To chime in on the Max Brenner, we have him in Melbourne too. There was one on the ground floor of my old office building.

I may have to go get myself one of the sheep tape measures; it was so cute!

It is ADORABLE! I saw one like it ages ago, and coveted it. I shall have to think of a name for him.

aurelia, it's pretty cold here, too, but: the first robins have arrived and the spring lilies have about 5 inches of growth already, just leaves so far, but they're coming. (Move to Nor Cal!)

That's tempting, Java. I don't know that I'd be able to keep a roof over my head there, though.

Hallelujah. I mailed off my package this morning, so I hope my giftee gets it soon.

I will say, I try not to subscribe to stereotypical stuff about govt workers, being one myself, but the PO line was long and there was one counter worker and she just up and left for her break without a replacement. Once her supervisors figured it out, they seemed to be distressed and confused, but it took another 5 min to get someone to the front. I heard one of them say that the first worker had been on for 2.5 hrs.

I mean, it's been a long time since I worked customer service (16 years since I was a grocery cashier) but I can't fathom the kind of trouble I would have gotten into for closing down my register and walking away from a line of customers who had no one else to serve them. And apparently she didn't even tell anyone!

Yeesh.

I mean, it's been a long time since I worked customer service (16 years since I was a grocery cashier) but I can't fathom the kind of trouble I would have gotten into for closing down my register and walking away from a line of customers who had no one else to serve them.

I agree with that generally (and this case seems pretty egregious). But I remember from my days managing a Starbucks that during busy periods, that can easily result in employees not getting any breaks at all, which is a bad thing on legal, morale and general humanity grounds.

But girl at the register shouldn't be making that call herself, and especially not if there isn't someone else to take over. Youch.

But girl at the register shouldn't be making that call herself, and especially not if there isn't someone else to take over. Youch.

no, but if the manager isn't doing their job, she might have felt that she had no choice. Not that it excuses her behavior, but the manager has to take some responsibility as well.

the manager has to take some responsibility as well

Also responsibility for having only one person up front during a busy period.

When I worked the Christmas rush at Bath & Body Works waaaaay back in high school, my manager would frequently forget to give us breaks, and there were a few times when it was literally a choice between closing my register without a replacement or peeing on the floor. (I closed my register.)

One of the great things about working at B&N is that they have everybody's breaks written down on the schedule, and if there's a delay, you can always figure out who messed up.