h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was a bit fed up about having to go to work this morning.

Then I thought of my friend, who's going to be spending the day in toy shops!

I'm trying to do what any good friend would - ie, feed her a tissue of lies about how it probably won't be as bad as she fears. Just so she doesn't lose the will to live completely. But off the record, because she isn't on hootoo...

Rather her than me. May God have mercy on her soul.

The very thought is giving me the cold sweats.

When you she'll be spending the day in toy shops, do you mean she's looking for last-minute presents, or she works there? Either way, it's a ghastly prospect.

Getting pressies for the kids...which is bad enough, but probably isn't quite as bad as working there. I hadn't even thought of *that* prospect! That would be absolutely awful.

I saw someone saying on Twitter that he absolutely hates Christmas - because he's a store detective. That must be a bad job at Christmas!

Yeah, she has left it a little late for that, hasn't she. If there's a must-have toy this year she's probably SOL. I often used to leave present-buying until the last minute, simply because I'm so bloody awful about choosing gifts for people unless they've specifically told me what they'd like, which the former Mrs Gosho was kind enough to do this year

I did feel bad about having to do it from her wishlist though. I've heard so many stories in recent months about how awful, at the best of times, it can be to work for both that and the large distribution and delivery companies, and getting the present to her involved them both. I can't begin to imagine how bad it must be for their employees at this time of the year with the companies making all kinds of promises to their customers to get everything delivered on time, and probably for free, meaning they'll be looking to cut costs at every opportunity, especially payroll.

We really have gone back to Dickensian work practices in some aspects.

Oh look, I've topic-drifted KB's journal again

Well, maybe not, given the subject. Because that's how it could be worse. Probably.

Well, you could say it's a bit late, but then again... I'm sure she's a lot better organised than I would be if I was in the same position. If I had to, on top of work, come home, sort the kids' dinner out, get them bathed, get their clothes washed, pick them up from wherever, break up their fights, find time to play with them for a while or tell them a story, and put them to bed, I'm sure any Christmas shopping would be a last minute affair, too.

And that's without even thinking about factoring in half an hour or so to have some semblance of a "social life", or a "quiet pint" or "I'll just finish the chapter I'm reading...", or a wee bit of a walk or whatever.

I think you might enjoy this, if you haven't already seen it http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2014/12/23/shops-expected-to-clear-remaining-shite-from-shelves-as-husbands-begin-shopping/

Thinking about it a little more... I've worked in retail on only two occasions, but they both covered more than one Christmas, and I don't remember it being all that bad.

The first time was my Saturday job at a department store when I was still at school. I didn't work on the toy department, thankfully, but my friend did. We were teenagers at the time though and had barely been hardened by the world yet. It was all one great big jape, especially after the liquid lunch we always had at the nearby pub. I really don't know how we got away with 1) buying alcohol when we most definitely didn't look 18 and b) didn't get fired for being so all afternoon. There was plenty of overtime if we wanted to work weekdays during the school holiday (at least, before Christmas), and double time on Sunday if we came in when the tore was closed to pack Christmas hampers in the basement. That was the most fun because there was a Santa's grotto to muck around in when no-one was looking, and catch out anyone who went in there with someone from the opposite sex for a bit of heavy petting

The other occasion was the first job I got after coming to Texas, in the used CD store. It got pretty busy in the run-up to Christmas, especially with all the gift vouchers we'd sell, but it wasn't unpleasant. Well, no more than usual. Certainly a whole lot easier to deal with than South by Southwest And we could drink on Christmas Day Not that it was sanctioned by the owner, mind you Yes, we opened every damn day of the year.

But you were a lot younger then.

Only by about 12 years in the second case. Seems like only yesterday.

The last few times I went to the movies, there was a commercial ion which a mad-eyed store employee began sinning "Toyland" in a reedy tenor voice. it was truly horrible , and only underscores how awful a toy store experience could be.

That link about last minute shopping by husbands was hilarious! I've never been a husband. I got most of my Christmas shopping done three weeks ago online, and I've supplemented it a bit in the last few days. We live in a world in which people pay bills electronically, order pizza and groceries online, and even vote online, but husbands are portrayed as people who physically go to toy stores at the last minute? Not likely! Most of the husbands in my family order presents online, just as they do anything else online.

Well, I worked full time, had 2 small children and a husband who worked unsocial hours and usually managed to get presents in advance of the day, but often ended up running around at the last minute too. Deep sympathy.

Gosho - I loved the thread you started when you worked at Cheapo - we need to resurrect it

Yes, Sho. Your circumstances and hers are different. That is all. As hard as you had it, I think she had it harder. And that's why I wouldn't be so quick to jump on the "well it's her own fault for leaving it so late" thing. It sounds so simple, but it ain't always so simple.

Do you mean the, er, shall we say, difficult customer thread? I'm not sure if I started that one or if it was Mudhooks (or if I could even find it again), but either way it was a lot of fun

I should make a bigger effort not to be hard on anybody this time of year. Everyone has a different situation, especially those whose job prospects are most intense during the seasonal retail period. I know someone who works overtime in stores during Advent and Christmas .

Not that this is in anyway typical, I remember reading Lorna Luft's memoirs "Me and my Shadow," about her family getting heavily involved putting on Christmas concerts and shows, and realizing that it was Christmas Eve and they had done *nothing* to get ready for Christmas. They would head for the stores and put tennis rackets and other stuff into their carts to beat the deadline . Entertainers tend to be stressed tot he gills this time of year. I do enough entertaining to know what that's about.

And the rest of us have our own stories to tell.....

to be fair to me KB, I didn't actually say that. I'm full of sympathy for anyone under that kind of pressure because it's difficult and different for everyone.

I hope she managed to have a less stressful Christmas

To be fair, Sho, I know you didn't say that (and didn't say you did, to be fair. )

I hope you managed to have a less stressful Christmas too, though!

mine's been great - we stopped the actual cooking at home thing for Christmas a few years ago. It costs the equivalent of 2 months worth of food (because we're extravagant gits) - but it's great. Very relaxing.

and now we have satellite TV and the Bundesliga is on a break, even was happy because they show Premier League during the winter break from German