Opinion of Black Friday

[angus]

FF.  Love it. 

Yesterday we went to the club in the morning.  I ran a few laps and then did the bicycle thing.  There's a room full of stationary bicycles and a big screen where users can choose a "class" to watch.  A big screen comes down and you can ride through the swiss alps, the Cape of Good Hope, Guadeloupe, Colorado, etc.  I chose a scenic ride through Acadia National Park in Maine.  My blood pressure is a little high so I try to make my heart pump fast at least 3 or 4 times per week.

Afterward, my son and I swam in the pool for about an hour and then sat in the hot tub for a while.  Of course, we had turkey for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but that's alright because we cooked it a different way each time.  In the afternoon we fired off two rockets, then had a misfire on the third.  (I think the fuses were moist.  They had been in the basement for at least 8 months.)  Then we bicycled to the park and saw some friends of his.  I took a laptop and worked on a manuscript while my son and his friend played on the swings and kicked the soccer ball around.

Best of all, I haven't driven my car since Tuesday.  It's not that I hate driving, but I drive every day to work.  It's only about 8.5 miles, but it takes nearly 30 minutes, so I enjoy days when I don't have to drive.  The liquor store is 500 meters away, the club 800 meters, and there's a CVS, a convenience store, my son's dentist, a frozen yogurt place, a playground, and a couple of mediocre restaurants--one of which has about 100 beers and open mic night every other Thursday--all within walking distance of one mile or less.  I especially avoid driving on Thanksgiving and the day after, because traffic is especially thick on those days.  We have bicycled and walked everywhere we needed to go these past three days. 

All holidays are good, even made up ones like Black Friday.  Spread the love.

[angus]

There are a number of reasons why we might treat the adults differently, not the least of which is that they have attained enough wisdom to decide whether this is a game that they wish to play.  Unlike children, they are responsible for their deeds and misdeeds and should be judged accordingly.

We were thinking of buying the boy some shoes today, but that will require a drive. 

I think that they're calling it Small Business Saturday now.  I prefer to call it Saturday November 28.  Hopefully the crazy shoppers have finished their game.  (I think it's a game, by the way.  I know that the sensationalistic videos are entertaining and shocking at the same time, in large part because we momentarily suspend our disbelief that they don't know what they're getting themselves into when they go out shopping on the busiest shopping day of the year.  It's sport, though, sort of a combination of the "scavenger hunt" and "king of the mountain" games of youth, all rolled into one.  All the players know the rules, and they're largely the types who don't mind the 15 minutes of infamy that goes with playing the game in an age of instant video communication.  However, I do think that anyone can get caught up in it.  Sponge Bob Chia Pet never looked so good till it sat on a lighted pedestal under a sign that said "70% off!"  And the moment we see fifty other people fighting over the very last Sponge Bob Chia Pet, it becomes an object of glory, worth the scars and wars waged for its procurement.)

I also think that the serious players only play on Friday--especially since the coupons in the spam that has stuffed my mailbox all week are good on "Thursday and Friday only!"--so it's probably a safe day to go out and buy some shoes.  Still, a few crazy drivers might be out there.  Alas, we have two books and a video due today at the public library.  I could bicycle it in 20 minutes, but I think that my entourage wants to attend, so it'll be a car trip nevertheless.  I figure we may as well go to the mall while we're out since it's not far from the library.

[angus]

The Small Business Saturday report (best I can do, as I didn't go shopping on Black Friday):

Library traffic was light, but the traffic around the mall was thick.  Orange construction cones up in places where turning into the parking lot is normally allowed.  I guessed that they wanted to limit to three the number of entrances and exits into the mammoth parking lot.  Must have been rough yesterday.  I circled a bit, but managed to get a choice spot right next to the store we wanted to enter.  A slow line of tailgaiters looked askance when they saw me taking the spot they were each eyeing.

Inside, the lines at counters were a bit longer than usual.  Many folks were returning items they bought yesterday.  All the freebies were in great abundance.  I had a bit of Auntie Annie's pretzel dog, a souffle cup's worth of strawberry-kiwi smoothie, a small wedge of smoked gouda cheese on a toothpick, and a serving of tangerine-flavored Performix ISO 9:2:2 energy, which left me with a powerful headache and a nasty aftertaste.  The Israelis were there too, with their dead sea salt, and the OroGold people were there as well, although we did not take any of their samples.  Nor did we sign up to win a free car or a free set of new windows for the house.

We ended up purchasing the boy two pairs of shoes, along with a couple of pairs of pants, an overcoat, a t-shirt, (yet another) remote-controlled helicopter, and a set of LEGO Ninjago.  I believe he now has the largest collection of LEGOs I've ever seen outside a daycare center, library, school, or museum.  One thing good about having a child is that it gives you an excuse to be caught playing with all sorts of toys that you normally wouldn't want to be seen playing with. 

I also got a couple of pans.  Those non-stick coatings only last us about a year and it was about time we got some new ones. 

Overall, the lines were not too bad.  I never waited behind more than two other customers, and only once was there some confusion on the part of the obviously exhausted sales associate.  Things were strewn about a little, but not in a state of general disarray.  I suspect that there was a major clean-up effort late last night. 

We tried out three different escalators and one elevator.  All were functioning well, although the men's room could have used a thorough cleaning.  In fact, I did have to wait behind three other men to piss.  The line snaking into the women's room looked even longer and slower.

Santa Claus was there, looking as creepy as ever.  Either he or the little boy on his lap must have had boiled eggs and beer for lunch, because there was a foul stench emanating from their general vicinity.

Although it isn't even the last day of November yet, the halls had already been decked with lighting, wreaths, reindeer horns, trimmed trees, silver bells, and other festive yuletide adornments.

Generally, the mall atmosphere was more festive than tense.  Also, everyone shopping was well attired in the latest fashions.  Even at the light on the bridge over the tracks at the mall exit, the bearded guy who stands guard on the median bearing a sign that reads "HOMELESS  ANYTHING HELPS  GOD BLESS" was sporting what appeared to be a brand new pair of light blue Nike hightops. 

My patience for shopping grows thin after about 45 minutes, so we didn't stay much beyond that.  Still, Small Business Saturday was generally a pleasant experience, and we managed to buy the boy enough clothes and toys to last him a while, and still had enough energy left to go grocery and booze shopping afterward.  Of course, the best part about today was the fact that the last of the turkey was either eaten or thrown out early in the day.  Tonight menu will feature shrimp sauteed in garlic and green onion, homade crab cakes with cocktail sauce, steamed white rice, broccoli with mushrooms, and a nice california Pinot Noir. 
 
A very Black Friday to all, and to all a good night.

[angus]

The low-rent TV news entertainers and the reprobates who watch them - whether to laugh or to jeer - comprise the more disgusting half of that ritual.

What about the thread creators, the posters, the voters in polls.  We are the self-ordained judges of humanity.  I think our inclusion in the disgusting half is also merited.