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Life as a small town Deli Girl

I have been working in the deli at Neillsville's IGA (grocery store) for almost a year, and the people I serve have never ceased to amaze me.

Just yesterday, over the span of three hours, the same 10-year-old girl came in four times to get six different flavors of ice cream.

The girl was no twig either, let me tell you.

I always think that someone should put a sign out front warning parents that if they take their children near the deli then they will have to edure at least fifteen minutes with cries, "Mommy! I want ice cream," that can be heard throughout the store.

What makes me sad is how many parents cave in and buy the stupid kids ice cream. Way to play hardball.

At least those customers give me a few laughs. Some are just plain frustrating.

First, there's the people who are just browsing. They spend ten minutes walking back and forth looking, so that there is no way I can go back to what I was doing before they came up. Then they decide they don't want anything. Ugh.

Worse are the people who order one of everything. Potato salad, coleslaw, macaroni salad, tapioca, jello, crab salad, meatballs, cooked ham, three kinds of cheese, and...oh maybe I want some chicken too. As if I have no other customers to help, these people selfishly take up all of my time with no thoughts about anyone other than their grumbling stomachs.

My least favorite are the picky people. They usually go for chicken or meat. If its meat, they want it freshly sliced, not that dry stuff already in the case. If its chicken they want, its worse. They will inspect every single piece of chicken in the hotcase before deciding which one looks the plumpest. I have news for these people- THEY ARE ALL THE SAME!!!

Some people...

Some of my regular customers are quite the characters.

1. Cheese Lady
Always comes in to get one pound of Colby Longhord Round cheese. Expects me to know her name.
2. Cheese Dude.
Always gets German Brick cheese. Literally smells like someone took a dump, wrapped it in tin foil and called it a dairy product. Whole deli smells for hours.
3. The half-pounder
Comes in almost every night and gets half a pound of tapioca, half a pound of potato salad, and half a pound of something else. Why doesn't she get a whole pound and save herself a trip?
4. Barty Crouch
Harry Potter lovers, this one's for you. This guy looks like he'd be a perfect Barty Crouch, Sr. complete with pencil mustache. Always gets chicken.
5. The Hotties
One is blonde with gorgeous blue eyes.
The other looks like a puppy, I swear.
Every time I serve one of these guys I almost hyperventilate and get the urge to ask, "Do you like the way I handle your meat?"

So...that's my job. Well, mostly, but there's always another day, eh?

-Ta ta!
A. A.