While out walking this cold and crisp afternoon,Not a couple of miles from home I came upon this work of art at the bottom of a very long drive, I couldn't believe it! it's not so long ago on the Dada blog that I expressed a wish to have one of these in my back garden.How's that for a coincidence M.S.M, maybe not quite as pretty as yours, but cute anyway. I would have petted "her" but as I was leaning through the rails to take the photo, two big alsations came bounding down the drive I don't know why I'm posting another one of my photos but I like this angle.There are no more 'cos I only took 3 before the dogs arrived!
And I can always delete them later.

OOer, If I write 'Store Greeter'as a search on Google my blog is number five on the list.
If I put in 'ramblings of a store Greeter',then press'I feel lucky' my blog appears! at no 1.
I thought blogging was a nice little exclusive club, I didn't realise you could end up in Google cyberland.
It is said that one should learn something new every day of one's life, this must be mine for today.
Silly Old Biddy. lol

In 1978, I had been living as a single mother in a Camden Town council estate, times were hard so to supplement my meagre income I answered an advert in the local newsagent's shop window. The job was for a domestic help, two mornings a week. It was a very smart address, a regency apartment overlooking Regent's park which was ideal for me as I could easily walk there whilst my daughter was at school. They already employed live-in help plus a chauffer, so I was only required to do small menial jobs that the housekeeper didn't have time to do.
The lady of the house was an elderly but very elegant Jewish lady with a poise to be respected, she often greeted me when I arrived and told me what jobs she wanted me to do. I was 29 years old at the time but I wasn't exactly a domestic goddess so she took great pains in showing me (when preparing their meals) how she liked her carrots slicing and to strip the cabbage leaves just so and not to chop them. after I had dusted the ornate furniture she would inspect with gusto and she taught me that whenever I go through a door into another room I should automatically wipe the top of the upper door frame even though no one sees up there. Expensive bottles of Eau de Cologne were kept in the bathroom cabinet and every last drop of an old bottle had to be funnelled out into the new one before discarding.
I only saw the gentleman of the house once, a small,reserved looking old man, he smiled, said good morning then left.
I asked the chauffer who he was and he said Don't you know? It's Jack Cohen! I'd been working in his house for two weeks and I didn't know I was working for the founder of Tescos supermarkets.
He died the following year.
I only worked there for three months which preceded my return to my homeland up North.

So, as the title of this post says, I was destined to become part of the corporate world of supermarkets, only I wish I had used my brains in 1978 and networked my way up the ladder, I might have been an area manager for Tescos instead of a humble store greeter for a rival company!!

I decided today that this year I am not going to the annual charade that is the works xmas dinner.

Every year, each department has it's own get together in a local hostelry (hotel funcion room usually), where, for a greatly inflated price, a substandard meal is offered along with a D.J. or if you are very lucky an amateur tribute band will attempt to entertain you.

Now i'm not a snob but out of the thirty or so colleagues who attend, I would probably only have time for maybe three or four of them if I met them outside the working environment.

The pattern of the evening is usually the same every year, everyone arranges to meet about 8 O'clock, groups of four or five huddle together at the bar without speaking to each other.
9 O,clock everyone moves into the dining area, collects buffet meal, turkey or pork or if you are a vegetarian ,vege sausage and stuffing, bottles of wine are ordered and the odd mini bottle of vodka is produced from handbags which thus results in inhibitions and tongues loosening slightly, just enough to pull a xmas cracker, pull a party popper and slag off the checkout operator who's wearing the same dress as last year and looks like a tub of lard.

After the meal the entertainment begins, nobody applauds, lots more alcohol is consumed, then when the entertainment is almost over about half a dozen people get up to dance. Step to the right, step to the left, twirl around, arms up in the air and down again. suddenly the dance floor is full everyone is having a great time for about five minutes, infamous supermarket slut flashes her breasts, dances on table, falls off then that's it, time to go home. Out into the cold air sidestepping pools of vomit to get into your overpriced taxi!

