Holidays
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
ugghhh...anyone else work in retail?
I'm a freelance writer, so my "real job" is as a Store Manager in retail. I'm salaried, but I'm mandated to work 55 hours/week beginning Black Friday. I'm lucky enough to have Sundays as my days off, though, so I can go to a couple of Christmas parties on Saturday nights and holiday concerts with my family on Sundays. The worst part, though, is this: I have to work until 3 on Christmas Eve, and open at 11 the day after Christmas. Of course, my parents live about 4 hours away from us, so my Christmas Eve and day will pretty much be spent in the car 
Re: ugghhh...anyone else work in retail?
I completely understand and relate to both of you. I worked at Best Buy for 4 years, and at a couple assisted living homes (with the cognitively disabled). So, for several years it just wasn't possible to have time with family over the holidays, as for most of that time I had to travel quite a distance.
Assisted living isn't health care, but they never close either. The sad truth with many of the CD people is that a lot of their family don't care to spend the time with them. That's not all, but we would still have several individuals that were never even contacted on any of the holidays. Their family really was the staff that took care of them on a day to day basis, and it made me really appreciate what I have, and not respect a lot of people who could do that to a loved one.
Best of luck to both of you! As I completely understand the frustration of not being able to spend a lot of time with the people that mean the most during the holidays.
I feel for you--I spent 10 years working retail. I worked almost every Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Christmas Eve. I was a salaried manager for part of that time and there was no limit to the hours we worked holiday weeks -- 12-14 hours, sometimes 6 days a week. Even the years I was making overtime, it sometimes didn't feel worth it. I hope you survive with very few "war stories" this holiday season.
Although, I was the oddball cashier who liked working Black Friday morning--most of the people coming through the checkouts were fun.
I'm working retail this year. Both my family and DH's family live about 6 hours away. We won't be going home for the holidays this year.
On a positive note though, DH's mom is coming to us for Thanksgiving and my parents are going to visit the week after Christmas. I am not sure how much time I will actually be able to spend with them. It should be interesting.
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That's terrible . . . I really don't think I could ever do that to either my parents, DH's parents, or any of our aunts or uncles. But I'm sure you felt good to be giving your love and time to those people during the holidays--that's what the season is all about, afterall!
Been there, done that! As a matter of fact, from 2003-2007 I worked at Victoria's Secret as a 2nd job for the holidays. I loved it, but it's a busy store and a lot of work...hell, chasing the obnoxious 14 year olds out was enough to drive us nuts.
I was single during time I did it, so all the hours and extra money made no bones to me but I think I over did myself with the hours. I signed on for one night during the week plus Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday. Black Friday was mandatory and no matter how many times I told the manager who made the schedule that I STILL had to work the day job, every year she'd schedule me a 9 hour day and it would be a debacle to have to call and have her change it once again. But we'd always do pot-lucks that day. I'd roll in as soon as I left my day job and work until 11:00 at night, then we'd all go out for drinks after work. It was actually pretty fun!
Oh yes, it did make me feel good to share the time with them, when their family was no where to be seen. But it also broke my heart, because most of the individuals were really caring and just wanted to be loved and accepted.
DH and I both work retail
I'm extremely lucky because my store is only open 8:30-5:30 Monday through Saturday, but DH works at best buy and they're hours are just getting later and later. It makes seeing each other pretty difficult, because they seem so fond of having him close. I'm still pumped about our first holiday season as a married couple though 