Black Friday Cometh and Goeth

I staid up until midnight looking through all the flyers to see if there was anything I should rush out to get. To my surprise it was just like the last few years. The only things on a great discount and worthy of sleep deprivation were household items.

What happened to the "The kids have to have it for Christmas" items? I remember my first Black Friday shopping experience where my sister and I waited in a line outside the toy store at 7am just to buy the new Game Boy at a great discount!

The last few years it seems like this is the only day to get a really good deal on a TV. Now think about it. If you buy a new TV who is going to wait for Christmas to hook it up? Are you really going to wait more than 14 days (the usual set time for returns) to find out that TV doesn't do what they advertised it will do or if it works properly?

The top values I found in the circulars were TVs, curtains, dishes, rugs, vacuum cleaners, guest towels and just about anything you could think of to spruce up the house before Christmas. Um, no mention of gravy boats in any of the circulars.

The TV on the top floor might need to be replaced soon so why not get up at 4:30 am and pick up a 20" TV for $69 at Walmart which opens at 5:00 am. My sister also wanted a video picture frame from Linens and Things to keep the memory of Bear alive. Linens and things opens at 6:00 am. I also had to do a double take on the Target circular! They had ATARI on sale for $20. Ok the price was not the reason for the double take...it was the sheer thought that anyone would be selling ATARI !! Ten years ago or so I sold the Atari system my brothers, sister and I played with when we were children. Then came the "Mom are you crazy! Why would you sell an Atari?!" from a very young Man Son. I decide to make amends by putting Target on my list in an attempt to purchase this new ATARI with all the games inside the system.

I put the circulars for Walmart, Linens and Things and Target by my purse and set my alarm for 4:00 am.

Morning comes and I realize I have hit the snooze button a few times. I open my eyes a bit and look at the alarm clock. I then shoot straight to a standing position next to my bed! Oh My Goodness!!! It is 5:11 am!! Walmart is already open!!

I grab clothes, pull my hair up, grab my purse, jacket and cell phone! I was in the car at 5:13 am! Ok I forgot about my socks and shoes but I did have a pair of clogs in the car.

Wow, there is no traffic on the main road. No traffic at the stop light near the Walmart. I turn into the parking lot and Holey Cow!! I cannot believe the parking lot for the mall is just about full with only Walmart being open at this time!! I waste no time in parking in the first space I see which is way out in never land. I run to the entrance then run to electronics only to be told the TV I am searching for is in Grocery? The very nice Walmart woman holds me back from bolting and says "Let me make sure they still have them before you rush over there." She calls someone on her walkie talkie and they say there are 2 1/2 skids left. It takes me all of one minute to get to that isle and this very big Walmart man says "You people are like ants! You come out of no where in multitudes! We are sold out! They were gone just a split second ago! Please don't yell at me or hurt me!" Wow it must have been brutal in that one minute it took me to get from electronics to grocery. I felt really bad for him.

Oh well, the TV wasn't something I just had to have so on to the next store. I have two choices, Target and Linens and Things. Since my sister wants the video photo frame for Bear I opt go there first. I arrive in plenty of time since the store opens in 20 minutes. I was thinking "Who would be at Linens and Things?" Turns out there were many people wanting items such as the remote control dinosaurs, Ipod thing-a-magigs and what-nots must have been on a super sale! Non the less I was pleased to stand in line behind 30-45 others since the store had not opened yet.

While waiting in line I found those in front of and behind me were all very pleasant people full of the excitement of just living the moments of Black Friday. Some told me funny stories from the stores they have already visited. A very nice looking man and his friend attempted to quiz me on Ipods. I told them the only thing I know about them is it costs around $1 to load each song and all the fad crazed teens seem to want them.

The wait only seemed moments with such good company all around. I was in the store and over whelmed by the thought of picture frames can be any where! They changed all the displays and such from when I was here just a few weeks ago! I have to run because everyone else is running. I find an associate who tells me to go back to the front of the store to find the video picture frame. Darn it! Now I have to stand in a line that goes back to the side isles. Oh wait, some were standing here and some where standing there now I am no longer in line as the line shifted! Ok, at least I only have this one small item to tote around. Meanwhile there is a woman trying to handle her purse, a large Star Bucks coffee cup and two of the large remote control dinosaurs. She was right behind me in the first line which has now shifted so I help her maneuver the dinos right behind me. Her shopping buddy must have made the tour of the store for spontaneous sales items but came to the line empty handed. I am guessing nothing in the sales was really appealing. I, myself was only there because my sister has to work and really wants this video picture frame.

An older couple behind us mentions something about the flyer and we all start chatting about why we came to this store so early in the morning. I tried to avoid the reason I was there due to everyone being so chipper. I did not want to bring them down. We talked about where this store and that store was because I am new to the area. Then they all wanted to know why I was here instead of Target purchasing the ATARI? I told them the sad story of Bear and then it was my turn at the registar, thank goodness!

I get to the register, the lady happily rings up my one item purchase and then it happens! I CANNOT FIND MY CREDIT CARD!!! I fumble through my small purse but still cannot find it! I checked before I got out of the car to make sure I had it! I then look at the cash I have on hand...I have $43 which is not enough for the $84 video frame!! The cashier allows me to run to my car to check if it dropped out on the way to the store. My thoughts go to OH MY GOSH I lost my credit card in the parking lot! OH MY GOSH did I look away from the cart at any time while in Walmart!! I get to my car and see nothing of my credit card on the way to my car!! I open the car door and what do I see....MY card!!! I quickly jaunt up to the store and the cash register to find only the women behind me have cleared the cash register! The older couple allow me to but in before them to complete my sale. Woohoo! I managed to actually get the video picture frame and no unknown person is out spending my money on Black Friday.

I call my sister while I I rush over to Target for the ATARI. I tell her that I got the picture frame and she tells me she over slept. Good thing I called her! I arrive at Target and find the WHOLE parking lot is FULL!! I have to park across the street and run to the store! I rush in and see a check out line forming to the back of the store. I ask where the ATRI is and to my pleasant surprise I arrive before the last 10 are taken off the shelves. I wait in a small check out line in electronics where one of the electronics employees tell me "You can pay for this item up front." I quickly tell her "That line is near the back of the store now so I will take my chances waiting behind this one person in front of me." I am comfortable, I have already purchased the very needed video frame, have the ATARI in my hands and I am only one person away from check out.

I was very pleased to have pleasant people all around during my Black Friday shopping. I still felt bad for the Walmart man. I hope he had a better rest of the morning.

It doesn't take me long to purchase the ATARI and head for the exit. Then I see the Star Bucks! I so wanted to go in there for a Mocha espresso but I knew I was about to crash. Two late nights in a row? I needed a little sleep time. I return back to the house by 6:50 am to cook breakfast for everyone. My parents wanted to leave by 8:00 am so they could be at their house for the walk through of the side walk estimate at their new house.

Grandma and Grandpa had their breakfast while the girls slept in from their late night. The girls woke up and proceeded to books and TV while Mom took a nap.