Black Friday more than wore me out. Too tired to get frazzled. Shopped from 11:40 p.m. until nearly 9:00 a.m.
The top-of-our-list department store we plotted to attack had advertised it's doors would open at 3:00 a.m., a.k.a. 'wee-hour.' Accordingly, we snatched our place in line, very near the store's entrance, at precisely 2:30 a.m. Hardly the first customers, but we were close.
3:00 a.m. came and went, while the store's doors remained closed. I have a hunch it was a conspiracy.
3:05 a.m.: No change. Except that now we were nose-to-nose with store employees - or, make that nose to pane of glass - the only thing separating us (the ready-to-rumblers) from them (the we'll-let-you-in-when-we-feel-like-its). No words. Just stares. No! Make that glares. No words necessary. Each 'side' knew what the other 'side' was thinking.
3:10 a.m.: Still no change. The 'rumblers' were still ready, but the 'when-we-feel-like-its' weren't budging.
3:20 a.m.: At long last, open doors.
Like cattle being called, every shop-'til-you-dropper stampeded directly to the boot department.
That's our take on it, anyway.
My youngest daughter, Shelby (a Senior in college), decided she'd lead the pack of boot-hungry madhouse mall maniacs by incorporating her cross-country running skills to get a step or two ahead of everybody else.
Indeed, she met with success until ...
She made an all-out attempt at a sharp turn right, dropping her cell phone on the freshly waxed floor, causing it to gain tremendous speed on its journey from one end of the store to the other, in two different directions, no less.
Her phone had split upon impact.
Now, what? Recover the phone, or beat the crowd?
Shelby's a quick-decision-maker. Her phone was recovered first. The crowd-beating followed immediately thereafter, without missing a beat.
Mad-dashing took on an entirely new meaning.
I haven't quite pin-pointed exactly what it is that draws so much of humankind to the boot department at the local shopping mall, especially at this time of year, but they were drawn there alright - by the gazillions - and, we were amongst them.
What were we thinking?
Boot box tops flinging in frisbee-like fashion, while those of the male persuasion were merely passers-by with their deer-in-headlights stares. Shelby routinely reminded us during our long-awaited shopping extravaganza, 'They should've stayed home. They're just taking up space.'
After all, is it not a known fact that women (not men) are shoppers-extraordinaire?
As far as savings go, we did in fact save a bundle (or two). For the most part, we simply purchased items on our lists, successfully avoiding other never-before-offered temptations.
We had a plan. We were focused. We didn't waver. Well ... most of us didn't. There's one in every crowd, right?
It was worth every bit of the exhaustion my feet (and every other body part) endured.
Loss of sleep? Eh, what's one night's sleep loss, when compared with making great memories?
I'll never forget the night, and I'll always cherish the fun and non-stop laughter that was shared between myself, my two sweet daughters - Shannon & Shelby - and our good friend, Emily.
Great company. Great laughs. Great memories. Great 'gift' for me.
But, next year I think ...
I'll probably do it all over again.
'Every good and perfect gift is from above,
And comes down from the Father of lights,
With whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.'
James 1:17 (The Bible - New King James version)
