So my assistant (who's new to the company, I'm training him up) calls me on my cell last night and quickly asks, "what's our policy on catching shoplifters?" I was caught off-guard since shoplifting is not a problem in my Amherst store..haven't really had to deal with that since my month-long stint at the downtown store. He said he got the plate number and the cops were at the customer's house as we spoke! I said go ahead and tell them you'll press charges.

So today I go into work and find the police report on the desk with an opened bag of Beef Jerky. Yes, the woman stuffed a bag of beef jerky in her purse and ran out. And the cops showed up at her house for it!! I find that extremely hilarious! How embarrassing it must have been for her. Pretty interesting that the Amherst Police actually responded in that manner, I could never get anything done in Florida with a plate number. Guess the cops really are bored there!

Shoplifting is dramatically on the rise lately, particularly the last 2 weeks. As the economy continues to worsen, I'm prepared for it to continue to escalate. I ALWAYS prosecute. I'd do it again for another $4.99 bag of beef jerky, lol. I'm finding more and more empty packages around the store. A couple days ago one of the shift supervisors who works for me saw a lady take a pack of gum out of a 3-pack and stick it in her purse. She brought the remainder of the pack to the register and when the customer went up to pay for her other stuff, she rang up the gum too. "THAT'S NOT MINE!!" she barks...."oh sorry I thought it was since you have the missing pack" "IT WASN'T MEEEE!!!!" and she leaves red-faced.

I take it very personally because it's my JOB. I have inventory once a year and if I don't come in under budget I am disciplined - twice in a row and I am terminated. That's also a major factor in my bonus, and thus stealing from my chain store is stealing from me!! People also like to steal dryer balls.....very odd things people choose to take.

So I think the interview went well. The thing is, being a District Manager, the job requires relocation. There's basically a 25% chance I'd end up in Buffalo but 75% chance I'd end up in one of their other upstate NY markets. And there's a one year training period where I could be in a different market from where I would be after that year. If I WERE offered a position I'd really have to think about it...I mean, I LOVE Buffalo and just moved back here 2 years ago, just bought a house a few months ago! The thing is it would be a $21,000 salary increase and I'd get a company car...then a guaranteed $5000 salary increase each year on top of that for 4 years each, plus bonuses!

I'd have to find someone to rent the house out from me...someone I trust and preferably someone I know so I can stay here when I'm back in town! This way I can drive back into town often....I don't know how the arrangement would work :( I don't really want to sell though as I'd lose major money since I rolled the closing costs into the mortgage and have only made a few payments so far. If I just let the house sit and made payments on it and some tiny apartment wherever I moved, I'd basically be netting no additional money, probably would end up costing me more in fact.

Please share your thoughts!

ok the outdated product drama I thought was behind us is returning again. Cuomo is just hell bent against us and sometime this week an anti-CVS press conference will be held by Mr. Cuomo. We will once again be thrust into the spotlight as murderers of children and the elderly alike, despite last Sunday's Buffalo News article that there is in fact no law on outdated products and in most cases, no health risk, except for baby products and some medicines. But anyway I have been instructed to once again comb the entire store...all 60,000+ SKUs for outdates and am getting no labor hours to do it with. Thanks, Cuomo. When are you up for re-election again? Can't wait. So we will be audited yet again, and if even one outdated product is found, I will be FIRED.

At least I have an interview as a District Manager with ALDI on Wednesday! Hopefully that goes well and I can escape this nightmare!

So I was an absolute insane fan of the Smashing Pumpkins, but not at their prime...I actually got into them when Machina, their last official CD before they broke up (Machina II was later released in vinyl only, as a give-away). Alas, they broke up after the release of Machina so I never got to see them live. They got back together last year (albeit with 2 of 4 original band members) and are touring right now! Of course nowhere near here has been announced yet, but in addition to their 20th anniversary tour in the big cities (NY, Chicago etc), they're doing a tour through small venues in cities they haven't hit in the past. One is Clearwater, FL...near Tampa, an hour and a half or so from Orlando. I called my best friend in Orlando up and I'm flying down for the concert. It may after all be the last chance to see them!! August 20!

As of yesterday morning, I finally have my iPhone 3G. What a great, though not perfect, device, though we're all well aware of what it can do by now.

Last week Friday (launch day) I went to the AT&T store on Sheridan. The demand for the 3G was being downplayed and I really didn't expect much difficulty getting it, so I didn't go early to line up or anything, though I did get up earlier than normal. There was a short line outside the store, turns out they were letting one person in at a time. After 5 minutes or so, I find out they're out of the iPhone and are just taking orders. I leave. I figure I'll try the Galleria since I've got two shots there - Apple Store and the AT&T store. I wanted to go to the AT&T store because I'd only have to go back there again to get my corporate discount applied.

Therefore I started at the AT&T store...very small line. Again I find out they're taking orders. The idiot walking the line said it can be ordered and will arrive on Monday. I go downstairs to the Apple store....holy freakin' line, Batman!! No way I'm waiting in a line like that for anything let alone a phone. So back upstairs I go, into a now longer line up there but still manageable. I can wait until Monday. I get to the front of the line, and am told it's $15 to get it by Monday. Ok well I wasn't told that....and honestly it's not about the money but the principle. If they can get the phones in the store on the next business day, they'd get them in there anyway so why am I paying for that? They shouldn't have run out so quickly to begin with! I cave in and place the order. I'm told I'll get a phone call and email when it's on on Monday.

Monday.....no call, no email. I gave them all day and called Tuesday...no, it's not in yet. I say I was told it would be in Monday and even paid to get it Monday. He says Monday was just an estimate but that's not what was communicated to me at all. He then said "if $15 is such a big deal we can refund it" Yes, you will.

Wednesday...I call, no iphone...Thursday....same deal. I log into AT&T to track the order and it's listed as BACKORDERED. I then check Apple Store's site and it says they will have all 3 models in in the morning. I get up Friday (yesterday) morning and go to the Apple Store, get the iphone with absolutely no wait or problem. The guy in front of me bought 5 - wtf!?

After the smug apple employee moved through the process at a painfully slow rate, I finally got my iPhone! Now to go back to AT&T and cancel that order and apply my corporate discount to my plan. This took about 25 minutes as the guy couldn't figure out how to cancel the order, and neither could the store manager. You'l have to call corporate I'm told, which I have yet to do. That'll be fun I'm sure. Then he told me I get no discount, but I was told last week it was 21%. He asks who told me that, like I remember, and finally he found it.

Wow, If it weren't the iPhone and were available with any other carrier, I'd have said screw AT&T. They have no clue what they're doing and totally botched this whole thing. I also blame Apple as it's clear Apple is keeping the vast majority of the iPhone stock for themselves to get people into their stores. Basically a ton of problems just to get a phone. And I'm not done yet as that order still isn't canceled...

but what a cool phone.

We all know the hype surrounding The Dark Knight, but I really have to admit I wasn't prepared for just how great this movie was going to be. One of the best movies I've ever seen and certainly the best comic-based movie, it's an epic crime drama and action flick all in one. Yes, epic. You still have to be prepared to suspend your disbelief for the outlandish things Mr. Wayne is capable of, but only one instance was really too much for me.

I definitely recommend checking it out in IMAX...I did at 1:35 this morning and it was well worth it!!