Veggie Trays & Cough Drops.

                                          "Never get to busy making a living that you forget to make a life."

What a wonderful motto to live by yet sadly, one that I can not say that I follow at this point in my life.

     When the pandemic "hit - " I stopped working. I fell into the "lazy" middle class of not wanting to do anything. I was at edge the first few months but then I quickly slipped into the routine of just ... doing nothing and to be honest, it was a great feeling. I didn't have alarms to wake me to let me know I was already late to go deal with people who, like me, didn't even want to be in the place they were in. I didn't have to shower at a certain time or have my bed made before my eyes were even open anymore. This was a feeling that was becoming normal to me and I wasn't about to question it. I didn't need too.
I was able to be "FREE" at last.
     FREE from the pressures of being a model employee.
     FREE from the painted on smiles.
     FREE from being polite to everyone one EVEN the ones who didn't deserve the respect they demanded.
     FREE from retail - the nightmare that went along with the pay check.

I was finally in a good place. (or so I thought) Muddling through the days with nothing on my mind and my mind on nothing. Somehow, the air was fresher. The leaves crunchier. The music louder. Yup. This is where I was going to stay.

     Until ... one day I woke up from my non-reality, reality with a check mark.

I did it. I leaped back into the work force. Right? I am not sure what I was thinking either.

Now I am back to the bustle of the holiday rush. Trying to spread cheer through each Grinch I deal with in my endless line of green faces. My days are put on hold - working one job but 2 different places.

     Christmas is coming and I don't even have time to shop - to wrap - to decorate a tree or whip up Nanas fudge. (My) family goes about their daily business while my routine has been "knocked in the noggin" once again.

Somehow though - the bells that jingle are no longer attached to dancing feet but now hang on the door alerting me it is show time for yet another over drawn out shift. The day runs into slow motion as it collides with the night. My head spins while fighting the urge to grab all the sweet little children (whos parents forget the have them) by the arm while slapping - did I say slapping? Gently placing a stamp on their foreheads with a Do NOT Return to Sender sticker right above the North Pole address and right below it.

The music fades into the background of the urgency to move myself faster. Beep. Beep. Beep. *That is it. Keep scanning, bagging and "have a good day."

     Is it is a bad thing that I wish for snow? A lot of snow? Snow that keeps the whole World inside. Inside where families watch traditional holiday movies, decorate baked sugar cookies and sip hot chocolate through bobbing marshmallows.

Is that really to much to ask? I know my burning neck and shoulder would surely benefit from a good dumping of the white powder. Who doesn't want to build a snowman - right?

     Me - I hate being cold and wet but I think for a good cause like this one - relief of Great Customer Service, I just might dive in.

But alas, there is no snow yet. Lucee' has a parent teacher conference in about 15 minutes. Then it is off on a mad dash to get what is still missing for the Thanksgiving Feast coming soon. *Must get (last) Honey Hickory Ham and then work without so much as a inhale of icy air to pierce my untarnished lungs.

     So I shall paint on my clown face - do my job. Return home with a tired body and mind to get as many (bought) early gifts that I can get wrapped before I collapse into bed to roll over and start the same day on repeat once again.

We are open on Thanksgiving day which does not make my heart burst out in song as I know they will be calling me in for shift or two.
     Not so regretfully I will decline. No excuse. Just a clear voice over the line -
 "I will be home making memories" but see you tomorrow.

                                                                                                                                                                                            Kazz 💋

*In conclusion - if you are looking to find me here writing that might not be such an easy task for now.
I will glide in - as much as time allows me too. Stayed turned.