Holiday Misery

[ExFlyBoy5]

Yesterday was Monday, my new favorite day of the week. Like normal, I got up at a most reasonable time and decided I would knock off a couple of "to-do" items that necessitated my leaving the house.

BIG MISTAKE.

I assumed that most of the holiday buffoonery would wait until Wednesday, but man oh man, was I WRONG. I was out and about for about an hour and I swear, it took off about 3 years from my life. People around here tend to be a fairly friendly lot, but when the holidays are around the corner, it's every man for himself and there wasn't a friendly face to be seen ANYWHERE.

Anyway, I got home and am going to do my best to avoid the masses as best as I can for a while. I am sorry for those of you that still have to w*rk, but I can't WAIT until you go back!!!

 

[travelover]

I feel your pain. I grocery shop on Monday mornings and it was like a Saturday there. Hardly any parking and traffic sucked.

And get off my snow covered lawn!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Ughh. I just realized that a coupon I have for a free oil change expires TOMORROW and I really want to use it. Without the coupon, it costs me about $40 to get the oil changed. I REALLY don't want to go out there...decisions, decisions!

 

[easysurfer]

Went Black Friday shopping a few years back and swore that I'd never do that again. No fun bumping into strangers jockeying for position. The only kind of Black Friday shopping I'd do, if any is online.

 

[redduck]

<snip>I was out and about for about an hour and I swear, it took off about 3 years from my life.

With this new mortality information, you may want to consider re-running FIRECalc.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

With this new mortality information, you may want to consider re-running FIRECalc.

That's a good point. I shouldn't worry too much about buying the overpriced ('tis the season!) Honey Baked Ham, huh?

I also decided to just pay for the oil change tomorrow. They won't be busy (at least, I doubt it) and hey...maybe I can convince them to use my expired coupon.

 

[Payin-the-Toll]

Went Black Friday shopping a few years back and swore that I'd never do that again. No fun bumping into strangers jockeying for position. The only kind of Black Friday shopping I'd do, if any is online.

"All Fridays Matter"

 

[frayne]

From Thanksgiving until after the first of the new year I stay away from any shopping malls or like venues. All of my shopping these days is done on line.

 

[Amethyst]

Likewise! I used to buy lots of clothes for work on the day after Christmas, but now that I don't need work clothes, we stay away from stores. Even 20 years ago, the shoppers' behavior was awful...we came out of the store to find that our little car had its side pushed in by some SUV driver who didn't even leave a note.

From Thanksgiving until after the first of the new year I stay away from any shopping malls or like venues. All of my shopping these days is done on line.

 

[RunningBum]

With this new mortality information, you may want to consider re-running FIRECalc.

And start taking SS early!

 

[Chuckanut]

Gosh, I enjoy all the Christmas energy.

 

[Midpack]

Likewise! I used to buy lots of clothes for work on the day after Christmas, but now that I don't need work clothes, we stay away from stores. Even 20 years ago, the shoppers' behavior was awful...we came out of the store to find that our little car had its side pushed in by some SUV driver who didn't even leave a note.

+1. We used to take advantage of day after Christmas sales too, but it's not worth it anymore. Sadly, way too much bad behavior out there these days, I feel sorry for the folks who work retail and have to put up with all the obvious BS. Good thing you can buy most anything online now, usually at lower prices than brick-n-mortar stores too, every day of the year including after holidays...

We've never been tempted by brick-n-mortar Black Friday, and never will.

 

[Music Lover]

My place of employment is located next to a popular mall and I've come to hate Decembers. It will be especially bad this year due to unfinished road construction.

Thankfully, this will be my last ever holiday season spent commuting...

 

[John Galt III]

And how many will be driven to madness by the unceasing Nat King Cole songs?

 

[harley]

And how many will be driven to madness by the unceasing Nat King Cole songs?

No one. Nat King Cole is cool.

 

[jollystomper]

Gosh, I enjoy all the Christmas energy.

