I've always wanted to wait in a long line infront of a store the day after Thanksgiving with other eager shoppers, fresh from deep sleeps with bargains on the brain. I've come close several times to actually getting up and venturing out in the early morning hours but instead thought it absolutely nuts (well, it is) and flipped the alarm off to get more sleep and left a bit later ... missing the best deals. No more.
Last night when everyone gathered at our place for Thanksgiving dessert (it was a progressive meal of sorts and quite fun that way), I was telling of my idea of bracing myself, finally, for a Black Friday morning, starting at 2:30AM. Somehow I convinced my dear brother to come along in my festive frolic and when his car pulled up the driveway shortly after 3 this morning, I could feel the sales adrenalin kickin' in! Oh MY goodness - it was raining, who knew?, and VERY windy and yes, cold. He was bundled for the arctic and I was the same but when we got to the store, the store was open!!!! What???? No sprawling line around the building? Well, Walmart did something different this year and they did a good job of it. They opened the store earlier (unbeknownst to me and my careful time planning though - the ad said 5AM!) and formed lines at each big bargain item. Ok, so I was glad I didn't have to stand in the rain and wind and cold but my experience wasn't as tough as I had thought it should be. It was almost too easy. Rumor had it that the lines at Target down the street were wrapped around the building and someone said her husband was in a line to Spain at Best Buy which I wouldn't even venture to in the dark of night.
I stood, and then sat (ok, that made me feel like I was in line for something) on the hard Walmart floor and chatted with other frenzy folk around me. The girl next to me had been there since 1AM and was nodding off every now and then. Customers, staff, security ... were so friendly and I was surprised, why?, how many were so nice and not pushy at all. There were three others who were doing this whole shop-way-too-early thing on Black Friday for the first time so I felt like I was in the first timers line. When it was approaching 5AM, the buzz of excitement filled the air and people got to their feet and began to wind around the paths as directed. The person behind me said it was like being at an amusement park! So I got the $4 hand mixer AND a 19" flat screen TV. Ok, other things but those were the highlights.
My brother took me home at the late hour of 5:30AM and I then headed to Target and Michaels Arts and Crafts and then crashed at home around 8:30. It felt like noon. A big nap helped and restored my energy to plug in the TV ... and give that hand mixer a test.
*There were several who had problems getting on the website today as the server was down for a short while, so I extended the SALE through Monday 11/30, 12AM EST. Patterns, kits and selected needfuls are discounted 16.21 % ... enjoy the rest of your holiday week-end!
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