Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Holiday Cacti General Discussion Part #3, 0 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
JB--

Many of my CC are budding too--the BIG and the small....They are all now inside...
I just have not had time to take pictures.....busy dealing with this weather and unfinished garden jobs...
my Cataract surgeries--my daughter coming home next week and staying for a week...THAT will be great--
IF we can not do battle...She is SOOOO independent that often, being back home with Mom, brings
on all kinds of mini-battles.....

Brought the rest of my CC inside yesterday. They were the bigger/older ones.
The Baby ones have been in now for a week. Glad I started early--to avoid the panic time.

Today has been an in-house day....worked on swapping out summer clothes for fall/Winter ones...
Have spent the last couple of hours working on some X-mas crafts and listening to nice music....
Such a rare treat to decide to do this! The H--l with the TV on Saturday nights....Nothing interesting on!

Please excuse me for digressing from here on...I just need to air my feelings....

HD is doing the mega-manager/assistant Mgr. swap again. This usually happens every 2-3 years.
We are losing our Store manager--(Donn). My beloved gardening person to whom I have been
growing and giving plants to for 4 years. We are such kindred souls....How I will miss him!!!
We are also losing two of our Asst. Mgrs. I like all of them as well....
None of us know who will take their places....I DO NOT do well with women Managers...Hope we get a man one..

I will weep in my heart! It will be hard! Donn is going to the Christiana HD in Delaware. He lives close to that one. only 17 mi.
He has been driving 100mi. round trip for 4 years to come to our/HIS Store here in Baltimore..
A break in that aspect.....

Also--just 2 weeks ago--Donn's younger brother was killed in a car crash. He is taking it pretty hard. I was the 2nd person he told.
THAT alone shows you how he sees me. He really holds me in a special category as a human person.
I could see in his face that something was wrong....Finally--I snagged him in one of the aisles and asked. "Are you OK???"
Then he told me---We talked for about 10 minutes....about life and death and spirituality....and many other "deep" things...
If I can snag him for 5 minutes--we have a lot to talk about--we have so much in common....That seldom can happen.
GOD! I wish I could corral him and have a couple hours of conversations with him. I would be so good for both of us!
It is always the same--someone walks by--and that is that....."Gotta go!"..."Catch you later!"....Later never comes...

We have such a connection on many aspects--none of them to do with HD or Mgr./Associate...BUT--that is the HUGE limitation
to an actual friendship. I wish he could come to see my garden--and i--His. NO GO! He could lose his job over that!
I know--and I respect him for that. The saying: "First of all--be true to yourself" covers this 100%.
I will miss so much about him. I have never seen him as "My Manager" (Of course he is!)--only the human person behind it all...
The not-s-savvy gardener that i have nurtured for 4 years.,,and he still does not know what he is doing--because he does not
make time to look and read the photo--informational album I have created for him. It has pictures and specific information on
all the plants I have given him....He does not use it...

When we were talking--I said---"Please keep in touch!"....You have all my contacts...Phone--e-Mail--Address...etc.
How will I be able to contact YOU? His Blackberry (as a Manager) gets 100's of e-mails a day. Lost cause!
He never uses his home computer--so ne sense sending anything there!
I do send him some e-mails to his HD Blackberry----and he is pretty good at answering...short-but sweet!

I know he won't keep in touch. I live in LA--LA land in that respect...Wishful thinking....
He will be up to his ears in all his anal, perfectionist role of RUNNING A NEW STORE.
And--in a couple of years--it will be perfect! And--he will still be getting 100's of HD e-mails to his Blackberry.
This is always 24hrs a day/night.

I know this new store will be a mess when he gets there--and he will, in time, turn it into a perfect, clean, money-making store--j
just like he did ours....Took a while until all the "rebels" did his bidding. He expects a lot from his ASM's--and, eventually
he gets it. One of the ones leaving has, actually, been fired. He just does nor do the work expected of him. GONE!!!
This man will be going to the closest Wallmart as an ASM. Good luck! He better get his act together!

That is his (Donn's) mission! He is "married" to HD. So sad! But--SO TRUE!
I have been at my HD for almost 14 years. Donn is my 8th Store Manager...The best we have had! They come and they go.
Some you never even remember--and some you will miss like H--l.
You learn to "grieve" for the good ones..and totally forget the not-so-good ones...it is hard on us!
It really hardens you, in the respect of having any particular connection with any of them.

Donn is a 45yr. old, a good looking man--and he has NO time to have any kind of a relationship with someone "special"...
I wish SO MUCH that he would MAKE THE TIME to find a woman that he can have a loving relationship with.
He is such a sensitive, feeling persi=on--but working 11 hrs.--five days a week does nor leave much room for a relationship.

The brother that was just killed was the only one married of all his siblings...He was 40--and was married to a 60yr. old
woman. 13 years and going. See! Age does not matter....She is a total wreck at this time....Why not????

It sucks growing old by yourself!!!

When I finish this Post--I plan to write a long "Advice" article to Donn about what NOT to be like as a Store manager...
My main jist will be--"Do not operate out of fear of YOUR Superiors--the regional biggies. He does!
I will tell him that everything he does is good--and the sales and meeting all the goals speak for themselves...

I will also tell him that--HIS superiors can see all the good he does--as well as all the things he does out of "fear"
of not doing what they want 100%. His insecurities. He needs to believe in himself--100%--and then relax.
Self-confidence in what he knows he can do REALLY--REALLY GOOD is the difference....and he does!

I will also tell him that going around and asking random associates if they think the store looks OK is NOT
a sign of self-confidence....Believe in your own abilities--and let it be will be the main message when I get done....

Phew...I sure am brazen--aren't I? I know Donn will appreciate my comments....
Many of the people in out store think he is "Crazy" with all this--"I want it this way--and that way--Just do it!"
He needs to learn patience....Perfection may be a goal--but NOT a great way to get your subordinates to like you.

It takes the few of us to see through the Manager--and see the Human being behind all he does....There are some of us.....

Thanks for letting me air my feelings....This is so important to me....I will miss him so!!!! I am very saddened at all this....

Gita

Donn and me at last year's HD X-mas party...YES! He drove the 100 miles round trip just to make a showing at this event..
THAT is commitment to how he feels about all HIS Associates!
Everyone thought this was the greatest picture of both of us....I will always cherish this picture! A cashier took it...
One for ME--one for Donn and one for herself....