Part-Time Jobs

Weis Markets

Teaching is and always will be my main love when it comes to profession, but I have had some some part-time jobs in my life as well. Aside from working with my father a bit, the main part-time job that I had was at Weis Markets. I worked there for over half a decade, starting when I was still in college. I am the kind of person who tends to stick with something though, so despite the many ups and downs of being part-time in a grocery store I look back fondly on the many long days I spent at Weis Markets Store #165...

I moved to Northeast PA when I was 5 years old, and one of the first places my family went to shop for groveries was this little store called "Mr. Z's" in a town called Waverly. This store had a great charm, and it looked like a place straight out of the 50s. Growing up we would go there all of the time, with trips occurring weekly after our Sunday fleamarket adventures in most cases. I vividly remember liking the feel of this store, since it seemed so old and nostalgic. Mr. Z's was owned by a larger store called "Weis Markets", so they also had the great "Weis Kids Club" featuring an anthropomorphic cow (Bo) and bird (Opal), which made the place seem even more inviting. My sister and I were club members, and we were thus able to get a lot of free cookies, pencil cases, cards, and (in my sister's case) Little Blue Hugs!

As I got older, I started to feel like it was "lame" to go shopping at the grocery store with my parents, so for a couple of years I did not enter this store. The memories about it began to fade as well, while many of my peers began working there during our high school years making a visit an expedition in the awkward. The store's name also changed during these years from "Mr. Z's" to "Weis Markets". Weis Markets was a larger grocery store chain based out of Sunbury, PA that had been slowly expanding for years by buying up smaller chains. They bought many chains, such as IGA, Mr. Z's, and even Kings (which was a store that I ironically went to a lot before moving to Northeast PA from Southeast PA during my very early years).

Around my Sophmore Year of College, my sister (who had been working here for almost 3 years) encouraged me to get a job at Weis. I had not stepped foot into that store for almost ten years, but upon doing so I quickly realized that nothing about it had changed. I liked this, and I also liked the work. There was always something to do, and being the fitness enthusiast that I am all of the work felt like light exercise to me so I enjoyed this aspect as well. The number one thing I enjoyed though was all of the old music that played on the radio. Mostly from the 80s, from the start I found this to just be the coolest thing; Working while listening to music!

In a way, getting a job at a grocery store was a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Growing up I remember making up this story for a school project that I was reincarnated from a man named "Nate Johnson" who died a few years or so before I was born. Nate Johnson was the manager at a Shop-Rite in a wooded area near Camden, New Jersey. A bizarre story, yes, but in a way slightly predicative of future events. Stores, mainly grocery stores and malls, always fascinated me though so working in one definitely felt quite natural. Some of my favorite stores growing up were Shop-Rite, Clemens, Kings, Lane-Co, K-Mart, and of course Mr. Z's!

My Weis career thus got off to a very good start, and I found myself to be a natural on the job. My primary jobs were as a grocery stock-clerk and the third-shift produce department associate. I was THE FASTEST stock-person around, earning the nickname "MVP" for my efforts. I was also a BEAST over in the duce, shucking corn and putting away the order like a champ. These early times at Weis were good, but the repetitiveness of the job quickly made me realize that I had to get my act together at college to someday find something more rewarding.

My Weis career was far from over though, and many more years of Weis-action would come and go. Hours and days would change, my duties would increase as I slowly learned how to use CGO and the registers, but more notably than that the people would vary. Old co-workers would leave, new ones would arrive, and slowly but surely I became a veteran in the store. I also changed a lot as a worker over the years, going through various phases such as the "dead-legs" era, the "rotation and routine" dynasty, and even the re-birth into a smarter version of the MVP. Throughout it all though I stood strong, making some GREAT friends and meeting a TON of great customers. I even got to lead a couple "Mystery Tour" field trips reminiscent of "Carmen San Diego" video games (just in a grocery store), along with getting to be one of the only people from our store to ever get to drive the "Weis Van".

Working at a grocery store is tough, but it can be rewarding. A well-run one though knows when and how to have fun, and I assure you that I had my fair share of fun in that store. Halloween was always one of my favorite days in the store, since we got to dress-up. I always dressed up as "Weis-Man", a super-hero who doubled as a seemingly normal grocery stock clerk. Fueled with the power of the "Weis Power Amulet", a magic talisman that gives him the ability to transform instantly from "Chaz Lloyd" into "The Mad Grocer", and supported by his sidekick "Gibralter the Cow", Weis-Man would go on to inspire a science-focused story I wrote for my students called "The Mad Grocer".

I will miss a lot of things about working in Weis Markets, from its old style charm to its wonderful cast of people. One thing that cannot be replicated though is the "Gem Hunting" we would do in the store. "Gem Hunting" in this sense means hunting for old tags, coupons, stickers, etc. lost beneath the store's shelves and various structures. What a blast one can have searching for these hidden treasures and then re-hiding them in "the vault"; it even beats pulling out of dates!

