Have a Slice

Watermelon Tourmaline Crystal

So, some of you may be wondering what I've been up to since I posted earlier on this year. Ok, maybe not, but I'll tell you anyway. I spent most of my summer working at a jewelry store in Ogunquit, Maine. We specialized in tourmaline, particularly watermelon tourmaline. I wish we had a piece as gigantic as the one pictured above. I was the store manager and I drove nearly an hour to work, every day. Trust me when I tell you, that is no small feat. Ogunquit is a beautiful, quaint little touristy town. I encourage you to visit it, if you get the chance. Want to know why? I never did.

Ogunquit has a gorgeous beach, cute little ice cream shops, plenty of places to get a lobster roll, candy stores, restaurants, and oh yeah, a nice little jewelry store. The parking, however, sucks. And those meter-maids are brutal. Other than that, there was all this fun waiting to be had, and I never took advantage of it.

Once summer hits, the traffic in Ogunquit is insane. There are cars as far as the eye can see on Main St., and you take your life into your own hands if you try to cross the road. Even with a crosswalk. Most of the traffic is not from Maine. Apparently, wherever people come from, they don't think anything of traffic/pedestrian laws. Main St. is pretty much the only way out, so you're screwed if you hate traffic. (I hate traffic.)

So, because I knew the ordeal that awaited me when I got out of work, I never bothered to stick around. Best to get Main St. out of the way and get the heck home.

I made plans to come back with my friend Melissa, on my birthday. It rained. We didn't go. Now my parking pass is expired, and I will have to wait to get a new one. That is, if the store opens again this Spring. Please pray that it does, because I haven't been able to find steady work since season's closing last August.

Now here's the strange thing. I actually MISS working there! I won't lie, I hate working retail. It's not me AT ALL to be all "Helloooooo, how are yoooou todayyyyy?" with a phony smile on my face. Oh, I am pleasant with the customers, for sure. But not the point of being phony.

Looking back, I had a lot of leeway. I could display the jewelry any way I liked. (I truly enjoyed this, and gosh-darn it, I was good at it, too!) If I wanted time off, all I had to do was ask. My bosses, a husband and wife, were more than understanding of my little concert addiction. (Which I will tell you about in my next blog.) I had the freedom to wear what I wanted - no ridiculous dress code. Rest assured, I always dressed appropriately. I could be myself with the customers, and not have to upsell or rattle off some pre-determined spiel. You don't know what you've got, till it's gone, I suppose.

So, if you are in Ogunquit, please enjoy the town on my behalf. :) Perhaps I'll be hoisting a big hunk of watermelon tourmaline when you stop by.