Friday, December 4, 2009

Bright and Cheery and Shopping?

Okay. So I wasn't all THAT cheery. But I was happy to go shopping for a little bit to Target this morning. Had to pick some monthly essentials (you know what I mean). And that allowed me to have time to meander through the aisles and look at stuff.

I felt forced to stop by the Starbucks just inside the store entrance and get a Grande Decaf Gingerbread Latte with whipped. It was chilly out this morning -- 45*!!! So I figured a little warm coffee would get me warmed up and so I could slowly make my way through the aisles. Boy, was that coffee yummy!

I got all my essentials first (and I'm sure you don't want to hear about all that) and then began to meander. I actually was gazing at all the kitchen towels. Yes. Kitchen towels. We're in dire need of getting more of them and this time around I want them all to match. Right now we've got ones with fruit and then some checked ones that really clash. I'm thinking that I'd like to get all white ones -- both the hand towels and dish towels. That way I can bleach them up if they get stained. You know me with the smell of bleach on towels. I'm in heaven!

I then headed over to the seasonal section to take a gander at the wrapping paper. Every year I get new wrapper. I do. I'm just that way. And this year I wasn't going to get the cheapy paper. You know why? The $1.50/roll stuff tears SO easily. You just push one box into another and the paper rips! I had enough of that issue last year. Since we'll be headed out to spend Christmas with my family this year (the 6-hour tour), then I want some sturdy wrap since the packages will need to make it through more than a couple hours of transit. We don't need ANY peeking.

So I'm casually looking at the what they've got out on display. I walk and down the one aisles to get a general idea of the colors. I then look at the prices along with the weight of the paper. Finally I decide on the two types of wrapper for this year.

Two types you say? Yes. TWO. There's the wrap that we use for the gifts to our family. I keep it down to one type so that everyone knows that anything wrapped in that particular paper is from us. The second type of paper I get is for our house. The gifts that the kids will get from Santa. I generally get a butcher paper looking type of thing for what we use for the kids. It's more natural and more old-fashioned. You know?

But I must say that while I was looking at the paper? My mood went from festive to less so. Why? Because the folks that stocking the section were complaining up a storm about their work hours.

Ya-da-ya-da-ya-da. 
This and that. 
Blah-blah-blah. 

Excuse me? Customers shopping here. People spending money here.I can hear all your complaining. And it's making me less happy so I'm not so keen on spending money...

You know what I ended up doing? I actually called the store manager when I got home. I had to tell him how the employees "discussion" just turned me off. Tuned down my holiday spirit.

I remember when I worked in the food industry. Even when you were bone tired, you still had to put on a pleasant smile to the customers to ensure that their experience was a good one. There was one time when I was having some bad cramps. The kind where you want to just lay down in a fetal position with a heating pad? But I was at work. So my manager let me take a 5-minute break every hour or so. I'd go into the back and just sit with my head down and try to drink water. When I came to the front you wouldn't have known anything was wrong because I had a smile on my face and spoke pleasantly with the customers.

[sigh] But at least I got what I needed this morning. What I'm having a hard time doing now? Is getting my mind in the mood to get some work done.

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