4 June 2009

Hello World...

If you've come by the Store recently you probably will have noticed some changes. Last week we managed to score a huge pile of display fixtures like slat wall, shelves, etc. from a store whose owners have decided to retire after being in business for something like 40 years. We owe our gratitude to Western Educational for their kind generosity. They were so incredibly civil about it and made it seem like we were doing them the favour, getting rid of heavy shelves and stuff so that they wouldn't have to chuck it all into landfill. All in all it was what you'd call a "win-win" situation. We wish the good folks at Western Educational all the best.

We also acquired from them an RFID tag security system (the same kind that Shopper's Drug Mart uses) that I have yet to install. It's going to be an afternoon of swearing and frustration and a rented hammer drill making holes deep enough to put the lag bolts into the concrete floor. All that is needed is the addition of copious amounts of cheap alcohol and you'd have a pretty good recreation of an afternoon in my younger days that probably are best forgotten (to be clear - *this* time I intend to be stone cold sober. Respect the drill. Truly respect the hammer drill)

Another change you'll see here is the fact that we've had to install real, working security cameras. (For everyone who thought that big brown "camera" that was mounted over the books in the corner for years was real...surprise!...it wasn't.)

Anyway, this is not a decision we made lightly. In fact, I've been putting off getting them for as long as I could because even though I used to work full time installing such devices for corporate clients (or perhaps *because* I used to) I'm really on the fence as to the use of such things.

What tipped the balance for me was about three weeks ago: it was a slow afternoon (snowing sideways - you may recall the day) and I had Fred outside in the alley beside the Store for a well deserved bathroom break (for Fred, not me. Though I bet we could toilet train him. But I digress). I saw the guy coming up the street and go into the Store but Fred just wouldn't come back so I could go back into the Store. I realize it sounds like I'm blaming Fred. I'm not, really, but what it meant was that the guy had about fifteen seconds alone in the Store.

When Fred and I came back in, the guy was facing the till. As soon as he heard me, he turned away, browsed the incense for a minute, and then left. After he was gone I realized that the Food Bank donation jar (that salsa jar we keep by the till) was gone.

Because Rasa was doing a Tarot card Reading, I couldn't leave the Store to go after the guy. I did, however, see him a couple of minutes later, come back down the street and go into the Dollar Store. I swear he smiled at me as he was going in. When Rasa's reading was finished, I went back up the street to where I saw the guy come from and lo and behold...there was the Food Bank jar...empty on the ground beside a hedge.

What's most disturbing about this is that this jerk has been back to the Store at least twice more since then (once per week) and walks by out front a lot. He has the attitude of someone who is "scoping" out the premises and, as we now know from hard experience, he is a thief simply waiting for the right opportunity.

The Edmonton Police Service have been advised of the incident and I desperately hope this cocky SOB comes back at least once more so I can get his image to show them who he is.

The other reason the cameras really became non-optional is because I think we're starting to get a reputation in the "underworld" community as being easy to steal from. We've identified at least one couple who, even though they live two blocks away, regularly came in with big shopping bags. One would distract the staff while the other filled her bags with stuff. In retrospect, they were almost laughably transparent and once we figured out what they were up to, we made it clear we knew and they were smart enough not to come back since.

And I want to say to the 99 out of 100 people who come in the door who are honest and well-meaning...I'm sorry. Truly I am. It is *not* our intention to treat you like criminals. Unfortunately, we need to protect ourselves from that 1 person in 100 who is coming from a not-so-virtuous headspace.

When it's all finished, the system will be a true closed loop on a secure server - and the only time the files will be accessed by anyone but me is if there is an incident severe enough warrant police involvement.

Anyway...

The other news I have to share to day is that we've finally managed to get our hands on five copies of "A Brief History of the Celts" by Peter Berresford Ellis. This is for a limited time because for some bizarre reason, none of our regular suppliers carries this title. Which is sad because the book comes extremely highly recommended by a member of the local Druid community (who really knows her books).

And did I mention we got more fairies? The nice kind? With the metal wings?