Two Heads are Better Than One

"...Do not pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities equal to your tasks. Then the performance of your tasks will be no miracle, but you will be the miracle. Pray earnestly." - Thomas S. Monson
If you notice this picture to your left, you see that the Pharmacist tends to the customer, looks at the prescription, process it, gives the drug to the customer (of course in the prescription bag), and sends the customer on her way (by the way, this was done pretty fast, but I think you get the point of it). Today wasn't a good day at all. The Pharmacist that I was working with blamed on the fact that we were short staffed (because one of the Technicians is out due to the fact that she had surgery), but I think today wasn't a good day because of the fact that Pharmacist didn't help me one bit. He didn't move from his station and watched me fill, input the prescriptions, and run the register (if I had more than two arms, I think it would've helped). It was chaotic from start to finish. When the other girl came in, (she usually just runs the register) she had to help me fill and let me tell you, if it weren't for the fact that she came in, I don't think that I could have handled it the way that I did. While she was filling, I was trying to input more prescriptions since the Pharmacist wouldn't and apply the drug orders that came in (thank goodness they were small ones) all at the same time. When I went to lunch, it didn't help that the girl is still new to this and again, the Pharmacist wasn't helping her so I came back to a mess a BIG mess. I wasn't mad at her, but I just wish that she knew a little more than she did (then again, if the Pharmacist HELPED THIS WOULDN'T be an issue). When I went home for the day, I told the other girl to hang in there and that everything will be better tomorrow because we have a full house (meaning that besides us, we will have the not so LAZYPharmacist and we will have another Technician too) and the look on her face was priceless. It was as if she didn't want me to leave her with this Pharmacist but I couldn't stay because of overtime.
Plain and simple: if the Pharmacist would've helped the other cashier and myself, it wouldn't have been so busy as it was. I left today knowing that tomorrow would be a better day because like I mentioned before, we will have a full house and I have faith that it will be better. I know that I haven't written on this blog since the first of March, but I have been busy working and whatnot so I am sorry that this entry is about work. I hope that it didn't bore anyone, but I just had to vent and this is my only way to (well, I could vent to God, but He is always listening). I guess I am done venting so until next time, have a good evening and God Bless!

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye...so I Will Just Say Good Luck!!

Wednesday, September 9 marked a history in making. Joe Busuttil the Pharmacist at Wal*Mart left Ithaca, New York to go live in Greer, South Carolina. I knew it was going to happen, but I didn't think that it was going to happen this fast. He has lived in Ithaca, NY and has taken care of so many people for 33 years. I also knew that I was going to cry, but again, I didn't think that I would cry in front of him. I posted some pictures of him just to reminisce of what we (Joe and I) had together and not to mention some of my favorite pictures of him.

Oh and by the way, if you want to see them (the pictures) bigger, feel free to click on them. The picture above is by far my favorite on of all. Whenever I got a medical pen (a pen with a drug name on it), he would beg for it since he collects them. And when I said no, he would give me a frown like you see above and of course, like always I gave in and gave it to him. Now if I get a pen, I will always remember the frown he would give me and just smile. It has already been two days and I miss him very much. I didn't think that I would, but I do. OK, now more pictures.

Every Sunday that Joe worked (which was every other weekend of course), he ordered food like his Pharmacist used to do and of course, since I worked every weekend I would take advantage of the food that he bought. He would order Chicken Parm. sandwiches or Pizza and boy were they good! In this picture though, he decided that he would change things up a bit and get a meatball sandwich and we both agreed that it was the biggest mistake he could have ever made (the sandwich sent us to the bathroom).

The following pictures are of Joe and some of his Technicians that he used to work with. John was one of them. Granted, John didn't get to work with Joe that long, but when Joe, John, and I worked together it was fun and yet stressful. Stressful for the fact that John felt that he didn't get to do as much as I did or that he wasn't learning anything but overall, I wouldn't trade working with John for anything. He was and still is someone that I can turn to whether it would be about work, Joe, Wal-Mart or just life. Next to James, I would have to admit that John is one of my closest friends and I couldn't thank you God anymore than I do for him. Here's another picture of John and Joe:

Out of all the Technicians that Joe and I worked with, Korrina (with whom I am pictured with below.) by far was the best (well, one of them...just kidding) Technicians that I have ever worked with. We never argued, got into a fight, or just clashed. We worked and laughed and I wish that all the Techs that I worked with were just like her. Then again, I did work with Danielle and she comes to a close second on one of my favorite Technicians that I got to work with.
When Korrina and I worked at CVS together, we would buy each other food and whenever I had a question, she would help me instead of brush me aside like most Certified Pharmacy Technicians do to a new person like myself. Even though I am not working with Korrina anymore, she has taught me so much and I thank Joe and Chad (another Pharmacy Technician) for bringing us together (hope that makes sense). Heck, there's a good chance that I may work with Korrina again, it all depends on if Dennis (the Pharmacy Manager at CVS) will hire me back with more hours and more pay. Then again, I don't know if I want to leave Wal*Mart. I think that I have it really good right now and the fact that Joe left, will mark only good things and new beginnings rather than bad things and old beginnings.
I saved the best picture for last. Before I left for Illinois last summer, I took several pictures of Joe and everyone (hence, the pictures you see here) and John took a picture of Joe and I.

Joe is more than a Pharmacist to me, he's the Father that I never had. He knows that because I always called him Dad and sometimes I called him Joe-Joe. No one else called him this well, then again, Liz called him Dad once, but I am the youngest one there in the Pharmacy and I called him Dad (not in front of customers of course). A lot of his customers will miss his warm smile, his attention to detail, and how he took care of them, but I will miss more than that. I will miss the man that I could turn to when I just needed someone to vent to while I was at work or just someone to yell at (yep, we had our shouting matches).
Joe is at a better place now. He's away from the snow and he is with his girlfriend. It took nine years for them to finally be happy and now they are. His girlfriend even told me that she's looking forward to finally seeing (she's been at their new house by herself for almost two months now) him. So, in closing, Good luck Joe! I will miss you like always, but you will always carry a place in my heart and not to mention it's about time!