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I Really Hate Christmas

As December 25th approaches, I am beginning to hate Christmas more and more. Why does everything have to be so DAMN difficult? I'm told I'm getting 500 boxes of merchandise and I get 1000 instead. I can't find enough people to hire and the ones I do have on staff suddenly have amnesia..."What? I never said I could work the day after Thanksgiving!?!"

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

I have a four year degree that I could be using, but instead I've stuck it out in retail. What was supposed to be a part-time gig has become a life sentence. I am sure my parents are so proud of me! Well, it seemed like a good idea a the time. When I graduated from college, there was such a glut of graduates in the market, that people had trouble getting jobs. I had a ready made full-time job just waiting for me! Retail Manager! Oh, lucky me!

We are trying to plan ahead for the holidays. Who is going to run the registers, greet the customers, bag the merchanidse, put out stock? My supervisor's biggest concern is who is going to stock the floor for the day after Christmas; no one wants to stay late on Christmas Eve for THAT! I assured her, it wouldn't be a problem. The customers are just going to return everything they were bought or were given for Christmas so the floor will be filled back up in no time! I mean, does anyone really keep anything they are given??

The worst is having to be the one to tell a customer their gift is crap. You know what I mean! There is inevitably someone who comes in with a gift that was purchased two years ago and is now worth .99 or less. And they get pissed at us! Then they say, "I'll give it charity before I let you have it for .99!" I never got that one. What makes you think I want it back? I absolutely support giving it to charity!

And BOXES! Don't get me started on the boxes. Who started the ridiculous trend of giving out free boxes to wrap gifts in? I can only imagine how much that costs the company to supply free boxes to people to are perfectly capable of going to the store and buying a box or nice gift bag themselves. You'd think the world was going to end if you run out of boxes..."Well, how am I supposed to give a gift if you don't have boxes?!" I work in a very affluent area and the box issue is big. I guess that's how they got to be affluent.

I can't wait to have to mop my floor DAILY to clean up the french fries, sodas, gum, fruit juice, smoothies, cherrioes, and goldfish that will get spilled...everywhere. What happended to the days of "No Food or Drink" in the store? I love have to scrape boogers off my front windows as well. And inevitably, some kid will pee on the floor because either the parents were ignoring him/her or the kid was too engrossed assessing all the possbile loot they could whine for and refused to leave the store, just peeing right there, on the floor. Thank goodness for tile, but parents always treat it like it's MY problem. Hey, housebreak your kid, bitch!

Ah, we are week from all hell breaking loose! Wish me luck! And you can wish me a Merry Christmas if you want, I promised not to sue, yell, whine, complain, or get offended. -Lamia

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It's like poetry!
Submitted by ookie on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 04:55.

You describe it so well!

Sadly enough I've started applying to such positions (retail management) myself.. so much for my own degree. Ho-hum.

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Sign of full adulthood...
Submitted by Tearful on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 15:13.

Reciting "I hate Christmas." is a sign that you have entered adulthood fully. Gone are the days when your only chore to do on Christmas was to open a big damned pile of toys. Gone are the days you didn't have to worry about traveling to an in-laws house that looks like prison. Gone are the days you don't have to pay for it. Gone are the days when $80 worth of gifts buys you more joy (at age 8) than $1,000,000 will buy you now (at the age of 31). Gone are the days when Christmas meant two weeks off from the daily grind. Christmas meant snow days, candy, presnets, fun, fun, fun, fun...

Welcome to adulthood Christmas where more people file for divorce, commit suicide, file bankruptcy, drink themselves into a heart attack, gain weight, get beatten by spouses, cry in despair, die, and realize their life is miserable than any other time of the year. Yes adult Christmas is the pentance people pay for the first 15 Christmases they have.

Here's what I would recommend for the Christmas Holiday and here is how I've dealt with it during my adulthood...1) Don't drink at all! 2) Eat meals that are more nutritious than what you normally eat. 2) Only spend within your means 4)Get some excercise and 5) Do what you want. I realize that for retail, this only helps so much for you people, but I must agree that since the age of 22, Christmas has sucked ass.

If you don't like retail, many colleges open new classes right after the season, so check 'em out and give em a try!!! Merry Christmas all!!

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god, that's so true
Submitted by pratmeister on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 22:59.

Christmas turned crap when we moved to australia (like everything else, I guess). The old-fashioned English Christmas with my Nan, aunty and cousins was gone forever. Then it was just four people, trying to celebrate Xmas in blazing sunshine. It makes the decorations look like an absolute joke. And these days - thanks to a ludicrous family feud four years ago - Christmas is me, at 31, with my parents.
And that's it.

Welcome to Hell.

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I agree..except one caveat
Submitted by downsizeddiva on Sat, 11/18/2006 - 02:43.

Since In grew up, I made Christmas fun-ner by making a contest with myself: I spend ALAP a year. (As little as possible). I belong to a lot fo rewards groups, and I use the points for mdse. (I get free) and give it. It's not too cheap shit, but I am not doing the $1500 per person like many of my co-workers give. I believe in rebates and coupons, and I make it creatively special. But I am NOT going broke just for this mandatory gifting thing. (I also regift).

It is still a fun deason because I mmake it that way, but I also have the joy of sharing the season with my kid who brings a whole new layer to the whole holiday experience. Seeing the world thru a child's eyes at this time really gives a joy deeper than I ever could have imagined.

Success is about perserverance, a positive attitude, and a good rack.

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I quit Christmas last year.
Submitted by wolfietherat on Fri, 11/17/2006 - 15:25.

This year, I booked a vacation to Disney World. I did that before I had any idea what is was like there at Christmas. How f-ing stupid could I be? Now everyone is telling me how they decorate and all the friggin parades. Next year, I am going to Istanbul. Anywhere away from this retail friggin mess.

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Santa Claus doesnt exist
Submitted by shit disturber on Sun, 11/19/2006 - 03:09.

Yeah I hate it too, I dont exchange gifts with my family-I cook for the people I care about. I dont spend oodles of money-the only thing I buy is a nice card for them. Fuck it, Im not going into debt for them. It should be about spenging time with people you love. It has turned out to be this fucking insane race for the best gift. I avoid shopping centers. The people make me sick, these crazy retards pushing and shoving for stuff--get a life people!! Its just stuff! And you most likely dont need it!

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Say it isn't so..
Submitted by Mister X on Mon, 11/20/2006 - 01:14.

No Santa? I'm disappointed. lol.

[Moderator]

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Christmas in Australia is not
Submitted by Slave Girl on Mon, 11/27/2006 - 05:40.

Christmas in Australia is not that bad...

I live in North Australia so Christmas here is stinking hot, pouring down with rain and once when I was a kid during a cyclone... I hate how much money I spend but I love making my family happy.

My mum, sisters and I make christmas presents every year... we all organise a weekend or two off before christmas so we can make pressies and my family loves home made presents. This year we are making liquear chocies... yum! We take the boat and the tube to a lake near home (freshwater- no crocs) and have a good day.

I must admit though I am starting to see how much of a pain christmas day can be and am not looking forward to it as much as I used to. My boyfriends parents are seperated so we have to spend all of christmas driving around to see everyone. My family always has a Huge usually lunch/arvo thing because of all the little kiddies and we have to go and visit his mum and his dad and then usually party the night away at a mates place after all of that, it's makes the day go fast but I still love it.

I hate work but I love Christmas, it brings my whole family together we all pitch in and help cooking, setting up, cleaning up and taking alternate turns at watching the kids. It's great.

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