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

This year - for the first time in 35 years, I am organised!! Christmas planning is on schedule and I'm quite laid back.

Today, I was walking through my local town, observing, (as you do) that almost everyone else was looking miserable/hostile/stressed. Mothers yelling at small children in fury; and all dashing around like demented ants as though there is no tomorrow.

Then I was stopped by a man outside the L**k mobile phone shop. Clipboard in hand - his opening line was a real belter. "Excuse me, are you busy?" I had to laugh - "busy? three days before Christmas? no pal, I've all the time in the world"

I don't know if this guy was niaive or whether it was a deliberately practiced line to get a response - I suspect the former; but really!!

As he painfully pointed out that nobody would talk to him (I wonder why?) I decided to take pity and stood for 10 minutes whilst he bored me with questions about the company's recent television ads; and whether I had seen any of them.

It's so nice to see that we still have comedians around in this time of evident panic and stress.

Enjoy the festive season all!

Awwww, bless, thanks for that, it made me
I went to do some shopping today, and much to my surprise, the shops weren't full, no overly large queues, no frustrated and stressed people, no nothing

I find, at this time of year, that it is even more important to be nice to the poor people whose job it is to do market research on the streets. They don't really like their jobs, and if they could do something else, I'm sure they would. Same goes for all the people who work in retail or other services...they probably have to put up with shit from other customers all day, not to mention their crappy cheapskate employers, and when they get home and open their pay advice, find out that they've been doing this for mimimum wage or just above.

RF

I am lucky, where I work ( health-food-shop) the majority of customers is really nice, but then most of them have known me for many years now, they actually miss me when I'm on holiday, and they were very anxious when I was ill for so long. But my colleagues who work in the pharmacy have to put up with quite a few very nasty or just downright customers. And we have to stay nice and friendly, even if we feel the urge to throttle them

Although I commiserate with all of the foregoing, I can't say that I share in any of it. I work in a school, which is probably the most fun place in the world to work when Christmas is nigh.

I walked around all day today in a silly Santa Claus hat and all the little kids in the elementary school thought I was funny, and all the kids in the upper school thought I was just being my usual strange self(which is better than having them hate you for no good reason... I kind of cultivate an atmosphere of strangeness).

Today was our last day of school until January 3, so everyone was happy and in high spirits. Last year's graduates stop in on their between-semester breaks. Everyone is glad to see one another. We even played a sport in the gym at the end of the day, faculty vs. students, in front of an assembly of the entire student body. It was enormous fun... and the teachers WON!

And to top it all off, students, teachers, secretaries, and everyone else you could name, beat a path to my office door all day to load me down with cookies, candy, pretzels -covered, of course, , and numerous other gifts and cards. THEN the faculty invited me to join them for an after work. Does it get any better than this?

My Christmas wish for all would be that you enjoy your holidays as much as I enjoy the days leading up to them. Christmas day itself is kind of a let-down after all of the fun and excitement of being around all of these young people.

Reddy Freddie! I can relate to your comments; having many many - too many years ago to tell, worked in the retail industry. Last week, I was in the Ar**s store locally, when a lady was complaining very vocally and anglo saxonly, that she had reserved an item and travelled 10 miles to collect it; waited in store for 2 hours and then been told it had not arrived. The assistant in the firing line was not to blame, yet she had the full blast of venom from the customer. Whenever I am angry at some similar problem, I try very hard to put myself in the position of the poor assistant. I try to remember my Husband's comments as a retired coach driver that:- if it wasn't for the punters, the job would be a doddle.

Wayde_k! Sorry have not been in touch with you for some time. However, school work is wonderful. My Daughter's ex-teacher is a real wierdo! long hair, dirty nails, absolute commitment to his students. All his students adore him. He is the only one who (in his own time and at his own expense) rewards good behaviour/results with trips to the local bowling alley/ice skating rink etc. No matter how different you are, the kids instinctively KNOW who to respect; and so give their best for that person.

As I'm now becoming a pain, will go away and feed my hedgehog.

Good Festive Greetings To All