10 things I hate about ghettoplex.

Wednesday May 25th, 2011.

After 3 long agonizing years as a ghettoplex employee... I can finally say that I have quit. I'd like to thank them for friendships that will never be forgotten and experiences that I will, honestly, work the rest of my life to forget. Thank you for providing me with the money to survive high school and the year after.

I heart my coworkers!

But at this point in time, I'm done with thank yous. I've got some major complaints as an employee.

1) Ghettoplex hearts their staff... NOT!
I used to be okay with the way I was treated at ghettoplex. Then I spent the summer working at Canada's Wonderland and realized what it was like to be appreciated. My supervisors were approachable. The head of Splashworks was one of the nicest guys I know. After that summer of being treated respectfully and people acknowledging my efforts to be a good employee, going back to ghettoplex was one of the most difficult decisions of my life. I have had so many ridiculously outrageous things happen to me as an employee that some I won't bother mentioning. But for this, I must mention this story.
Once upon a time, when I was closing one night with some fellow staff, there were about 3 or 4 of us, and we had just finished for the night. We had asked for management to come out and check bar for us. Our manager informed us that we needed to recount the large cups. This would be our third time recounting them which is more than a normal evening. The usual routine goes something like this...

We count.
They check.
We recount.
We go home.
The End.

One of my coworkers placed his hands on the small of our managers back as he asked her to come and count the cups for us because we had done all we could to get the right number.

I realize it's a wedding photo... But it was much more work appropriate, I assure you.

She. FREAKED. OUT! She screamed and yelled at him. "DO NOT TOUCH ME. GET OFF ME. GO HOME. SWIPE OUT AND GO HOME RIGHT NOW!" I was terrified. I have never been so shocked to someone's reaction in my life. The people who had been standing behind her thought she was joking. But when they looked at the people facing her, they knew she was not. So, our coworker swiped out about 15-20 minutes before we were actually finished. The worst part of this was that he couldn't even leave... He had to sit and wait for his twin brother to be done work.

I understand that there are physical barriers when at work. But that was an over reaction, one of the many temper tantrums that have been thrown in my time.

This probably would have been a more appropriate reaction...

2) Disgusting... Everything
From the first day, to my very last, I have continuously left feeling utterly repulsed by the filth that our customers manage to bring to our establishment. Just last Wednesday, a woman came to me explaining that there was a toilet that had overflowed in the women's washroom. My coworker went to go investigate. She came back about 15 minutes later explaining that a customer had taken a giant poo in one of the stalls, overflowed the toilet, not told anyone and left the little chunks of poo on our bathroom floor. YUM!

That is just one of the many examples of disgust that I have from ghettoplex.

3) The customer is always WRONG
I don't know who came up with the saying "the customer is always right", but that person was obviously an idiot. To put it nicely, customers are morons. People always complain about the line ups at the movie theatres. Well, let me tell you why those line ups are so long...

Me: Hi, what show are you seeing today?
Customer: Uhhhhhh... Uhmmmm...
I'm now looking at my screen blankly, because really, there's nothing else I can do. 
Customer: That movie... with.. Who's that guy? From that movie? With the guns and the cars?
Me: Clearly annoyed. Fast Five?
Customer: No... Hmmmm... OH! I know what it was. BRIDESMAIDS.
Me: Oh... How did I not guess that?
Customer: Ha. Ha. Ha. I'm so silly.
Me: Do you have a scene points card?
Customer: A senior's card? I have a student's card!
Me: No, our points card...
Customer: Oh! YES! I do. It's in my purse somewhere here.
Customer proceeds to search through their handbag for 45 minutes for their scene card before they say...
Customer: Oh... I must not have it with me.
Me: That's fine. That'll be $18.50 for the two of you.
Customer: WHAT?! Wow. When did your prices go up?
Me: Well with HST, they were actually lowered to $9.25 each.
Customer: This is ridiculous... Fine. Whatever. Here. Hands me a one hundred dollar bill.
Me: Sorry, we actually don't accept those...
Customer: This is a legal tender. You have to accept it! It's the law!
Me: Sorry, it's just company policy. Do you have anything else you could pay with?
Customer: No, I don't. Let me speak to a manager.
I go hunt for a manager in the middle of the 6 o'clock rush.
Manager: Our company policy has a strict rule against one hundred dollar bills.
Customer: Fine. We'll just take our business else where.
Me (thinking): $@#$!@#%#%^$#*@#$@%$@*@#$!!!!!!!
Me (speaking): Can I help the next guest here? Hi, what show are you seeing today?

That's just at box office too. Now imagine that indecisiveness when you've gone to get 4 small popcorns, 12 small drinks, 3 bags of candy and 25 kids combos (yes, people actually order 25 kids combos...) Just for the person to turn around and order the large drink and large popcorn that you suggested before.

4) Stupid policies
Recently, they tried to implement the rule that you have to point at the combos when suggesting them and point to the photo of the scene card while asking for it. Why? So that they could check the cameras later and tell you off for not suggestive selling.

