Holidays and Retail Life

I have worked in a retail setting my entire working life.  It still, to this day, amazes me that people can get worked up about a store being closed for one day.  One day!  And this time it's even in the middle of the week - with work days on both sides.  I'm pretty sure you aren't going to die because you didn't buy milk, and I'm sure you really need that toothpaste or else all your teeth will fall out tomorrow.

Now over Christmas - that can be a different story.  Depending on where the holiday falls there can be up to 4 days off in a row in some cases.  But still - plan a smidge ahead people!  You can plan your company, your food, and your travel, but you can't realize you're going to run out of your prescription?  It's not that hard.

My other favourite thing is the people who seem surprised we (people in the retail world) get a holiday off.  I know not all stores are closed for a holiday, but where I have worked for the last 14 years we have closed for every holiday.  Every holiday!  Why is this now a surprise, here, today, when tomorrow is another holiday?

Sadly (sort of) this Canada Day falls on a Wednesday.  What do we already know about Wednesdays?  They're my regular day off.  This is great in that I get the day off and I get paid this week, but not so great is that my family is home and we're having company (that's not the bad part) so I won't get my usual home-work done this week.  You know, laundry, tidying, vacuuming, grocery shopping, even the gardening I try to fit into my "quiet" day.  Of course this is greatly outweighed by the family who is coming to help us build a fence tomorrow (thankyouthankyouthankyou!) and visit and eat and all that.  But my week feels incomplete if I don't fit in some time for me, you know?

Anyway, to sum it all up, I'm happy my workday is over today - it was busy in spurts, and frustrating in spurts, and I felt like unplugging all the phones - I'm looking forward to some extended family time tomorrow, and I'm hoping desperately it doesn't rain all day.  That will make for some grumpy fence builders, and cooped up kids.  The city has so many fun things planned for tomorrow it will be sad if they have to be cancelled because of weather.

What do you have planned for your mid-week holiday (or July 4th celebrations, Yanks)?  I hope all my readers have a great time doing what you do!

Toodles!