This work lark is really starting to suck.

I just checked the last posting date for Ireland, assuming it'd still give me plenty of time - and it was two days ago. Dammit dammit dammit. Maybe if I ask in the post office on Monday they'll know some way of getting it there before Christmas but I'm not hopeful. More annoying is that I would've had it done - had everything done - weeks ago if I was working my ass off for people who're making me work Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. 9-6 Christmas Eve and 10-5 Boxing Day. While all the permanent staff get three days off and are openly gloating. Did I mention that working over Christmas is really really starting to suck?

It's irritating too, that the temp who's off Boxing Day - which I don't begrudge her, because she's been worrying for weeks about splitting Christmas evenly between her parents - is also finishing half three Christmas Eve. Surely it would've been fair to let one of us who're working Boxing Day to finish the earlier time Christmas Eve? But no. We're just temps. Why the hell would we want to celebrate Christmas?

And then I've got three days off over New Year, when I don't really give a toss about New Year and would rather spend the last week I have to earn money there, working. This week has really been a case of rubbing in the fact that we're temps and they just don't care about keeping us happy. First time we asked for the Christmas rota, we were told "you can't see it, it's not finalised" - even though the permanent staff had all asked and and been shown it days before.

It's really dawned on me this week that the only reason shops take on Christmas temps is so that the people who work there all year don't have to work any harder over Christmas. Sure we've be getting busier but it's nothing the people who work there all the time couldn't handle if they were willing to put a little more effort in. Which they aren't. Our deputy manager spent an entire day this week putting Christmas decorations up in the staff room, then sitting there and admiring them.

I don't even know why I'm ranting about this anymore. I know what they're like; it's just that they keep knocking home the point that they think they're better than us, again and again and again. Even though a customer asked me yesterday "Is there a book three in this series?" to which I said "I don't know; I'll just check for you." Asked manager, was told immediately and firmly "Nope, definitely no book, we don't even have any details on when it'll be coming out yet." Only for me to promptly find book three in that exact series -in paperback! So it must've been out a long while - a minute later. If she'd said "I'm not sure," fine, but she was sure. And wrong. How can they act like they're better than us when half the time. they're still wrong?

Yeah. Whatever. I won't be getting a Christmas job in retail again. To be honest, in a few years I don't think bookshops will be needing Christmas staff because people will be buying all their Christmas books online. We're already seeing the drop this year. So everyone, buy your books online! And buy National Book tokens instead of Waterstones gift cards, because they're far more useful. And we've been told not to even offer them, just to sell everyone gift cards and that annoys me; as one of the other temps said, it's basically lying by omission and ignoring the best interests of customers - most of who don't even understand the difference between cards and vouchers; indeed, we've had several people come back to complain when they find out they've bought a piece of plastic without the amount written anywhere on it. Their whole approach to books as a means to make money annoys me too. I don't know what I was expecting, if I was expecting anything but I've realised that I love books to much to treat them as a commodity. I sold a copy of Ballet Shoes as a Christmas present for a ten year old girl this week and I wasn't happy because I'd made the store some money, I was happy because I'd shared a book that I loved when I was younger with someone, someone who might love it as much as I did. That's what books should be. They should be shared, not forced on people. We should be there to give advice when it's asked for and to keep the shop tidy. And that's it.

Which doesn't exactly mesh with Waterstone's' business strategies.I'm not entirely sure that I'm cut out for retail.

Don't comment on my work ranting anymore; I'm just blowing off steam. Ignore me. There's a stack of shiny presents under the tree for me and I managed to find the Looking Glass Wars tie-in graphic novel, Hatter M, on Forbidden Planet online, which makes me a happy bunny. Also, got paid yesterday and the tax people now owe me around £100, which will make next April a happy place for me. So. Life could be worse.

australian_imp, thank you for the Christmas card! I feel bad for missing sending out all mine this year. I'll see what I can do to send virtual ones soon.

Have washing to do. Have to clean out the hamster. But I've got a cold and the 'rents are away visting th brother for at least another few hours... so I think coffee and book and maybe chocolate is the next order of the day.