My RSS Feeds
What? Are You Nuts?
There I am, lying on the floor, stomach distended unnaturally from pounds of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green been casserole, and corn casserole. I am physically unable to lift a forkful of pumpkin pie to my lips, which is probably a good thing because it could have caused an ugly explosion if I tried to make it fit. My eyes are closing as I drift into a blissful turkey coma.
Just as I'm about to pull the string that turns off that little light bulb brain of mine, I hear Honey's dad ask, "So Catty, are you getting up at 3am to go shopping?" The light bulb string breaks off into my hand as my eyes fly open and I ask, "are you nuts? This is the first Thanksgiving I haven't had to work in the last seven years and you think I'm getting up early to go shopping?"
Have I told you guys about my new really good job? I work for myself now. That means I work when I want to. That means people don't want their houses in disarray before the holidays. Sure there's a downside like no health insurance or having to pay for it yourself or on the days you DO work the hours are really looooooooooooong. But, in every life a little rain must fall. The pros still outweigh the cons. It also means I don't work weekends or holidays. I can even go spend holidays with my family if I like.
I no longer have to get up early on a holiday or the day after to offer myself with a smile to rude shoppers. I can lay in the comfort of my warm bed dreaming about turkey leftovers. I can dream the dreams of frustrated holiday workers everywhere. I dream of giving the shit back to the idiot consumers and tell my corporate employers to "EF OFF." Why didn't I have more than one thingamajigamabooble for $4.99? Because I knew it would piss you off if I sold the last one to the person in front of you and I wouldn't have missed that for the world. It's the only reason I took this low paying dead end job and left my family on a holiday. Where else could I watch idiots stroke out because they couldn't get a five dollar thingamajigamabooble? Watching it on TV just wouldn't do it for me.
Sick you say? Come on. Is that sicker than having some low wage worker trampled to death in the quest to save a couple of bucks. Sicker than the store management wanting to close the store and having angry customers yelling about how long they waited in line to save a couple of bucks (and kill some poor guy)?
I've been to enough concerts in the seventies to know that when you are in a crowd and the people behind you push, you are going forward, or down, but to continue in to grab those bargains while people are dying is really cold. Maybe it was those seventies concerts that fueled my dislike of crowds and crowded places. You would think that Johnstown being the size it is wouldn't put you in "crowd" situations but it does. Our little trip to Walmart and the grocery store the Monday BEFORE Thanksgiving made me vow that I will not do ANY shopping Thanksgiving week. Thanks to the many years I worked retail, I will even vow that unless I am on the verge of death from starvation, I will not take another retail job where I have to work holidays.
Our local Value City closed down right before Thanksgiving. Do you think the employee's were fretting about where their next job was coming from in this wacky economy? No. They were relieved that for once they could spend the holidays with their families.
This year I noticed a lot of stores were open on Thanksgiving. Come on! What would anyone have needed at Big Lots that they couldn't have gotten the day before or the day after Thanksgiving. I stopped at Giant Eagle Grocery store today for lunch meat and the two deli clerks were talking about having to work on Thanksgiving. The one woman mentioned (somewhat angrily) that they have had to work EVERY holiday. Nothing is sacred anymore. Employers disrespect their employees and their employee's families in the name of profit. I hope they lost money opening that day.
Our veterans complain that no one celebrates or understands holidays like Memorial Day, or Veterans Day. Why would anyone celebrate or understand those holidays? It's just another work day. Thanks to our greedy retailers Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast becoming just another work day. Good luck keeping those family traditions going. Heck, you think your family is fraying or distant now?
Congratulations on working for yourself, Catty. I've been doing it for
21.5 years now and seriously doubt I could ever work for anyone. Not that
they'd hire me anyhow, I'm probably not all that employable.
Was Honey's dad being serious, or was it a rather good wind-up?
Right there with ya. I can't stand shopping when the stores are empty. I
think I'd prefer a tooth extraction to holiday shopping. The Internet
saved my life!!!
I was in a couple of big box stores over the period of the last week and
was impressed by the lack of crowds. Adbusters ploy must be working. By the
by I didn't buy anything. Used to work retail so it is a relief not to have
to deal with bitchy managers and customers.
Neal-Thanks! I've actually been self employed since the late 80's in one
capacity or another. I had a short bit at a health food store and this
past round at the building store. It's real hard going into these places
and not immediately taking over. This time around I'm keeping it real
simple and I'm enjoying it that way.
Brava! Enjoy the whole season!