Another long absence......

So much for thinking that I would get back into blogging again. It's not that there isn't anything I would like to blog about, I just have no time. None. The hours my retail job are requiring of me are rediculous. Add to that the part-time teaching job, trying to keep up with my schoolwork, housework, grocery shopping, bills, etc, etc and you will hopefully understand why blogging time is limited. But, the semester has ended at the college and I have a little free time. My New Year's Resolution will be to blog more. Of course, my readers have probably forgotten me by now. Don't give up on me yet. I am going to make an honest effort to get back on track.

I have survived another Black Friday as a retail associate. I was truly hoping last year was going to be my first AND last of that experience, but, November 27, 2009 found behind the register again. This year was entirely different. Not only was I a cashier, but a department associate as well. That meant not only was I responsible for waiting on customers, but I had to set the sale, set the signs, wait on customers and ring them up. So, I worked about five days straight leading up to Friday. Wednesday was set-the-sale day. My department includes the home department. This means that I had to pull out all the bedspreads, mattress pads, pillows, sheets, pots, pans, coffee makers, take-and-bakeware, foot massagers, record players --- let's narrow it down---- everything weighing at least 20 pounds, out of the stockroom and back shelves and stack them in the center aisle because the were the "Early Bird Specials." Other people were working on it besides me, of course, but my point is that I had a lot of heavy lifting to do. When the store finally closed at 9 pm, we spent the next two hours taping rebates to boxes and putting up sale signs. I got home about 11:30 pm.

Thanksgiving Day was somewhat of a blur. We ate dinner with my aunt on my dad's side, then ate supper with my aunt on my mom's side. The food was good, but I was too tired to really enjoy the holiday. And I was dreading tomorrow.

My alarm clock went off at 2 am Friday morning. Or does that still count as Thursday night? At any rate, I threw enough make-up on to make me look alive, put on the most comfortable clothes I could get away with wearing, and headed out into the cold, dark night. I arrived at 3 am to buy my own early birds before the store opened. One of my purchases was a pre-lit Christmas tree. I knew I would never put a tree up if it wasn't 90% pre-assembled. We went through the ritual -- the 15 minute pep-talk/lecture, the final touches to the signs, the doors burst open.

The big crowd didn't sweep through like last year, but plenty of people came in. And they came in bunches all day. As far as the crowd was concerned, it wasn't really any worse than a busy Saturday. But the people were crankier. One woman cussed us out. Another aggravated me to the point of tears. One family of middle-aged sisters went through my line so many times, one at a time, buying one item at a time, that I would gladly have given them all the cash in my wallet if it would have made them go home. By the time 3 pm came around, I was so tired I thought I would fall asleep standing up. And I was finally allowed to go home.

I went home --- and crashed. I slept like a rock for three hours. Then I got up, ate leftovers, and put the tree up. And there it stayed, with no ornaments, for about a week. But now, most of my shopping is done, school is out, and I have three days off next week!!! So, I have made it through my second holiday retail season (or I will have officially in two weeks). I sincerely hope I will not have to work through a third one.

How is the Christmas season going for everyone else??