Black Friday #1

For several years now, I have offered to accompany my friend, Koalagirl15, on her early morning Black Friday shopping spree. For several years now, she has declined my offer, apparently because nothing she needed was on sale. Well, all that changed this morning at 4:47 AM when I found myself in the front seat of her van, traveling toward Sears to obtain a $20.00 gift card. To quote the Talking Heads, “How did I get here?” Answer: because I volunteered.

I guess after almost 18 years of friendship, I decided that supporting my friend in her Christmas adventure was a good idea, a sign of sisterly solidarity that would help us “bond.” You know, similar to the way men bond by belching and passing gas, only in the civilized manner of mature women – by fighting over the last Furby. Oops, I’m sorry, I mean by shopping and chatting over tea. :-) In all honesty, I showed up because, on Thanksgiving, my dear friend left a message on my voice mail calling me a “wuss” if I didn’t. After that, I had no choice but to endure the torture of early morning bargain battle.

To be fair, the adventure really wasn’t all that bad, once I got past the fact that I was late, unshowered, and starving. After all, on a holiday weekend, who worries about punctuality, hygiene, and nutrition? The thrill of the hunt is the important thing. Let’s get our priorities straight. A deal is a deal. And Koalagirl15 did get some deals. I can’t mention them here for fear of divulging classified information to her kids, but she saved over $200.00, not exactly chicken feed.

And despite those horror stories I heard on the nightly news about shoppers shooting each other over video games and Wal-Mart employees being trampled by overzealous mothers in search of Barbie dolls, I encountered only polite and conversational crazy people who rise before dawn to embrace the Christmas spirit. A grandmother in Toys ‘R Us had some very interesting views on the value of Disney as a teacher of family values, while a couple in Kohl’s shared their thoughts on parenting teenagers. Ten to thirty minutes in a checkout line left plenty of time for conversation. I figured I should take advantage of the opportunity while it was there.

So after experiencing Black Friday for the first time, would I do it again? Probably. The shoppers were pleasant, the crowds weren't really all that bad at the beginning of the day, and Dunkin Donuts was passing out free coffee at one of the stores. In any case, I have an entire year to decide. Of course, if my friend calls me a “wuss” again, I may have to cut my own deal. Two hours of early morning shopping for, say, a three-hour lecture on new challenges in the study of elections and voting. I think that sounds doable, especially if I throw in some breakfast and give her a chance to shower before leaving the house.

For a more detailed description of my Black Friday shopping trip, from the perspective of the other participant, visit Koalagirl15 and Adventures on Black Friday.