The Challenge

A group of us at work are having a weight challenge. I think they are 7 or 8 of us who are participating. We have all set a goal of how much we want to lose (or gain in the case of the few of the guys who are participating) by June 1st and who ever gets the closest to their goal wins the pot. We each put in $10. Yesterday we all weighed ourselves so it kind of made it the first official day of the challenge even though many of us have already been dieting for a week. I have already lost 4 lbs! It would be really nice to win because hey that's $70-80 but I'm just happy that I'm doing something to lose weight. I have struggled with my weight my entire life, as you all know. Three years ago, I lost 30 lbs with Nutrisystems and I was really proud of myself but in the three years since I have gained it all back. I thought, naively or wishful thinking, that after I moved to NY that the pounds would just come off because I don't have a car and I pretty much walk everywhere but that's not really true. I do do a lot of walking but I mostly walk to the bus or subway and take them places. So my brilliant plan was not so brilliant. So the new plan is when I have close at work, I'm going to walk to work. I figure it will take me at least an hour to get to work. I do live about 40 blocks away so it's not that bad of a walk. I just have to make sure to bring deodorant so I don't smell when I get to work. I have already started bringing my lunch to work so I'm not tempted to eat out at say, Five Guys once a week. (Which is delicious!) and I have started eating breakfast. I'm never really been much of a breakfast eater. I'm usually not hungry in the morning so I don't eat. I know this just makes me hungrier later and then I over eat at lunch or whenever I do eat but it didn't make sense for me to eat when I'm not hungry. But I am eating breakfast now and having small snacks through out the day so I don't over eat. I'm really exciting about the whole thing and I hope I do well. I hope we all do. Wish me luck!

Update

Last night I rolled my ankle walking to the bus. It was painful but I do do thins about once a year. The worse part was that I was still a block and half away from the bus stop, when I got to the bus it was packed so I had to stand almost the whole way home and then when I got off the bus I still had to climb up the hill (and 36 stairs) to my apartment. It was a long night and I don't even have a pretty bruise to show for it. My ankle is a little swollen but it has been a lot worse in the past so I guess I should be happy.

A group of girls at work are competing to see who can lose the most weight. Well, it's whoever gets closer to their goal by June 1st. Yesterday was the first day but since I was aware of the game until I decided to start today. Well, then the ankle injury and I felt I needed cookies so I made cool whip cookies. I have eaten most of them. I know it's bad. I'll do better tomorrow. I went grocery shopping today a bought healthier food so Go Me.

Now that it is April and I have used all my paid time off for last year, it's now back to business as usual. I can't believe how fast time flies. It's been almost three weeks since Jackie and Kate were here, two weeks since I saw Mom and Dad in Minneapolis. I'm a little sad. For one morale hasn't been all that great at the store and I'm still hoping the corporate office would call me for an interview. I really want to go on vacation again. *lol*

Dumb Criminals

Very rarely do we catch shoplifters. You have to be pretty dumb to get caught especially in a climate where companies are afraid of being sued for false accusations. Businesses have to be 100% sure that the person really did steal the items they have been accused. So basically, the only way they are going to be arrested if they actually admit to it. Well, we had 2 people try to shoplift from our store. The first guy tried to go out our ramp thinking that since he did see the security gates on both sides that it had no security sensors. He was wrong. His books beeped. The best part of the story is our Security guard asking the guy "What do you think your doing?". Really the best question ever! The guy so embarrassed. Put the books down and quickly left the store and that was it. The real genius was on Saturday. I wasn't there for the first guy but was working on Saturday. I was in the middle of doing a return when in the corner of my eye I could see one of my cashiers trying to get my attention. So, I ask her what she needs and our conversation went kind of like this.

cashier: "um... I just saw someone leave the store with a bunch of books and our paid-detail go after them. What do we do now?"

me: when did you see this?

cashier: a couple of minutes ago.

me: have they returned yet?

cashier: no.

me: ok, um, well. Let me tell (my manager) Laurie.

So I relay this story to Laurie and as I am finishing up, the Security guard (who looks 12) calls her to tell her the same thing I just did. At this point, it's time for my break. So, I clock out. Go downstairs to get my bag and as I'm leaving the store to get dinner the paid-detail cop has returned with the shoplifter in handcuffs. He didn't exactly look like you expect a shoplifter to look like. He was definitely in hipster gear. horn-rimmed classes, hoody jacket, fedora and converse. He looked so embarrassed, as he should be, when she brought him in but it was my break time and I was hungry so I wasn't going to stick around to see what happened. Well, I missed the excitement because like I said, we don't catch that many shoplifters. Laurie called our store manager, she wasn't in, so she called one of ASM's to ask what to do. He said call the cops and if they think we have enough evidence to charge him they will arrest him. So, she did call the cops but so did the paid-detail officer and our other manager who was there too. So there was like 20 cops walking around with nothing to do. The shoplifter was obviously not a pro because he immediately confesses. I guess he figured that if he admitted to it that we wouldn't arrest him but he was wrong. He admitted to it and he was going to jail and since it was a Saturday night. He would have to spend the weekend in jail and all for $180 worth of books. The best part was he was wearing a name badge. He works for Saturday Night Live! So he definitely wasn't going to work that night! I really hope that they do a skit on it next week!