Black Friday and Christmas

11/29/2013

Did you groan leaving the dining room table yesterday or fall into a stupor after the big meal?  If so you joined the ranks of most Americans.  Thanksgiving, more than any other holiday, really does center around eating.  I know for my family we bring out all the favorite dishes on Thanksgiving and our meal at Christmas is in comparison is so much easier to prepare - having a ham requires no stuffing or gravy, so you've saved yourself quite a bit of a work right there.

Jeff and I went to Andrew's house yesterday, the food was wonderful and so was the company. Benjamin was not really sure about all the dishes being served. but he did try most everything at least once.  When you're a kid you are supposed and/or required to eat some of everything.  But when you're an adult you are allowed to take a pass on things you don't want to eat, which in my case is cranberries and stuffing. Why would you waste precious calories on stuffing when instead you could have potatoes!

After the food was stored and the dishes done, we got out the Wii and bowled.  I'm happy to say that for the second game I had the high score of 185!  I used to really enjoy league playing, trouble was swinging the ball (even though my ball only weighed 8 pounds!).  

Now that Thanksgiving is over and done with - except for leftovers, it's time to officially move into the Christmas season, starting with Black Friday. Yesterday's paper had the sales insert which must have weighed 5 pounds.  Diligently, as if I was actually going to practice good buying technique, I went through each and every ad.  Truthfully, I mostly just gazed quickly at most ads because I have never shopped on the day after Thanksgiving and I see no reason to start now.

I saw that flannel shirts cost "x" at one store and "y" at another; but, the price difference isn't enough to have me driving from one store to another to save a few bucks.  I have the stores that I frequent and even my favored websites.  I have never gone to one of those sales that starts at midnight where people trample one another to buy something that is only in limited supply.  If, and it's a big if, you really needed to buy a requested toy for a child, chances are you have already bought it, long before the madness set in.

Gone are the days when Scott would climb all over the house to put up lights.  He did an amazing job and it was always nice to come home after dark and know that the glowing light we saw from a distance, was ours.  Scott now decorates his own home and I'm sure even without seeing it, that he has or will do an amazing job in making sure that you can see his house from a distance.

I did create a wish list of sorts of things that Jeff and I would like and gave that to Stacey yesterday.  I don't want anybody to try and think what we would like. I remember how hard it was buying something for my Mother - it was agonizing.

So if you're determined to hit the stores today, wear comfy shoes, don't bundle yourself up in a winter coat which will be way too hot once you are inside a store and bring some kind of a tote bag for your purchases.  And remember not everything has to be bought today - the stores will open again tomorrow and even the day after that!

Quote for the Day:

Black Friday: Because only in America, people trample others for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have. Anonymous

Whatever you're doing today, shopping, addressing Christmas cards or just reading a good book, enjoy yourself.

P