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May 18, 2004
Fruity!
baby cut carrots: $1.19 a bag
watermelon: 29cents per pound
strawberries: $1.29 pint (but the price changes almost everyday)
nectarines: $1.99 for a 10 count
brocolli: 99cents a bunch
Watching a little kid's face light up when you ask if they'd like a pretzel stick? priceless.
Okay, so the Visa Mastercard commercial thing is a little overdone, but the above sitution is real for me, now that I'm working at the local fruit market for the summer. It's family owned, with this year being its fiftieth year in existence, and everyone (and I do mean everyone) comes in to get their produce.
I've learned that a lot of life is about produce. Not production, but actual produce. You know, fruits and vegetables, things of that sort.
I wait on customers of all ages, racing from one end of the counter to the next, making sure no one has to wait. The old people sure do like their bananas. Sometimes that's all they buy--and practically in bulk! Families stop in and the kids oogle the perfectly organized baskets of peaches, and just as their hand reaches out to touch one, mommy hollers "no touch!"
We typically try to avert the "no touch" call by offering preztel sticks to the children. It's a sure-fire plan because it keeps their hands busy, their mouths full, and they stay put while mommy does the shopping.
Not to mention you feel like a saint for a few brief seconds while the child reaches up, mouth stretched into an toothy (or toothless, in some cases) grin to receive your gift of salty, bread-like goodness.
My back hurts occasionally, but that's nothing I don't expect with having to bend, stretch, lift, pull, and flex muscles I didn't think were part of my anatomy. Decent hours help, since the latest we close is 7pm. The people are fun to work for, the store smells nice (fruity!), and they keep it pretty cool (though it's easy to work up a sweat in there when it gets busy).
We carry at least 4 types of oranges, six types of apples, three types of pears, seven lettuces, and countless varieties of potatoes. And so much more. Memorizing the prices of at least one hundred and fifty items in the store has taken me awhile, but I can tell you if it's worth buying a canteloupe today or waiting for the price to drop tomorrow. (that's one of the niceties :)
The cash register has been an issue for me, and I can't type those prices in as quickly as some of the seasoned veterans, but that isn't a concern of mine, since I'm positive that whatever I do for the rest of my life won't be anywhere near a cash register... that's just a promise I've made to myself.
Posted by KarissaKilgore at May 18, 2004 10:42 AM
Comments
That sounds awesome! I could spend hours at produce markets :-)
Posted by: Donna at May 18, 2004 2:52 PM
I'm with you with the banana comment. I have that code (each fruit has one at most grocery stores)--4011 stuck in my head forever.
There is definitely a method for handling produce, especially apples. I have bruised so many! I am ready for a customer to lean over my register, grab me by the collar, and scream--"They are pretty little things, too young to be mashed into sauce. Let them alone!!"
Posted by: Amanda at May 18, 2004 3:21 PM
We have a special way that we have to unpack, pack, and bag things. Pears, peaches, apples, and other "bruiseables" are placed in their own paper bags, and all the heavy things go underneath them... it took me a little to learn that, too.
I haven't had any bruising experiences yet, but I have one hell of a real bruise on my leg--it looks like another knee-cap. (I'm thinking about posting a picture of it to share--it's kind of pretty...)
Posted by: Karissa at May 18, 2004 6:13 PM
You should setup a juice bar right after the free preztels. Make good money that way, the only set back might be millions of "Clean up on aisle 5...Juice spill." Eh...go for it!
Posted by: Stephan at May 18, 2004 10:58 PM
Hey Karissa,
That's awesome that you get to work there, remember A fruit a day keeps the "fruit nazi" away, actually it's the opposite but cest la vie. Does your store sell any mangoes? They're delicious!
Posted by: Michael Diezmos at May 20, 2004 5:28 PM
Yes, we also have mangoes (99 cents each).
It's fun, but really, the cash register just isn't my thing... I keep screwing it up!
Posted by: Karissa at May 20, 2004 6:08 PM
You'll have to let me know when cherry season is in full force. :)
Posted by: Julie at May 20, 2004 9:20 PM
Sure thing. I know we just got our first cherries the other day--bings. They're alright... not really the best, but they're cherries!
Posted by: Karissa at May 21, 2004 6:19 PM