Lane Accountability at work has been going on for a little over a month now and I must admit I've noticed a few positives, though I think they're all selfish.
For one, I've been finding a lot more 1978 dated coins to hoard. I have a water bottle jug I've been filling with coins bearing that date for over ten years now. It was intended to be a one year project but I just kept rolling it over. The idea was to accumulate my birth year coins for a year and then buy myself something with them for my birthday. The trouble was, it was less than $20. The idea of distilling a year's worth of effort into a music CD seemed depressing so I just kept accumulating.
After many years I had enough to warrant using the jug and I claimed that when it was full I'd use its value to go on a vacation or something. I estimate the value of the jug will be between $800 and $1,000 depending on what coins are found. Cents make up a little over half the total number of coins. Just yesterday I hit exactly 5000 of them. And while that number sounds impressive, it means only $50 worth of pennies. The remaining nickels, dimes, quarters, and halves make up the other roughly 5000 coins with 1978 halves being the least represented because that was a low production year.
The thing is, when I had my own till, I was giving out my unwanted half dollars in change which limited how many quarters I could go through. A good week would maybe net me three or four 1978 quarters. Now I get a new till every night. Two in fact because after "till exchange" we need to start on a fresh till. My 1978 quarter haul has been double, sometimes triple, what I've been getting so Lane Accountability is improving the value of my 1978-dated coin jug.
And to be honest, knowing me...the likely thing which will happen when that jug fills is I will end up buying a second one and begin filling that. Actually I'll probably separate the cents from the other coins and wonder which jug will fill up first. I'm assuming the cent is on life-support so it'd also be a race against time :-)
I've already gotten two silver dimes - both out in the open (i.e. not from sealed rolls) and both Roosevelts but at least I know silver is still possible. I've even gotten a 1950-D series $10 Federal Reserve Note from one of my daily tills. I imagine any non-Presidential coins will have to come from sealed rolls because I think even non-collectors tend to hold on to a Buffalo nickel or Mercury dime as a curiosity when they see one.
But then again, the tills are proven not by hand-counting but by weighing them so a buried non-Presidential coin could easily go unnoticed. Same thing with Silver Certificates, United States Notes, and God-willing, a Gold Certificate. Possible bonus...
The other joy of Lane Accountability is that it embodies the Tragedy of the Commons which, when it comes to cashiering, is a godsend. Now when a customer pays me with fifty or more dollar bills, I don't have to manipulate my change-giving to draw them down: that's the next cashier's problem. Messy coupon bag? Fuck it (and I say that while I use the claim of facing the money in a "messy till" as an excuse to search through its coins every day).
Plus I can open change rolls unnecessarily and without guilt on the fresh till because I know the coins will get used up throughout the day.
Basically Lane Accountability has the potential to aid my coin collecting habit. However, I won't be entirely convinced of this until I finally start getting some non-Presidential coins in my daily hauls.
I still find this system to be cumbersome and the timing of till exchange interrupts the flow of the evening. It doesn't help that my panicky, 800 lb. gorilla of a co-worker insists on waiting until after till exchange before I go on lunch even though it is totally unnecessary to wait for that. All it does is make me start my overnight work a half-hour later.
Silver linings to every dark cloud...
Showing posts with label stupid libra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stupid libra. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Sunday, July 11, 2010
JUST TESTING SOMETHING...
Can you back publish on this thing? I may want to condense some of my other online journals here. I like this place.
Monday, March 30, 2009
STUPID LIBRA IV
Wow...a bit angry in that last entry! This is one of the dangers of writing things down. :-)
I just wanna let you all know that I'm better now. I've calmed down. I've since talked to my Best Friend and again, like we always do, we've made up and made our conciliatory gestures. Hell, I've even got some space in that closet now -- now I can stow my winter blanket and a few other things that have been simply getting in the way in my room.
When I get mad, I get really mad...which is why I try not to get to that point. Best Friend and I tend to yell at each other quite a bit. However, it's not unproductive even if at first it comes across as such. Through all the loudness, we're both actually listening. We're similar in that neither of us want to concede when we're both hot. It's most frustrating, but cooler heads ultimately and always prevail with us...even if it takes a day or two. We both know what we did wrong and apologize for it and move on from it. That's what we do. Our fights are not our proudest moments, but we do get ultimately closer as a result. No matter what I say about Best Friend here, I love her and I have for a very long time. We're not going anywhere. We'll continue to learn how to work together and how to live together and neither of us will ever abandon the other. That's how it is and how it will continue to be.
I thank you for your sympathies when I'm mad, but just know that that's all it is...anger. I will calm down and see the situation more clearly. Please understand that I would never have stayed with her for as long as I have if she were truly as bad as I make her out to be. No news truly is good news and anger is prone to exaggeration. I'm sure you all have your own horror stories :-)
'Til next time.....