Weis Tales

The Bash Bros

Working at Weis is not easy. It is mentally and physically taxing, and only people who have worked there or in a place like it will truly know what I mean. Yes, it is no where near as hard as working in jobs such as law enforcement, the military, oil rigs, etc., so I mean no disrespect with this assessment, but working in a place like this is definitely in no way easy. The grind really does wear you down, mentally and physically, and even I was not spared from this after many years on the job. I reached my lowest point at Weis, and arguably one of the lowest points of my entire life, during the August of 2016. How I got there though, and more importantly how I got the help I needed to pick myself back up, is definitely worthy of being mentioned on this page...

Growing up I had a lot of friends, but one of my favorite people to hang with was my friend Matt. We called him "Yarsk" for short, a play on his last name, and he was one of the funniest and nicest people I had the pleasure of growing up with. His locker was two or three away from mine, and we also ate lunch at the same table, so I was lucky to get a daily-dose of Yarsk's humor every day. He was also an INCREDIBLE athlete though as well, not to mention a very talented actor. His father was a former NFL defensive lineman, and Matt displayed all of his athleticism and more. He may have been a big man, but he moved like a cat and he was as strong as an ox. Literally! I remember once at a dodge-ball tournament during our senior-year in which he jumped up in mid-air, spun his body around to become horizontal to dodge a ball, and then simultaneously chucked a ball at an opposing player to knock them out. He did similarly incredible things in all of the other sports he played, and we were very fortunate to have him on "Phelps's Wolf-Pac" for our annual volley-ball tournaments!

Upon graduating high school, Matt and I went to different colleges and while we kept in touch a little bit during the first year via fantasy football I never saw or had any contact with him again until one fateful day at Weis Markets. Ya see, after graduating college I had begun working at Weis "Part-Full" Time, and the job was beginning to just break me apart. My legs were becoming incredibly weak due to overstretching (a story for another day), and along with some digestive issues I had been having that were getting out of hand my health was rapidly spiralling downward. I had lost a lot of weight due to this, and I was becoming very weak. My legs were by far my weakest parts though, as they were in constant agony from the damage I had done to them. I could barely even do my job there, stocking shelves, at this point since my legs and body would get so tired, sick, and sluggish. All of this physical frustation combined with the mental stress of having graduated but being stuck working at a groery store, and this was slowly but surely becoming overwhelming. One day in late August though, after a BRUTAL Summer in which I truly felt that my life and body was falling apart, Yarsk appeared out of nowhere, in a Weis outfit no-less, as if to save me from the suddenly overwhelming negativity in my life...

I remember it like it was yesterday. We were still wearing the blue Weis shirts, and it was probably around 2 o'clock or so in the afternoon. I was yet again stuck stocking the Frozen Department, a job I hated since it was so cold and my weight loss made it feel even worse. I kept getting put over there though, despite my suggestions that a "meatier" person switch places with me. I did my best though, and while I had to wear several hoodies to stay warm, hoodies on which I would constantly wipe the snot from my nose onto (Gross, yes, but I remember that when my weight dropped so low I began having a runny nose whenever the temperature was below a certain number. It was weird, but it happened like clockwork.) I never wanted to just give up. It was tough though, and by this time of the year (late Summer) I was breaking down. Then it happened. I remember seeing this very large, long-haired cashier on Register 7 from the Frozen Coffins. I first assumed it was just some new teenager they had hired to work the registers. This person kept looking at me though, and I remeber my eyes being a bit blurry when I looked back due to the cold. As I walked closer to get a better look though, I became very confused. The large, long-haired man walked up closer and said "Hey Chase!". I did not recognize them, but they seemed to know who I was. When I finally got a bit closer, I was like "Whaaaaaaat????". The person then said, "Chase, it's me, Yarsk!". I was beyond confused, but I remember a bro-hug then occurring followed by a long, long explanation of how Yarsk was now somehow working at Weis...

First, let me state that Yarsk never had hair this long when I knew him growing up. It was very long now though, and it gave him a "Jesus-like" quality. Needless to say, he rocked it very well. I had not seen him in years, but he explained to me that he too had graduated from college, needing an extra year just like myself, and that he had to get a job so he figured why not work at Weis! I never asked, but I like to think that he purposely got a job at Weis after hearing that I worked there. Regardless of how he got there though, his appearance was literally like someone divine just coming down from the heavens to save me. In one day I went from absolutely HATING Weis and wanting to leave to thinking that maybe I should stick around a bit longer, now that I have my good friend here to help me through this!

And help he did! Yarsk was also hired to help in Grocery/Frozen/Dairy, so he worked with us in the back as well. His first job was to give me a hand working the Frozen Truck, and we had a BASH doing so! Well, as much of a bash as one can at Weis! I remember many good times spent organizing the over-packed freezer that involved good laughs, feats of strength (he could literally move very heavy pallets that were full just by pushing them), and spending way too much time breaking the frozen truck down when we should have been working the stuff out! One day we stacked the ice so high that it the vents were blocked, and when Richie came in he couldn't even reach the top! We also came up with a nickname for ourselves, "The Bash Bros". Taken from the Mighty Ducks Movie, because we both wore hoodies and worked with ice, this name just fit us so well. I was Dean Portman, and he was Fulton Reed, and together we were "The Bash Bros"! We even had a fist-pump like thing that we would do similar to what they did in the movie that really completed the nickname!

