Borders at Bodega

 As promised, here we have Dancing Jen, Shauna and your blogger last Saturday at the Bodega restaurant on Mason Street in SF. We three laughed and cried together over various small issues that our corporate bosses felt were VERY important when we worked at the big and difficult Borders big box bookstore at Post and Powell. It was quite wonderful catching up and my friends look fabulous, as you can surely see in the above photos.

onward on Friday after Thanksgiving

A terrible day when I worked retail. Black Friday ~ set up the sales and try not to kill the customers who were already rude and impatient. Yes, even in a bookstore. Ick. 

Yesterday was wonderful outside at Doug and Barb's and my Jello Elvis Salad was exceptional, I must brag. I left my phone at home so we must all wait for photos from the hosts. 

I found this note and some tea in Annabelle's courtyard when I returnd home yesterday. Annabelle is greatly loved by the little ones in our neighborhood and this brought me deep joy on a day that was not easy. I try to live in the present, but Thanksgiving was probably our favorite holiday and there was some melancholy on Mullen Avenue. 

 

John at John's Grill

Our Bossman John (right, above) is leaving SF and we said

goodbye, good luck yesterday at John's Grill, the scene

of many Borders celebrations. He will be missed and

certainly made his mark on this city.

and yet another boss party

Bossman John

Last night I joined some old big box friends at John's place up on Hyde
near Filbert. He lives in a matchbox studio apartment, but it features
this amazing view on his front deck which is large enough for a picnic
table, two sofas, one cat (Bogo), a fireplace (necessary) and a BBQ.
I had a really, really nice time and because Dancing Jen was there also,
we got to talk about Paris amidst all sorts of envy and ooooohs/ahhhhs.

another goodbye

party at Don Ramon's on 11th Street

fans of Dennis

a true Giants fan

Last night was the retirement party for Dennis, the only boss I could order
to check the baseball score NOW, please, or I'm walking off the floor to
do it myself. He understood my need for pre and post-breaks (well, not always)
and I know I got away with a lot of shit because I have known him for
12 years. First at Borders where I showed him the ropes, and then at the
museum where I could make him laugh on a difficult day. The past might
glow for him, but there were some really stressful times and I hope he
loves his much-deserved retirement and maybe I will see him at a game or two?
But for sure, I will miss him. Now, no more goodbyes for awhile, please.

memorial week

Taco Bell in Pathetica (Thursday)

Playground ~ 39th and Ortega (Sunday)

I missed Charlie's official service since we were in Chicago, but the Blogmaid
and I met his daughter, Jen, at his favorite restaurant in Pacifica. We had a very
pleasant time and had some laughs and tears as we remembered this fine and
funny man. Like many of us, she was a Daddy's Girl and misses him terribly.
Jen was wearing his favorite Giants sweatshirt as we ate his favorite food and
each pocketed a handful of the secret sauce, just as he would have done.

There was a Borders mini-reunion at the sad occasion of Stacey's memorial
last Sunday. She was only 36 and had a two week surprise hospital stay
before she died of cancer, quickly. It's shocking that one so young and vibrant
could be gone without time to plan or prepare. She had just started her new
job at City Target and was soooooo excited about that. The Big Box Family
was there to show our support and remember her impact on our lives.

a public bathroom?

I posted this photo on the Borders #57 alumni Facebook page this
morning because we had so many, many horrid problems with the
bathrooms there at the Big Box. You do not want details...

These fresh flowers were at the Legion of Honor women's bathroom
yesterday. There are always flowers in both restrooms (deYoung and
Legion of Honor) and sometimes they are outstandingly gorgeous,
so I needed to remember the fact that if I must work, there aren't
many places with as many attractive amenities. Volunteers create
these arrangements and no, I don't think the men's restrooms feature
flowers. Well, I've asked men and they say, "I don't think so."

Lots of fun comments on the Facebook page such as, "they don't
chain these down?"

back to Wednesday

It was almost a perfect day ~ meeting my three Borders friends
for lunch in North Beach, walking up Grant Avenue to Columbus.
I stopped to shop for scarves here at this great little store that
Nancy, my step dot, discovered on her recent visit. You can
find a huge selection of scarves and most are $4.99 each. I
bought an orange Pashmima for baseball games and a black/brown
jungle print for you know, whatever. As you walk up Grant it's
on the left hand side of the street ~ check it out!

