Closing time.
I think it was Saturday afternoon, right before I shaved my beard, that I went to the mall to check out what was left of Barnie's Coffee and Tea after it closed. I quit working there in January and it's been out of business for maybe a month now (the closest franchise is in Tyrone Square), but I've been hesistant in going back to look at the place. Buildings always seem so much smaller when they're empty. I walked past it twice, but didn't want to stay, fearing the folks at the kiosk might recognize me. I'd hate for anyone to give me the 'ol "hard to believe it's gone" treatment.
I saw my old manager and a couple of old coworkers working at Starbucks recently too. That's corporate America for you. I've had enough (making) coffee for my entire life; I still have dreams about it. Lucky for me I don't dream about my short time at Eastern Research. Last night, in my dream, I came back to the store, as it was transforming into a Starbucks and I just came by to say "hello", but then agreed to help clean-up things because I liked cleaning up things when I worked there and all of a sudden--because this is what happens in dreams--I was attending an acting course taught by my third grade teacher and my classmates were Christopher Meloni and J.K. Simmons.
Anyway, they say you can't go back and I suppose that's true. I used to go to the mall all the time on the weekends just because there wasn't much else to do. I'd walk back and forth both ways and look to see what's new. After having worked there, however, it's the last place I want to be. Nothing's more depressing than seeing the same faces there day in and out. Some of those people would work twelve hour shifts at the mall every day. And that's their life. That's corporate America for you.
I had to go to the mall a couple of months back because all my pants stopped fitting (I blame it on bulging muscles) and my mom let me borrow her credit card to get a couple pairs that fit. After buying maybe three pairs I have come to this conclusion: clothing store employees at the mall are the most annoying people in the world. Of course, I don't need to explain this because it's a known fact. This one girl at a store called, I believe, "Buckle" kept telling me I would look good in this or that and asking me if I'm going out tonight--hence the new clothes--and I wanted to tell her, honestly, I'd be likely wearing whatever pants I buy in my bed morbidly depressed. Scratch that: if I'm going to be sulking in bed, I wouldn't even be wearing regular pants, I'd have sweatpants on. I digress: the whole excursion was awful.
It always bothered me that those clothing stores always seemed to hire people based on good looks/fashion sense. It makes sense, but I hate feeling inferior when I walk into a store. This is why I don't shop at International Plaza. The only exceptions to this rule are Old Navy and Hot Topic, who seem to hire whatever troll that walks in and, if it's Hot Topic, has a couple of piercings. Old Navy I never understood. I wouldn't be suprised if they hired Juliana Wetmore when she got old enough.
I saw my old manager and a couple of old coworkers working at Starbucks recently too. That's corporate America for you. I've had enough (making) coffee for my entire life; I still have dreams about it. Lucky for me I don't dream about my short time at Eastern Research. Last night, in my dream, I came back to the store, as it was transforming into a Starbucks and I just came by to say "hello", but then agreed to help clean-up things because I liked cleaning up things when I worked there and all of a sudden--because this is what happens in dreams--I was attending an acting course taught by my third grade teacher and my classmates were Christopher Meloni and J.K. Simmons.
Anyway, they say you can't go back and I suppose that's true. I used to go to the mall all the time on the weekends just because there wasn't much else to do. I'd walk back and forth both ways and look to see what's new. After having worked there, however, it's the last place I want to be. Nothing's more depressing than seeing the same faces there day in and out. Some of those people would work twelve hour shifts at the mall every day. And that's their life. That's corporate America for you.
I had to go to the mall a couple of months back because all my pants stopped fitting (I blame it on bulging muscles) and my mom let me borrow her credit card to get a couple pairs that fit. After buying maybe three pairs I have come to this conclusion: clothing store employees at the mall are the most annoying people in the world. Of course, I don't need to explain this because it's a known fact. This one girl at a store called, I believe, "Buckle" kept telling me I would look good in this or that and asking me if I'm going out tonight--hence the new clothes--and I wanted to tell her, honestly, I'd be likely wearing whatever pants I buy in my bed morbidly depressed. Scratch that: if I'm going to be sulking in bed, I wouldn't even be wearing regular pants, I'd have sweatpants on. I digress: the whole excursion was awful.
It always bothered me that those clothing stores always seemed to hire people based on good looks/fashion sense. It makes sense, but I hate feeling inferior when I walk into a store. This is why I don't shop at International Plaza. The only exceptions to this rule are Old Navy and Hot Topic, who seem to hire whatever troll that walks in and, if it's Hot Topic, has a couple of piercings. Old Navy I never understood. I wouldn't be suprised if they hired Juliana Wetmore when she got old enough.