Sitting in a "town hall meeting" of Home Depot employees last week, several of us broached the subject of training with our store manager, Jeremy. The Home Depot offers some incredibly structured online training modules (I'm especially grateful for the interactive "Cashier's College" that helped me weather my first days at the register!) but several … Continue reading Learning Curves
Tag: Work
A Visit (And a Visitation)
One of the interesting things about working at Home Depot is that our customers have a definite expectation that anyone in an orange apron will be able to answer any of their questions. And the reason our customers have that expectation is because we are encouraged not to answer with “I don’t know.” When I … Continue reading A Visit (And a Visitation)
Radio-Speak (Do You Copy?)
My first sailing trips were under the tutelage of my uncle, who's a stickler for doing things properly. (Best training ever! Sailing with Uncle Dick made my later "official" training a breeze. Even when the "breeze" was 18 knots!) Uncle Dick's pet peeve regarding the radio is when someone signs off with "Over and Out." … Continue reading Radio-Speak (Do You Copy?)
The “Dead C” Scroll
I just changed out the roll of receipt-tape in my cash register, and there's a surprising amount left. I'm sitting in Home Depot's garden section in a Dead Calm (that's my "Dead C")---and now that I suddenly have a small scroll of paper to hand, I'll write. I was trying to occupy myself by re-reading … Continue reading The “Dead C” Scroll
Going GRAYcefully?
I’m thinking about letting my gray grow. I know this doesn’t sound like an earth-moving decision, but the question has deeper roots in how I see myself. I don’t “feel” like a gray-haired person, so I haven’t liked seeing the silver strands framing my face when I let it lapse between color rinses. I honestly don’t even … Continue reading Going GRAYcefully?
Advice from a Polyglot
Yesterday I asked my co-worker Shawky where he's from. He was born in Cairo, he answered, and grew up in Greece---and he used to work on ships, visiting 89 countries and acquiring six languages. Apparently Home Depot doesn't have an "I speak Romanian" badge, because that's the only one he's missing. I joked that he probably … Continue reading Advice from a Polyglot
Fishing vs. Catching
When I stepped outside the cabin this morning, the creekside meadow in muted colors of pre-dawn looked more like an impressionist's watercolor than an actual scene... But minutes later the sun swooped above the ridge opposite, and the meadow suddenly popped with all the vibrant maroons and golds of September in Stanley. Or maybe that's … Continue reading Fishing vs. Catching
Kana's Chronicles 