This has been a busy holiday season in retail this year. It has been mostly pleasant. Not too many cranky customers this year compared to past years. But you know what sucks about working retail? You don’t get time off for the holidays. I wish I had a job where I had at least a week off for Christmas. The only days I have off in a row are Christmas and Boxing Day. It sucks a lot. I keep finding myself looking forward to Christmas because of vacation, but then I remember that I don’t have a vacation this year. This must be the first year where I didn’t have any Christmas vacation. I’m praying that nothing crazy happens between now and Christmas at work, especially because my manager is leaving me in charge while he goes away for two or three weeks. I don’t think a manager should be allowed to be gone for more than two weeks at a time, but that’s just me.
This Christmas also marks one year since I’ve been home to see my family which is sad too. I have no idea when I am going to get to see them next. That is making Christmas a little more sad this year. But on the bright side, I get to spend it with my boyfriend making our own traditions. Which really means, I’m teaching him my traditions and he’s adopting them. This weekend we plan on going to Candy Cane Lane to look at the Christmas lights. This is a street where most of the houses are lit up. It’s pretty cool. And I also found a news article this morning about this family who have decorated their acreage with Christmas lights and my boyfriend said he will take me there! It looks amazing so I’m really looking forward to that.
I feel so disorganized this Christmas. I sent out my cards late this year so a few of my family members won’t be receiving theirs until after Christmas. And I didn’t even as my blogging friends to exchange cards. I find that when my work life is chaotic, so is my personal life. I’ve been really trying to find some sort of balance or routine but have been failing for months. I really hope to get myself back on track come January. I wrote up a schedule for myself for when I’m home so I can keep on track of my chores and my exercise. I don’t know if it’s going to work though. I even wrote in blogging time, which I know I keep saying I’m going to get better at but then don’t. I think I’ve figured out the problem though.
In the past when I blogged a lot, it was when I was in school. I used to write about what I was learning and how stressed out I was about exams, etc. But with work, I don’t like writing about it. I mean, I wouldn’t mind writing about work. But at the same time, I’m scared that I would get in trouble if I did. Ever since I began teaching I have been hyper aware about how you are not to talk about things that happen at work, with the public. And even though I’m not teaching anymore, I still try to limit what I say in the public sphere because you never know who’s reading and how they are going to interpret what you say. I’m not really good at censoring myself these days and I know my blog has hurt the feelings of some people in the past. But I am going to try REALLY hard to start writing here more often, even if I don’t really have anything to say. I will apologize in advance for any boring posts that may be coming your way in the new year.
Susanne
December 21, 2013 at 12:43 amI’m looking forward to see you post more! I don’t think the posts will be boring. The only posts that have ever been boring have been the product review posts.
I know what you mean about writing about work. As you know I’m a nurse and I need to be very careful too. Obviously I never write about specific patients but it happens that I write about other things at work, thoughts different issues, more general things. I wouldn’t write about the bad stuff either, I know I’ve done it sometimes but more generally there too.
And talking about work, I’m working at Christmas this year and did last year too. Haven’t seen my parents for Christmas since I don’t know when. That’s sad :(.
Deanna
January 2, 2014 at 4:00 pm@Susanne, That sucks that the product reviews are boring. You shouldn’t read my current post then haha.
Susanne
January 2, 2014 at 4:54 pm@Deanna, Sorry, no offense, I just don’t like that sort of posts. But I think it’s good that you label your posts product review so that I know that there’s no point going to read that post. I like your other posts however.
Jessica
December 23, 2013 at 1:16 amI am so sorry to hear that you won’t get to spend Christmas with your family. 🙁 Sometimes I wish that I didn’t have to see my relatives, as they drive me crazy. But I guess that’s part of being related. Anyways, I’m so glad to hear that you’ll be off for both Christmas and Boxing Day. I always feel bad for people who have to work on those days – though with those in the Hotel industry, it’s understandable. Now, McDonald’s has no excuse. *grr* Sorry about that!
As for the blogging about work, I’m not really sure how it would go over. I mean, you’d have to change the details so much that it might not even be worth it. *shrugs* I honestly don’t know…
Kirsten
December 24, 2013 at 2:32 pmWorking retail at Christmas is always trying. But at the same time it can be a lot of fun. It just takes a toll on you most years. I am glad I no longer work retail.
I know what you mean with vacations and retail. It’s really hard to get. Since I stopped working retail I have been able to take a week off each year for the past 3 years. I can’t imagine going back to not having vacation.
I have a hard time blogging and have to really push myself. I have so far done 25 days straight. But it’s not easy. I don’t like bogging much about work either. It’s not that I mind, I also wouldn’t mind. Having a place to vent would be nice but I am also scared of getting in trouble or saying the wrong thing about my project, so I usually steer clear of it. Makes it hard to write on a day to day basis.
Deanna
January 2, 2014 at 4:03 pm@Kirsten, well, thankfully I am on salary so I do get two weeks of vacation per year. But there are blackout periods where we’re not supposed to book time off, and December is one of them. August is the other blackout period which sucks because that’s a good camping month. But I have taken vacation during both of those blackout periods in the past haha.