Ready, set, SHOP

I was not going to go this year. It was O'Tim that got excited when he looked through the sale papers Thanksgiving afternoon. I heard him exclaim a few times, "Wow, that's a great deal!" as I lay on the couch recovering from dinner (I ate one tiny measley piece of turkey and a tiny bit of dressing, followed by a few bites of apple pie, which I managed to throw up a short time later, dammit). He periodically would disapear to the basement and then reappear exclaiming, "Man, I looked it up and that really is a great deal!" As the clock cruised on to midnight, I asked if we were going. "Oh, yeah!" was the enthusiastic reply. I being the veteran, told him to set the clock for about 4:15. When I finally realized that the alarm had gone off, I found him calmly eating breakfast and reading a magazine I tried not to explode. "If we are gonna do this, we gotta do it right. NO time for breakfast, let's go!" O'Tim looked startled, but poured his juice back in the container and got ready to walk out the door in record time. As we got into the car, three cars went by. "That's your competition boy! GO! GO!" I exclaimed.

Let me take a break here and tell you, I am not a competive person. Every once in a while I get excited about a game, but really don't care too much if I win or lose. Something about Black Friday changes that momentarily. I try hard not to concede to it, and I am certainly not pushy or rude, but dammit, someone else might get my stuff.


Each car that passed us made me yell "GO! GO!" even more fervently. I was secretly ashamed, but could not let it show lest O'Tim get nervous and cancel the whole outing. One poor sap was driving in the wrong direction. I snickered, "Where the hell does he think he is going?" Some cars were slowing and committing to Target. "Those bastards are just going to Target. Outta the way morons! Other lane O'Tim, Other lane! NO time! NO time!" O"Tim asked about turns and I directed him to the handy man store lot, which was about 3/4 full already and was actually the adjacent parking lot, the lot for our store already full. Then I saw the line. It did not look so bad until I walked over there and realized what I thought was the end of the line was only about the middle. I sent O'Tim on the mission to check out vouchers. Later (sorry O'Tim, but it is true), I realized I, the vetrean should have undertaken this chore, as O'Tim brought back sketchy information that lead us to believe there was no hope. We bailed and headed on with Plan B.

I directed O'Tim the super secret not crowed back way and we made it to destination B with little trouble. I again snickered as I watched the goofballs coming from the other way desperately search for parking. Ha! You gotta plan man! We got in line and got vouchers for our stuff then began to reformulate the Plan. We decided I would return to Plan A and see if we had left prematurely.

The line was considerably shorter, and after some pleasant conversation finally made it into the store. I must say they were particularily organized and asked at the door what I needed and sent me to the correct line where I waited patiently. Six more people, then me. Five more people then me. Oh! What did that store guy say? The camcorder I had come for had just sold out. I was crestfallen. I did not want to leave the line. Surely it was a mistake. I figdeted, licked my lips, looked around nervously, and tied my shoe (which is really far away right now and made me breath hard). What to do? Just then my partner called and I relayed the bad news. He had faired better and was checking out. "Come pick me up," he says to me. Again with the super secret back way, into the car and outta there.

A few blocks later he pulls out this list and comments, "There is another camcorder on sale over on Lee Highway." (Which is out of the main traffic.) So Plan C emerges. I am too disappointed to get out of the car, so O'Tim goes in without me. No line, no parking lot maylee, just people in then out. Huh. I take a short nap and moments later O'Tim emerges with package in hand. WOO WOO! You da man, O'Tim!

With deals in hand, and the sun not even up yet, we make our weary way home, tired, but contented with our morning. I am asleep on the couch just as The Today Show comes on. O'Tim fiddles with gadgets and then I think went back to sleep. He kisses me goodbye and I notice The Today Show is almost over. Late for work again, O'Tim? (In his defense he always stays late when he goes in late). But it was all worth it.