Oct 6

Tue 10-6 7.30am

Called my phone company yesterday to find out how to make the cellphone work as a modem. Turns out that this smart phone (Blackberry Pearl Flip) requires OS 10.5.5. And of course, I have 10.3.9.

So will send the new phone back and have the old phone reactivated. I have to call from a landline with the fully charged old phone in hand so I can do whatever programming is called for. I told them I was in New Mexico but that didn't seem to make a difference. So I'll go to town tomorrow and commandeer the pay phone at Walmart, with lots of quarters, and see if it'll work.

Then, of course, I'll still be without internet access. Plan to come back to the Apache Cafe and use their wifi. Hope they have a plug I can use so I don't deplete the battery. Really want to apply for that park management job.

Talked to Chuck last night (boss at Picacho Peak). He's doing really well there -- has gotten the store into the black and Bowlin is very pleased with him. I told him about my feelings about the job etc and he said he'd thought from the beginning that I wasn't going to be happy. At least, he said, if I were still at PK he could "take care" of me and keep my hours low etc. We agreed that I would talk to Johnny Riley if the park job doesn't come through and tell him my problems and thoughts. I'll see if they have a job that's more office/administrative that will keep me off my feet.

We also agreed about the micro-management style of Bowlin, very irritating to those of us who have lots of experience in management. Not only do they try to micro-manage (no moving of display tables without prior approval, for instance), they don't really plan ahead so there's lots of crisis management. They're always putting out fires. I think a lot of that is because their so-called managers have no authority to do anything on their own, just lots of responsibility.

It's all very "corporate." Johnny Riley and I talked yesterday so he could check on the status of my training. There's a specific schedule for each week of what one is supposed to be trained in and it all gets faxed to corporate hq. I'm also supposed to watch videos of motivational speakers on selling and the like. Oh please! Like I give a shit.

I'm taking about three times my normal amount of pain relief these days -- not good. Beginning to feel like I'm getting shin splints. The knees are doing okay; it's the hips that are the real problem.

Starting Thursday, I'll be doing 7-hour shifts and I know I'm going to be in pain, limping, and walking funny. My days off will be split, too, so will only get one day of rest at a time. I'm not a happy camper.