Saturday, November 27, 2010

Thanksgiving...and Shopping Part 2

...My love affair with Black Friday  started a few years ago.


   At the time we lived in the sticks, it was a 45 minute drive into town. Come This particular Thanksgiving morning we got the boys up, who were pre-teen at the time, got ready and headed into town to my Grandmothers house where we always spent the day until she passed away. (The woman could cook! I miss you Granny). She always had the news paper sitting out and the boys were amusing themselves by looking through the ads and letting anyone that would listen know what they wanted for Christmas. I was thinking "you have got to be kidding, what do I look like a bank"?


   Well when I finally got to look at the ads I figured as much as everything was discounted I could get some of the stuff on their never ending list. So later that night I sat with my list and ads in hand plotting what was to become my first game plan.


   I had to get up way too early, which turned out to not be early enough, and drive the 45 minutes into town. I fought the crowds for most of the day and got most of what was on my list. I was wore out when I finally got home later that afternoon...wore out but hooked.


   Fast forward 7 years and I'm still hooked.


   Alot has changed in that time. The process has changed over the years, it now starts weeks in advance with the web sites and now iPhone aps that warn when they get wind of new ads from different stores being "leaked", but you never really know whats going to be in the final ad until you get up Thanksgiving morning and open that long awaited news paper and get your hands on that stack of ads.


   For me that process is always the same. Drink my morning coffee and look casually through the stack of ads to get an idea whats in them. Spend the day with my family and as everyone is winding down for the day I drag my stack of ads back out and start working on the game plan.


   When the plan is comes together its off to bed early so I can get a few hours of sleep before the fun begins!


   This year was no different than any other. I was up at 3:30 (we live in town now so I don't have to get up as early). Unfortunately it had been raining all day on Thanksgiving and the temperature had drastically fallen over night. I headed out the door loaded down with my coffee, bottle of juice, game plan, and stack of ads only to find out that I couldn't get into the car. The doors were frozen shut!


   Well that was a monkey wrench in my plan right off the bat. It took me 30 minutes just to get IN  the car! After not so patiently patiently waiting for the windows to defrost I headed to my first stop and the race was on.


   I knew this year was going to be harder than any of the previous years. Its always tiring but add in my MS symptoms and the exhaustion is almost overwhelming. I was determined I wasn't going to let this horrible disease take this from me too. It took longer than usual, and I clearly didn't make as much progress as in earlier years but I did it! I got just about everything on my list and then rushed home for a much needed and well deserved nap! I didn't even unload the car first! HA!


   Black Friday is officially over and my body is sore. I'm recovering at home this morning wondering what cyber Monday has in store for us.


   I usually don't get involved in cyber Monday but I have to tell you I was sadly disappointed with the black Friday ads this year. Yes there were alot of big ticket items this year that were great deals, but for those of us that were actually shopping for Christmas presents and not personal presents it was kind of a let down. So I'm still on the look out for that special gift for several people on my list...


   SO....I'll hang up my running shoes moo moo boots and clip board for another year, and look forward to another black Friday, God willing...




   On a side note I have to say how proud of my youngest son I am, who I have taught well. He got to enjoy his first black Friday shopping event with his friends this year. He stood in line with his friends, in the freezing cold, for 4 hours outside of Best Buy so he could get video games that were going to be on sale. For those of you that don't know, for an 18 year old gammer that's a big deal! He too left with a game plan and although he didn't spend hours shopping, came home and fell into bed. When he woke up after a few hours he was so sore from standing in the freezing cold for 4 hours he didn't feel like doing anything except playing those very games!


  

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