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CJ is such a freakin' good kid. Like... Damn. I can tell César and Brett are proud AF. Also... I died laughing at this.

I howled at César's comment about CJ not being an accountant. Loved it! I'm excited for Chipper to be a part of CJ's life. Those two are going to hit it off well.

Woke up way too early, much thanks to the new neighbor's doggo and its opera singing. A calm-ish chapter, and I like it. My blood pressure's finally come down from the beginning of this book, but I'm antsy to learn how King's handling his departure from Dragon.

I have no problem with a 12 year-old performing simple work. I started working when I was 10. With my personal experience, I wholeheartedly agree with the federal labor laws (must be 14, and the rules are strict. No powered equipment usage until 18). Proper meal and rest breaks must be given, and hours must be monitored. Personally, I'd add limited customer interaction to the list if I could. I don't need a kid getting scarred by a Karen on a warpath. Immersing a child into work can lead to mental issues. One of my coworkers eats, sleeps, and breathes work. She'll continue to work after she's clocked out because she feels an unnecessary ownership of the store. This is where I do respect both labor laws and corporate ethics (brewed by insurance policies). If she gets injured while working off-clock, it will fall on either the store for not paying her to work or her for knowingly working off-payroll, which may affect whether the company should pay for the medical bill. Ultimately, there are many aspects to today's retail industry I'd love to change, if I had my own business. No need to be open 112 out of 168 hours in a week; close down for a day or two. Empower employees, and not with pizza parties. Instead of the GMs, DMs, and RMs getting bonuses, offer it to department leads to promote ownership. Keep it simple. I'll be mentioning a fast-food concept in an upcoming story, but it takes a shot at fast-food giants with overbearing menus that stress employees out. While they are tasty, Taco Bell has no business serving French fries. Might as well be a 1950's diner with a 19 page menu... and they sell a mysterious lobster.

Absolute same here. Kroger, Walmart, and Meijer dominate while our local IGAs do fair business. Noah and I often travel 30 minutes to a nearby town (Santa Claus, IN. Home of Holiday World). Their small grocery store is as perfect as it gets, in my opinion (albeit, I'm biased. Dad's worked there for decades). Fresh cut meat, produce, and deli/bakery. A little old school; men wear short sleeve button ups with ties. If you shop there regularly and need a specific product, they'll do their best to get ahold of it and carry it steadily. They're also known for carrying wacky yet kickass product, like wildly flavored bratwurst (pizza and chili flavored, and yes... they are amazing).

I heard about this!! This was wild!

I recall a recent snafu with a Chick-fil-A. One of their restaurants was paying "volunteers" to come help out in free food (along with breaking child labor laws). Labor department came down, as payment for work must be paid out in legal tender. https://fortune.com/2022/12/22/chick-fil-a-paid-workers-sandwiches-not-wages-fined-department-of-labor/amp/ I couldn't imagine it going well, even if it were legal. People untrained for kitchen and food handling is not safe. Grocery stores are (kind of) different. I helped Dad during summer breaks but I was limited to what I could do in a meat department while 18. Just price-tagging and stocking. Still, unless the person is known by a trusted employee, having random people "working" without training/supervision is weird.

I had to go search for it. That was just great!

Gah! Ugh! June! It's... so... HOT! I'm burnin' up, folks. Our poor little air conditioner at home can barely keep up. From muggy Kentucky, I hope y'all are finding ways to stay cool out there. Stay hydrated! You know what else is hot? This month's Ask An Author! We got ourselves an awesome author to feature. With over forty stories in their piggy bank, our interviewee might seem familiar. I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with @CLJobe! Scroll down and see what questions were asked. • • • • • CLJobe 44 Stories / 1,733,552 Words Recently, you've posted stories with 100+ chapters with very frequent posting. What made you decide to structure your stories in that way? Do you think you will keep doing it? I found your questions very interesting. I think I can answer a few if I explain my background that has led to my writing. I am 85 years old and I started to write in 2018 when I had an injury that resulted in being a paraplegic. I needed something to do and after reading a lot of stories on several websites, I turned my hand to writing. I live in a retirement home and I am confined to a bed. My activity is limited to reading, watching old movies, and writing. In some of my writings, there is a voice that guides the actors. In "Arrow," it's GG. I didn't always post long chapters. My early stories have much shorter chapters, and some of my readers complained, so I started to post longer chapters. In the quiet of the night, story ideas come to me. If I like the idea when I wake up, I make a note and developed it. The next story when I have concluded Arrow is already being thought about. You started posting on GA in 2020. Were you writing before? If so, when did you start? If not, damn, that's a lot of writing! How do you find the time? I have stories posted on a website in England but I reposted those stories on GA in my early days. My first book is on Amazon. Now I post exclusively on GA. As a question of having time, that is all I have. If you had to collab with another author on GA, who would it be? I don't know who I would co-author with. it would have to be someone with whom I would have something in common. Do you still read a lot of stories on GA? Or mostly just writing I do read a lot and not all stories. I also have favorite authors on GA but i select more by title. Stories mean more than the author. in the last few years, I have done more writing than reading. Writing is therapeutic for me. • • • • • Thanks for the interview, CLJobe! Don't forget to click the link in their name to check out their stories. Hope y'all enjoy your month of June! I'm off to see if I can fit inside my refrigerator.