NOOoooo i'm definitely not going this year, they probably won't even notice that I haven't been!

I'm off to the twilight shift once more, the only thing different today is I have a spring in my step,
Everyone at work should be upbeat as fancy dress is optional today in aid of children in need.

Today has been a good day.

My Husbands medical investigations went well on wednesday
I have enjoyed a fab dance class this afternoon
and
MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER PASSED HER DRIVING TEST TODAY!
SO for her I'm happy.

I was chatting to my very attractive niece the other day, she's the events co-ordinator at an exclusive country house hotel and she just happened to mention that the Great Mike Tyson was coming to stay, they often have celebrities staying at this establishment but she says that the furore surrounding this celeb was a wee bit different from the norm!
My initial reaction was to exclaim "For goodness sake whatever you do don't go into his room with him alone!
Now, isn't it sad that from my perspective and presumably most females, we would automatically think of his past misdemeanors instead of the great sporting achievements that he attained, possibly it would be the reverse for men, I don't know.
Would men automatically think of his success in the boxing ring first or his "laisons" with the ladies?
By all accounts on Mon 21st nov.he is heading for Doncaster,Lee's neck of the woods,for a function at the Dome where he will be joined by that other pussy cat Frank Bruno!

---

Image courtesy of 'sheffield today news'

Doggy story no 1

last week a very trendy attractive 'thirty something 'couple walked past me in the foyer, I gave my usual greeting then I noticed a little head popping out of a medium sized handbag, it was a tiny little dog, the breed I know not what. I like dogs especially my next door neighbour's bouncy, tail wagging cross breed although I am not sure about designer dogs which are more of an accessory than a companion.
Anyway, it is company policy not to allow any animals except guide dogs into the store so I tactfully explained this to the customers, the lady remarked that she didn't want to leave the dog in the car as it always made a mess there and the chap asked if I would bend the rules as they only wanted to buy a bottle of wine. In my nicest manner I suggested that perhaps one of them could go and buy the wine while the other waited at the front of the store with me.
Shirtily the chap replied "No, forget it, don't bother we'll go to (a rival store).and walked out.
I don't think he realised that the same health and safety rule applies in all supermarkets.

Doggy story 2

Now as I have stated I quite like dogs, but 'T'old man' has a pet hate against some of the OWNERS who allow their pets to use the grass verge as a toilet without clearing it up.
It is much better nowadays since the signs went up on the lampost but during the past year 'T'old man has been known to stand at the window and watch people go by walking their pets!
Well this morning a 'blue hair rinsed' lady pensioner who was one of the main offenders came down our path and started shouting and screaming at my hubby and told him to stop watching her when she walked by.
"What do you mean" said T'old man "I'm on my own property minding my own business and if you don't get through that gate I'll call the police 'cos it's an offence to let your dog crap all over the place.(A bit of Kiddology, he wouldn't really.)

She backed off in horror "What", she said "i'm 76 years old and never had any dealings with the police in my life, I collect for the local Hospice charity I'll have you know"!!

So that's all right then.

Oh my God!
it's alright for you experienced bloggers but as I am a more mature lady and have only been blogging and using a computer for a relatively short period of time, everything I do is by trial and error. Anyway I seem to have created a new blog for myself, I wasn't quite sure what I was doing and just wanted a 'seperate space' to run along side this blog in order to post my 'snippets of memories' relating to music and places, at one point I was getting worried that I might erase my whole blog.
The point of this blog was for me to try to make something positive out of my 16 hour a week job as a store greeter, I wrote for about 6 weeks before I ticked the box for public display as I knew it wouldn't be interesting to most bloggers(I am amazed that I have any friends at all up there let alone 6!!)

