Wednesday, my parents had a Christmas party. I helped decorate: I made the flower arrangements. In a former existence (the pre-baby one), I worked as a florist. Every once in a while, a well-meaning customer would say something along the lines of, "Oh, how wonderful it must be to work here, surrounded by all these flowers. I bet it's so relaxing."

Making arrangements at my parents' house Wednesday, that was relaxing. Clients inclined to be easy-going, no time limit, and I got to make them on site. Making them in a flower shop, especially this time of year, not so much. Florists deal with a product that has a very limited shelf life, and you're often working on deadline. Most of your arrangements need to be delivered, and you risk the blooms when you transport them. This time of year, half the staff is out of the shop decorating people's houses for the season, or for a party. ("I'll do a house," one employer told me, "but I do not do Christmas trees." And frankly, the idea of having someone else decorate your tree is a little weird to me, but lots of people do it.)

Everyone put in 10-15 hour days for most of the month. Your hands are chapped, and permanently sticky with sap and itchy from fir scratches and holly punctures. You're half frozen from walking in and out of the cooler. You spend all day listening to Christmas music, and not the good kind, but the 24-hours-of-Christmas-radio-station kind. Your own home has neither a tree or a wreath, and you haven't bought, much less wrapped, a single present. By December 18th, you want to punch a pine tree in the face. (I've enjoyed the holidays a lot more the last two years.)

It's the same for a lot of people working in restaurants, or working in retail this time of year. (Or at least I hope it is, given the economy.) 'Tis the season to be kind to people in the service industry. They don't get a break until January.