Riding off into the sunset - theoretically

Saturday, December 29th marked the end of the Holiday retail season for ACO and me. ACO actually did pretty well through the holidays, hitting it's sales projections and significantly reducing stock without running into shortages (aside from UGG boots). Racks that had been bursting full when I left on the Saturday before Xmass were now half empty. Somehow management had played the season correctly.

I had managed the season without getting the dreaded Mall Leg, and more importantly had stayed in pretty good spirits toward the human race, especially the ACO crew. There is no deeper bonding experience than surviving a disaster together, and holiday retail can be pretty close. Through it all everyone worked hard, and played nicely. Thanks everyone, you're a great crew. It would be hard to leave - again.

But there was still one last shift - today I was at the register dealing with returns. Because of my belief that it would be better to break my fall off the bike with my leg as opposed to my deraillier, I hadn't walked much since Christmas Eve and had also begged out of working the day after - so while I had missed the serious returns, this Saturday still had them coming in the door. As the new year progresses the daily returns will lessen, dwindling by the end of the of the month to normal, inventory will be taken and soon spring gear will begin to arrive. In the Mall itself, Santa and his workshop have already disappeared as if they packed up that very night he was busy flying around the globe, the seasonal stalls will also disappear, but more slowly. First the calendar store will mark everything half off, the next week Hickory Farms will follow. A week later Hickory Farms will sell their remaining inventory at 70% off (if you ever wanted a beef stick, or cheese product that is the weekend), and pack up. By mid February the calendar store will follow suite. The space will be replaced by a stage hosting events mall management hopes will bring shoppers out in the cold of winter and remind me of the Mall Sequence in "Stop Making Sense." the Talking Heads movie.

--and I will begin another adventure.