Jesus... I currently work at a liquor store that went from independent to franchise-owned. The difference is scarring. Our ordering budget is always lower than our previous week's schedule, and I see less and less product our customers want. We have to jump through hoops to get new products, particularly that are coming into the market hot and heavy (Hard Mtn Dew? We still don't have it).

I have a dream to open an employee-owned liquor store (nothing but bourbon, cigars, and accessories) here in Kentucky. All workers have base pay, plus fair and sizeable cut of the pure profit. I want them to promote themselves and the business. Their success would be everyone's success.

I've heard of Jungle Jim's, and it's on my list of places to go. I agree, independent stores can work, and I try my best to shop at them. We have a lovely (many call shady) Korean grocery store where I get many ingredients, including fresh noodles!

I love Retail Ninja! While this collection I considered complete, I have two more baddies in mind for a future volume. Just need to come up with one more... Thanks, Chris!

You know me lol. Little ol' Boy Scout had a checklist once I got to college, and I got most of it checked off in the first 3 months.

With the holiday season come and gone, Retail Ninja watched dutifully as the department leads rearranged and filled empty displays. New and exciting products arrived in order to bolster dwindling sales. Sales traffic slowed dramatically, and for good reason. Everyone was still munching on Christmas leftovers. It was an ideal time to work on projects for store betterment. Cleaning underneath the aisle shelving, checking for expired merchandise, and merchandising more or fewer rows on shelves to e

The CJ/Brett blow-up left me reeling! I expected a stern talkin', but not such an emotional response. I have a hard time pinning any of this on CJ, and I'm instinctively blaming the 'rents on their (albeit, short...) upbringing of CJ. He's been treated like an adult up to this point, so it's natural for him to do adult-like things, like pot and sex. I have no doubt Brett and CJ are going to have a mature reconciliation, but the kiddo now knows to keep some things to himself. I won't be surprised if he keeps the pot-smoking to himself. I'm going to (hesitantly) put the book down for the night. Got some writing to do, including a western "scene"...

I can't wait for César and Brett to learn CJ's new nickname. Incoming parental scolding, or celebration? I was not expecting King and Dragon [potentially] breaking up! The pair seemed inseparable and completely trusting of the other. Next chapter!

CJ hit a few firsts, and I'm here for it! He's living a childhood I never got to live in a super-dee-duper Catholic household. Let's see if he hits another first with Orlando... Also. CJ, YOU PEEPER!!! LMAO!

I already love Rod and Randy's addition of the cast. CJ's going to have a great time in Chicago!

The baseball coach came out of nowhere and got a proper reward: suspension (and eventual termination). I was hoping Principle Edwards would demand a resignation letter so CJ can add to his collection.

Nickygeee raises a point I didn't recognize. Is Harley's dad the dink CJ laid out? For the sake of suspense, I'll assume so! It is such a breath of fresh air to see CJ in school. With friends, the kid side of him is starting to shine.

I will never get tired of Harley. Such a bundle of hyperactive joy... unless Kenton is involved. I suspect those two have a history. I was concerned with his line when his dad always told him to "shut up." Parental problem? Totes agree with CJ how he handled the Autumn situation, both refusing to reveal his sexual orientation and making amends. Lets hope she doesn't go on a warpath when she finds out CJ's the other liason.

Chip proves to be a further disappointment, the crooked cops are done for (for now, I'm suspecting something...), and Tom's healing. The funeral was absolutely spot-on, Carlos.

Finally! A good news-filled chapter. I was starting to run out of cigarettes. Excellent writing as always, Carlos!!

I was a little concerned for CJ heading off with Hayden, but the kiddo needed to blow off some steam. Regardless, onward to the next chapter!