Jaci Dawn

Unless something happens, tomorrow I promise to post about Terry and the Christmas Thugs. I was going to post that tonight but something came up.

My coworker & the woman I go on walks with was in a really grumpy mood today. She complained about everything. Why were checks printed after the mail went out in the morning? (Um: they’re always printed after the mail goes out? Would be my first guess, anyway.) Why was it so cold out? (Um, it was 50 degrees Farenheit today. Not particularly cold as cold goes. So not sure what the question was there?) Why couldn’t we close early? (Um. We get 12/24 off. We don’t always get Christmas Eve off but this year we do. I’m not complaining since it means a 3-day weekend…)

I love this woman but today I wanted to just scream. She just could not be happy about anything.

At 3:00 when it was time to take the mail, she was in really fine form. I wanted to say (and I did say) that I would take the mail myself, no problem. It wasn’t all that cold & I needed the walk. But she played the martyr and walked with me.

And that was when I learned what the root of her problem was. Are you ready?

We were not closing early today. She couldn’t go shopping for groceries early tonight. She can’t go grocery shopping on Saturday morning. Stores are closed on Saturday morning.

Nevermind that we have tomorrow off (Christmas Eve). That isn’t the point. Stores are closed on Christmas Day. And worse – we didn’t get off early today so my co-worker could go grocery shopping today instead of on Christmas Eve with the crowds.

I was shopping yesterday afternoon because I had the afternoon off. Believe me, the crowds were as thick as Black Friday yesterday and there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t be that thick on the 23rd. So how would getting off early on the 23rd improve your grocery shopping experience over shopping on the 24th? It wouldn’t. No matter how early (or late) we got off work today, it would still be insane in any store and any parking lot anywhere. No more insane than going shopping on the 24th during peak hours.

Now, if you got up early on the 24th and got your grocery shopping done before 10AM, then – piece of cake.  (Which I plan to do)

But my coworker didn’t see it that way. It was either go shopping this afternoon before 5PM or go shopping on Christmas morning. Period. And she was flat-out ticked that she couldn’t do either one.

I related this tale to Don and he stated the most obvious question: “Why not go shopping on Sunday, the day after Christmas?” because NO ONE WILL BE SHOPPING THEN.

I am still shaking my head. I know my coworker is an atheist. I don’t have a problem with that. Whatever she wants to believe. She even pointed out that her son & dil work on Christmas (because they choose to). I don’t care.

I don’t care because I have worked retail. I have worked on holidays. I have suffered through pre-Christmas, pre-Thanksgiving, and Easter shopping. All I can say is PLAN AHEAD STUPID. And be nice to the people who have to work.

They have families. They have plans.

And really, what is the difference between us getting a couple hours’ head start on a 3-day weekend vs. making someone work on Christmas morning just so we can buy our groceries without the hassle of a crowd? Really? I mean, REALLY? I don’t care what you believe in: you get 3+ days off to celebrate a holiday you don’t believe in but you want someone else to work on that holiday (who possibly has family & small children & who believes in Santa) just so YOU can avoid crowds?

How mature.

Shop on Sunday if you want to avoid crowds.

We haven’t closed early in at least 3 years. So why would we close early this year? I am just boggled by the mindset…