I was the PM/Closing Supervisor at a shady (aren’t they all) Kmart for a few years. That job is the sole reason I will never work in general retail or a department store again. People would come on during the final closing announcements and disregard them completely, continuing to shop for 20-30 minutes even with reminders, and then arriving at the till breathing loudly through their mouths with huge books of unorganized coupons further complicating the transaction. God forbid you comment on the time or their lack of courtesy, lest you’ll be called a fucking racist and/or reported to the clownshow that was Sears Holdings corporate offices.
What exactly is going on in the background of the Death Star there? Are those windows? People working late night office jobs? Are those just a bunch of lit panels going beep-boop? Is there some technician who glances up at them occasionally and goes “Ah, shit. The samouflange (what the fuck is a samouflange?) is out on the megacondenser! Rob, could you please run a parse on panel A5D and get that boy blinky again?” and Rob is like, “You’re right, Michael. I hardly noticed.”
EDIT: Apparently it’s Cloud City. I recall this now. I’m honestly shocked that everyone has been so civil about this.
I’m not huge of cuddling and tend to get overheated easily when I do, but I find it really pleasurable (non-sexually) when my wife runs her finger/fingernail on my hand or arm. Just light touch in general feels incredibly stimulating, but it’s kind of a weird thing to outright ask for so I just kind of enjoy it when it comes around. I also like when my kid steps on my arms or legs when climbing on me. I should probably look into massage therapy.
I began reading The Dunwich Horror last night and he makes mention of piping bullfrogs, and it sent me down this intense nostalgia trip over how well I know (and miss) that sound since leaving the Midwest. Who would have thought all those swampy BUNKS and GUNKS and BwwAaahhHhh-bwAaaAaahh-BwwAaaHhhh-BwwAaAaaaahhs would become such a cherished part of my past?
Gotta get me a plane ticket next Spring and go bullfrog hunting.
I feel this, but it’s only one kid for me. Three must be insane. Most days I look forward to something intended to occupy that free time, but like you I’m always wiped or experiencing a headache by 8pm or later. So I’ve gotten back into reading. Low energy, comfy, can do it on bed. Except now I open the book and am nodding off between sentences. Falling asleep easier than ever, but doomed nonetheless.
It was hit or miss at previous jobs. I worked at Kmart for a few years and would often help the stock guys round up carts in the evening. During summer evenings it was kind of fun wandering way out into that concrete sea with the boys, rounding up impossibly far carts and running the wrong carts (or electric scooters) back to the grocery store next door. But during the winter it was hell on fucking earth, and I’d help them round them up just to spare them the agony of a slipped disk.
I live in Canada now and couldn’t imagine rounding up carts during these cold snaps. You’d probably stick to them, imprisoning you in parking lot until you succumb to frostbite.
I miss hearing cardinals quite a lot. I moved from the Midwestern US to western Canada and have enjoyed learning the new birds (even bought the Audubon western bird guide to go with my old copy of eastern). I haven’t seen a Cardinal at all out here, but they’ve been photographed on rare occasions. I’m honestly just thankful that we still get robins every spring. It’s a nice reminder of home.
“It is called the Midwest because of the location of those states in the 1800s before the U.S. expanded to the Pacific Coast. These states were part of the Northwest Ordinance. This term became obsolete once the U.S. expanded westward, resulting in these states becoming the Midwest.”
Another site defines it as West of the Mississippi River, but between North and South. So I guess it qualifies.