ST. PAUL, MN—Counting down the days until the end of his work year, local Christmas tree lot guy Alan Martin told reporters Wednesday he was “so ready” for his annual 46-week vacation. “By the time late December rolls around, I’m usually pretty burnt out and just waiting for Christmas Day to get here so I can take that much-needed 10-and-a-half-month break,” said a visibly exhausted Martin, leaning against his pickup truck in the St. Paul parking lot where he has worked day in and day out since mid-November. “At this point in the year, selling Christmas trees starts to feel like a real slog, and sometimes it gets to where I don’t think I can stand another minute of it. I mean, I’ve barely had a day off since Thanksgiving, unless you count Mondays and Tuesdays, when I’m closed. It’s my job, though, so I’ve learned to just put my head down, grab another cup of hot cocoa, and power through.” Martin went on to stress the importance of mental health on the job, advising anyone in his line of work to make sure they take all of their 300-plus days off each year.