(originally posted to That Other Journal on March 30, 2009)
I just wanna let you all know that I'm better now. I've calmed down. I've since talked to my Best Friend and again, like we always do, we've made up and made our conciliatory gestures. Hell, I've even got some space in that closet now -- now I can stow my winter blanket and a few other things that have been simply getting in the way in my room.
When I get mad, I get really mad...which is why I try not to get to that point. Best Friend and I tend to yell at each other quite a bit. However, it's not unproductive even if at first it comes across as such. Through all the loudness, we're both actually listening. We're similar in that neither of us want to concede when we're both hot. It's most frustrating, but cooler heads ultimately and always prevail with us...even if it takes a day or two. We both know what we did wrong and apologize for it and move on from it. That's what we do. Our fights are not our proudest moments, but we do get ultimately closer as a result. No matter what I say about Best Friend here, I love her and I have for a very long time. We're not going anywhere. We'll continue to learn how to work together and how to live together and neither of us will ever abandon the other. That's how it is and how it will continue to be.
I thank you for your sympathies when I'm mad, but just know that that's all it is...anger. I will calm down and see the situation more clearly. Please understand that I would never have stayed with her for as long as I have if she were truly as bad as I make her out to be. No news truly is good news and anger is prone to exaggeration. I'm sure you all have your own horror stories :-)
'Til next time.....
(originally posted to That Other Journal on March 30, 2009)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
STUPID LIBRA III
My Best Friend and I actually made it a whole week without fighting with each other over anything. And it wasn't even because we didn't see each other. It's like we found a detente of sorts.
For the food receipts issue, I've just decided that I'm still gonna buy stuff anyway. I may as well take advantage of the fact that I work in a supermarket. However, I will run all receipts by my Best Friend now so she can decide what she will chip in for and what she will buy outright. I didn't want it to be that way. My Best Friend and me aren't just roommates who got together through an ad in a newspaper. We've been friends for a hell of long time. We're family and like family, I wanted to just share the expenses so that we wouldn't have to become petty and/or territorial with our food. Also, I figured if we were splitting the food bill half and half regardless of who eats what, that when we have guests over, we wouldn't have to be bad hosts by refusing to let someone eat my food or her food. I guess it won't be that way and I'll just have to accept that. *Sigh* I don't look forward to the territorial disputes that are likely to erupt at some point.
My Best Friend did the dishes a couple of times this week as well which was nice. There may be hope for us after all :-p
(originally posted to That Other Journal on January 20, 2009)
For the food receipts issue, I've just decided that I'm still gonna buy stuff anyway. I may as well take advantage of the fact that I work in a supermarket. However, I will run all receipts by my Best Friend now so she can decide what she will chip in for and what she will buy outright. I didn't want it to be that way. My Best Friend and me aren't just roommates who got together through an ad in a newspaper. We've been friends for a hell of long time. We're family and like family, I wanted to just share the expenses so that we wouldn't have to become petty and/or territorial with our food. Also, I figured if we were splitting the food bill half and half regardless of who eats what, that when we have guests over, we wouldn't have to be bad hosts by refusing to let someone eat my food or her food. I guess it won't be that way and I'll just have to accept that. *Sigh* I don't look forward to the territorial disputes that are likely to erupt at some point.
My Best Friend did the dishes a couple of times this week as well which was nice. There may be hope for us after all :-p
(originally posted to That Other Journal on January 20, 2009)
Monday, January 5, 2009
STUPID LIBRA II
I'm just doing this off the top of my head instead of what I usually do which is prepare :-)
Despite recent rants, my Best Friend has been my friend since I was a senior in high school back in October 1995. We've got a lot of history. We've had our assorted ups and downs and we've had many adventures together. In addition, we've also become quite adept at getting on each other's nerves. This is not a recent development brought about by our new lives together in this apartment. I have memories of hanging up the phone on her back in college. We had one fight so bad that I didn't talk to her for about two months (much easier to do when you're not living with each other). I don't even remember how we started fighting that time, but I do remember hanging up the phone on her as it was quite satisfying. Our argument devolved to the point where my Best Friend was telling me things like, "Why can't you talk like Pulp Fiction does (a friend of hers at the time)? Why can't you give advice like Pulp Fiction? Pulp Fiction always gives good advice. Why can't you be deep like Pulp Fiction?" and so on like that until I got so frustrated that I said, "Then why don't you fucking call Pulp Fiction?" and hung up on her. Back then, I was furious. In hindsight, I find it hilarious. We've always had this unwritten rule that whoever hangs up on the other is automatically "wrong" and must be the next one to call. We've each hung up on each other numerous times over the years and it's always been like that. I've always liked that approach. I always looked at hanging up the phone on someone as the rough equivalent of turning over the checkerboard when you're losing. You flip over the checkerboard, you have to do the make-good. My Best Friend and I have that mutual understanding and I've always appreciated that about her.
