Holidays=Stress? Not so fast

So I've finally figured out why I've been less than ecstatic about the Holiday Season the past few years; since Thanksgiving '06, I have had a job that requires all employees to work on important days, such as Turkey Day, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and (my version of Black Friday) the day after Christmas.

I worked Thanksgiving day in '06 and '07 at the Briarwood and The Keg, having to work 11 hours with no break at the Briarwood. Another Briarwood horror was having to work the same shift for Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day, not to mention being forced to listen to what Pat Williams wryly dubbed as the "Zelda Christmas" CD. I swear they played the same four songs from Thanksgiving Day through New Year's Eve. The music alone at the Briarwood could (and did) drive people insane!

Last year, I experienced what it's like to work in retail during the Holidays. Having to wake up at 3AM on Black Friday to start my shift at 4AM was definitely not one of my better memories. Although the mere thought of having to work 10 hours with 2 20-min breaks isn't exactly appealing, I would pick working Black Friday anyday over working Thanksgiving at a fancy restaurant. The worst part about working at Dick's during the Holidays was the nightmarish 6 hour shift on Christmas Eve. I seriously did not stop checking out people until 15 minutes before close. Then, two days later, I had the wonderful opportunity of dealing with ruthless, rabid return shoppers. I have never seen so many people pissed off about their gifts. A loving person GAVE you something at no cost to you and you're MAD? People are crazy. Above all, the fact that I had to listen to the Jackson 5 Christmas CD from Black Friday to Christmas Eve was enough to keep me away from shopping malls every December. Online shopping, I love you.

This year, I work at Wheat Ridge High School. That means I had the entire Thanksgiving Week off! I also get Winter Break off, but - even better - I'm helping out my former boss, Sonya, at Runner's Roost! So not only did I successfully avoid the terrors of Zelda and Jackson 5 Christmas Music for a month, I also get to work in a running store again, which should prepare me nicely for my (hopeful) future job at the running store in Orem: Runner's Corner.

Ok, my last Holiday jobs really weren't bad at all; in fact, I really enjoyed my time at Dick's last year. I just feel very fortunate to currently have a great job that doesn't involve angry customers, scary bad music, or wild shifts that keeps me away from properly celebrating the Holidays. That is the main reason why I am so excited for the arrival of December.