This guy came to me in the parking lot. He looked about middle-aged and he asked me how to get onto the Beltline (freeway). It was easy directions and he thanked me for helping him. He started to walk away, then looked down toward my feet and asked if "that" was mine. He knelt down and picked something off the ground near my feet and stood up. He held out his hand to give it to me, so I held out mine, and he placed it in my hand with his thumb and forefinger, but when I looked at my hand, there was nothing there. He said I can keep it, and he walked away. He turned and looked at me again, but then left. I don't know whether he was loony or if he was just messing with me.

Later, I saw Kim. I haven't talked to that girl in a long time. I had a crush on her when I was a senior in high school, although she was a sophomore. She never did feel the same way and was nervous around me since I liked her. But I saw her and it was a nice surprise. I had more than one carry-out to do at the time, and her mom was leaving, so we didn't have time to chat.

I saw Amber, too. If you read some of my past entries, like around this time last year, you'll know that she was mad at me for a while, but it was my fault. I had a big mouth. She left Wal-Mart to go to school, but came back later, and left again. Now she has an internship at Hewlett Packard and her job is the same as Dilbert's. She researches about new programs and computer equipment and tests them out. She's getting college paid for, as well as her Camaro, which is newer than at least a '92. All Camaros from '82 to '92 have the same body, so I know hers is newer than a '92. It's about the same color as mine. Well, she likes Support Manager Chris and she comes to Wal-Mart often, but not until recently has she seemed free enough to spare time to talk to me. Well, I took my break and walked with her while she shopped and then walked with her while she went to look at Chris's new car, which is a Pontiac Aztec (ugh) and then to her car, mostly talking about her computer job. She get's like $16 an hour and will get double that next year when she gets 2 internships. Sherene, who is my manager, was out smoking when we were looking at Chris's car and she saw us. Something about me, though, is that I often rely on my peripheral vision instead of turning my head, so I seem like I'm looking straight ahead even if something happens to get my attention. When I'm on the parking lot and a car is coming, I see them and can tell if I will be out of their way before they get to me and just walk normal like I don't see them. It only increases the sense of me looking straight ahead when I wear sunglasses, which I was at the time when Sherene saw me with her. Of course, being a manager, she had to be sure I was actually on my break and not taking advantage of company time. Just because I'm at a lower position than her doesn't mean I have worse work habits. I don't take nearly as many breaks as she does smoke breaks.

When we were at Amber's car, I saw Sherene walk out onto the sidewalk in front of the store and she was looking right over at us, probably 50 yards away. I made an effort not to directly look toward her and just concentrated on my conversation with Amber. Then Sherene called me on my radio. Amber stopped talking because she probably thought I was busted, lol. I grabbed my radio and answered. This is how it went:

Her: Stockman Jason.
Me: Yeah.
Her: Where are you? (hmm, I wonder, Sherene)
Me: Right in front of you. (ha, I wonder what she thought of that)
Her: Are you working?
Me: Nope, I'm on break.
Her: You're supposed to take your break 2 hours after you come in. You still have 20 minutes. Go to Toys and help the customer because Robert's on break, then come see me.
Me: Alright.

I told Amber "bye" and went toward the store immediately. Right when I came in the store, Sherene called me on the radio again and said that a customer needs help in Toys. Halfway through her announcement, I came from behind the cart thing and was only like 20 feet away from her. I told her I knew that and I was going. For crying out loud, lady, I can't teleport into the store.

Well, of course, Robert wasn't on break, since he told me when he took his and he had just gotten done with it. He was in Toys helping the customer with the pool. After I did that, I talked to Sherene and she said that when I'm on the clock, I can't be socializing with girls on the parking lot because I'm getting paid. Okay, first of all, Retard, I told you I was on break, and you even acknowledged that you knew I was. Well her next statement canceled out the stupid one about me talking while on the clock. She said that I have to take my break 2 hours after I clock in, so she knew I was on break. Why did she even mention talking on the clock if it wasn't even an issue here? I told her that Robert was leaving at 6 and since that would be 2 hours after when I came on, I was taking my break 15 minutes early so at least one of my breaks would be covered. She said that they can always find someone to cover if Robert wasn't there. Well that was obviously a statement without any thinking behind it. Why settle for trying to find someone to cover my break when I can take it 15 minutes early and have the other stockman do it? The next thing she said actually had some common sense with it. She said I have to tell the CSMs every time I go on break. I'm fine with that, and would be already doing that if I hadn't been told I only have to tell them if there isn't another stockman. But she said we have a new district manager and regional manager and they are tough and questioning every step we make, and if they ask a CSM where I am, they should be able to answer. So I'll honor her request to inform the CSMs of my breaks. CSM stands for Customer Service Manager. It's basically a department manager for the cashiers, people greeters, and stockmen.

After that, I finished my break that she interrupted, making sure to let the CSM know, who didn't really care.