They also have policies on eating or drinking while customers can see you. Which I can understand... if it's not water. But no, we were not allowed to drink water in front of customers.

I did it anyways... Shhhh :)

5) The newbies
I have no problem with newbies when they're eager and do all of my work. To be quite frank, I actually LOVE it. I hate when newbies are snobby and rude. When they've worked there for a week and already complain... I've worked there for three years.

Try to complain. Try to top the complaints I've got. You know nothing. Everything you say will be ignored, voided and nulled.

I once told a newbie to quit if she hated the job so much... She didn't quit. But she did get fired. Funny how things work out.

6) Early, pointless, mind numbing meetings
Our staff meetings happen about once every 4 or 6 months. Now this, I can't complain about. At other places that I've worked, they had meetings daily and weekly. The thing that I hate about these meetings... Is that they are at 8am on Saturday mornings. With my luck, I always have some sort of event the night before which has me getting home at 2am the night before which results in me sleeping through most of the meeting. The other thing that bothers me is that

ALL THE MEETINGS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.

I could have attended my very first cast meeting and never attended another one from that point on in my Cineplex employment and I would have been fine.

7) Stupidest. Coworkers. Ever.
Now, don't get me wrong. I work with some amazing people, whom I love. But I also work with some of the biggest idiots on the face of the earth. Sometimes I just don't understand how they even got hired. Transfers I can understand because they weren't hired at my theatre and maybe the manager there has a soft spot for morons...

There's a guy I work with that I told I wasn't very good with a push broom when we were cleaning a theatre, because to be honest, it's the truth. I'm better at picking up cups, bags, etc. and sweeping up the piles. His response? I'm surprised that you're not good with a push broom. (Ready for why?) Because women are usually best with brooms. I just want my wife to stay home with the kids and make sandwiches for me when I get home. Do my laundry. Generally, just pick up all my crap and baby me, because really, I just want someone who'll replace my mother. (I may be exaggerating.)

It took everything inside of me to bite my tongue.

There are two other guys that I work with who are actually just unintelligent. One refuses to anything but rip tickets. Do you know how many other ridiculously easy jobs there are at Cineplex? All of them. All of the jobs are easy. I was once watching door and he stood right next to me and literally nudged me off of the door man stand. WHO DOES THAT? He does... Apparently.

The final guy is just freakin' weird. There's no other way to describe him. He once told me that my jacket was extremely stylish (or something to that effect) and I immediately wanted to rip the jacket from my body.

8) Combo #1 is HOW MUCH?!
This I will never. ever. understand. How people think that things will be cheap at a movie theatre. They are never cheap. Just the movie is $18.50 for two people. (We all know you're not going alone.) The combos are then about the same price or more. Do yourself a favour, buy a large drink and a large popcorn if you have to get something. You get a refill, you're not scammed into a full price candy. That's right, the combos are a total rip off. You save no money by getting a combo. We only suggest them because our managers tell us to. Not because it's a better deal.

So next time you order a combo, don't be surprised when your total comes to $50, your pocket lint and your left kidney. And don't complain to the person working because trust me, they didn't make the prices and they don't care if you feel that you're paying too much. Because guess what? If you were THAT outraged you wouldn't buy anything!

9) Drama Rama
For some reason, not only do I work with some of the stupidest people in my town, but I also work with some of the most dramatic. From managers dating cast members to just straight up foolishness, there is always drama.

I think I've been screamed at by coworkers (that's right, not the managers) about 4 or 5 times. For miscellaneous reasons. I told their boyfriend that I was annoyed with them. I didn't buy them or offer to get them McDonald's while I was on break. I told my manager that I found something that they said was offensive. All childish and pointless. We work together. We don't need to be BFFs, I already have 2 great ones... I really don't need any more. Just please, let me come to work and leave in peace. That is my only request.

I worked with crazies.

10) Please, do not go to the movies drunk, high or ill.
The people who work there will hate you. Why? Because we have to clean up your vomit, blood, poop and any other kind of bodily fluids that you leave in our bathrooms or on our carpet. I've cleaned up vomit 3 times in my 3 years. It's never fun.

If you come to a movie completely stoned... Just don't. Don't come to a movie completely stoned. No one likes you. You smell disgusting. You're a complete mess. You can barely form a coherent sentence.

In conclusion, after three years at Cineplex Odeon, I can definitely say...

It was real. It was nice. But it was not real nice.

it's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood.

Today I has plans to go to lunch with my friend, but my mom had to take the car to work and to get groceries. I ended up walking to my friends house which resulted in my decision for the day:

I live in a beautiful town.

Now the problem with this, is that I'm moving to Ottawa in a few days for the summer to work and live with my grandparents. I'm really excited but kind of sad because I'm leaving so much behind. Tear.

