..and a 55 hour, 6 day work week - Hoo-Ray!

I've noticed three kinds of people who come into the store where i work.  Elderly people, business people, and all the rest of the suckers, like me, with retail-type jobs.  You can spot em at a distance without a second glance:

Elderly people are... old!  They have canes, walkers, wispy white hair and look anything from seniley happy to grim tomb-keepers.  They steal a lot during the holidays - and I watch em and let em because it's not my money or job to stop em.  I think they likely need the goodies anyway as a morale boost if not because they're hungry (after all, who actually *needs* brie cheese and pate?)

Business people are happier than anyone in the world.  They mostly have the holidays off starting Friday at 3pm and ending the 2nd of January because, at least in Kitchener, real business is only done Monday to Friday and only 9-4, and only some weeks where there isn't a holiday or any sort or a pebble in the road to prevent them from getting to work safely.

Suckers are working 6 days, 8-12 hours a day and getting paid poorly.  Their stores and restaurants will close sometime Christmas Eve, but they will have to stay until mid to late evening cleaning and prepping for a day or two closure.  When they get home, they will have had no chance to shop for Christmas except their lunch breaks and all presents will have to be wrapped on the Eve of Christmas.  Christmas Day will be their first glorious day off so they will sleep in till the late hour of 9am before starting to cook and clean for Christmas dinner.  After eating that, they will clean up, socialize, and 50% will go to bed early in order to be up for work the next day - Boxing Day - the day of sales and panic for shoppers and clerks.  The real day to look forward to is New Years.  For some reason, we'll mostly get that day off (unless you work in a call centre, restaurant, or gas station) and can relax for the first real day off in 14.  On the bright side, now that the holidays are over, we can go back to work with fewer customers bacause everyone is broke, and aside from managers and owners complaining that sales are down (aren't they always?), we can relax for the next month or two.

Oh Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!