Today at Work

Working basket is my favorite job at Lion King. They've put me on books, basket, and carts so far. Books means walking around hocking souvenir programs, stuffed Simbas, and CDs; carts are stationary on the top level, mostly T-shirts, stuffed animals, CDs, keychain and magnet trinkets and some other stuff; and Basket is aaaaaaaall stuffed animals. Walking around with a peanut seller's basket filled with Julie Taymor's designs of Simbas, Nalas, Scars, Pumbas, Timons, and Zazus. My favorite.

I don't know if it's the particular way I shake the Pumbas to attract attention, but I clean UP when I work basket. I get to play with stuffed animals all day! And I get an hourly rate, no commission, so I don't care if you buy them or not!

Now, occasionally I'll be waving a Simba in one hand and a Pumba in the other and some tourist wants to take a picture of them/me. That's fine, whatever, but according to the other sellers the rest of them don't get photographed that often. I think it's because most other people hate working basket, so they're not smiling and waving the merchandise around happily.

Today I was assigned to work basket for walk-in, then move up to cart for intermission and walk-out. While I was standing outside shaking my Simba and peddling my Pumba (I have a system, you see. The wild Simba hair shaking around attracts people from afar, then once they get closer the presence of the Pumba alerts them to the fact that I have animals that the booksellers don't), some lady asked if I would be around after the show as well.

"Well, I won't be on basket, but I think someone will have the basket at intermission and walkout," I answered.
"Oh no," she said, "it's not that, we just think you're adorable and want to take a picture later."
"Oh!" I said. "Ah...well, where are you sitting, in the mezzanine? There are two carts up on that level, I'll be at one of them."

And then at walkout, they found me! They came 'round, said, "we're back!" all gathered around (it was a group of a couple of families, I think) and then bought a T-shirt from me.

Sometimes your daily dose of self-esteem comes from the most unexpected places. What a difference job happiness makes: little do they know I smile because I get to play with stuffed animals all day (sometimes) and don't care if anyone else buys them, not because I like nasty little children.

I start training for FAO Schwartz on Monday. We'll see how THAT goes...=|