It's almost December. I don't know if I'm the only one that hasn't noticed it coming, but guess what? Next week it will be December. What that means is that the mall will be open for extended hours so that everyone has ample opportunity to go out and buy all the gifts they need. There are eleven other months in the year, why is it that everyone always waits till December to start their Christmas shopping?
The mall staff sends around this list of extended hours, and then they wish all the employees a happy holiday. Please explain to me how we're supposed to have a happy holiday when we never leave the mall. Seriously. The mall that I work at has these hours....
November 29 - December 2 10am-10pm
December 3 10am - midnight
December 4 9am-6pm
December 5 10am-6pm
December 6 - December 10 10am-10pm
December 11 9am-6pm
December 12 10am-6pm
December 13 - December 16 10am-10pm
December 17 10am-midnight
December 18 9am-9pm
December 19 10am-6pm
December 20 - December 23 10am-11pm
December 24 9am-5pm
And I don't even remember what the hours on Boxing Day are. I just think that the hours are crazy and that if people really want us to enjoy our holiday then they should close on time and just let the other people get to the store whenever they can. Most people work from 9-5 every day, so there are 4 perfectly good hours in the day for them to get to the mall, plus whatever hours there are on Saturday and Sunday.
But because we live in a commercial society, I will be at work until midnight almost every night of the week immediately before Christmas. And all day Christmas Eve as well as all day on Boxing Day. Did I want to see my family? Nah, of course not.
Anyway, all this started because Mike suggested that I write about my favourite and least favourite gifts. And I just went off on a small rant before I got this far. It gave me the chance to think about what I think the best and worst are.
Being that I'm spoiled, I have received a lot of gifts in my time. And, I'll be honest, I've pretty much loved all of them. I am very easy to please, it really is the thought that counts. Having said that, there was this year I got a lot of brown clothes for my birthday.
Brown clothes are great, don't get me wrong. But usually you like say a brown pair of pants and something to go with them, or a brown shirt to go with some other pants that you may have already. Or a brown skirt... I guess my point is, that when you think about buying brown clothes, generally you think about buying a single article of brown clothing, not multiple articles. I forget how old I was, but it seems that perhaps I was in high school. I got a brown t-shirt, a brown sweatshirt, a brown pair of shorts as well as a pair of brown pants. It was an entire brown wardrobe! Now, in of itself it wasn't an awful gift at all, but it just wasn't exciting. Mom didn't take too much offense when I said we needed to exchange the clothes. I ended up keeping the brown t-shirt and changing everything else for other things.
My best gift? I don't know. I've had a lot of really great gifts. My father in particular is great at giving me gifts. This may have something to do with the fact that I say to him "I must have this, and if I don't I will pout." :) But, probably it's because I don't usually give him a very long list. My parents also combine to give me some fabulous gifts too.
So I'm thinking about the best gifts I've ever got and I think about the bed my dad gave me a couple of years ago, the leather jacket he gave me several years ago, the camera my parents combined on a few years ago, or the DVD player I got for my birthday a couple of years back...
But it occurs to me that my favourite thing was a doll my grandmother made me when I was a little girl. I don't actually remember opening it up, but there used to be this picture of me from the day I received that doll. I was very young, 4 or maybe even younger. It was Christmas morning and I was lying on top of this doll which was two times bigger than I was. There was crumpled up wrapping paper, as well as ribbons and bows and other gift wrapping remains all over the floor. And I looked SO happy and excited. So, I think that must have been my best gift.
Posted by Michelle at November 28, 2004 10:12 AM