Yarsk worked at Weis for almost a year, but during the months he was there we really did have a blast. Hunting for old tags, expired item searching, climbing on top of the ceilings to search for stuff, getting carts in the snow, talking about football and other sports, working the seafood stand, de-icing the coffins whenever they'd go down, the Raphael and Red Baron Hat I found for him and wrapped in the "mystery box" as a Christmas gift, making him die of laughter during one of the huddles when I said that I had found a Vanilla Wafer tag from 1995 after Jason asked if anyone had anything for the group, reminiscing about the good old days when we were kids, talking about the best TV shows, video games, toys, food, school people, etc. from our youth; we did all of these things and more, and this period of time was in my mind repreented, by far, the most fun I had ever had working at Weis. It was the "halcyon" age of my Weis career, if you will. Good things don't last forever though, and in June of the following year Yarsk told me that he had gotten a new job, in his field, so he had to leave Weis to pursue this.

When he told me this, I was immediately filled with joy that he had this opportunity. Sure, I knew that I was going to miss him and that I did not want to be left alone at Weis again, but not once did I feel anything negative. Yarsk was a great person, and I knew that I was lucky to have been able to work with him for the time that I did. It was like being a kid again, and having one of your good friends there right beside you. This was a very positive thing for everyone, since I fully realized how grateful I was for what his spirit had given to me during those few months and he was getting to move forward with his life. Yarsk's last day was a sad one, and I knew that since he was moving far away I probably would not get to see him for awhile, but his presence at Weis was well worth it. I remember our last conversation was about this Bash Brothers poster he saw at a garage sale, a fitting end to go along with Weis's very own "Bash Bro Era" coming to a close. At the conclusion of his tenure I felt a lot better though, not only physically but about the direction of my life as well. More importantly though I felt good simply about having had the chance to spend some quality time with an old friend...

June

I guess what I will miss most about Weis though is the people. From the employees to the customers, this store was simply FILLED to the brim with an all-star cast of good people. I learned A LOT about life from them, and the many life-lessons on how to be a good person they shared with me is probably the most valuable thing I obtained from working here. One person in particular stands out though, and that person is none other than our #1 all-time customer; June.

The above signature is from June Kowtko, an older woman who visited the store literally every day. I wish I had a picture with her, and while I once asked her for one she declined so I had to respect that. Regardless, this is just as good though and I am super glad I have it! Anywho, June was not only the number one customer in number but also in our hearts. I developed a very special friendship with her, and I would often have very long conversations with her in the pet food aisle. I suppose we bonded a lot during our run-ins while in this aisle, which were frequent since I enjoyed working that aisle's freight and she had to go there daily to get food for the many cats, dogs, and other stray animals she would take care off. June had a heart of Au (this "typo" will make sense momentarily), for she cared for many animals that no one else batted an eye for. She would also often get emotional when sharing her stories of hardship whenever one of her animals got hurt, which showed to me how much her care for them impacted her.

When I started working at Weis, how I viewed other people upon first meeting them was still in an immature stage. I remember first meeting June and passing off judgement on her as being "just another cat lady". I also thought it was annoying how she would park on the side of the store and leave her cart there. I hated getting carts, so this drove me mad. How unbelievably wrong and pig-minded I was though. As time passed I began to learn more and more about June, and I also even began learning from her. She was actually a SCIENTIST, a retired Chemist who had worked for years in a New Jersey company called "Hoffmann-La Roche". This company focused on pharmaceuticals, and she was one of the lead chemists in their lab. When I found this out, that June was actually a REAL scientist (she even has PUBLISHED and CITED works, just look below, and she even SIGNED one of them for me!), it totally opened up my eyes to how much of a fool I had been to pass judgement on her based off of her appearance. Not only her, but on everyone I had ever met. It really is true when they say to never judge a book by its cover!

June and I bonded even more once I had found out about our shared loved of Science, and this formed the basis for many of our future discussions. I remember one day, in the pet food aisle, we were discussing chemical reactions and it led to us working out a few balancing problems on a Friskies cat-food can tray. Due to this and her overall personality, as the years went by June became one of my favorite people to see at Weis. June's positivity was so powerful that even my mindset for getting carts changed! I began to enjoy walking over to the side of the store to get her sacred heart (woops, I meant cart!...or did I!) after she left, and it made me begin to think that maybe there was even more to June. I remember thinking (heck, I still do!) that maybe June was actually a guardian angel of sorts sent here to make me a better person. Maybe this long walk she'd make me have to take to get her cart was a higher power's way of getting me to think and reflect about people other than myself for a moment each day. Ya know what...to heck with all of the maybes! I totally KNOW that this was the case!

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