But then during lunch, I broke a tooth and have been dealing with
my dentist a lot lately. This was a cavity from 1987, and the one
last week probably the same vintage. This morning I am making
applesauce because I have to be VERY careful about what I eat
until the new permanent crown is applied in two (drat!) weeks.

Yoga this morning and, as usual, I need it mentally and physically.

one reason to love Facebook

I used to work with Sue Riddle at Borders and she posted this
exquisite piece on Facebook. From the top left: Justin with his
BIG earrings and leather teddy bear, me reading and dozing,
Valerie the romantic, and Andi with his tattoos and two cats.
Such talent. She dedicated it to Shauna who provided us with
dozens and tons of different xmas cookies every year and I
especially miss the peanut butter ones with chocolate topping.
Oh, and Shauna appreciated my addiction to Peeps and
spoiled me constantly with that treat.

Actually I have a few problems with Facebook that I won't go
into here. But for sharing something as wonderful as this,
who can not appreciate it?

as I was saying...

So after the baby shower I hopped on BART to meet some very special
friends down at E&O Trading Company on Sutter Street. The oft
mentioned Dancing Jen is hiding behind me and I think you know
everyone else, right? Garber on my right, Jay-in-tie, Corriander and
the gorgeous Shauna. They are not only great fun, they picked up
my dinner because they are too wonderful for words. It was such a
fine time ~ thank you dear friends. Oh, we all used to work at the
big box Borders, in case you were wondering.

(Husbando returned home from baby shower exile and insisted on
using his Dyson® to vacuum the house. How can a woman refuse
that? Then yesterday at the DY we mostly discussed the party and
every once in awhile I'd help a customer. They ask so much, these
bosses. There, all details covered this morning? And when will I
stop waking up so damn early?)

hysterics from the past

(This is one of my favorite Borders memories ~ from July, 2003.
There is nothing like uncontrollable laughter amongst chaos and
I really miss this kind of craziness in my current job.)

One Sunday afternoon, Marie Cilley came to do an author event at
our store. She wrote Sink Reflections and she is known as “The
FlyLady”, for some reason. Marie has a web site and a huge following
of mostly women, who want to be organized and get their housework
done better.

The event was at 2pm and her worshipers started arriving about noon.
They looked like they drove here straight from Iowa. Hefty women, all
white and very chirpy. They commented on the fact that I was wearing
a purple blazer and I later discovered that purple is Marie’s color and
in fact, many in the audience were purple-clad.

We weren’t exactly prepared for her signing. The woman who handles
events was late and we hadn’t put the books out yet. So we had to
scramble and sticker the books with Borders special labels and then
build a display in the third floor event space. We had to take down
a bunch of other books to do this and we all had other projects that we
were working on, so we were not real happy about this interruption.
These were not our regular customers and we wondered if these
women had ever been in our bookstore, or any bookstore, for that matter.

The place was packed! Maybe 100 beefy women were there. Marie
herself is overweight, but certainly pleasant enough.

While we were building the display Kevin M. asked Robb why Marie
is called, “The FlyLady”.

“Because she vomits in her food before she eat it,” was Robb’s
immediate reply.

The three of us could not stop laughing as we built the display. It was
not very professional of us, but it was just too hilarious. One of us
would finally stop laughing and the other two would try and we would
all be in hysterics again.

(in case the reader doesn’t know, flies vomit on their food to keep other
flies away, or so fly experts report)

back to Borders (2004)

I need to cleanse my mind of work issues this morning so I can
enjoy my three days off and not have half of me still at Borders.
The big strike at Macy's has my boss very nervous because we
always worry about union activity and we recently changed our
sick day policy and that has a few people upset because they can
no longer just call in sick because the sun is out or it is foggy or
they are hung over. The poor darlings only get 12 sickie and late
days a year. We are so cruel.

