Black (and blue?) Friday

The gratitude-giving is over, the left-overs are in full gear, the indigestion has cleared. What's left to do with a four day weekend?

If you're the wife, it's time to join a million crazed--er, I mean dedicated--shoppers...get up at some ungodly hour and throw yourself into the sea of consumer hell. It's like a sport.

I do not subscribe to the tenets or the sport of Black Friday, not that I find anything wrong with it. I'm just too lazy to get out of bed at 3 AM in search of the perfect Zhu Zhu or what-not....besides, I'm an on-line type of shopper, not a real-store kind of shopper. Give me a lap top and a credit card, and I'm good to go.

Here's a picture of a Zhu Zhu....I have no idea what it does or why anyone wants one, but they are the hot gift this year and you can now spend hundreds of dollars for this $8.00 toy. If you have any of these in your hot little hands, go immediately to eBay and let the bidding begin--my money says you'll make a couple hundred bucks in a matter of hours.

(Note to youngest niece: hey! here's a hamster that won't die on you ....well, you might need more batteries and you'll need to spend your college fund to get one but that's about it. No more dead hamsters.)

Midnight. You could begin your holiday shopping at Midnight. Or, 3 A.M. Or, 4 A.M. Who needs sleep when Zhu Zhus are calling your name?

The wife didn't go shopping at 3 A.M. but she did get up way before I was able to drag my sorry ass off the couch (I have a cold and needed to sleep sitting upright, hence the couch). She indicated that the crowds weren't too overwhelming but entries on Book de la Face suggest otherwise. I think my favorite status update came from the suburbs, regarding two women in Carsons fighting over the last blanket. Seems the younger women acquiesced in the long run: "If you need it that badly, you can have it, bitch!" It was reported that the crowd erupted in applause.

It sounds like things got a little wild in the Cheddarlands, too--the wife's sister was engrossed in a parking deck war. Seems the mall offered $15.00 vouchers to the first 300 persons to park in the deck. Um, hello! Did the mall think people wouldn't all try to squeeze in there? People were cutting each other off in a crazed attempt to get a voucher. To give you an idea of the madness, the wife's sister was in line to get a parking space at 4 A.M. If that's not bad enough, get this--the deck didn't open til 6 A.M. Two hours of sitting in a car for $15.00.

If you are wondering, the wife's sister did indeed get a parking space and a voucher. Was there a doubt?

I'm happy to report that the wife was successful in her Black Friday endeavor--she was on a mission to secure a 32" flat screen TV for her parents....the siblings pool their money together and this year the TV idea won out....she scored the TV of her choice. (Don't worry--they don't read my blog.) There is no way you could've paid me to go to Buy Best this morning, but the wife and her sciatica bravely faced the crowds. She reports that most people were flocked around the laptops, not the TVs. She did not come face-to-face with any Zhu Zhus at any point during her outings but she did come face-to-face with the reality that her sciatic nerve is still not cooperating with her shopping needs.

I did go on-line and check out some of the Black Friday deals. I ended up buying us a snowblower (hmmmm, that's not a gift and not a Black Friday special deal, but ours is leaking gas and the price was right), two Jillian Michaels DVD workouts (not a gift, either.....Jillian begged me to buy them despite how much my knee hates her) and, a book for someone of whom I shall not speak because what if he/she reads this blog and finds out I bought them a present?

This evening, we went out for dinner (feed a cold, feed a fever--that's my motto)....the place that is usually packed was dead. I mean, there were five tables in use in the entire restaurant. (What a bonus!)

I think everyone was at home taking naps.....

.....or, at home bidding on Zhu Zhus.