Do you do "Black Friday"?

I am no longer a black Friday virgin.

I got up at my usualy time, 5:00, made coffee, got dressed, drove over, picked up what I wanted, drove home -- about :45 round trip. Not such a big deal. Everyone else at home was still sleeping when I got back and they probably don't even know I was gone.

Most of the time was waiting in line to pay but there was a soldier in line behind me. He was recently home from Iraq; I told him my brother was there, told him thank you for serving, and chatted with him for the entire time. It was really kind of fun.

I spent $300 (the item's regular price) but got about $15 worth of feebies.

Win!

I never have either and never felt compelled for the same reasons you noted.

But I finally had something that my kids wanted and it was on sale (and I've never seen it on sale before). I pondered and pondered whether to risk life and limb to get a great deal. I thought, if I get it, then I can use the difference to actually buy them some video games to go with the thing. And my kids have never asked for anything expensive before - usually they ask for things like twistable crayons.

I did some research and found that the item would be also available on-line as well as in the store (limited quantities) on Nov 27. After hosting and cooking Thanksgiving, I decide I will set my alarm clock for 11:58pm (just in case it goes on sales at midnight on-line). I wake log in and it is not on-sale yet, I check 15 more minutes. I then go back to sleep and set the alarm for 4:45 (store opens at 5:00) assuming that is when the item will be on sale on-line as well.

Continues - daughter wakes and throws up during the night (on the bed, on the floor and on me) - clean up. Couple of hours later alarm goes off - check on-line - the damn thing is SOLD out. I think I am completely awake now - maybe I should try.

What the h*ll, after being thrown up on and having maybe 2 or 3 hours sleep, I am up for it. I drive over (only 10 minutes away), I decide to avoid the crazy parking lot and park at the grocery store next door (very smart move!). I run in the pouring rain to the store. Crowded as heck, but manageable. I walk (not run) to the electronics - I am directed to layaway area because that is where my item is. And damn it! There are about a dozen left! I get the two colors that they want - I walk to the electronics checkout (another smart move as there were lines miles long at the regular checkout) and there are maybe 4 people ahead of me. I am in and out in 15 minutes

Victory is mine! And people were very nice! No meanies.

Great another fellow victory! And to top it off, I was back earlier enough to go to my spin class and then to work. I think I will be crashing soon though.

There was a sale on a pair of shoes that I wanted from Bealls. That is a small chain department store in Florida. The sale was on until 1 p.m. I got there as soon as it was light, got the shoes, looked around, and went home. It was not too crowded at 7, but by 8, things had picked up a bit.

BTW, last night I passed a Best Buy at 7 p.m. They already had people lined up. Last night was by far the coldest that we have had round these parts in months. The temperature went down to 48. I think that those people were NUTS!

What an ordeal, Linkat and you have to work today on top of it. You're super Mom of the year after this one. Usually the kids never will know what you
went through to get them the items they so wished for, because they think
Santa brought everything down the chimney.

I always got a bit ticked when my daughter was still believing in Santa and giving him all the credit whereas it was her mother who sat there for hours to assemble that darn dollhouse.

I was thinking about this on my victorious (sp?) ride home from Walmart (yes people shopping at Walmart were nice this morning) - I did all this and they won't even know.

But the odd thing is - it made me happy/sort of like a little secret, not sad or upset or anything else. My older daughter will know it is from me. I am so excited I can envision their little faces when they open the box.

Another note for those Black Fri. shoppers - when they have the sale on the video game hardware - get the hardware only - the games were not on sale (they try to make the money off that). Today during lunch I went to the Walmart website and only on-line did they have the games on sale (got those half off with only 97cents shipping).

Ohhhh, Linkat. I hope it was just Thanksgiving overeating and not anything serious that caused the vomiting.

I bought a video game system too. Those things never go on sale. It was explained to me that the markup on the consoles are really low because they want to buy one -- they make their money on the games and accessories. The one I got came bundled with six games, all rated "E", except for one rated "T", all for the same price as the system alone. It was worth the trip just for the nice variety of the games alone and not having to worry about picking out games.

Yeah she is fine. I just talked to daddy and he said that she did not have a fever and wanted to go to her grandparents today. They are going over there - while daddy cleans (and maybe does a little work himself). It must have been too much good food.

I am just now coming off my high and am about to crash - hopefully I can make it the next few hours. I was looking at some of those "bundles" but as this are those individual games (quite helpful we figure too on long car rides or plane rides) - I didn't want them to get the same games and most of them the games with the packages didn't seem appropriate for them - either too old or violent or just not their interests. I found two that fit them well on their personalities - 2 for 1 dealies.

Just once. I was involved in a project from hell at work that had me working nearly 24/7. I was at the mall at 6:00 am (me and three other people, besides the workers). I completed all of my Christmas shopping in record time and spent the rest of the season stressed out to the max with work but relieved that I'd done "something" about Christmas.

I'll never forget Christmas morning. The girls got up and saw presents under the tree (hastily wrapped the night before) and were thrilled that we were having a normal Christmas in a year like no other before or since.

I'm guessing all Christmas's since have seemed calm by comparison, JPB!

Linkat, I've forgotten how old your kids are and I'm not sure what system you bought but have you heard of "Scribblenauts"?

Mo and his friends love this game, even the friends who profess to love the really violent crazy games:

.

That's so sweet!

They are 11 and 7 - and you got the right system. They are not into violent stuff - I got one an American Girl game (I didn't even know they had one) and the other one around Dolphins and saving animals (my future endanagered species specialist).

I love another one that seems alot like my older girls interest - imagine detective.

I meticulously boycott Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all similar shopping holidays that the retail industry's marketing droids try to foist on me. Black Friday is the ultimate manifestation of what ehBeth calls Blue Pyjama, Red Pyjama. It's one thing when parents give their children this fake choice so they forget they don't want to go to bed in the first place. But it's something else when a whole industry stirs up a Macy's or Nordstrom shopping frenzy to make me I forget I didn't want to shop in the first place. That's bullying, and it's undignified.

I don't take kindly to undignified bullying.

damn, now i wish i hadn't traded in my nintendo ds, that game looks seriously cool

Well I went ahead and bought it - the scribblenaunts! I was at the mall for my little one to visit Santa and Nintendo had a set up there. The guy showed me Scribblenaunts and I thought it pretty cool. It was on sale at Target so I picked it up.

Then I noticed it said cartoon violence even though it is rated E for eveyone. I figured - what the h*ll I loved cartoon violence as a kid.

i wonder if there is cartoon violence, or in the game, if you, for example had to get a balloon and you wrote gun, and shot the balloon that would be considered violence

Not sure - but the odd thing is I love violent games myself. I used to play this one where terriorist go into the airport and you are supposed to shot and kill them. The down side is these dumb people keep running across the way - I would shot those too - I figured if they were dumb enough to run when where gun fire is going on then too bad.

And the zombie one - where you need to shoot them in the head - that one was very bloody.

But my kids are nicer than me. Although when we were in Montana eating at the best pizza place (honestly this place has the best pizza I ever had), we were all playing these video games. It was real cute to watch my little one with a rifle shooting at deer and other game. In Montana that is acceptable.

I think it's only violent if you make it violent.

Mo and his pals have dropped atomic bombs and unleashed tornados to get the stars.

ha

i so want this game