Every year...

...after the holiday retail season I tell myself."That's it. I'm never doing another one."
Customers 97% lovely this year.
What I noticed most is that almost everyone said "Merry Christmas."  Loved it but found myself having a hard time saying it back. The past couple of years it has been drilled into us that the correct holiday response for our company is "Happy Holidays." This is the first year in many that a directive was not given. We were on our own.
Back to the thought of never doing another one and that 3% that makes me think that...
The complaint...to customer service, thank you VERY much...we wouldn't take something out of the window.  The windows are heavily seasonally decorated...precarious to move anything. I know. I set them. I made the rule...nothing gets taken out of windows. Of course the customer wants wahts in the window. Lovely Susan...an associate says can't do. Of course customer stomps her foot and huffs away...and we have a complaint call.
I called her in response...Safety issue to take things out of the window...so sorry for your inconvenience. Apologize and suck up. What I really wanted to say was the Thrift Stores I shop don't take stuff out of the windows...and probably no other store you shop does. Really?
About the the taking out of the window...means undressing a mannequin...means half an hour lost of customer time. Company needs to take a stand on.
The second...and she may complain about me. Returning a vest she bought WAY to big online...and now marked down. She started talking to another associate...who was working with someone else...okay she line butted...ANNNND felt dissed by the other employee. So her she is returning the too big vest...feeling dissed...and it's been marked down...can't do a locate...and she's ratchetting. "Why can't you find this? I just bought it and blahblahblah"  She started getting teary at one point.  So I found tapdanced and found it. Problem solved.  Best part of her ratcheting about mistreatment...she siad to me "You rolled your eyes at me." I said "Miss Vicki...if I rolled my eyes at you I apologize. It had nothing to do with you. My fingers are not working as I would like and I knew you were in a hurry. My frustration. It had nothing to do with you."  Do have to say she got the don't mess with me look above my Harry Potter glasses.
Best of my retail season...
A person I met maybe four years ago...shopping with her sister. She wasn't into shopping that day. She was going through rough stuff...and very sad. She cried on my shouldar. I was glad I had arms to hold her and just let her tell me what she needed to tell. All I  remember is hugging her...and that the backstory was sad and tumultous.
Lovely thing...I wondered how she was doing and two days later she was in the store. She looks happy and fabulous. Really doing well.

Change Abounds...

...before the New Year.
My Dad has been moved to a nursing home facility in Lebanon.
Since my Mum doesn't drive...she didn't get to see the facility before he got moved there. She and my sister saw it Sunday and were content with it. Clean and bright. Everybody in clothes...no jammies in wheelchairs.

Hard thing my Mum has come to accept...still coming to terms with...he's not coming back to the home they shared. He has a new home.
One of the persons Mum talked to at the new place said he would be able to come home in about five weeks. That would be a no.
When Dad came home from the hospital a bed was moved downstairs to the family room. It looks like a lovely hotel room. That's where Mum is now sleeping.
I think back to last Christmas. Everyone sat where we always sit...did what we always do...but it didn't feel right. Think it was really the first time it was in our face that Dad wasn't quite Dad.
Do remember thinking last Christmas...this is the last one in this room we've had for years.
A season of change.

My Dad...

...is in a Senior Behavioral Facility. Good Sam Cinci.
Things came to head.
My Mum has been ignoring the reality for a really long time. Well...she can't have been totally ignoring it...she's been living with it for years.
She's been hiding it. Trying to be two people..keep it normal..for years.
I'm glad they're away from  each other right now.

Hindsight....

Moments lived....thought we were through...but come back in a different form. 

My Dad is not doing well. He's kind of gone off the rails. Think it has been happening slowly over years.

My gentle bear of a Dad shook the the TV because the Japanese were invading. He tried to hit my sister and my Mum. 

My Mum has been trying to keep everything normal...meaning she's been covering up for a looong time. 

What I realised when I was driving with her....she was in control. A constant comment. Made me realize that he was operating the veichle...but she was driving the car. 

Dad is in Good Sam....the Senior Behavioural Unit.  Seems like a place that answers will be found.

My sister gets a huge halo.

I'm Back!

I thought I had lost my little blog....and thanks to my husband saying it's still out there...I found it again.
I've missed writing.