Tonight, I work my last shift at my HORRID job at Cineplex Odeon. I have a very fun post planned for tomorrow as my personal farewell full of fun stories from my 3 years working there. I'm so excited to post it. You have no idea! After the drama filled final shifts there, I can definitely say that I'm ready to leave and never go back. Even though, I definitely love 99.9% of my coworkers.

Guest Blogging: I Heart My Shoes*

This is my first time blogging outside of my own blog! I'm so excited. Today, you can find me at a cute little blog called I Heart My Shoes. What Shop Girl is doing is getting a whole bunch of people to write about their favourite dresses so that she can get some inspiration to buy some new dresses herself. Apparently, her collection is lacking. But mine, however, is not!

The dress I decided to blog about!

So head on over and read the post I wrote!

5 Facts About My Mom

1) She thinks she is African American. These are a few of her favourite things: Destiny's Child, Dreamgirls, etc.

2) She sings tenor. For those of you who don't know what that is, she sings like a man.

3) She makes terrible jokes. But she thinks that they are so funny that she laughs until she cries, and she hasn't even gotten to the funny part. We usually laugh at her, not with her.

4) She married the love of her life.

5) She has 5 beautiful children, if I do say so myself. They love her very much.

Happy Mother's Day!

Funny Fridays: World's Greatest Resume

I have been searching for a job for months now, with absolutely no luck. (Until last week!) I probably should have made my resume more like this if I wanted to get a great job.

Click to enlarge.

Week 1: The Breaking Point

This week was hard.

People told me that for the first 2 weeks, I would hate my life... I totally underestimated that statement. For some reason, I have this illusion that I'm in the shape that I was at my prime, when I was working out twice a day, 5 days a week. That I can still do everything I did then. Even though, I now have fat where there was once muscle. I hate life when I'm working out and I want to quit every. single. time.

The "Yoga X" video was what was scheduled for last friday... I tried to do it by myself and I gave up about 15-20 minutes into the work out. It's actually the most difficult thing I have ever done. I was working my core so much in the first 15 minutes that I was shaking. It was like my entire torso had an earthquake. It probably didn't help that my cat, Misty, decided to walk up my body.

Saturday through to Tuesday, I may have worked out once. I was discouraged. I was helping my neighbour move in and as I cleaned out her fridge, I couldn't do anything! I couldn't squat, kneel, sit... I could only stand. It was brutal! But luckily she's super cool and just laughed with me at my inability to move.

On Saturday, I was getting ready to go to my neighbour's house again, and I went downstairs to grab something before I left and my leg gave out from underneath me. I slid down the rest of the stairs on my butt... Good times!

P90X wise... I decided that I can't do that every day. Anyone who has done it or tried it knows why. It's actually work out  MADNESS. It's insane. It's difficult. It pushes you to your limits. And then makes you do it again. I have decided to only do P90X two or three times a week. The other days, I'll be bike riding.

I went last night with my sister and brother. Colin took Outdoor Education at school last semester, so he's in pretty good shape. He rode his bike a like 30 minute drive one day with his class. Mad respect. We went on our bike ride, this was my second time going with Elise and Colin. It was going well. Until we passed the park that we stopped at last time. Then I started getting extremely tired, my legs were shaking, I felt like if I got off the bike I would never walk again. Every time Elise and Colin took a break, they were waiting for me to catch up and then when I got there, it was time to go again. I was dying. I told them that I was done for the day, and they said that we needed to go back to the main road so that we could head home. I complied and off we went. I could see the main road in front of us and I was ready to turn left and go home. And then... Colin and Elise turned right (#7).

I. Was. Pissed.

So as soon as they stopped, I told them again that I wanted to go back. That's when they finally agreed to head back. Then we rode back along the main road (#10). They stopped after we turned off the main road so that we could ride together again (you're never supposed to stop when you're biking on a main road). Then Colin was like "OKAY! Let's go!" And I just stopped. I actually just yelled at him and was like I need to stop and take a break right now because I haven't had a real break this whole ride and now I just want to die. Colin is a very determined guy, kind of like my dad in that sense. He finishes what he starts, so he rode off a bit ahead of Elise and I. Elise just was like come over here, give me a hug. That's when I looked something like this...

I was just tired from the day, I didn't want to be doing this anymore. Elise took charge and grabbed my ipod to put on some motivational music. It was Mumford & Sons. Of course! One of my all time favourite bands. 

With Mumford & Sons playing in my ear, I biked home and completed our 16km bike ride and burned a total of approximately 1500 calories. (That's THREE whole entire Big Macs!)

I totally got my butt kicked yesterday, but this morning I woke up feeling so happy that I finished the ride. AND! My muscles weren't sore! So today, I'm going again after Elise gets home. Next week, I'll let you know if there are anymore "breaking points". But I think the worst is behind us. 

I CAN DO THIS!

Dear 16 year-old me,

Do not worry about losing friends. It's a part of life. It happens to everyone, and it's totally natural. You will have those memories forever. Cling to them.

Stand up for people. Do not let people around you speak ill of those you love.

Do what you love and forget the rest.

Wear sunscreen.