thervdreamlife

Here we are, less than two weeks from Christmas day. We are now up to 13-hour days at the kiosk, and believe it or not, Bill and I are still speaking – some days less than others! The next week will bring even longer hours – designed for those who wake up and realize they have no gifts for anyone!   Don’t we all know someone who fits that description?

So, at this point in time, what do we witness in the mall? What keeps us going?

Well, during the weekdays a lot of older couples are shopping – or to be truthful – the women shop while the men “rest” – even those in festive sweaters!

Speaking of sweaters, we’ve seen quite the sights visiting Santa – couldn’t refrain from snapping this Giants fan waiting in line! Now that they’ve won a few games, its safe to sport the gear!

What I think I have enjoyed the most during our kiosk experience is talking to the customers. Sharing just a few tales, we’ve encountered…

•  A woman who wanted us to tell her whether she should let her husband and dog drive from Naples to Chicago for Christmas while she grabs a $30 Spirit fare and meets him there? Really? Of course she should!
• A woman whose best friend is the owner of our own Cape May’s well-known Peter Shield’s Inn!
•  The nephew of the owner of Red’s Eats, a roadside shanty in Wiscasset, Maine, that serves the ultimate lobster roll – we’ve been there many times!
• A mother and her five daughters who just flew in from New Jersey (Tuckerton), N. Carolina, and Oklahoma.
• A young woman getting married on December 28 who just loves to spend money buying her fiance Dallas Cowboys items. It only took her 10 agonizing moments to decide which items to purchase!
• A gentleman who explained that the way to keep his wife happy is to let her buy whatever she wants! Love that guy!
• A mom shopping with her 18 year-old son – a very particular Jets fan who picked out several items that his mother immediately purchased – no surprise under his tree!
• And sometimes, no words are necessary!       

The list could go on and on. Some customers will share their entire life story if you let them, but it is fun to hear their stories – and so far all of our customers have been very pleasant – but of course, it’s Christmas – why shouldn’t they be in good moods?

So, we will continue to count down the days as the crowds thicken, shopping carts take the place of walkers, and babies are carried while their strollers become the keeper of the gifts! It truly is a wonderful time of year! Our best wishes to all for a happy holiday season! Ours will certainly be one that we will never forget!

Stay Calm and Travel On…