Thursday, December 12, 2013

Three Things Thursday

Happy Thursday - can it just be Friday already?  It's been a busy week  but this week just can't go fast enough for me.  I'm so excited for Friday afternoon to roll around so I can fly to NYC for the weekend!  It's good to have things to look forward to!

Here are 3 things that are on my mind today.

1.  I really, really hate the Charlotte airport.  I have an informed opinion about it because I clearly fly very often.  The fact that there is no onsite parking DRIVES ME CRAZY (they tore down the ramps and are rebuilding them but have been working on this for over a year).  Landing in Charlotte is frustrating because I have come to realize that it's always going to involve waiting, which is the last thing a person wants to do at the end of a long day.  I will either have to wait for a cab for up to 30+ minutes at times.  Or I will have to wait for the shuttle to take me to the lot where my car is parked.  Or, like yesterday, I will take a shuttle to a valet lot and wait for them to pull my car around.  Let me tell you, waiting 30+ minutes at the end of a long day is really crappy and makes me the crabbiest person ever.  I am going to go ahead and say that Charlotte's airport is my least favorite airport.  Ever.  End rant.

2.  I have been done with my Christmas shopping for about a week now!  This is definitely the earliest I have ever been done.  It's also the first time I've done 100% of my shopping online.  I really dislike shopping malls so being about to complete my shopping without going to one is a fabulous thing!  I fly home a week from tomorrow and CAN NOT WAIT.   

3.  I didn't do any holiday shopping at a mall, however, I did have to go to a shopping mall last weekend to return my brown boots that I had purchased this fall as the head of a screw started to poke through the heel of one of the shoe which was VERY painful.  This happened while I was in Paris, which was frustrating.  I bought heel inserts to make them more tolerable to wear but it was not ideal.  So now I have no fall boots and am wondering if it's even worth buying any this year...  Part of me wants to invest in a nice pair, another part of me thinks that money should go in the 'get the heck out of Charlotte' relocation savings fund. 

What's on your mind today?  Do you do most of your holiday shopping in stores or online?

16 comments:

Jeanie said...

I mix and match -- but you will not find me in the mall. I avoid them like the plague!

You may want to rent some boots when you come north for Christmas (or even NYC) -- it's not nice here!

Gracie said...

I'm also done with my shopping, and it was all online except a few little things from a small local toy store, which was actually a fun outing.

Nora said...

I have done some shopping on online and some in stores. All depends on what I need and where I can get it! I still have a bit of shopping to do and I'm hoping I can get it done within the next week.

Have so much fun in NYC this weekend! Can't wait to see/hear all about it.

Marlys said...

Have a great trip to NYC, and you will need boots when you come to MN, too! We can't wait to have you "home for Christmas"!
I am not totally done shopping but did most of it online, too! It sure beats fighting the lines at the check out counter or not finding what you want! I love, love Amazon!
I don't really like airports at all, but they are a necessity! In Fargo, the taxi drivers are waiting in side with signs to take you where you want to go! But it is a very small airport compared to most! It does have it's advantages!

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

What good is a valet parking service if you have to take a shuttle to it and wait? Shouldn't they instill a system, whereby when you land, you call them and give them your license plate # or some other identifying feature to your car. That way, when you do take the shuttle over there, your car is waiting for you? Gah!

I'm almost done with shopping. We have one or two more things to get Gavin. And, we need to take care of a couple things for Sweets' parents. Other than that, I think we are finished. Now, wrapping all those gifts? That's another story...

Anonymous said...

One of the nice things about not celebrating Christmas is that I don't really have to do Christmas shopping. Then I had to go and get myself a non-Jewish boyfriend...! As you know, I bought his gift (online) awhile ago, but this weekend I need to figure out something for his mom. I'm hoping to find something at the Columbus Circle Holiday Market which IMHO is a much better place to buy cool stuff than any mall!

Amber said...

So annoying about your boots. I say wait until next year to invest in a new pair. My coworker got a CRAZY GOOD deal on a really nice pair of boots in July last year. She said she almost didn't buy them because it was July but the deal was too good to pass up and they are super cute and she wears them all the time so now she's super happy she bought them!

missris said...

The Pittsburgh airport has to be almost as bad as Charlotte. It's so old and outdated and ugly and they only have about three food vendors, all of them non-brand and reminiscent of dorm food. The security line is always redonkulous and you can't get a direct flight to almost anywhere, which means every time I want to visit my parents it involves FOUR PLANES. I'm so spoiled after Chicago but seriously?! Yuck.

Kelly (She Wears a Red Sox Cap) said...

God, I hate terrible airports and any kind of waiting at all after getting off a plane. I do usually take a shuttle to park in Boston because I am cheap and part in the economy lot, but at least that is my own fault lol.

I prefer online shopping definitely and the only in store shopping I've done has been at small local stores and NOT the mall... hate that place!

Leigh said...

Oh man, I don't blame you for hating that airport! Anything after a long day, the last thing you would want to do is do more waiting. Glad to hear that you are all done your shopping! Must feel great.

Becky said...

I did most of our holiday shopping online this year because I'm trying to incorporate handmade into each gift - I only have a couple people left so I'm hoping to be done soon!

Yay for NYC this weekend! Have a fabulous time and take lots of pictures of all the decorations and lights!

Stephany said...

I probably do half and half with holiday shopping in stores and online. This year, I would say maybe 70/30 online/in stores. Shopping in stores is really SO annoying so it's not my favorite, but sometimes there's no getting around it. Bleh. I have a few more things to get, but I'm mostly done, too. I'm usually shopping up until a few days before Christmas so this is a record for me!

That sucks so much about the Charlotte airport - especially since you have to use it so often. Not cool!

Shoshanah said...

I normally do my shopping online. With coupons you can normally wind up not paying for shipping, and I always try to use upromise so a little bit of the money goes back towards my student loans. Plus it's far easier than needing to run all around town for every little thing.

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

I've almost done all of my stuff online and meant to go instore today but it snowed and I wasn't going out. So more online shopping.

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

I try to shop online as much as possible because I hate going into stores this time of year ... but sometimes it can't be avoided.

Kyria @ Travel Spot said...

I also bought all my gifts online. Its the only way to go...plus did you hear about the whole UPS/Fed Ex fiasco!? Good that you got everything early!

My least favorite airport is Atlanta. There are always storms and there are ALWAYS delays and I almost always end up running across the airport trying not to miss my connection. 98% of the time! And if you fly Delta from pretty much anywhere west of Atlanta to anywhere East of Atlanta, you HAVE to fly through there... It's annoying! I also thought Denver was fine until I had to leave the airport and go back into it the next day, and then it really wasn't so great anymore.