Is Everyone At The Mall?

IMAG0362-w1400-h1400Stef and H spent most of Wednesday on a mission. Items to return. Items to replace. Get out of the way!

By early evening and still not home, Helaine called to ask if I’d like to join them for dinner. Next stop, Irvine Spectrum. It’s the outdoor mall with the Ferris wheel and carousel. It’s got its own Wikipedia entry.

IMAG0367-w1400-h1400I’ve been going to malls since malls were born. I’ve never seen parking as awful as this! Back and forth, up and down, a pack of cars, each jockeying for a good place to watch for exiting shoppers.

I found a space, but not without a minor conflict.

Dinner was at “The Melt,”

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, THE MELT is simply “Grilled Cheese Happiness.” Currently operating 15+ locations throughout California, this fast casual eatery combines chef inspired, all natural, wholesome food with innovative online ordering technology in an eco friendly environment.

IMAG0366-w1400-h1400The food was great, but the place itself was loud, overly bright and not very eating friendly.

The girls asked me to join them as they finished their quest. Not tonight. Not during mall season.

It was a long walk back to my car. The space I found was at the edge of the property. I wonder if it had resale value tonight?

Harold Fox: Wisdom On Holidays

When I was a kid stores were mainly closed Sunday and holidays. I remember family panic one year when my father forgot to fill the tank before heading out on Christmas. Quaint.

Walmart isn’t waiting for Black Friday. They’ll be open Thanksgiving night at 10:00 PM. That change of business hours is national news.

Helaine saw a billboard proclaiming one of the I-95 outlets will also be open Thanksgiving night. It’s officially a trend.

Maybe I’m the wrong guy to write this. I’ve never gotten up in the middle of the night to get a Black Friday deal (and stomp over my fellow shoppers). I’ve usually worked on Thanksgiving myself.

It’s still troubling.

When I was a kid stores were mainly closed Sunday and holidays. I remember family panic one year when my father forgot to fill the tank before heading out on Christmas. Quaint.

My father worked in retail back then. He sold appliances. The stores he worked in were closed Sundays and holidays, but he saw the trend.

“If you don’t want to work Sundays,” he once said, “don’t shop Sundays!”

Do you want to work on Thanksgiving?