Wednesday, February 24, 2010

hello, my name is ma'am


Every time Cade would come up to Pennsylvania to visit my family he sir-ed and ma'am-ed my parents to death! My parents found it hilarious every time he called them by those titles and they acted jokingly pompous at being extended these 'regal' titles. Cade told me that it was considered a great disrespect down in the south if you didn't address everyone as sir or ma'am, and as a child you would be smacked if you didn't remember to do so. I'm not sure if it's just me, but up north I don't think anyone ever calls anyone by these titles unless they are at least 20 years your senior. I actually often got scolded by female customers at my work if I called them ma'am because they consider anyone that can go by that title to be "old".

Tuesday night was my first night at my new job, and the pharmacist (Tasha) and the two girls (Summer and Chanoa) I worked with were really nice! I was sooo shocked to see that their definition of busy was laughable compared to what I used to deal with in my old store. Unfortunately, however, the laws in Louisiana are so much stricter than Pennsylvania. In addition to being nationally certified as a pharmacy technician, you must also be state licensed. I need to apply for a license and I need to work for 600 hours under a pharmacist before I can so much as refill a prescription or count a single pill! So for now I am just a cashier, which really stinks because I used to do all the duties at my old store (I worked there for almost 2 years!) and now I'm like a peon :( I'm still going to be paid the same amount, so that is okay. I just wish I was more... useful?

Almost every customer I rung up called me ma'am and it was extremely strange to me. I'm 20 years old, I'm not a ma'am! Even women who were in their 60s were calling me ma'am. That would never happen back at home. I was practicing trying to call everyone ma'am and sir, but it felt so awkward to me. Not to mention the fact that every customer had some kind of crazy-hard-to-pronounce French last name. I did take French for 4 years in high school, but the 2 years and the addition of Spanish vocabulary have pretty much shoved all recollection of French out of my head. Redoirpoix... Voidrideux... Goudret... AAAAAAHHHH!!

Last night I attempted to make my first big-girl dinner since I've been here. I made chicken parmesan for Cade, and eggplant parmesan for me (Cade doesn't eat anything that rhymes with vegetable). It actually turned out really really delicious, if I do say so myself. I was really surprised because I usually can't cook to save my life! I always follow recipes to the 'T' and they always turn out horribly wrong. This time I didn't really follow a recipe, I just kind of winged it, and it came out alright! Yeah!! :)

Sorry for the boring post and the lack of pictures! I promise I will charge my camera and make a point to take pictures around here this week!

Oh, and I almost forgot... here is the little video tour of the apartment I made:

Tour of the Apartment from Emilie Briggs on Vimeo.


I'm not wearing any make-up and I sound really nasally... ugh. Just pretend it's better! ;)


My mom helped me get a new lil iPod since my old one got stolen.
And yes, I am listening to Michael Jackson. What of it?

11 comments:

  1. ngaaww im glad u have a new ipod ur such a cutie!!!! you can have a fresh start then :3 and i saw the video.. now i want to stock up on chicken nuggets lol!!

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  2. awe!!! I love it, the apartment is really coming together! Yay for new ipod! <33

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  3. now I want to give a tour of my place :D lol

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  4. You have such a sweet voice! Your apartment is cute and it looks like really nice weather outside! I live on a military base and people call me ma'am and I get sooo irritated!! I am only 21 years old, I'm not 50!! I am from PA too so I understand the foreignness of it <3

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  5. LOL!! Southern life is very different huh? I am used to calling people sir and mam, I dont know otherwise, I taught my kids to do the same. I guess it was just bred into me to do so. I love the tour of your apartment so cute!! Hope you love La as much as I do!!
    xoxo,
    Lindsay

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  6. i was never raised to call people sir or ma'am but all other manners were DEFINITELY enforced.

    i hate when people call me ma'am, i always want to turn around and see who they are talking to!

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  7. i love the grace the southern people have, it's really darling.

    your apt looks adorable. i really like it!

    ps, i am really liking your hair.

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  8. Wow. That's actually a really neat apartment! Big too.
    How much are you paying for it?

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  9. Anonymous - The rent is $750 per month :)

    Hayley - I completely agree! I haven't gotten yelled at by a single customer since I started working at the store... it's quite refreshing!

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  10. PANCAKES AND SAUSAGE ON A STICK?! I need that! i love that you have one piece of cheese hahah. Whats up with cades root beer bottle collection?!

    i love the balcony! OH and im jealous that it looks so nice there. theres still snow here. :( I BET YOUR GLAD you're not in pa anymore! haha

    the place actually seems really big! good thing the rent there is cheap. it'd be so expensive here, gah. OH! and congrats on your big girl dinner! :)

    Okay this comment is so long. sorry. haha

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  11. thanks so much for your kind comment. :)

    good luck with the sirs and ma'ams!
    :)

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