Who are these crazy people that partake of the tradition of crawling out of bed in the dark and shop on the Friday after Turkey Day? Years ago, so long ago that Montgomery Wards was still in business, Jessica and I were laughing at the commercials about early store openings and wondering who would do such a thing. So we decided to get up early and check things out. This was in the beginning of this craze, so the stores opened around 6 am. What we saw was commando shopping. These people had lists and a plan. It was mostly mom and dad getting deals for their children. Very different that what it has morphed in to now.
Now the sales begin on Thanksgiving Day. Stores are opening up for a few hours in the am, or later in the early evening. Basically they're having pre- and post dinner openings. Oh, and the online stuff begins on Wednesday night (I know this because I did some shopping before serving dinner....I will save my Macy's online frustration for another post).
Today we went out in to the madness. I picked up Jessica and Ezra (would an 11 month old add a whole new dimension to the experience?) at 7 am and we headed to Target. The parking lot was full and the store was crowded. We did find a few things we couldn't live without, no big deals, and headed to the cashier where there were no lines.
On our way to Michael's we witnessed road rage between a couple of old men, with their wives in the car. The guy in front clearly had no idea where he was going, his wife was probably barking directions, and his speed was uneven and there were many lane changes. The guy in the back was laying on his horn. Then the light turned red. The guy in front gets out, then so does the guy in back...which was funny because they weren't that nimble. They stand face to face, shouting, and pointing their fingers at each other. It's really cold and the light is going to change to green. Even through the anger they must have known how silly this was...a couple of old bulls with a testosterone surge. Then they both got back in their cars, but not before Jessica rolled down the window and shouted "Hey, it's the Christmas Season".
Now we're at Michael's (which I loathe) only to find an empty parking lot, sparse store, and no lines at the cashier. Pressing our luck, we head to the mall. Then it really gets crowded. We parked across the street and walked in (barely because no one was letting us cross the street).
The Gap, including Baby Gap, had 50% off everything until 10 am...we could not fit in the store, pure madness. I can guarantee you there was NOTHING in that place that I needed. People were everywhere, and with bags. But we were able to navigate the stroller just fine. We made a purchase at See's (the only time we waited in line and that was with only one person ahead of us) and then off to Macy's home store. This was complete madness. But Jessica did score a great deal on a duvet cover. And again, no waiting in line.
We met a woman who ventured out for the first time with her cousins that do this every year. They started at 10pm on Thursday! She had been up for over 24 hours....and she said it wasn't worth it, she wouldn't do it again, and she didn't find any great bargains. She was glad she tried this out and went with her relatives, but she was done.
We both agreed that we didn't see what all the fuss is about. We think it's more of a tradition. And we don't think this is a must for us next year. We were done well within 3 hours. And Ezra was a dream....he did take a really long nap when we got home :)
Today's the day that my adopted daughter, Lindsay, leaves California. She's on to her next adventure, moving back with her family in Colorado. She has a dream job that she's starting in January. Her dad and brother drove a pickup truck to Dublin, CA where they rented a U-Haul, filled it full of her stuff, and are now driving back to Fruta, CO....home of Mike the Headless Chicken, but I digress.