When she's in a good mood (which is more often than I let on), she has this charming goofiness about her that I personally find adorable. She's truly a joy to be around when she's feeling carefree. And it's always the most silly stuff -- out of context TV quotes, verses from obscure songs ("Banapple Gas" anyone?), odd drawings (some of which are actually funny -- I remember one she drew of a girl getting caught cheating by her boyfriend. She says to the boyfriend, "But honey, I swear I was thinking of you the whole time!"), etc. Since living with her, I've also learned that she likes singing in the shower. Not for real singing, just occasional lines of verse done without a care as to who's listening. I don't care nor do I know if it's in key or not, but it makes me smile and/or giggle to hear it.
This one's dumb, I admit, but my Best Friend's also the only person I have ever met who remembers a television show called Turkey TV which aired on Nickelodeon back in the mid-80's. It was also fun singing the theme to Hey Dude! together.
My Best Friend values my opinion and my advice (when she asks for it at least! :-D) and not just because I'm the easiest to get a hold of. This isn't something she's ever told me. This is one of those things I've found out about by happy accident such as overhearing a phone call to someone who's never met me and hearing her praise me for listening and giving her advice she's actually putting to use. I've even overheard her defending to those who have met me. We fight a lot, but she also knows me quite well. Even at times when my Best Friend had more friends than she could handle, she would never forget about me and back when we lived far apart, she would make sure that I met her friends whenever we were together. Admittedly this has been difficult since I've begun working overnights in retail (who has off on Mondays and Tuesdays to hang out?), but whenever an opportunity arose, she made sure I was there like her birthday last year.
I also really appreciate that my Best Friend wants me around for even the most mundane of outings like window shopping at the mall or even just to hang out a little bit while her car's oil gets changed. This is one of the few things that have never slowed down during our long friendship. Many days I've felt lonely and unwanted and never told my Best Friend that I was so and was secretly made happy that she was in the area, would give me a call, and asked if I would like to accompany her to the mall (or some other store) and bring some emotional relief to an otherwise depressing afternoon. I was always happy to be included as I've spent far too many days not being. How many people have I spoken to since moving back to New Jersey? It's been almost ten years and again, I've yet to break into anyone's circle of friends. I've yet to get a casual invite anywhere. If I don't say hello first to the people around my age, I never hear anything. The only people who talk to me at all are either married or are in committed relationships. Otherwise, I get the perfunctory hello from those who work my shift and that's it. That's how it's been. The single girls are always curiously silent at work and the guys my age have no interest in having me hang out with them either. The Security Guard seems to like talking to me so I should watch my tongue; but we've yet to hang out despite casual promises to do so (I've heard that several times before from several different people so my hopes are not up). But I could always call my Best Friend.
My Best Friend and I also tend to hate many of the same things. It's an odd way to bond, but I must admit, that it's a very satisfying one. We have very vicious ways of looking at certain things, and knowing that she doesn't get turned off by the worst of my thoughts (nor does she judge me negatively for them either) is very comforting. I truly appreciate that I can share the blackness of my soul with her and I also appreciate that she trusts me with the dark side of her soul as well.
I also like that I've known her so long that I have to actually remember that there was a time we didn't know each other. I'm proud to have such thoughts. It's wonderful to experience that kind of forgetfulness!
My Best Friend and I are truly siblings, if not by blood then by heart. The greatest comfort of all that she gives me is that no matter how much we fight, we know that we'll never abandon the other. Every one of you who has a brother and/or sister should know what I'm talking about. With my Best Friend, I'll take it all. Believe me, I'd much rather have the good be greater than the bad and I'd rather not complain about her as much as I do, but she's still my friend...warts and all.
That's what I've got off the top of my head. I'll add to it later if I feel like it.
(originally posted to That Other Journal on January 5, 2009)
Despite recent rants, my Best Friend has been my friend since I was a senior in high school back in October 1995. We've got a lot of history. We've had our assorted ups and downs and we've had many adventures together. In addition, we've also become quite adept at getting on each other's nerves. This is not a recent development brought about by our new lives together in this apartment. I have memories of hanging up the phone on her back in college. We had one fight so bad that I didn't talk to her for about two months (much easier to do when you're not living with each other). I don't even remember how we started fighting that time, but I do remember hanging up the phone on her as it was quite satisfying. Our argument devolved to the point where my Best Friend was telling me things like, "Why can't you talk like Pulp Fiction does (a friend of hers at the time)? Why can't you give advice like Pulp Fiction? Pulp Fiction always gives good advice. Why can't you be deep like Pulp Fiction?" and so on like that until I got so frustrated that I said, "Then why don't you fucking call Pulp Fiction?" and hung up on her. Back then, I was furious. In hindsight, I find it hilarious. We've always had this unwritten rule that whoever hangs up on the other is automatically "wrong" and must be the next one to call. We've each hung up on each other numerous times over the years and it's always been like that. I've always liked that approach. I always looked at hanging up the phone on someone as the rough equivalent of turning over the checkerboard when you're losing. You flip over the checkerboard, you have to do the make-good. My Best Friend and I have that mutual understanding and I've always appreciated that about her.
