As I was walking out the door, I realized I didn’t have my faithful, purple Outback backpack. It’s my BF staple. I grabbed it out of my car, threw my wallet in front part, and hopped into Whit’s car which was already out of the driveway and headed in the direction of Target. Yes, it was 11PM and we were giving into Target’s craziness. She wanted to go to Wal-Mart in San Gabriel, but her friend called and said it was a zoo there. Coming to my house, she saw the other Wal-Mart and like that it was crossed off our list.
We caught up as we stood in line for 45 minutes. Before we even entered the store, we saw a man pump his fist as he left the store with his 40” TV, seemingly his only reason being there. This year for the first time, we saw Zone bars and coffee cups left near the store doors. Usually Target people aren’t there that long that all that stuff is necessary. What time did those people get to Target? 8PM? That’s insane.
And can someone explain to me why every year people are dying to buy TVs? Statistically people only buy a TV every 7 – 10 years, so why are the TVs the most have item at stores every single year?!?! My mom even got caught up in the hype.
“Why do we need a new TV?”
“I was going to get the 40” for you.”
Why do I need a 40” TV? What’s wrong with the TV you bought for me like three or four years ago at the very most? The one I rarely use. Like literally it hasn’t been on for the last six months. “What were you going to do with my TV?”
“I was going to put it in Jory’s room.”
“I thought we weren’t putting a TV in Jory’s room until he was older?”
“Oh, I wasn’t going to hook anything up to it. It was just going to be in his room.”
Oh, that’s awesome. So he could look at the TV, but not use it for anything. Why do I fear that idea would only lead to trouble down the road? God knew thus my mom could not get a TV because she didn’t have a daughter dedicated enough to stand in line at 8 or 7PM on Thanksgiving night.
But I digress. As soon as our feet hit the inside of the store, Whitney and I parted ways with our carts. I noticed that Target decided to go all Toys R Us, which means all the stuff that is on sale is in the middle of the aisles. This works, except that this year, they made the electronic department a stand in line department thus making it impossible to put all the electronics out in the middle of the floor.
Where are the $20 DVD players? Oh, in the food department? That makes sense. Oh, wait no they aren’t. What, you say, they are in the electronic departments? Uh no, they aren’t. I went to the customer service desk, but when I heard the manager saying, “There’s a 196 of them. Find them.” I thought it best not to bother her, but the sales paper on the counter reminded me to get my pillow pets with a free mini-pillow pet.
But let’s ask one more sales associate about the DVD player. What you say, they’ve sold out. And not only they have sold out, you’ve taken down all signs that say DVD player and the price? Really cause I’ve been in this store since it opened and never saw them and never saw you guys sell out of anything that fast except TVs, but okay, I’ll keep it moving.
What you say? You don’t know where the pillow pets are? You have to go to the back and get me three. Should I mention they are in the sales paper? Nah, I won’t. I busied myself with other things, like turning into that mom. The girls do need some cute sheets and look these Disney princess ones are on sale for only $16 and the matching comforter is only $20. Yes, I am buying Disney princess stuff. I never thought I would be that mom. Well if the girls have that, doesn’t Jory need some fun sheets too? The Toy Story sheets are also only $16 and the matching comforter is only $20, he can get that too. Wait, if these items are on sale, why am I picking up the last ones on the shelves? I can’t even find two Rapunzel sheets, so Princess Tiana, the first American princess ( you didn’t know that did you?) sheets they get.
As I continued to wait for the pillow pets, I see a worker with a cart…Hmm, what’s on that. I decided to follow him. Yep, going to the food department were the DVD players. I guess this was the 196 items, they couldn’t find that the manager had been asking to be found. I picked up two, just in case.
Finally my pillow pets. Yikes! The dinosaur pillow pet is hideous. Jory is going to have to keep the dog one I got from JCP. Where are the free gift that comes with the pillow pets? What free gift, you ask? I showed the saleswoman the paper. Oh, take these and see if they’ll accept them. I found three 12” turtles. SCORE!
Jory’s jeans for next year, matching pjs for Christmas time, gloves, hats, the usual Black Friday gifts, then it’s off to get into line where I pass Whitney because the line is wrapped around the store. For some reason, Target has decided one line where they direct you which register to go to is a better system than their usual go to whatever line you can find.
Yeah, Target shouldn’t open at midnight. They so don’t have their act together. Tons of salespeople on the floor, but for the first time they are seemingly clueless. Can’t even find the stuff on sale? Don’t have enough of it? That’s crazy and not up to Target’s usually excellent shopping experience. Just go back to opening at 5AM, it’s the way it’s meant to be.
