blossom114
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,504
|
Post by blossom114 on Sept 27, 2007 22:50:41 GMT -5
hehe only $6 an hour, but when your'e a college studdent and dont have a job you'll take it! basically we showed up, filled out an app and we were hired. It should be interesting. My friends are going to help me prepare...they have several different locations, but thsi one is fairly new, so ...they dont have much in the way of makeup/costumes and stuff, but i'm still excited.
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Dec 15, 2007 20:53:40 GMT -5
I really didn’t care for this one. I only read it one other time – last year at Christmas – and didn’t like it any better then. I just couldn’t relate to MA or the situation – especially because I make my own presents for family and friends. Saves lots of $$ (okay, I’m cheap ;D) and is more thoughtful anyway (that’s what they all tell me, at least). Also, my dad is really, really generous, which made me dislike Richard so much in this one. Charging his own daughter interest in his credit card (and you only have to pay interest if it is overdue. I don’t remember if he mentioned that to MA or made it sound like she had to start paying right away. If so, he was making money off of her) seemed really wrong to me. It was funny reading about MA having to dress up like an elf but I didn’t like that she lied to everyone. I didn’t think it was teaching her much that Richard made her pay him and made such a big deal about it since she felt she had to lie to do it. I’ve been called “spoiled” because my parents buy things for me but I definitely know the value of money and saving and investing and know the value of work. I guess that’s why the whole BSC parents’ attitude on money really irritates me (but that’s a whole other topic that I don’t feel like getting into right now ;D) Anyway…. I didn’t care for Angela at all (not sure why – just didn’t like her and didn’t even feel sorry for her) and didn’t like the way that seemed unresolved. I know it’s not realistic but I like the books that wrap everything up with a neat, happy ending. Aiding a 17 year old in running away from home just seemed almost un-BSC-like. Dawn also irritated me in this one. The subplot wasn’t that great, either. Really nothing too it. Char’s chapter was pretty cute but seemed like an almost exact replica of her chapter in Big Sleepover (I think that was the one). I did think Hunter was pretty cute how he said “bye Mary Anne” and recognized her. ;D I also liked Kristy’s attitude in the shopping trip at the beginning – that would have been me ;D – and liked Sharon and MA enjoying spending time with her. I probably won’t reread this one until next Christmas and won’t miss it. ;D
|
|
|
Post by booboobrewer on Dec 16, 2007 2:45:16 GMT -5
I think I kind of expected that Angela would be reunited with her parents in a loving-Christmasy-happy ending way when I first read this.
|
|
lyricalangel
Sitting For The Newtons
Logan's love-bunny
Posts: 1,918
|
Post by lyricalangel on Dec 16, 2007 2:48:14 GMT -5
^I did too!
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Dec 16, 2007 10:12:02 GMT -5
^ That’s what I expected (and hoped for ;D) too and I think that’s why I was disappointed.
|
|
Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
|
Post by Penny Lane on Dec 16, 2007 10:16:19 GMT -5
I expected it too, but was pleasantly surprised when they didn't take the clichéd route.
As for MA getting a job, I made up a thing in my head about how they were paid in cash, so it wasn't taxed and therefore didn't matter. It matters of course, because it's still against the law -- but people who pay for services in cash are less likely to worry about such "petty" things as laws and regulations. ;-)
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Dec 16, 2007 16:44:42 GMT -5
^ I never thought about the pay aspect (I don't drive myself crazy thinking about the BSC and money ;D) but you're right. It seems strange that a mall would pay in cash but isn't it the same mall where the head of the mall was embezzling or something (in Mystery in the Mall) ;D
|
|
starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
|
Post by starrynight on Dec 17, 2007 11:37:58 GMT -5
^ Yes. I don't know if that one came before or after this one, though. Also, I'm pretty sure Richard was only going tocharge Mary Anne interest if she couldn't pay in full on time. I don't think that's such a bad lesson for her to learn. I agree that if she's mature enough to use a crdit card, she's mature enough to deal with everything that comes along with it.
|
|
|
Post by songheim on Dec 21, 2007 3:51:22 GMT -5
I can't remember reading this one first time around but now i want to read it just to compare it to that other tale of Christmas Elf hell, David Sedaris' The Santaland Diaries (I just saw a wonderful stage performance of it tonight!) Dunno if anyone else has read it but it's amusing to imagine Marry Anne signing to a kid "Santa has a tumor the size of an olive in his brain!" or responding to a customer complaint of "I could have you fired" with "I could have you killed" Good ole David Sedaris holiday cheer...
|
|
fluffycakes
Junior Sitter
A silken-haired beauty with a laugh like pealing bells
Posts: 868
|
Post by fluffycakes on Dec 21, 2007 14:00:00 GMT -5
^ Haven't read it, but it sounds amusing. ;D I haven't read this book, but I have to say it's making me laugh. At the beginning of November, when I was looking for a job, I received a call from a woman who works at the Santa...booth? in the mall. She was looking for people to help out taking kids' pictures with Santa. Luckily there were no elves involved. I didn't go on the interview since I was hired elsewhere right after I heard from her, but since I work in the mall I see her everyday. Poor Mary Anne. I don't know what her job was exactly in the book, but working at Sanata's Toy Shop or whatever you want to call it doesn't look like much fun. All too often I see screaming or crying kids. Glad I got a different job.
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Dec 21, 2007 16:42:37 GMT -5
^ I also felt for MA with having to deal with the crying kids - makes me think of A Christmas Story when the kids are terrified and crying because they don't want to see Santa every time I read this book. ;D At least she got to wear an elf head so no one could see who she was. Otherwise, I don't know how she would have been able to do this job with her dislike of being in front of people and the center of attention. I would think wearing an elf costume (which is hideous on the cover ;D) would definitely attract some attention....
|
|
Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
|
Post by Penny Lane on Dec 21, 2007 16:50:21 GMT -5
Do any of your have Elfs at your malls with big false heads? We don't.
Just wondering if this is a common thing or a plot device.
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Dec 21, 2007 16:53:00 GMT -5
^ I would assume plot device since I've never seen it before. (But I guess I live pretty near you so maybe in the CT area....) It does give a funny mental picture, especially when MA mentioned wanting to use the head to hit Dawn. ;D
|
|
lyricalangel
Sitting For The Newtons
Logan's love-bunny
Posts: 1,918
|
Post by lyricalangel on Dec 21, 2007 17:19:03 GMT -5
Do any of your have Elfs at your malls with big false heads? We don't. Just wondering if this is a common thing or a plot device. We don't. They are just like regular people.
|
|
alula
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 406
|
Post by alula on Dec 21, 2007 19:33:35 GMT -5
Heh, songheim, I just reread the Santaland Diaries last night!
I think what bothers me about the Angela plotline is that in some ways it's too "adult" for the BSC, so they sort of shoehorn it in this fake way. IMO the whole "my parents are snobs" rationale totally falls flat as a reason why a seventeen-year-old girl would leave her home and live in a shelter, but the likelier reasons (like abuse or her parents finding out she's gay, for example) can't really be touched on in a BSC book.
|
|