On top of this it was the usual week of broken escalators, overflowing
urinals and booksellers who are "clocking Kara" who dicks around all
day instead of working. When I suggest that maybe they would want
to do their own section work and customer service instead of watching
the lazy-ass Kara, they get annoyed and stomp off to clump together
again with their friends and bitch about Mary Ann.

We are short of managers on Mondays and I have to handle all the
pissy little problems myself. There are 6 of us on the Management
Team (do not ask me HOW MUCH I hate that Team term), but some
days there is only me. And Mondays are especially bad because
all the repair people are there from the weekend breakdowns
and I am filled with resentment because I know they make twice as
much as I do because they belong to unions.

So, the power is in me to turn my mind to more pleasant things. I
will walk, go to yoga, write emails, do some daily writing, A good movie
is arriving from Netflix® and my husband and I will have lunch out at
a restaurant every day. He knows I like to sit outside if it is warm
enough and to me that is almost like being on vacation. Already my
real self is coming back into focus.
07/20/04

back to the big box

(Borders wasted so much money on these Shopping Services.
I clearly remember that the book she wanted was a Grisham
best-seller on an end cap in plain view.)

THE MYSTERY SHOP

Once a month a mystery shopper comes to Borders to check out
our customer service and write a report. Last year I was shopped
and had a 100% score. On Friday, September 6th of this year, I
failed the shop and I've had to hear about it all day. I failed twice.
The most serious problem was that I did not put the book in the
customer’s hand. The lesser offense was that I did not suggest an
extra service to the customer. It sounds strange writing about it,
but it is a Big Deal at Borders.

The fact that I am one of the managers there makes things even
more difficult. Of course I am supposed to be setting a good
example, and usually I do, but I remember this particular Friday
and in my heart I am grateful that the shopper didn’t catch me
snarling or smarting off. I find that I have little patience with
customers on some days when they swarm about me like fruit
flies around a dead banana. I have a big mouth and sometimes
it is all I can do to keep this mouth closed. Experience has
taught me that if I get into a pissing contest with a customer
I always lose. Always. So I swallow my irritation when I’m on
the sales floor.

Sometimes the store feels like I am inside a washing machine.
We are always busy and every customer wants their book NOW.
Not in five minutes, NOW. They think if they say, “I have just a
quick question,” that I will leave the customer I am working with
and help them. Usually the quick question begins with the words,
“I can’t remember the name of the book or the author....”

As a manager I am responsible for helping the staff when they have
questions or problems. Since we have almost 100 employees, it is
a constant stream of phone calls and pages. I can hardly wait for the
Holiday Season.

09/21/02

the truth will now come out

Now that Borders is really, truly and completely dead, I can
share some of my old pieces with you. No fear of law suits or
friends being fired. I am so glad that I saved all of these
daily writes because I can relive those less-than-perfect days.

MY HEART BEATS FASTER WHEN (prompt - Round Robin #11)

For the past 12 years, part of my job as a retail manager is to count
lots and lots of money. I don't mind doing this, in fact it is often
much easier than dealing with customers. But once in while the
total will be off and I panic so quickly and completely that I break
into a sweat and my bowels loosen, as they say. So then I have to
put all the money back in the safe and rush to the bathroom.

It is easy to miscount money when you are dealing with thousands
and thousands of dollars. I have been off anywhere from $20 to
$5,000. My reaction is worse, of course, the more money that I'm
missing and I picture the boss calling me in for an interrogation
and ultimate firing. My mind works so quickly here that I have
already decided to call a lawyer and fight this firing and
sue the company for ruining my reputation.

The money almost always shows up. Only one time did an employee
steal an envelope with $250.00 in it from a cash register pickup that
had not been put into the safe slot all the way. All the other times the
money is found or the register error discovered. It is such a relief when
all the totals match and I am not short more than a couple of dollars.
What is really amazing is that sometimes we are not a penny over or
short, even with a cash deposit of $20,000 or so.

06/17/04

book signing & reunion

The book ~ life in our Borders Union Square

The Author, Joesph Zitt

A great turnout of old friends

Last night I went to a book signing down at Books, Inc. on Van Ness.
Mr. Z's book is published and I'm guessing that there were about 50
of us from the old days at Borders. 19th Nervous Breakdown chronicles
the life of a music and book seller during the heyday of one of the
busiest retail stores in San Francisco. Joe is a musician so he was
well-rehearsed and comfortable in front of this audience of friends
and well-wishers.

