April Blogging Challenge: N is for Newbie

It's always interesting being the new kid at a new job. And every time I call myself the "new kid", my mind automatically thinks, NKOTB. And if you know what those initials stand for - then right on! If not, you're too young and just Google it, and I'm sure it'll tell you.

I've been going to my new job (aka job number 3) about three days a week for training for just over two weeks. Friday morning I walked in, and my supervisor hollers from her office as I walk by that she's still checking the money and doing back up, so I can't use my computer up front if someone should come in and buy something. I get up to the front desk and to my surprise my trainer isn't there. I put my purse down and glance at the schedule for the day. We had quite the full day scheduled. I kept scanning and noticed this in the lower right hand corner: CP Off.

Oh shit.

That means one thing: I was all by myself.

Oh shit.

You probably could have pushed me over with a feather at that point. Panic started to rise in my chest. I went to my supervisor's office and said, "I didn't know CP was off today. That means I'm all alone up front for the first time." She smiled and said, "CP figured you'd be fine. Sink or swim, kid." And laughed. At that same time, AC (a vet) walks by, and says, "Ahh, you'll be fine." I promptly ran after him and told him with a sweet smile, "AC, please have some tranquilizers on hand for when my panic attack happens." I was sorta hoping for Ketamine as that knocks out horses.

Luckily, we didn't have to tranquilize me.

The newbie (aka me) did okay. The morning was relatively easy to handle. After lunch however, was quite the opposite. From 1pm on, it was relentless. I even got cussed out on the phone - and it wasn't even for something I did. Turns out one of his pets was put to sleep last year, and somehow part of the record didn't get updated. There's a check-off box for the vaccination reminders and that can be easily over-looked, which is apparently what happened. So this guy got a reminder card for his pet's annual vaccinations and called to cuss me out, saying "Don't you guys update your goddamned records?!" Yeah, that was fun.

I had a hilarious phone call from a guy who thought he'd dialed his internet provider and kept telling me to tell the tech he spoke to earlier that his internet was back up. I asked who he spoke to and he said, "Peanut". It was about this time that we both realized he had the wrong number and we busted out laughing. When I told him he'd called the vet, he laughed even harder and said, "I needed to call you, too!" He came in later to drop off a dog for boarding and when I heard his name, I said, "ahhh!" and he asked, "Are you Peanut?" And we laughed.

At the end of the day I had a headache. But I lived. Even the doctors agreed it was a very crazy afternoon, and told me I did good. And double checked that I'd be back again the next day for more fun up front . . . alone.

And triple checked.