Justification for Doing Something Dumb

I'm thinking about applying for a different job within the company.

I started this wonderful job in September last year. It has been very challenging, rewarding (with the right people- including my awesome bosses) for the most part, but tedious and boring in other parts.

I had been thinking about applying for other positions within the company for a month or two, but then the final straw was drawn:

They announced the date of the next sample sale.

Okay, don't get me wrong. Samples are definitely one of the perks of the job. Typically within our department we have sample sales once a month (if it was more often I would be thoroughly annoyed--I am one of the few who have to write sample tags). But the Buying office receives so many samples that they have to purge their collections periodically.

The last one was in February. I made out with a lot of loot.

BUT...

The sale takes place in our conference center because there is no larger place anywhere on campus. And us lucky Admins get to set it up. In February we had the privilege of having volunteers assist with the set up, but we still had to do the majority of the work.

When I say work, this is what the setup of the sample sale entails: Prepare the conference center (arranging tables and racks, etc.). Load the merchandise (last time there was three semi trailers full of crap) into the conference center, arrange it in a somewhat organized manner--there's not enough time to really organize it. Price each item--there are only a few items that are menu priced (example- all brooms are $1).

Then on the day of the sale, another group of people come into the other half of the conference center to set up counting tables and cash registers. People begin lining up outside the conference center sometimes two hours before the sale.

We were set up on the other side of the conference center to count items and add up the totals.

When they opened the doors to the masses, it was very reminiscent of a herd of predatory animals (imagine what you want) sprinting to their prey-- which were insanely priced samples. Through the open doors in the hallway, I could see people running to get into the conference center.

Then we waited. The doors from that side of the conference center opened. A guy had his arms full of crap. Instead of heading to the counting tables, he dumped it all into a box, and headed back in.

For more crap.

It was sickening to watch. Especially sickening was watching the people who bought piles of stuff they would never use or need and then go back in for more.

There were about four or five I could easily identify as hoarders. It made me sick to know that this event was fueling their addiction.

When people had enough of pushing and shoving through the samples, they would work their way through the line to the counting tables, where we would count and total their items.

It was madness. And this is coming from a shopaholic theatre major.

By the end of the event (which lasted only a few hours), I was exhausted. And there was still crap left, so the sale would continue from 7-9am the next day. Which meant that I had to be there at 6:30am.

Yuck.

And then there was the cleanup. And packing up of all the crap that didn't sell.

By the time it was all said and done, I swore that by the next time there was a sample sale, I would not be an Admin.

Okay, now there are a few other factors that have motivated me to look within the company, but the sample sale was the big one that made that final push I needed.

And now back to freaking out about all the crap I have to get done.

Wooo!