Merry Freakin' Xmas

Something about retail ruins the holidays. Whether it's the Christmas music that starts playing the day after Thanksgiving, the cranky shoppers, or the hellish hours I have to work, I find myself feeling more and more Scrooge-like with every passing year. I actually find myself saying to Omar that I hated Christmas.

This is not entirely true. I like Christmas. I like traditions and Christmas in my family is all about traditions. Lasagne on Christmas Eve. Strouffla on Christmas morning. My dad's one gift to Baby Sis and me that he picks out by himself every year (earrings, nice ones, too). My mom's cornball calendar that she gives every year. My relatives arrival, the debate over whether or not to attend Mass, even watching It's a Wonderful Life and a truly horrible yet very funny Steve Martin movie called Mixed Nuts. These are all traditions in my house.

Of course now I split Christmas with my parents and Omar's and man does that suck. But we try our best and that's how it goes. I can't wait until we don't have to split anything. I hate having to go everywhere. I'm putting my foot down. When there's a baby, people will come to us, dammit.

Anyway, I'm working six days this week, six days next week and probably six days the following week. It's just exhausting and it makes me kind of hate the holidays. I say it every year, but HEAR ME NOW. This is my last freaking Christmas in retail. LAST ONE. I swear to God, I will not put myself through this again.