+1

Both DW and I grew up in cities but we now live in a rural/suburban area, and the increased activity does not bother us. It is only for 6 weeks or so, and we can take it. The best way we find to deal with it in our area is to get out early and be back before noon. With most stores opening 1-2 hours earlier, that becomes the quiet time to shop.

We tend to get our gift shopping done early, and one of our "guilty pleasures" is going to the local malls a week or so before Christmas and just people watch. It can be quite amusing.

 

[Ronnieboy]

I am still w*rking and in retail, I really dislike this time of year. The months of November and December are the worst as far as mean, ornery, unhappy people that are out in droves. You'd think that this time of year might be different with the holidays, people would be happy, thankful, being around family (maybe that is why they are ornery) etc. etc.
Heck no, plan on getting yelled at for the littlest thing out of your control that doesn't go their way. Uggh, can't wait for FI!

 

[stepford]

DW and I used to absolutely dread Thanksgiving weekend. As younger children in our families we were obliged to drive hundreds of miles to have dinners with both families on different days. All that amidst the traffic, crowding and general craziness cited by the OP.

With all our parents gone now these last few years we just hunker down and hide for 5 days. When folks ask us what we're doing for Thanksgiving we both relievedly chime in: "Nothing!"

 

[W2R]

Traffic and crowds here are just crazy. I wouldn't dare venture into a grocery store this week. I did stop at a Walgreen's and got the last parking spot, but it wasn't as crowded as I feared. I guess they had their "A Team" at the cash registers.

We usually have Thanksgiving with his extended family, but that is pretty tiring because there are so many of them and kids running around and so on. This year our plan is to beg off and just go to a Chinese restaurant together. I'm SO done with cooking holiday dinners myself, BTDT for many years and it doesn't do much for me any more. So, I told him that no way, no how, was I going to cook! When I told him that, he said in an appropriately horrified tone, "Of course not!" I love it. We are such a great match.

 

[youbet]

From Thanksgiving until after the first of the new year I stay away from any shopping malls or like venues. All of my shopping these days is done on line.

From New Years Day until New Years Eve, I stay away from any shopping malls or like venues.........

 

[ERD50]

And how many will be driven to madness by the unceasing Nat King Cole songs?

No one. Nat King Cole is cool.

Out of all the Christmas songs that might drive me crazy, Nat King Cole's would not be on the list. He's great! His classic "The Christmas Song" was written by Mel Torme.

-ERD50

 

[W2R]

Out of all the Christmas songs that might drive me crazy, Nat King Cole's would not be on the list. He's great! His classic "The Christmas Song" was written by Mel Torme.

-ERD50

And don't forget, Nat King Cole sang songs other than Christmas songs, too! The song he is singing in the video below has to be one of the best of all time, and has nothing to do with Christmas.

It's amazing to think that he was just 45 when he died of lung cancer, according to Wikipedia. Imagine what he could have done had he lived longer.

 

[Walt34]

I actually did go into a grocery store today (day before Thanksgiving) and it wasn't that bad. DW wanted some ginger ale for an upset tummy. The store was a little busier than usual but not a lot. A cashier at the end of the row had no line so I went there. In & out in five minutes.

Of course, I went to the small one close to a small town, not exactly the population hotspot of the state and not the larger store we usually go to.

 

[harley]

With all our parents gone now these last few years we just hunker down and hide for 5 days. When folks ask us what we're doing for Thanksgiving we both relievedly chime in: "Nothing!"

Since we're down in FL by now and away from the rest of the family, we're like that too. We did buy a turkey and plan to do a small Thanksgiving dinner since we like it. But DW was worried that the turkey wouldn't thaw in time, so I said "Who cares? We'll just do it Friday instead."

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Oh my. Yesterday was crazy. I had a friend that was in town from Texas and we decided to meet "in the middle" for dinner. I drove about 60 miles and it took me almost THREE HOURS to get there. The traffic was miserable. THEN...I decided to swing by the store this evening to pick up a couple of things for T-giving w/ my Dad tomorrow. Oye...more misery!

But that's OK. I have something that will fix what ails me!