A day in the life of a vendor
Nov. 10th, 2008 11:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valis25:00 Get up and take shower at friends' house in WI.
5:30 Go upstairs and eat breakfast. Friends' kids are already up--wow.
6:00 Leave. Wave to friends' kids through the window. Super cute.
6-7:50 Drive. Detours involved.
7:50 Arrive at show location. Set up booth.
8:38 Finish setting up booth and sit down. I am in the hallway in front of the main room, and there are doors to the outside at the end of the hallway, and I begin to get cold, which ends up lasting all day because people keep opening the doors.
9:30 Vendor comes in and starts talking (loudly) about how he's moved out of the "ghetto" and to an area "where the beautiful girls hug each other."
9:40 Listen to a different vendor ranting bitterly to me for ten minutes about 9/11 being an inside job.
10:00 Show starts.
2:00 Former ghetto resident vendor walks through the hallway and says loudly that he's glad we're all here so he can shoplift from us.
2:15 Former ghetto resident vendor walks through again and tries to stuff merchandise down his pants.
3:00 Nearly cause myself injury by trying to stifle laughter caused by dumbest customer ever. (Let's see--an analogy. Imagine selling yarn to a customer and having them pick it up and think it's already a scarf. And then try to put the yarn on as if it is a scarf, even after repeated attempts to explain that it's just yarn. No, really.)
3:45 Former ghetto resident vendor tells the vendor across from me that he's known his dad longer than his dad has known him. And that his customer service has never improved.
4:55 Customer walks up after I've started putting stuff away and begins to shop even though the show closes in five minutes. But she is funny so it's okay. Former ghetto resident vendor walks up behind her, calls her a "beeyotch," kicks her in the ass. Customer tells him "Bite me," and then he calls her a slut and tells some other random vendor that she's been involved in prostitution since day one. Turns out customer is the sister of one of his former employees.
5:10 Begin putting stuff away.
5:35 Load, pull out map.
5:45 Drive. More detours. Find gas station and pay exorbitant price.
6:50 Stop at Starbucks. Am waited on by extremely dedicated and caring baristas. The chai is one of the best I've ever had from a Starbucks. The resulting caffeine high is the only thing which will sustain me in the next hours.
10:45 (which is actually 11:45, MI time) Arrive at home.
11:45 (12:45 EST) Go to bed.
12:15 (1:15 EST) Fall asleep.
I lead such a glamorous life, don't I? *grins*
5:30 Go upstairs and eat breakfast. Friends' kids are already up--wow.
6:00 Leave. Wave to friends' kids through the window. Super cute.
6-7:50 Drive. Detours involved.
7:50 Arrive at show location. Set up booth.
8:38 Finish setting up booth and sit down. I am in the hallway in front of the main room, and there are doors to the outside at the end of the hallway, and I begin to get cold, which ends up lasting all day because people keep opening the doors.
9:30 Vendor comes in and starts talking (loudly) about how he's moved out of the "ghetto" and to an area "where the beautiful girls hug each other."
9:40 Listen to a different vendor ranting bitterly to me for ten minutes about 9/11 being an inside job.
10:00 Show starts.
2:00 Former ghetto resident vendor walks through the hallway and says loudly that he's glad we're all here so he can shoplift from us.
2:15 Former ghetto resident vendor walks through again and tries to stuff merchandise down his pants.
3:00 Nearly cause myself injury by trying to stifle laughter caused by dumbest customer ever. (Let's see--an analogy. Imagine selling yarn to a customer and having them pick it up and think it's already a scarf. And then try to put the yarn on as if it is a scarf, even after repeated attempts to explain that it's just yarn. No, really.)
3:45 Former ghetto resident vendor tells the vendor across from me that he's known his dad longer than his dad has known him. And that his customer service has never improved.
4:55 Customer walks up after I've started putting stuff away and begins to shop even though the show closes in five minutes. But she is funny so it's okay. Former ghetto resident vendor walks up behind her, calls her a "beeyotch," kicks her in the ass. Customer tells him "Bite me," and then he calls her a slut and tells some other random vendor that she's been involved in prostitution since day one. Turns out customer is the sister of one of his former employees.
5:10 Begin putting stuff away.
5:35 Load, pull out map.
5:45 Drive. More detours. Find gas station and pay exorbitant price.
6:50 Stop at Starbucks. Am waited on by extremely dedicated and caring baristas. The chai is one of the best I've ever had from a Starbucks. The resulting caffeine high is the only thing which will sustain me in the next hours.
10:45 (which is actually 11:45, MI time) Arrive at home.
11:45 (12:45 EST) Go to bed.
12:15 (1:15 EST) Fall asleep.
I lead such a glamorous life, don't I? *grins*
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-11 10:26 am (UTC)Mmm, chai. So, how exorbitant was the gas? I was *stunned* when it went below $3/gal recently, since Cali was one of the first places to go over 3, and was near 4.50+ for quite awhile.
this summer, if you'd told me I'd be paying under 3 in November... I'd not have believed you. Nope, no way.
course that was before the financial news and massive layoffs. ;(
At least for you people still feel like they have to buy xmas gifts, and want to shop American, many of them, I'd bet, to try to stop the flow of money outta here! ;o
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-11 11:42 am (UTC)this summer, if you'd told me I'd be paying under 3 in November... I'd not have believed you. Nope, no way.
course that was before the financial news and massive layoffs. ;(
It wasn't exorbitant compared to earlier prices--but here in MI (where gas is quite expensive because we're a peninsula--not quite as expensive as CA, but still) it's 1.95, and I paid 2.65. ;)
At least for you people still feel like they have to buy xmas gifts, and want to shop American, many of them, I'd bet, to try to stop the flow of money outta here! ;o
Let's hope! Still, it wasn't a good show, and I don't think I'll do it again, wah. :(
*giant hugs*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-11 10:49 pm (UTC)*HUGS*
Heh. I've paid like, 2.83 and 2.74 recently I think. We do have our special formulation requirements which prevents us from buying other states' gas. ;p I doubt I'll ever see sub-2$ again. ;p
And, I know we've only met a couple times, but if you want, I could check out your website / etsy site and pimp it to non-fandom friends. ;p
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-11 11:41 pm (UTC)Will forward website/etsy site. *lionsmooches*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-07 01:54 am (UTC)*blushes a little* ;D
Mmm, lion smooches! XD I love big cats! :D
And... I never got your site[s]. verdenia at gmail.
Sorry it took me so long to respond to this... I grinned like mad when I read it, but it was too late to formulate a proper response, and then time...she marches on. :P
*hugs*!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-07 02:00 am (UTC)