Shopping!, Shoot me!

If anyone hasn't had the (ahem) pleasure of shopping on Black Friday, I highly suggest it if you don't have nagging little problems like high blood pressure, a short temper or sleep deprivation.

My mother is one of those types who gets up at O-God-Thirty in the morning to hit the "doorbuster" sales at the stores. This year I pled culinary exhaustion and my little sister got dragged out instead of me. I should've thought of that excuse years ago.

I had to go out this afternoon in order to get groceries, as I've been frantically preparing for Thanksgiving for two (yes two) households for the last couple of days and haven't been paying attention to the mundane things like peanut butter, bread and TP. So I pack the kids up, grab the bank card, and off we go.

Then sat in traffic for half an hour getting to my exit for the grocery store.

Then sat another 15 minutes getting through two lights to said grocery store.

Ten minutes to get a parking place in Outer Mongolia.

Five minutes waiting for a the poor hapless kids working there to bring carts in so the other fourty people waiting could actually shop. One woman had the audacity to yell at one for taking so long. Considering he just risked his skin trying to gather these suckers up and *not* get run over by the traffic in the parking lot, that was more than a little harsh.

Twenty minutes fighting my way upstream like a salmon to the spawning grounds to get the simple odds and ends that I needed.

Ten minutes total telling my children they couldn't have half of the things they snatched and snuck into the cart.

One hour and twenty minutes getting through the checkout.

Right about then I get a call on my cell phone. My mother wants to know if I'm near Wal-Mart (I am) and if I could pick up a couple of odds and ends for her since she forgot to pick up such mundane items like peanut butter, coffee, bread and butter. Whimper, put my stuff in the car, tick off four people in their cars as they followed me to my parking place assuming I was leaving, go back in, children in tow. I got called some interesting names, lemme tell ya.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

I swear I'm going to go to a 24 hour grocery at 4AM, stock up till January and not come out till at least then. It's a nice thought, but I know that I'm going to have to brave the crowds at least a few more times, as my husband hasn't even begun to start shopping for his side of the family.

Augh!

Sorry...I just had to laugh. I've got a co-worker here thinking I've lost my marbles!

I absolutely refuse to go anywhere other than home and work during Thanksgiving weekend. We'll live on Ramen noodles and Spaghetti-O's before you get me out there! And yeah...there's definitely something to be said for 24 hour grocery stores.

I was lucky, all I had to do was go to work.

We have the good fortune to have a large grocery store that is a 5 minute walk from us. It is MUCH faster to walk.

Spaghetti-O's! yummmmm


Leo

I usually do my holiday shopping during the week. I get it all done in one day (mostly by buying gift certificates ).

Sekhmet, that is so funny. I stay away. I am glad you got home. I wonder how much money is spent on this Black Friday. From now on people will be cranky. I usually do the shopping for my husbands family but he has to mail them all. I have been on both sides of the shopping and selling. The Black Friday is the worst to work and shop.

Now the wrapping the baking hohoho!

Sekhmet, I know exactly what you are talking about. I made that mistake one year. I wasn't even Christmas Shopping to boot. Just was needing some household items. NEVER AGAIN.

My ideal time for shopping is by myself when there is no one in the store and then it is still a carefully planned operation to get in and out as quickly as possible.

Great Story BTW.

Just and additional note:

Next time leave the Cell Phone at home.

I think leaving the cell phone at home is a VERY good idea. I refuse to leave the house on Thanksgiving weekend. It is utter CHAOS! People like to get into the Christmas spirit by yelling, screaming, gesturing and just being plain rude, just to get it out of their system. Or so I can only guess. Seems like they need alot more than just a month to get it out though.
As for me, I just sit back and reflect on how thanful I am that I live in a free country, I have shelter and food, and I have a happy, healthy family!

~Iago

Richard, I believe that's called breaking and entering .

Aww man black friday...in my opinon...the WORST time to shop!

The people are crazy.

I saw a women, push a cart straight into the back of another to try to get the line moving alittle faster.

Alittle later in another store, I saw another customer get upset and through a glass jar a bath salt over her shoulder, into the forehead of an un-suspecting customer.

To tell you the truth, I was right scared! What these people will on there 1/2 off days!

Dragonboy that is totally scary what is the human race in the US turning into??
You won't catch me outthere nope and I live in a small town...

Oh, Sekhmet, I know that it wasn't funny while it was happening to you, but believe me, it is a great story.
While visiting hubby's family in Michigan over Thanksgiving weekend, I did the early bird shopping with my daughter, son, their spouces and my hubby. What an experience!! Definitely do NOT plan on repeating it!! We were at the stores by 5am......... What were we thinking?

I've never shopped and never will shop on Black Friday. HOwever, this year I loved that day soooo much. I went back to indiana for thanksgiving and we drove back to ohio on Friday. The highway was completely empty! Everyone was in the cities shopping! The drive home was a breeze! Thank God for Black Friday! (not really, haha)