The After Christmas Rush

I worked my last shift at the Lane Bryant today. Of course, it was quite busy being the day after Christmas, but that made the time fly. There were lots of us working so it wasn’t overwhelming and went smoothly. I had to get to the mall two-and-a-half hours before my shift started because Mom and Dad had to be at church early. My shift started at 11:00 am, around the time that their service would be ending. So I brought some prep materials with me and sat in the foodcourt getting some things ready for next Monday, the start of classes. I also did some shopping since it was the last day for my employee discount and they are having a great sale. I spent some Christmas money that Grandpa gave me and put the rest on my card. I bought bras, a pair of boot-cut jeans, and a couple of shirts. Many of my coworkers were there so I got to say goodbye to them. Of course I will see them when I go in as a customer later. I sure won’t need new clothes for a while, though. The “girls” that work there work hard but treat each other like family and know how to have fun while working.

I didn't have time to eat the ham sandwich I had made in case I got a 15-minute break and could eat. After my purse and all my bags had been looked through (routine after each shift to prevent employee theft) and I had started walking to the door, I realized that I had left the sandwich in the fridge in the break room. I was really hungry, too. I went to the threshold of the store and my manager saw me. I told her that I had forgotten my sandwich. She was the same one who had just looked through all my stuff and didn't really want to do it again. She said, "Let me go back and get it." and returned quickly. Then I took all my stuff out to the parking lot to find Dad. I didn't see him right away and he told me that he'd be in front. I put my bags on top of a truck and got my phone out to call him. He doesn't usually pick me up and he can get impatient. But before I could hit the speed dial, there he was. I quickly grabbed bags and trotted to the car with all my stuff, except for the sandwich. I left the small bag with the sandwich on the hood of that truck in the parking lot. I realized it when we were half-way home. At first I was really disappointed, but then we laughed. He said that mall security would probably have dogs sniff it for drugs or explosives and call the police, who would send it to be tested for biological or chemical weapons. "It might be on the news tonight" he smirked. "Oh, yeah. Mall closed after suspicious ham sandwich with swiss cheese and dijon mustard was found left in the parking lot. No suspects have been identified yet."

When I got home I relaxed, watching a movie (Bulletproof Monk) with Dad. It was silly story but fun. I also found a treasure on the Sundance channel, La Jetee. It’s an experimental French short film that inspired the movie 12 Monkeys. I watched it while I taped it. Even though it's just half-an-hour long, I was so tired that I kind of dozed a couple of times. I have read about the movie, but have never seen it or thought that I would get the chance. The most interesting thing is that it is all still shots. Sometimes there is some camera movement to zoom in on part of a photo, but the pictures do not move. It sounds like it could be stilted and perhaps kind of boring, but it’s not. There is still a sense of movement in some parts, especially the quick succession of photos at the end of the man running. After seeing the original inspiration, I know where Terry Gilliam, who directed 12 Monkeys, got the idea for the strange optical gear that the “scientists” or “doctors” wear when they examine the man. Terry took it a lot farther, though, and it worked really well in 12 Monkeys. As I write this, a furry tabby, Scruffy, the neighbor’s cat, is laying across my arms. It makes it a little hard to write, but she keeps my arms warm.