Anyway as time has gone by and I am getting more interested in other people's blogs and what they have to say I find myself veering away from the main subject of this blog, hence the posts about my dance class and the photo I took of the fresco in Valladolid.
So as my memory fades, as time goes by (Gawd I'm only 57) I thought I would create another space for my jottings.
It will be probably end up being as equally UNrivetting as this one!

Why can't supermarket workers have the option of not wearing a name badge?
I know the answer really or at least I think I know why, It is so that 'the mystery shopper' who goes around incognito rating the workers on customer service and job performance can identify their prey to management, and so that disgruntled customers can complain about the uncooperative member of staff they have had the misfortune to approach just as they have had a large delivery arrive in the warehouse and they were due to take a tea break.

what really annoys me is when a smart alec stranger approaches me and says with a smirk on his face
"Hi 'isadora' are you gonna greet me then?
I usually reply with a remark similar to
"Well hello Tom,( Dick,harry or whatever) and how the hell ARE you?"
I'm all for being friendly but can do without the jokers.
Alternatively, I think we should be able to use pseudonyms like we can in Blogging!

>

Image courtesy of basthabda.

I really enjoy my dance class, I have been doing it for a few years now. I don't seem to improve much but thats not the reason for going. It's two hours spent with about twenty other females who for some reason or another are also at a loose end with nothing else they would rather be doing. We range in ages from 25 to 70! and our teacher is an attractive vivacious 32 year old.
The form of Belly dance we practise is called Raqs Sharki and is the egyptian form (more earthy and not as cabaret as say the turkish style).
There is a large network of classes all over Britain now and this website was set up by someone I once met at a workshop.
www.wiggle.org.uk

For the last couple of years, twice a week regularly at 8.30 pm, a married couple in their late sixties and their son who is in his mid thirties get a taxi from their small village about six miles away just to come to the supermarket customer restaurant for their supper.
Although they are perfectly harmless,they are not very well educated and are lacking in social skills, the husband suffers from mental health problems and the son is seen by some as the village idiot.
They look upon these visits as great social occasions and look upon me as a valued and treasured friend with whom to chat about all the mundane things which surround them. I valiantly engage in conversation with them as it is my job to make people welcome, (only in this case I feel more like a social worker than a greeter) so no harm there then, a job well done.
I hadn't seen them for a couple weeks and remarked upon this to the cleaner sweeping the restaurant floor who happens to live in the same village as them.
"OH" he says "I saw them in the village yesterday afternoon getting into a taxi, they've started going to the local hospital outpatient's cafe for lunch and they can't afford two taxi journeys in a day".
Apparently, they do lovely fish and chips at the hospital and the staff are much friendlier!!

In a routine mundane shift:

Happiness is:-
standing next to an oversized promotional Andrex Puppy dog, very soft and appealing, then seeing the 'usually squealing toddlers' eye's light up in delight. OOhs and Aahs all round.
Anger is:-
When I am two thirds the way through the shift and I have not had my tea break. I can't leave the foyer until someone relieves me and inevitibly It's out of sound and out of mind! Everyone else has had their breaks, then they remember me.
Frustration is:-
Not being fit,young and brave enough to tackle the youth who defiantly walked straight past me with two stolen DVD players in his arms, then when the alarms went off he legged it to a waiting car which sped off when he dived in.
N.B. Car reg no. and video footage made available to police to add to their ever bulging file!

It's official, in supermarket land xmas is well and truly underway.
Halloween paraphenalia is reduced to 20p an item, the fireworks display has been consigned to the warehouse and the toy sale is going great guns. The free carrier bags have the Xmas logo printed on once again and the clothes department is awash with velvet and sequins in anticipation of the party season!
Top up your store savings cards in order to receive your xmas bonus but don't buy your tins of chocolates and bottles of sherry just yet as you will only be back for more unless you have very strong willpower!

