Holidays are Exhausting

 


Christmas and Hanukkah are less than two weeks away.  The end of 2024 is on the horizon.  I'm stressed and exhausted.  I know I'm on the only one.  As stressed and exhausted as I am, I can't imagine how those who work in retail and the service industries must be.

I took yesterday and today off of work, so you think I'd be resting up.  You'd be wrong.  

Yesterday, before I went to pick up my son at college, I logged in to my office laptop to take care of a few items.  (Note:  I'd also done a few things the night before.)  Then I went to get my son which took longer than expected. (Dealing with one traffic jam due to an accident on the highway with no injuries and gridlock on the Staten Island Expressway.)  Then it was the two hour drive to the Poconos, during which my son asked if we had an iron in the house.  We did not.  So after we got home (stopping at one store to see if they had an iron and ironing board, they did not) and unpacking  (and me logging onto work again to see the emails piling up), the three of us headed out again to Walmart to get an inexpensive iron and ironing board.  Of course that's not all we got, but...

The store was quite busy (no surprise there).  It took a little bit of time to check out, but I have to say, the cashier was quite upbeat.  I'm not sure how she manages that, as I was feeling the stress and frustration of the day.  I do have to admit, her smile and kind words did make me feel a little less "angsty."  I ran the guys over to Wawa for some lunch. (The bagel I had for breakfast was still sitting like a lump in my stomach.  Nothing to do with the quality of the food and everything to do with my mental and emotional state.)

Once back in the house, I did some more work.  I know you are thinking WHY?  Why Bfth are you working on your day off?  Well, my phone kept pinging to alert me that email was coming in.  (I have a different notification sound for work email versus personal.)  Because we are in the year end rush, there is no one to cover for me.  If there is a real emergency, they can go to my manager, but...And the email and work kept coming in.  (Remember, I support 4 lines of business with over a dozen sales people frantically pushing programs through for 2025 before the end of the year.)  I had alerted as many people as I could that I was going to be out, but the work never stops for anyone so...  I could wait until Monday to address everything, but seeing all those email on Monday would put me over the edge.  In my mind, it's better to try and take care of some items (mostly smaller/easier projects) while I am officially off, so that I am somewhat "fresh" when I log in on Monday.

I don't know exactly how Christmas/Hanukkah are going to work this year.  (Son is working in NJ on Christmas Eve.  We hope to be in the Poconos for Christmas.  That entails a drive at night and is weather dependent.)  I decided to have a pseudo-holiday meal at Skytop.  The lodge decorations were amazing.  (How do they manage to get better each and every year?) 


We had a wonderful meal and got to chat with friends.  (Because "staff" is more like extended family to us.)  However, even during the meal, I could hear my phone "pling" letting me know that there was something waiting for me.  A wiser person would have just turned off the phone (or at least put on the do not disturb function).

Today my son and I are going to do a few things together (visit the local thrift shop, pick up a holiday gift for dad).  Fingers crossed that the "inexpensive" (and hopefully not cheap) Christmas tree that I ordered will arrive earlier in the afternoon rather than later so we as a family can set it up. (And either bask in the glory of this beautiful tree or laugh at how awful it is with the knowledge that it will be donated to the thrift store next season.  Praying for the former.)  However, if it tracks to arrive later, we will have to pack up and head back to NJ without setting it up.  Son has to work tomorrow and hubby and I have to start organizing for movers who are coming next week.  (Yes, there is still more "stuff" that needs to move from one location to the other and is too bulky for us to do on our own.)  So another drive is in the cards for me.  (As well as some grocery shopping, thrift shopping volunteering, cookie baking etc.)  However, in between all of that, you KNOW I'll be checking that office email and doing bits and pieces of work so that Monday is not too overwhelming.

It's supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.  Is it really?  If I'm smart (no comment), I will be grateful that I have work (because you never know when that door might be shut in your face) and I have a wonderful family who put up with my bitching and moaning about it.

So let me take a deep breath and be thankful.  The holidays are exhausting and stressful for a multitude of reasons for just about everyone.  Let's all to try focus on the fun and push the not so great into the dark recesses.  This Friday the 13th that's what I'm going to try to do.  Maybe you will too?



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