Dingsdale

How would I describe today, interesting, funny at times, hysterical in places and over all tiring. The day started well having come across a Dingsdale sat on the edge of the car park.  I sat down on the cold ground and inquired as to how it’s morning was going and had it been a busy hedgehog during the night.  Now as I do not speak hedgehog but it’s little whiskers and nose were twitching 90 to the dozen so I think it was a happy Dingsdale.  I then sneezed and within seconds it had become a prickly ball and stayed that way until I was safely out of reach.  What a way to start the day, a conversation with a little prickly creature, makes a change lol.

The drive to work was equally eventful when I passed a police car parked in the entrance of a local hotel.  It started to follow me at a distance but then closed right up to my bumper as if to try and intimidate me.  We made our way down to the next roundabout where it circled back up the road we had just come down.  Whilst I understand the job and possible reason for following me tailgating me like that was not necessary.

Still I got to work in one piece and warmed up after crossing the cold threshold of the shop front doors.  It is always interesting to walking into work and see carnage that is night shift restocking the shelves.  They have a tough job to do and I am sure the sight of online shoppers walking in to work only fills them with joy, NOT.  These guys work 12 hour shifts and they are full on and we bowl in bright and bouncy, well most do, and start to rip their nights work apart.  I was training again today but it was not long before the newbie was shopping on his own whilst I shadowed him, for a while, with my own shop.  Training this new member of GOL got me thinking about when I started and how I felt.

I can remember turning up to work bright eyed, scared but eager to get stuck in.  My trainer took me out on my first shop and I spent the next two days getting my left and right mixed up.  I knew then that I was a very lucky chap to be working in GOL Newbury, I knew in the interview to a point but the first few days confirmed it.  Despite a bumpy ride thanks to my diabetes and over doing it once or twice it has been an amazing 7 months.  I remember feeling so clumsy and slow compared to the other shoppers and panicking that I would not meet target.  Everyone was amazing and so supportive and I soon found my groove, well one of them.

Training the new shopper showed me how far, not depending on who you ask, I had come on.  I remember thinking and aiming for an IPH of 100 and when I got it feeling so proud.  Now I get miffed if I drop below an IPH 125 but my focus is no longer pure speed but quality.  I still make mistakes and I think I let slip a few short dates yesterday and today, which does not sit well.  It is not a difficult job but to do it well you need to have a level of commitment and go otherwise it is not going to happen.  Getting up in the early hours and doing such a physical job does require a certain commitment and character for sure.  It is not everyone cup of tea but at least most in GOL make the most of it and have a laugh.

Which brings me to the highlight of my working day.  A fellow shopper was working ambient one and had to pick a ½ kilo of Sugar.  Sadly in picking the one bag the whole lot started to pour off the shelf and no matter what they did it did not get any better.  Like a knight in shining amour I came to the rescue but instead of making things better they only got worse.  We battled with the sugar bags over and over again with the fits of giggles getting worse.  Finally we managed to get all the bags stacked on the shelf at which point we smiled, laughed and agreed to run away as fast as we could.  Who knows how long out final attempt at stacking lasted but at least they cannot fault us for trying.

Now I managed to get out with the camera today as well.  I did a bit of scouting for my RPS project and paid a visit to a church with the specific intention of capturing it at a particular time of day, which I did.  It has complicated the project which is or isn’t a bad thing.  I had been focusing on two churches but think I may have found a third, only time will tell.  Tomorrow I have to be at two churches, one in the morning the other in the afternoon if my plans are to work out.  It might mean a take away for dinner unless I pull my finger out completely.

So on to the photographs for today which are draft photographs for the project which might see me returning tomorrow with all the necessary gear and not just a camera, lens and polarising filter.

I have not reread this post so if does not make sense sorry!!!!!

Well until the next time take care.

Pooh, Si, Sock, Scifi, and finally Simon x