Today is "Chirstm'us" Day, in SK!

I'm back to Saskatchewan after a crazy busy trip home for the Holidays. So many people to see, so little time.

I think I did a pretty good job at dividing my time and getting to hang out with everyone I wanted to. I spent some time with family and some with friends, even a it of both at times! Great memories!!

Js and I had decided to celebrate Christm'us today. We took it easy all day, went for tea and a bagel in a little coffee shop and did some light shopping. I made turkey breast and drumsticks for dinner, with mashed carrots and turnips, stuffing from a box (giggitty!) à la Maggie and cranberry sauce from a can. Delish!! Then we had Christm'us Rice Crispies for desert and watched a movie.

I'm so glad I got to go home for the Holidays but I'm already looking forward to spending it out here next year. I want to prepare a HUGE dinner, by myself, from scratch. We'll see how that goes... :)

Home for the Holidays

I'm leaving tomorrow (!!) to go home for the Holidays and I'll be back in a week. Oy, the planning that went into this visit better have been worth it!!

It's going to be nuts!! I am trying to see as many people as I can on a very limited time frame. I'd also like a bit of time to relax... but we'll see.

We decided it would be a good idea for me to visit the family and for Js to stay here this Holiday season. It was Js' idea and when we looked at the pros and cons, it just made more sense.
It'll be odd to be apart for the Holidays but we've been lucky enough to have spent all our Holidays together this far, it's not a HUGE deal.

We'll celebrate our own little Christmas on December 29th! Christm'us! :)

That being said, I'm not sure how much internet access or how much time I'll have so I'd like to wish you all a happy Holiday season! Enjoy the small things and be safe!

Word to the wise... Retail wise.

A small shout out to all my retail-working friends. As you brace yourselves for the last week before the Holidays, start to get the boxing day sale ready, try to keep it all together and still look fab, I wish you all the best and that it's over quickly and painlessly... like a band aid.

A very wise man once said to me :

It takes a special kind of people to work in retail. Think about it. At some point in your life someone looked at you and said "We are going to lock you up in a small windowless space, fill it with too much product, give you a couple people to lend you a hand and try to squeeze as many customers in there as legally possible. We'll expect you to run this thing from early morning to late at night, seven days a week, on salary. People will scream at you, try to steal from you, call you names and throw fits." And somehow, for some reason, you thought "Yeah, I'd like to do that!" ...and you come in every day with a smile on your face to tackle another challenge. That's what makes you so great at your job.

Thank you, Laurence Lewin!

I met Mr Lewin at a Holiday conference for The Body Shop in 2006 and he was a great inspiration to everyone who attended. He was a guest speaker and he was kind enough to mingle and chat with all of us for the greater part of the day.

10 different kinds of crazy...

I don't even know where to being describing how I feel towards this Holiday Season.

A) Retail severance - I'm crazy and well aware!
I miss retail. SO. Much. Yes, that's right. It's December 17 and I still have enough energy to blog and I don't like it one bit. I miss working this crazy time of year, store and stock room filled with goodies, long lines, free samples, incentives for team members galore!! I would give my right eye to have it all back (open for negotiations!) and I'm not quite sure why. It's exhausting, people scream at you, stock piles up to the ceiling because delivery came on the wrong day, staff quits and calls in sick due to eggnog abuse... yet, I still miss the whole thing. You'd think after all this time, I'd be happy about finally being able to enjoy the Holidays calm and relaxed. Nope. Give me long returns, disgruntled customers, boxing day sale madness, oh my!

Most of my friends who have found their ways out of the crazy retail world have told me "Don't worry, come the Holidays, you'll be glad you left retail!" Au contraire!!

(Special note to Nick : Judge me, go ahead - you know you'd miss it too!)

B) A whole year's worth of family and friend's time crammed into one week.
As I sit here and long for a rush, this Holiday season, I'm procrastinating. Yes, ladies and gents, I hate packing. I am going back to Ontario to spend the Holidays with my family and I have my itinerary (pending confirmation from mother-in-law) down to the hour. It's been 11 months since I've been there and seen most members of my family. It's going to be insane, not a relaxing vacation in any way shape or form. Aside from the evenings spent at home with Mom and Dad just slothing around the house in mah jammies, I'm not quite sure I'll get any rest. I want to see everyone and I have a very limited week to do so. Oy! I'm reasured because I know I'm making the most of my time which makes me feel a lot better about spending *that much* money for a mere week. Still... I'll need a week to recupe.

So yes, I complain because I'm not busy enough on one hand and on the other, I'm too busy and wish I could slow down.

Gah! I want the right quanity of good busy, is that too much to ask?!

The day has come...

However you try to prepare for this kind of thing, you're never quite ready. It's not until it's right there in your face and you can't deny it anymore without claiming insanity that you have to really let it sink in and accept the facts.

My Mother is on Facebook.

Saskatcha-cold

I normally enjoy walking to work in the morning. I'm not a morning person so it gives me that extra five minutes to breath between rushing to brush my teeth and finding matching socks. It helps me disconnect work from home which is always appreciated. Especially with all the challenges I'm facing at work right now.

Winter had to come along and ruin my moment of peace... Saskatchewan winter at that.

Now, I need to add an extra five minutes of prep time - meaning five minutes less of sleep time - to get ready. I have to put on tights, or leggings or some double layer of leg wear. I have to make sure my hair won't get totally ruined by a tuque (though some days I couldn't be bothered!) and there's no turning back once I step out the door. Forgot my cell phone? Too bad. Not sure if I brought a spoon with my lunch? Too bad, I'll have to eat my yogurt with my hands.

Then when I get to work, I have to leave my glasses to thaw for a good minute until I can see in focus again. That's right, thaw. They are normally covered in ice by the time I get there and not just the lenses, the frame and the little doo-dads that sit on your nose.

Did I mention I live about six minutes walk away from work?