Saturday, December 24, 2005

What are you like behind closed doors...

Christmas Eve, some members of my family are going to church (oh no, not me. Uncle Polt has issues with organized religion. Not religion in and of itself, but organized religion. But I digress...), and afterwards, they're going to my grandma's for pizza, shrimp, and soda. (oh yeah, real partiers is the Clan Polt). But I will go to the post church get together, cause, well, I like pizza, shrimp and soda, so why not go?

Anyhow, I was sitting here, bumming around the house, waiting for the time to creep up on me, and I got a hankering for some chips and ranch dip. But much to my disappointment, I had only a teaspoon or so of dip left. I didn't want to, but I thought, oh what the hell? So, I bundled up (well, not THAT much, as it's like 45 degrees out. Christmas Eve! At night! that's just so WRONG! It's supposed to be cold! ...but that's another post altogether) and got in the car and drove to Food Lion (was gonna get some ring bologna that only they carry as well).

But when I got there, the store lights were out and the lot was rather empty. And then I remembered it was Christmas Eve, and they might have closed early. So I sat in my car while I watched some guy walk to the doors...stop...and walk back to his. I figured they were closed (master of the obvious, am I). So, that meant it was off to Martin's Grocery store then. They're open 24 hours!

When I got to Martin's, there were people milling about there too. And no one was going in, and a few people walked away. I saw on my clock it was 6:15, and they were closed! At first, I got all pissed off! I mean, I wanted my dip (among a few other items) and now I couldn't get them until Monday. And then I called them stupid (all this was in my head of course, I wasn't sitting in my car, yelling and swearing to myself. Just wanted to make that clear), look at all the money they're missing out on! How short sighted on thier part!

And then, well, then I was overcome by the Christmas spirit, and I remembered how it felt when i worked at the drug store 15 yrs ago and how i worked at Borders more recently, and how everyone didn't want to stay open late on Christmas Eve, cause they have families to get to also, and be with. And I felt kinda bad, putting my ranch dip above those people that have to work there (probably for minimum wage) getting home to be with thier families.

So i pulled and came home, smiling all the way, and feeling pretty damn good about myself, in that humble way that I do.

..........I still want the ranch dip though.....

POLT = listening to "Reverence" by The Jesus And Mary Chain

The guy was like a package holiday on legs. - Alan Hoolinghurst, The Spell

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