For those who left Christmas shopping to the last minute all I can say is this: TROUBLE.
Take my friend, she was desperate to buy something at the American Girl Place for her daughter and spent the day on the phone (or on hold) with the store, and on-line trying to locate the desired item for her girl.
The desired item were sold out on the American Girl Internet site. They did have one left at the store. But that was at 4 pm and she couldn’t get into town. She didn’t really believe that there was going to be a transit strike, no doubt.
My friend even looked on eBay to see if they had any of the items she needed. She ended up buying an outfit for a limited edition American Girl doll for close to $50 dollars.
Yeesh. The pull to please one’s children can be pretty strong.
When I spoke to my friend last night, she sounded extremely drained by the entire experience: a day on the telephone and the Internet in hot pursuit of the seemingly unattainable American Girl accessory.
She was flabbergasted when I told her that I’d gone into Manhattan on Monday morning to secure that horse (it’s a gift from my father to Daughter). "If I had known, we could have gone together," she said. I was pretty sure there was going to be a transit strike so I figured it was Monday or Noday.
I was just lucky to get there so close to opening. The store was already packed but I imagine it was still much less crowded than it would become in the ensuing hours.
Rockefeller Center was full to bursting with tourists, school groups, and others lining up to see the Christmas tree and the ice skating rink before the transit strike. I had planned to just jump in and out of the city via the F train – but, you know how it is, once you’re in the big city it takes hold and won’t let go.
One thing led to another (and numerous uses of the debit card) and I found myself on 18th Street and Sixth Avenue. When the plastic handle on the BIG cardboard box with the horse in it was on the verge of breaking, I went into Bed, Bath, and Beyond and asked one of the men in packing to put a string and a new handle on my big horse box. He did it with such friendliness and helpfulness I wanted to KISS him. I loved the machine he used to wrap and cut the string.
I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. I had my horse. I had my handle. I had a perfect shopping morning before the transit strike. And it was done. The shopping that is.
On Tuesday morning, my friend had to give in and order on-line and pay for premium shipping (guaranteed to arrive before Christmas). I’m not gloating. Really not. We probably should have talked Sunday night and compared notes on gift shopping for our close in age daughters. She had to forgo the stable and the horse. But she did get some other things that will make her daughter very, very happy.