The Christmas Blues

Generally, this was not a good day. First of all, I overslept. That barely gave enough time to do what I planned this morning, which is call Stockton again for information about their online programs. The woman I talked to at Stockton said that Continuing Learning doesn't handle the online courses and gave me the number for the company that does. They weren't in, of course. I left a message on their answering machine and have yet to hear from them. I couldn't even find the number for the company that shares Camden County College and Temple University's online courses on the site. I may just call CCC's Continuing Learning office on Friday and see what they say.

I had an even less welcome surprise awaiting me at Yahoo!Mail. Someone had left a less-than-flattering remark about me being selfish and not knowing how to put others first at my blog. I moderate comments and deleted it, but it still irked me. Why do people do that? Yes, I know, everyone says to ignore them. Why do that in the first place? How can you know someone just by reading their blog? I just don't understand it. 

On top of that, I couldn't get a ride to work. Dad's still on a job, and it was too late to get anyone else. I rode to work in the rain. I did get wet, but it could have been worse. The rain was still hard when I left, but by the time I arrived at work, it had stopped.

Customers were nasty today, too, especially early in the afternoon. I don't know if it's the weather, or just beginning-of-the-month people. I had several of those annoying folks who give five hundred orders on how to bag but won't help themselves in a row. Managers kept telling me not to call for the card or the key to unlock my register on the intercom...then another one would say to use the intercom, because people didn't like it when I called for them without it. Make up your darn minds and get the rules STRAIGHT!

The last straw came shortly before my break. I asked the woman if she had anything under the cart. I don't do this to be mean. Customers sometimes forget that they have things there. The woman snapped at me that I was being nasty and accusing! I wasn't accusing her of anything. It's just a simple question. I couldn't help my tears as I helped her with her bags.

Another woman who was behind me talked to her. Apparently, the woman was once her boss and had been very ill-tempered with her as well, until she gave her a piece of her own mind. She didn't throw a fit after that, but I still felt bad. Thank goodness I went on break about twenty minutes later.

After I came back, I asked to do returns for a while until another cashier had to leave. I just wasn't up to handling anyone else in a foul mood. By the time the other cashier went home, it was steady, but not as busy as earlier, and there were no more problems.

Work wasn't all bad. We had several classes of kindergarteners pass through today. One actually sang the cutest fight song to thank both Acme and Janice, the manager who usually works with the elementary school classes, that was utterly adorable.

Once again, I just rode home in the rain. I discovered something in the mail that really cheered me up when I got home. In the early 2000s, American Girl created several outfits that were exclusive to their American Girl Place stores that corresponded with the theater shows they were putting on at the time. When the shows ended in 2008, so did the costumes. I scored two from the AG Circle of Friends show that were perfect for Molly. One was a purple pleated one-piece outfit that was originally the show's jitterbug costume. The other is a white 40s-style dress trimmed with red and blue sequins that screams "Molly" all over it. It even comes with shiny red tap shoes with real metal taps on them.

I made sauteed spinach and mashed sweet potatoes to go with my leftover chicken leg for dinner. As I ate, I dubbed A Walt Disney Christmas for Lauren (the last dubbing of any kind I want to do for a long time - I think I kind of burned myself out there), then switched to two sweet specials about the possible story behind the donkey who carried Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.  

The Small One is a touching Disney featurette from the late 70s-early 80s in which the donkey is an older, kind creature who was once owned by a little boy. The boy had to sell him because of his age, but he couldn't find anyone who would take the scrawny animal...until he looked up and saw a pair of gentle eyes that belonged to Joseph. Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey is one of my favorite Rankin-Bass specials. Nestor is taunted by other barnyard critters because of his unusually long ears, but they end up coming to good use when he uses them to lead Mary and Joseph to their fabled destination.