at the store... for those of you who read Jess, the girl on the left is her sis-in-law)

These ladies are hysterical without trying to be. They're all in their 40's and 50's but act like they're closer to 20. I seem to mesh better with older women, for some reason. Brad tells me I was born in the wrong decade. So I guess I'm an old soul? I never thought of myself as that. I just think a lot of women my age are still stuck in the immature/smug/self-absorbed/catty stage, and I'm just not interested. (umm... except for the lovely ladies in their 20's that read my blog. Not you, of course!). :)

After working over 5 years there, I decided I wanted to be a SAHM when I got pregnant with Noah. After looking for months for a new engraver, we finally found one that was going to fit the group perfectly.

That was our goal. We figured we could teach just about anyone how to engrave, but finding someone who could fit well with the tight-knit group we had was important. I trained one girl, but she scared the ladies. She fussed at one of the ladies after only being there a week. So they let her go.
One day, we'd gotten so desperate (I was getting very pregnant at this point), Shauna (one of the ladies) put a sign out front of our office advertising the job. Thing is? We were located in a sleepy area. Nobody really passed by there.
Except, it must've been God designed. Because that very day, our FedEx guy, Tim, saw the sign and mentioned that his wife, Janet, had been wanting a part-time job now that their girls were older. He called her up, and she arrived a little later to apply. And we loved her. She was sweet, talkative, funny... a perfect match. She made her way into our group with such ease, it felt like she'd always been there.
She learned the job well, and after a few weeks, I was just there in case of an emergency.

(all of us at my farewell dinner they threw me. Janet is the blond in the back... isn't she cute?!)

(meeting Noah... minus a couple of girls that weren't there that day)

I got a call this week from my old boss, Clark, explaining that Janet's mom is very sick and in hospice. She'd been battling ovarian cancer, and sadly, it had spread to her liver and kidneys. They expect Janet to be gone for awhile and wondered if I'd be willing to fill in for her whenever I could work it out.
Of course, I'm trying to work it out as best as I can.
The extra money will be nice, but honestly? I'm doing it for Janet. Her mom is dying, and the last thing she needs to worry about is coming back to a huge pile of orders. Plus, she'd do it for me. I know she would. She's a sweetheart like that, and my heart is just breaking for her. Y'all keep her and her family in your prayers.

I went in yesterday, and it was a little surreal.
It was different, because they'd moved to a different place a couple weeks after I'd left. Yet it was somehow like I'd never left. I went right back into my old routine, checking faxes and emails, filling orders, answering phone questions. It's like riding a bike.
The ladies filled me in on everything I'd missed since I last saw them (we still try to get together every once in awhile). All the drama I'd missed was certainly fun to hear. Apparently, one of them had gotten mad and quit over Christmas, the owners were afraid they were all going to walk out the door (they're a team), and Janet was miserable. Everything got worked out, though. It's much more fun to hear about when you're not included in it anymore.

It's been so fun seeing them all again. Of course, I hate the circumstances, but still. I've missed these crazy ladies. :)