A word of advice though.... make sure that the next time you go shopping you make a point of buying your advent calendars as there are never any left by 30th November.
Items to get EARLY include cranberry sauce, trifle sponges, luxury Xmas puddings, thousand island dressing(for those prawn cocktails), jars of mincemeat and speciality stuffing.
These products sell in such vast numbers that suppliers can't keep up with demand and usually run out by the second week in December.

Don't say I haven't warned you!!!

I'm not a particularly religious person but as I love lots of different types of dance and music I enjoyed watching a channel 4 programme last night called 'Sufi soul'...the mystic music of Islam' presented by William Dalrymple. It was a fascinating insight to the culture of Sufism and showed a side of islam that is in complete contrast with the frightening and negative images of Islam that we are more used to seeing.
The music is very trance like and this is where The whirling Dervishes originated.
channel 4 have compiled an easy to follow guide on different religions an beliefs to enlighten the unitiated like me at
www.channel4.com/culture
click on sufi soul

In response to a previous comment, this didn't take me long to dig out!

SMILING!

SMILING IS INFECTIOUS
YOU CATCH IT LIKE THE FLU,
WHEN SOMEONE SMILED AT ME TODAY
I STARTED SMILING TOO.
I PASSED AROUND THE CORNER
AND SOMEONE SAW ME GRIN,
WHEN HE SMILED I REALISED
I'D PASSED IT ON TO HIM.

I THOUGHT ABOUT THE SMILE
AND REALISED ITS' WORTH,
A SINGLE SMILE LIKE MINE
COULD TRAVEL ROUND THE EARTH.
SO IF YOU FEEL A SMILE BEGIN
DON'T LEAVE IT UNDETECTED,
LET'S START AN EPIDEMIC QUICK
AND GET THE WORLD INFECTED.

Author unknown

Now look here, I'm not stupid!
I passed my 11 plus exam amd took my coveted place at Grammar school long before S.A.T.S and Comprehensives had been created. I revelled in the extra curriculum activites such as Esperanto group and Chess club but to no avail for as soon as I hit puberty all thoughts of education disappeared and I went hurtling towards the factory doors at age 15.
At age 18 I headed for hippydom (this being 1968)and The bright lights of our capital city and into the University Of Life.

I was nearly 40 when I entered the corporate world of Supermarket Land and jogged along nicely while my kids were growing up, but now I turn around and think "Where has my life gone?"

I wish I'd been a poet like my blogging 'friend' Lee.... but i'm not.
I wish I could be inspirational like the the New London Dadaists.... but I can't
I wish I could sing, I wish I could paint... Alas no talent.

Hang on a minute! I know what my vocation should have been; I should have been an ACTOR 'cos every shift is an improvised sketch, the foyer is my stage and every day thousands of people come through the doors and see me perform and the same criteria applies as for actors, the show must go on!
No matter how you are feeling or whatever has happened in your domestic life as soon as you hit the floor a smile must appear and a cheery attitude must prevail. I even have a microphone to speak into
"Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Isadora and I'm your Greeter for today, instore today we have lots of bargains................"

Many has been the day when a little old lady or a love lorn teenager has bended my ear with tales of woe (that's another duty we have to perform, being a sympathetic ear to all and sundry) when all I've wanted to say is
"BOG OFF I'VE GOT TROUBLES OF MY OWN!"

OH HAPPY DAYS

Bonfire night has not yet passed but the first of the half price toy sales starts tomorrow. The sale stock is specially bought-in to entice Xmas shoppers to buy early. Then there will be another pay packet in December for the consumer mad public and the real shopping frenzy will begin, and let's not forget the January sales when the credit cards will get hammered!

Now my two girls are grown up and there are no grandchildren on the horizon I take great pleasure in the knowledge that I no longer have to wonder who would like which toy or will the precious gift I so lovingly wrapped be broken by boxing day.

Mind you, I have noticed that some remodelled versions of 1980's toys are on sale this year, eg My little ponies, Weebles and A La Carte Kitchens.

Nostalgic Sigh..... My youngest did love her A La Carte Kitchen!!