New World Carterton Christmas Club

Everyone should have the opportunity to experience the Carterton Christmas Club shopping night evening. Tonight was that night. I was a late gatecrasher because the train was late (apparently if you move four carriages of passengers into three carriages the train goes faster: bullshit!). I am not a member of the Christmas Club. One reason is becasue Homeperm once told me it was false economy and it would be better to have a savings account with greater interest. Economically that maybe true, but not when there are social benefits. Pocession of the Chirstmas Club entitles you to fully fledged membership and rights to enjoy the Christamas Club shopping evening. What do you get for this?:

• Father Christmas
• Zappo the magician
• the local school singing Christmas carols
• the Mayor
• lots of free stalls like Premier ham samples, wine samples, just like they do at the Thorndon New World everyday
• and the best bit - all the shop tellers wearing Christmas red hats and quite quite tiddly on I suspect one glass of Lindaur.

I note the average age of the New World Shop assistant would probably be about 55. But they have a few young people too - it creates a nice sense of these are the people that make up my community. The New World is actually my main form of community interaction which is why I value it.

The trolley boy would be included in this. He too appeared quite tiddly wheeling his trolleys around.

It's a simple pleasure this give me.

Just did a google search for Carterton New World and found that it s has 38 members on Old Friends - by far the largestm workplace listing. Then I found this entry for someone lcoal - I think it is great:

"Running a Bed & Breakfast in Carterton (Camcraft Villa & Cottage) with husband of 41 years, Warren. 3 children and 6 Grandchildren. Playing the tenor drum with the local Pipe Band, but this may not be for much longer. It is not easy keeping up with the long legged pipers when carrying a drum. :-) Warren plays the snare drum and marches in the row behind me and gives me a nudge when I'm too slow."

Post resignation: I am so glad I did it. So so glad. For a number of reasons. It's about learning what's right for me. I've got a lot of work ahead of me in the next job and think there will be more demands on me. I'm quite looking forward to that. But at least I will not have to observe collegaues pampering to the needs of the white middle aged chauvinistic male. I expect they will be there in disguise somewhere as they always are, but not as my manager's manager.

I've decided Christmas is coming and I will celebrate it. The tree cutting will be this weekend. I aske my sister if she would like to help me. She more or less said she would't be seen dead driving with me with a Christmas tree on top of my Toyota driving through Featherston, Greytown and Carterton. That's one of the best bits. Luckily, the lady who gets bored by my blog does not get bored by real Christmas trees and shares my excitement in the tree process. Goodness my sister even suggested I purchase a Farmers tree. I do not think so.

The tree though can only ever be as special as the people who visit it.