What's the App for That?

We’re at that time of the year. The countdown has begun. Tick tock, tick tock! That’s the sound of time ticking away as you sit helplessly in holiday traffic. If you want to use the time wisely, you could make out Christmas lists in your head, listen to music and books on tape, or watch how other drivers entertain themselves. One day you might look over and see this:

                                         http://youtu.be/CqSDWoAhvLU  

How safe is it to ride in a vehicle that lacks a steering wheel and partly operates by GPS? Think back to the weird places GPS has led you. This car might take you to the river and refuse to budge. Or worse yet, imagine that it’s several days before Christmas, you’ve finished your shopping and want to go home, but the car keeps circling the mall, pausing at random entrances. Feels like a  nightmare, doesn't it?  

The car’s designers did say that the guidance system uses GPS, along with other factors to locate correct destinations. For now, they say the project is a work-in-progress. Still, I’m going to need a lot more confidence in the technology before I hand over control of the steering wheel.

If you had to give up the steering wheel of your life, to whom would you give it?   

     

Super Size It

Oops!  I went too far.  By mistake, I passed the food display board and the wonky intercom without ordering. I only wanted a quick beverage and the lunch rush hadn’t begun, so the cashier wasn’t too annoyed that I skipped drive-thru protocol. Given the season’s numerous parties and gift exchanges, I hope you don’t find yourself filled with regret and feeling that you went too far. Here’s an opportunity to remember that we all have our crazy moments—like this one: 

                                              http://youtu.be/WnY59mDJ1gg

A musical at the supermarket—that’s unexpected. Did the actors get permission first?  You know you’ve gone too far if no one gets your shtick or if management asks you to leave. The shoppers came for the food, and received a lot more. Instead of worrying about going too far, do you ever wonder if you’ve gone far enough? When have you wished you had done a little more?

 

    

Today and Tomorrow's Deals

Have you ever had a day so special that you hated to see it end? Maybe you’ve wished for two back-to-back Saturdays. Who wouldn’t enjoy that a few times per year? Someone’s getting that kind of wish this week. Based on the TV commercials, it sounds like we’re having at least two Black Fridays. It’s a retailer’s dream.  Hope your Thanksgiving meal wasn’t derailed by guests leaving to catch the store sales. We’re not likely to see two days repeated, but this is close:

                                         http://youtu.be/ndlQNicOeso

On certain days during the Arctic summer, sunlight can last for twenty-four hours. Over time the sun bobs just above the horizon, floats up and down in the sky, but never allows night to settle in. Think about all the shopping that could be finished during that time—if there were places to shop in the Arctic. 

Some people say twenty-four hours in a day should be enough time to accomplish our to-do lists, but no one mentions how half of those hours are at nighttime. If you could transport the Arctic’s midnight sun phenomenon to your neighborhood, how and where would you spend your extra daylight hours?    

           

The Christmas List

Trapped! We’re caught between wanting to hear Christmas carols and not wanting to dive into the shopping season this early. It may be too late. Decorations grace the mall’s halls and traffic’s already building. On Thanksgiving Day some of us will have one eye on the pumpkin pie and the other eye on the clock, counting down the hours to the first pre-Black Friday purchase. Let’s pace ourselves. Celebrate Thanksgiving and savor the turkey without peeking at your Christmas shopping list. We’ll be inside the stores soon enough. Will your Christmas shopping experience resemble this one?

                                          http://youtu.be/kXh8-aiPjxA

You don’t shop like the first guy, do you? He shopped for a charity, which explains the haphazard gift decisions, huge quantities, and lo-o-o-n-n-g-g receipt. Hopefully, your Christmas shopping list is much shorter. Before the shopping frenzy goes full tilt, what suggestions would you offer for creating a meaningful holiday? 

      

Fa-La-La-La-I’m beat!

Let me officially announce the start of the Christmas shopping season. I know—I’m too late.! Sooner than necessary, the music plays, the decorations sparkle and Santa sits on his throne. Traffic snarls make us late and the never-ending stream of stores catalogs fill our mailboxes. Newspapers bulge with coupon offers and the frenzy to get your dollars will continue unabated until well past the last gift-wrapping party. The shopping season flows well into January with the long lines for Christmas gift returns, New Year’s Day sales and opportunities to purchase a little something nice for yourself.

Thanks goodness online shopping allows us to shop at two a.m. in our pajamas, if we want. That’s efficiency.  Of course, it also makes more time for hosting and decorating, creating an even more frenzied holiday season. I’m tired just thinking of it all. Shouldn’t we slow down? A night spent camping out in front of a store doesn’t count. Watch this:

It’s time to stop and smell the poinsettias, admire the sun glinting off the snow (it’ll be here again soon) and enjoy a warm beverage by the fire.  This year let’s break the Christmas shopping insanity cycle.  How will you modify your holiday season to grab a few more moments of peace?     

Are You Lost?

I like power-shopping.  That’s the “art” of entering a store and gathering the necessary items in record time, within ten to fifteen minutes. Small convenience stores don’t count, they are designed for quick purchases—you’re in and you’re out.   The real key to power-shopping lies in knowing the store layout. So, when major stores in town decide to renovate and/or super size, take skates and get ready to wonder and wander.  Has anyone seen the soap?

In this area, over the past three years, at least three major stores have undergone renovations.  Once shelves are shuffled around, merchandise can quickly pop up in aisles that used to be empty spaces.  During a renovation, from start to finish, everything is in flux.  Stores should distribute floor maps as soon as a customer walks in the door.  The greeter could smile, wave and say, “Hello! Here’s today’s floor plan. Good Luck!”  Wave back. You won’t see them anytime soon.  I don’t know what renovations mean for store prices or the local economy, but I know what it means for me—confusion!

Fear not! The tips necessary to survive a store renovation are similar to what’s needed to survive a hike.  Watch and learn:

In addition to those great strategies, be prepared to take or purchase a bottle of water and some gum for the journey. 

Power-shopping (and hiking) is a lot like life.  If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re bound to be easily lost or distracted along the way. Eventually, you’ll wind up somewhere, doing something, but probably not where you wanted to be or doing what you should be doing. 

Have you ever felt lost in life? How did you handle that time and how did you get back on track?