After two and a half hours, we finally leave Target. That’s the longest we’ve ever spent in any store and Whit and I have been doing this for what eight years or so now….So sad. Off to the Fox Hills Mall we go. What’s going on at Office Depot, why is there parking lot filled? Whit drove through. Wait, are these people parked over here for the mall? They parked across the street from the mall? Why would they do that? We found out when we got to the mall. The parking lot was jammed, we drove around for a minute to find a park. What was going on?
Oh, look the mall looks like it’s 3PM on Christmas Eve or the Saturday before Easter. It’s packed. It seems like the Fox Hills Mall had a party and a concert. They had been open since like 8 or 9PM. Half the food court was open. Why are people buying pretzels from Aunt Anne’s at 2:45AM? Didn’t they just eat like six hours ago? Are you kidding me?! We drifted through the mall, where quite a few stores were open. Really, does Kids Foot Locker need to be open at midnight? Really? Do you really need Baskin Robbins at almost 3AM?
Then our beloved JCPenney’s opened and I grabbed three snowglobes. Oh, how I love our snowglobe ritual. We parted ways once again. I headed to the jewelry department. Oh those earrings on sale are small. Wow, are they meant for adults or meant for an eight-year-old? Based on the price I would adult, based on the size I would say child. Let’s see another pair. Yeah, that’s more like it. How much more are they?!?! Let’s keep it moving.
At 5PM, Whit whined she couldn’t go on anymore. She had been up on her feet all day between cooking for her guests, hosting her non-LA people Thanksgiving, getting them to leave, washing dishes, then coming to pick me up. She has had no rest. I counter that breakfast at IHOP would rest her feet and replenish her stomach, but she wasn’t buying it. This was strange night. First of all, leaving the house on Thanksgiving Day. Leaving Target and the sun not coming up. Now us not having our traditional breakfast together. She helped me unload and took off.
I quickly went through my purchases, tried on the few pieces I had bought myself, started the return pile as is my tradition. Buy everything, return 95 - 99% of everything bought on Black Friday. I decided Vandy could come along with me. My mom had suggested taking him when I went shopping with Whit, but I figured that wasn’t for the best. Whit and I had tried that bringing a newbie with us on BF and that was disasterous. We’ve got a rhythm going. But now that it was just me, I got him out of bed and waiting for me. I loaded my car and took off. A little after 6AM, Vandy and I were inside the dead new Target. It really was a ghost town.
I found shopping with a teen was nice. What, we left something in the car? Do you know where we’re parked? Okay, then you go. And bam, they come back with the stuff. Why don’t you wait in line while I get what I need? Bam, they do and you come back and there are now only two people ahead of you. It was nice. And I was touched when he said, he wanted him and Jory to dress alike one Sunday for church. A boy after my own heart. I hope this stays and he will require the same for his own children during the most wonderful time of the year and other times.
He and I went to IHOP and then he went back to my house, while I made a final stop at Staples, where it dawned on me since we didn’t go into a Best Buy that I hadn’t bought my traditional Christmas album. I perused Staples’ supply and decided that Gloria Estefan’s Christmas album would be the best buy. By noon, I was back home and done with Black Friday shopping. It seemed weird to be home so early. Yeah, this midnight BF is for the dogs. Hopefully, next year, things will go back to normal.
Then it was time to cook the turkey, find DVDs and books to return to the library, make the dressing and the gravy. A nice brusque walk to the library only to discover they were closed. Oh well, if I returned it before they open in the morning, maybe tonight I could watch Edward Norton’s Hulk. Vandy went home before he could partake in our Thanksgiving meal. We sat down. Well the kids sat at the table, while Oma and I sat on the sofa behind them. Maybe at Christmas we’ll have our dining room table back and we can all sit at the same table. Wait, does that mean I want to try this cooking thing again? Hmm, maybe it will become like Disneyland and the zoo, something I can do once every ten years.
Jory said, he loved the turkey. I smiled. It was juicy and delicious. It might be the best thing I’ve ever cooked. Which on one hand isn’t saying much because I can’t cook, but on the other hand maybe it’s saying a lot.
I wanted to lay down, my eyes were starting to burn, but I had to bathe kids. I wanted to do some more school and I had to finish cleaning the ktichne and finding a place for all the food in the fridge. When I finally finished in the clothes I had been wearing for the last 24 hours, I laid on the bed and closed my eyes. I’m not sure if I slept for five minutes or longer, but the next thing I knew was Jory talking to me. I got up, went back into the kitchen, swept the floor, but knew I couldn’t mop it though it desperately needed it. I put my pjs on and now I was wide awake with my second wind. So 24 hours after leaving the house, Jory “slept” on my back while I watched The Incredible Hulk until the dvd started skipping and skipping. Dumb library copy.
I don’t think I need to stay up for 24 straight hours anymore. The burning in my eyes so not cool.
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