Joe dedicates his book "to the workers and customers of store 57,
and to all those who serve to connect people with the art and
information that they love." This comes to me at a time when
I am not really appreciating retail, and, as usual, is just what
I need to hear. So now it's up to me to adjust my thinking (again).

Mr. Z is still with Borders, at one of their remaining stores in
Ohio, so it is extra special that he is here for a week and that
his first book signing was with us. Nice evening...

it's closing time...

This sign is from a Borders store in Chicago and it's very amusing.
The whole "where's your bathroom?" thing was agony at both
Borders and Barnes & Noble. Messy, messy people. We longed to
just close the restrooms, but since we had cafes and because so
many people carry guns, we never did.

MY old store #57 is closing this week and my thoughts are with
the employees ~ as they always were and will be. I remember all
the past CEO's and CFO's and COO's with hatred ~ those golden
send-offs were only for the privileged few and screw the workers.
Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

On the bright side, it's another beautiful day here and we'll be
walking at Crissy Field in a little while. Photos tomorrow.

1994 - 2011 RIP Borders

God, I used to be so proud to work here. Four floors stuffed
with books, music, DVDs, a cafe and always lots of customers.
Busy from the moment we opened until we kicked the last drunk
out at midnight. "You old bitch of a battleship," one of my FBook
friends calls it. Probably more than half of my FB friends are
people I worked with at this store in the heart of SF.

There was never any "down" time at store #57 where the
average slow day was $40,000. We were an intense bunch of
people who loved books and tried to help the customers and
stay sane. Scams galore including returns from god knows
where and shoplifters of all sizes and shapes including wheel
chairs and baby strollers. My current job at the museum
has been a stroll in Golden Gate Park compared to this.

And now it will close, along with 200 other Borders across
the country. I worked here from 2000 until 2008 and I
am surprised at how sad this makes me, and I feel for the
many, many people who will now be unemployed. Thanks
for the memories everyone, it was quite a ride.

rabbits and bears

Did you grow up knowing you need to say "RABBIT" the very first
thing on the very first day of a new month? Some sort of good
luck charm. Since I'm up first, I say it to my computer and so
far, so good. Happy September 1st, dear readers. Rabbit.

Borders, the Big Box, is going to put Build-A-Bear stores in
almost all of their locations. They have excess space now that
music has gone the way of the typewriter and carbon paper.
Big boxes put a lot of indie bookstores out of business and
now it's their turn. It's almost 2 years since I left the book-
selling business and since I spent about 16 years avoiding
the Children's Department, I can't see myself selling bear
legs and teeth, can you?

One feature of my LindaKindle that you might not have
known about. It is possible to sample an e-book before
you buy it. I see more empty space ~ maybe Build-An-
Elephant on the 4th floor, above the Bears?

old friends and sunshine

Ken (not the car) at Books, Inc. in the Castro.

Elena and Shauna at Starbelly.

Yesterday I stopped in to visit Ken who was on his knees fixing some
cash register problem that seems to happen everyday in retail. I didn't
buy any books, surprise!

Next I met Elena and Shauna ~ we all worked together at the big box,
doing cash rec, scheduling, payroll, etc. Much laughter and tears in
the past, but it was all fun yesterday. I imparted the news that I had
heard at Passover ~ our minimum daily requirement for fruits and
vegetables has moved up from 5 to 9. Sorbet counted as one. We
all loved the service and food and convenience of Starbelly at 16th
and Market. And then I WALKED home ~ it took about an hour,
but it felt great and the weather was sunny and perfect.

the joy of a good book

I had never heard of this book Disgrace or the movie either,
but it is a powerful story that takes place in South Africa. The
hero is a professor in his 50's who has an affair with a student
and he is fired. He goes to live with his daughter out on her
farm where the chickens come home to roost. Lots to think
about here...

Interestingly enough, I am reading more since I joined the
museums than I did at Borders, but I will say that I still miss
being surrounded by books and book people.