When she's in a good mood (which is more often than I let on), she has this charming goofiness about her that I personally find adorable. She's truly a joy to be around when she's feeling carefree. And it's always the most silly stuff -- out of context TV quotes, verses from obscure songs ("Banapple Gas" anyone?), odd drawings (some of which are actually funny -- I remember one she drew of a girl getting caught cheating by her boyfriend. She says to the boyfriend, "But honey, I swear I was thinking of you the whole time!"), etc. Since living with her, I've also learned that she likes singing in the shower. Not for real singing, just occasional lines of verse done without a care as to who's listening. I don't care nor do I know if it's in key or not, but it makes me smile and/or giggle to hear it.
This one's dumb, I admit, but my Best Friend's also the only person I have ever met who remembers a television show called Turkey TV which aired on Nickelodeon back in the mid-80's. It was also fun singing the theme to Hey Dude! together.
My Best Friend values my opinion and my advice (when she asks for it at least! :-D) and not just because I'm the easiest to get a hold of. This isn't something she's ever told me. This is one of those things I've found out about by happy accident such as overhearing a phone call to someone who's never met me and hearing her praise me for listening and giving her advice she's actually putting to use. I've even overheard her defending to those who have met me. We fight a lot, but she also knows me quite well. Even at times when my Best Friend had more friends than she could handle, she would never forget about me and back when we lived far apart, she would make sure that I met her friends whenever we were together. Admittedly this has been difficult since I've begun working overnights in retail (who has off on Mondays and Tuesdays to hang out?), but whenever an opportunity arose, she made sure I was there like her birthday last year.
I also really appreciate that my Best Friend wants me around for even the most mundane of outings like window shopping at the mall or even just to hang out a little bit while her car's oil gets changed. This is one of the few things that have never slowed down during our long friendship. Many days I've felt lonely and unwanted and never told my Best Friend that I was so and was secretly made happy that she was in the area, would give me a call, and asked if I would like to accompany her to the mall (or some other store) and bring some emotional relief to an otherwise depressing afternoon. I was always happy to be included as I've spent far too many days not being. How many people have I spoken to since moving back to New Jersey? It's been almost ten years and again, I've yet to break into anyone's circle of friends. I've yet to get a casual invite anywhere. If I don't say hello first to the people around my age, I never hear anything. The only people who talk to me at all are either married or are in committed relationships. Otherwise, I get the perfunctory hello from those who work my shift and that's it. That's how it's been. The single girls are always curiously silent at work and the guys my age have no interest in having me hang out with them either. The Security Guard seems to like talking to me so I should watch my tongue; but we've yet to hang out despite casual promises to do so (I've heard that several times before from several different people so my hopes are not up). But I could always call my Best Friend.
My Best Friend and I also tend to hate many of the same things. It's an odd way to bond, but I must admit, that it's a very satisfying one. We have very vicious ways of looking at certain things, and knowing that she doesn't get turned off by the worst of my thoughts (nor does she judge me negatively for them either) is very comforting. I truly appreciate that I can share the blackness of my soul with her and I also appreciate that she trusts me with the dark side of her soul as well.
I also like that I've known her so long that I have to actually remember that there was a time we didn't know each other. I'm proud to have such thoughts. It's wonderful to experience that kind of forgetfulness!
My Best Friend and I are truly siblings, if not by blood then by heart. The greatest comfort of all that she gives me is that no matter how much we fight, we know that we'll never abandon the other. Every one of you who has a brother and/or sister should know what I'm talking about. With my Best Friend, I'll take it all. Believe me, I'd much rather have the good be greater than the bad and I'd rather not complain about her as much as I do, but she's still my friend...warts and all.
That's what I've got off the top of my head. I'll add to it later if I feel like it.
(originally posted to That Other Journal on January 5, 2009)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
STUPID LIBRA...
I feel compelled to just point out that today, my Best Friend and I had a very
good day. No arguments, no nothing. Simple interactions. She even
pointed out that I had made her feel better today (it has nothing to do
with my recent posts). It's not all negative with us. As stuff like this
is hardly headline news, I will just point out that yes, it is safe to
assume that no news is indeed, good news :)
(originally posted in That Other Journal on October 21, 2008)
(originally posted in That Other Journal on October 21, 2008)