Black Friday Plans

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving - and aren't too bloated and miserable today.  It was a great time here in our household.  I spent most of the day cooking - with the help of my little Jelly - and we sat down to a feast fit for kings and queens around 4pm. 

I was amazed at how much food I had prepared.  I guess my head hadn't adjusted to the fact that my parents weren't coming, and that my house wasn't going to be full of visitors, because I'm pretty sure that I prepared enough food to feed an army.  It will be Thanksgiving eating in my house for at least the next three days.

After eating and relaxing for a while, it was time to move to the next main event - putting up the tree.  I had ran to Wal-Mart earlier in the day to pick up a new tree skirt and some lights - and what a shabockle that was.  I'll get to that in a second... but let me try and stay on track for explaining the tree decorating.

Jelly and I did all the work.  Peanut and Butter hung out in Butter's room playing games... which was fine.  In fact, I was amazed and shocked.  I guess a little Christmas spirit does have some powerful and magical effects.  Anywho, we got the tree up, it looks fantastic, we then sat down to watch our movie.  Elf.  It has become a tradition - and this year was no different.  Butter and Jelly had passed out by the time the movie was over, and Peanut went to bed right after.  Guess spending the day on the couch while I ran around preparing dinner wore them out.

I woke up this morning feeling wonderful.  I slept in until 9, and took a second to think about all those crazy shoppers that had been out and about all night trying to find a bargain.  Poor souls.  I just don't get it... never will.  As I mentioned earlier, Hubby and I made a quick run to Wal-Mart Thanksgiving morning to pick up a few things for the tree.  We were shocked and appalled at the state of the store.  Pallets upon pallets of Black Friday crap lined the aisles - blocking shoppers from being able to buy anything.  I had to squeeze my large rear down an aisle in the Christmas shop just to get a couple boxes of lights.  What happened to Black Friday being on FRIDAY??  This was early Thursday morning, and it was impossible to do any form of shopping.  Ridiculous.  I was very upset and frustrated by the time I left the store - and I made sure I let every associate know.  I know it's not their fault - but still.

Black Friday is supposed to be the biggest shopping day of the year... but now, it's not.  Now Thanksgiving has become Black Friday.  Why on earth do people want to leave their families to go out hunting a bargain?  I sure don't.

And you know what else?  I got out of bed at 9am.  I grabbed a cup of coffee, sat down at my computer - and what did my eyes see?  The Wal-Mart website - with all of the instore Black Friday bargains right at my fingertips.  Oh yes.  The Black Friday ad - with friendly pointers on where I could find those exact same bargains online.  Right here, in my PJs, with a cup of coffee in hand, and not a single line or cart to the ankles. 

I found several bargains that I took advantage of.  I got a huge chunk of my Christmas shopping done... no stress, no hassles, no OUT OF STOCK signs anywhere.  Everything I wanted, several things I didn't even realize I wanted. 

Hubby and I are going to trek out in to the world this afternoon, not on the hunt for any Black Friday bargains - just to finish up the last few things on our Christmas lists.  Because we want to. 

That's what I call a wonderful Black Friday. 

Oh, and just a quick note to some of you Black Friday die hards.  This isn't the first year I've done this exact same thing.  Did it last year, too.  It's no secret, either.  I've been getting emails for weeks telling me that I could do my Black Friday shopping online.  Guess there's one bonus of being a subscriber to those newsletters.  No pain, no swollen ankles.  That's my idea of Christmas shopping.