Thursday 23 December 2010

You nearly lost me

I nearly died this morning.

It was more tense than this.

And worse than this.

And even scarier than this.

Yes my friends, I braved the Marks and Spencer's food hall.

Every year my dear Mutti and I tackle the big Christmas shop at Marks and, just to blow our own trumpets, we rock at it. We are fast, efficient and are able to duck and weave through people to snap up the last of the pigs in blankets.

But today was insane - I don't know if people have just got some extra crazy this year but it was just manic. People everywhere, randomly snatching things of shelves, I had a woman tell me that I was 'a selfish, unChristmassy bitch of a girl' as I got the last remaining two extra thick double creams (why don't you order more of these every year M&S - there are never enough!), indeed the woman then tried to snatch one from my trolley. Full of Christmas spirit.

There was a woman crying in the Christmas pudding aisle as they were out of the super luxury ones and 'she just couldn't serve the classic one' and, of course, it wouldn't be Marks and Spencer's if, amidst all this, there weren't lots of little old people who have come out especially, just two days before Christmas, to buy a loaf of bread and Hello magazine* - why do they do that, why not go to their corner shop?

After queuing for an hour and realising that we had forgotten our two £5 off vouchers, we finally escaped. Did we get more than we needed? Probably. Did we not get things that we really should have? Possibly (I wanted those mini roast beef Yorkshire puddings more than anything!).

So now, I am finally at home, making some last minute chocolate and mint bark and some cinnamon and apple vodka and looking forward to a nice glass of my favourite white wine (3pm to early) and watching a couple of my favourite Christmas films before the madness starts.

My to do list is already as long as my arm and I am convinced I am going to forget something but fingers crossed.

x

*incidentally, have you seen Nicole Ritchie's wedding in Hello? It is an.... interesting dress choice).

1 comment:

Peridot said...

I went to Marble Arch M&S (their flagship shop no less)on Oxford Street on the evening of 22nd after work. It was not pretty. Given that it's in central London and no-one actually lives round there (except people who have, you know, STAFF to do this stuff) how is it possible that so many people are wielding over-full trolleys with such grim determination? Have they indulged in panic buying without a thought of getting it all home? I had a little basket. But I still bought TWO packs of those yorkshire pudd canapes with the chunks of steak and creme fraiche and two packs of mini coquille st jacques. And most importantly the wild smoked salmon that seems to be endangered as it doesn't seem to exist anywhere else anymore.

It was stressful, pushy and HOT but no-one called me a bitch. Not in a language I understood anyway.

Merry Christmas!