Your first port of call is the pharmacy or the gas station. Chains like CVS, Walgreens, and 7-Eleven often keep limited hours—think morning to early afternoon. You won’t get a Christmas sweater, but you can grab aspirin, a stale bagel, and the existential joy of buying a pack of gum on a holiday.
Just don’t expect any smiles. The poor soul working the register is probably surviving on black coffee and sheer willpower. If you go, be nice. Like, obnoxiously nice. They are the day’s real miracle.
