The first and incidentally only Thanksgiving we’ve spent with Mike’s family, his mom gleefully suggested that we giiiiirls (meaning my sisters-in-law and I) get all of the Christmas shopping knocked out the next day.
The day after Thanksgiving…
I believe I chortled, “Shopping? um… that’s what the Internet is for” and went back to eating pie.
There was no way in hell I was getting up early the next day to fight tooth and nail for merino wool sweaters and Tickle-me Elmos or whatever the must-have toy was that year.
She had to have been disappointed. As the mother of three boys, the woman practically tears up at the thought of finally having girl children to take on shopping adventures.
I grew up with two younger sisters. I keep telling her it’s not that great, but I don’t think she believes me.
This year, I broke my word and ventured out to the Toys R Us sale, opening at 10pm Thanksgiving night.
We had been guests at someone elses’ Thanksgiving feast, so there weren’t any dishes or messy family squabbles for me to clean up. The kids were in bed. Mike was halfway into a turkey coma.
With a Toys R Us within a five minute drive from my house, I thought, “Why not? If it sucks, I at least I didn’t have to go too far”… because, apparently, that’s how I measure all things. How far do I have to drive to get there?
Here is why not and never again.
I showed up at 10:15 and the parking lot was packed. I wasn’t surprised until a family shoved their three-year-old IN FRONT OF MY CAR to keep me from getting a spot, which I was neither fighting for nor cared about. I simply took the spot three cars over. Not a big deal. Really not worth killing off your children, people.
However, that does bring me to my first point. Lack of sleep makes people CRAZY!
The line wrapped around the building… twice and it was 30 degrees, but I stood there anyway. Why?
Because the lady behind me in line let me leaf through her catalog. It proclaimed Legos! Doll houses! 30… 40… 50% off! Do you know how much Legos cost? A lot. Do you know how much my son (and husband) love Legos? Tremendously. So I stood there… and shivered.
Well, what I didn’t notice in the dim light of the parking lot and shaking of my hands, was that only THREE Lego set were on sale. The three no one cares about! Imagine that?
It took 40 minutes to get into the store and only 15 to decide it wasn’t worth it. I would have turned around and left, except I was trapped in a hoard of limited-edition, licensed-character flip sofas, three-wheeled scooters, and gaudy plastic kitchens.
As I made my way to the exit dizzy and empty-handed, people kept blocking my way. “Are you trying to cut in line?” several people demanded. Meanwhile, little kids were getting hit in the face right and left with their parents offering little more comfort than, “It’s okay… oh, let’s look at video games!”
Yep, little kids. It’s one thing to stand in line for TWO days in freezing darkness for flatscreens and Tom Toms. It’s quite another to make your infant and toddler be there with you. This is the level of crazy and desperate assholery you will be dealing with.
After my not-quite-but-close-enough Black Friday experience, I’m going back to my original stance:
“Shopping? um… that’s what the Internet is for”
Photo credit: Los Angeles Times
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Black Friday is terrible! I have had the lovely occasion to not only work in retail on a black Friday, but also go out shopping, all in all, it’s all crazy. I saw the Toys R US ad, and my BIL went out to go there, I didn’t because I didn’t really see anything of interest, but I’m with you, I’d much rather just shop from home! I am totally content sleeping off my Turkey coma on BF. 🙂
This is definitely why I avoid the craziness of Black Friday. I am also a big online shopper these days. I have not tolerance, nor interest in partaking in the rudeness to save a few dollars. 🙂 I’ll just get my daughter a little less, so I can afford the big things she wants.
First things first: “EEEEEE!!!! HI!!!” double hand wave and a little dance =)
Okay moving on –
OMG!!! People get NUTS in groups. Yucky! That’s the opposite of the holiday spirit. =)
This is why I “heart” Amazon prime…..big, pink, sparkly heart it. High-five for giving TRU a try and not yelling at a couple awful parents while you were at it, though! OMG!
I’ve worked Black Friday and I’ve shopped it too. Both, well before I got sense (and internet).
At this point in my life there is truly nothing I need that requires me to stand out side for any more than it takes to walk from my car into the store. If there is a mob-scene (not to be confused with a flash mob – which I would gladly hang out to see) I’m leaving. I will never risk my well-being, my sanity or the health and well-being of my child to save however much on Tickle Me Legos or Hampsterinos.
Al Gore invented the internet so we can save gas and protect the environment while shopping in the convenience of our homes.
I’m glad to say I have still not given into the madness that is Black Friday shopping. I have the same attitude, “Give me my computer and I’ll be done in 1/2 hour in the comfort of my own home and pjs.”
Thank you, thank you for alleviating any regrets I may have had at any time of my life for being too lazy to do the “Black Friday Shuffle.” I do feel bad that for some families it means the difference between being able to afford gifts for their kids or not, but frankly that’s just plain crappy of stores to capitalize on that.
Anyway, the sales will still be there for the next four weeks, and as you said, God bless the internet.
LOL!! Why people still stand in line on Black Friday when there is Amazon.com is beyond me. I always look at the ads wanting to find something, but there is nothing that is worth my time and effort. Kids you get less gifts, but a less stressed out mama.