15. Camera!

(I'm getting ahead of the game by writing a post early, for once)
Last week, I got one of the greatest gifts I'll ever receive: a Canon t50.

It wasn't even a gift, really. My grandmother and I were talking about the website etsy, and how you can sell anything on it. I mentioned all the old cameras and how many times I'd almost bought one, and then she told me about the one she had in her basement. She'd been meaning to get rid of it for months. So she gave it to me!
I'm so excited. I've never spent that much time taking pictures, but I've always wanted to. Now, I've got this amazing camera to do whatever I want with.

This picture of a Canon t50 looks like it was taken with a Canon t50
(this is not my Canon t50)
(I haven't figured out how to take a picture of the camera using
the camera)

It's pretty old. It was distributed for six years, from 1983 to 1989. In the bag we found an old ticket to Disney World from 1989, which was pretty neat. It's weird to think that so many of the old family photos I look at were taken with this same camera.
Even though it's old, it isn't totally obsolete. It takes 35mm film, which you can still buy and have developed in stores. Though it's pretty expensive to keep up with. The film itself doesn't cost much, $7.99 for three rolls (24 exposures per roll), but the development really kills (my wallet).
First of all, Target doesn't even develop film anymore, which is really annoying. They sell the film, and they have photo service in their stores, but it's only digital! I'd planned to drop my film off before I go to work and pick it up on my break. But that doesn't work.
So, over the weekend I went to Walgreens. They don't have their rates posted anywhere that you can see, and I didn't want to talk to the guy more than necessary, so I didn't ask. I just got the 1-hour photo, since that's what they have advertised everywhere. He didn't charge me until I came back, and it was sixteen dollars for two rolls of film! I think if you order it for a longer period of time, like a day or so, it'll cost less, so I'm going to try that next time. I'm also asking Walmart and CVS their rates, because it really annoys me how expensive this all is.
It may seem not worth it to take these pictures if they'll cost so much, but I disagree. Everyone has one thing they spend a lot on every week (usually it's coffee or food), and mine can be film.
Hopefully I stick with this hobby. I generally get really excited about some craft, spend a ton of money,  and then never touch it again. But this one is different, since I'm actually preserving memories. It actually has rewards, even if they aren't monetary.
I brought the camera to school last week, and here are some of my favorite pictures: [they'll be updated once I can get home and scan them]

The history of the glorious Canon t50

14. Work, Work, Work

I really like my job. I probably won't be saying that in a few weeks.
But, for now at least, it's an enjoyable place to be. There's always something to do, and while that can get tiresome, I'd rather be busy than standing idle.

Hotdog!

The Grand Opening was this weekend, where we really got to see what working at Five Below was like. (Actually, we had a "soft opening" the night before, in which we were open but we didn't announce it to anyone. I got to work that night as well.) And the company really goes all out for Grand Openings. We had balloons--hundreds of small ones and one enormous one on the roof--and a 5 cent hotdog vendor. I actually got to have one on my break, and it was great

A Five Below Store! (not my store)

The first day of the Grand Opening, Friday, I was a "greeter." That basically means I hang around the entrance and offer everyone a basket and flyer. I didn't like being a greeter. It feels like you're just hassling people, and I hate being a bother. But it wasn't horrible. Some people had to organize raffles or trivia contests.
The next day I was on register. This sounds lame, but I love being on register. You always know exactly what you're supposed to be doing, unlike greeter or any other job. All you do is process transactions. And, especially on days like opening weekend, you're always busy. It was an easy job for me, and I barely made a mistake after the first hour or so.
I like working. It passes the time and I make money out of it.
The one thing I'm worried about, though, is that I might be fired. That's a big thing to be worried about. Saturday, the last day I worked, the schedule for this week wasn't up yet. So yesterday I texted my friend asking for it, because she worked on Sunday. She told me that about ten people got fired after opening weekend, and that I wasn't on the schedule. That's definitely cause to be concerned. I just got a job, and I already might be fired.
I'm confused, though. I honestly thought I did well. One of my managers even told me I worked great on the register, interacting with people well and not making too many mistakes. So I don't know why I might be unemployed (again).
I'm going to the store after school today to ask for the schedule and see what they say. Hopefully it's a mix-up.

Update: Not to be super depressing, but it wasn't a mistake. Apparently, just after grand opening, they had to cut back a whole lot on their spending, so they let go of ten or so people. I think they just needed extra help for the opening, and were planning to let us go the whole time. So I can now officially say that I hate Five Below.

Want my job? Here's an application link!
Register training! Be prepared when you apply! (this isn't the kind of register we have but it's better than nothing)