Black Friday Recap

I must apologize for not posting yesterday, but when you drag in from a shop-a-thon like I had yesterday, all you do is pray you can make it up the stairs to your warm jammies and a soft bed.

Black Friday is a tradition with Delaweird. She does most of her Christmas shopping that day. She makes her battle plan by researching the circulars. She circles items, makes lists for each person, then double checks to see if one item can be purchased for multiple people. Then she plans the route. Who will be sold out of what first? Where can she walk right in the front door instead of standing in line? Who opens first? It's a science, I tell you. There should be degree for someone with these skills....Masters Degree in Black Friday Logisitics.

You can't be an amatuer for this. You must be a professional. You have to study the trends. Have contacts on the inside. She has the amazing ability to identify and cozy up to the Walmart guy who will be stocking the TV she wants - he clues her in - they will be stacked by the dressing room, not in electronics where all the amateurs will rush to when the doors open. She will casually walk in 3 minutes after the store opens, walk directly to the dressing rooms, flash her winning smile at the guy standing there who carrys her tv to the front to get checked out, as the tide of amatuers rolls in behind her from the electronics department.

She came. She conquered. She checked out at Walmart 10 mintues later, and was on to the next store.

It's an amazing thing to witness. Really. It's actually a pleasure. Fun. Exciting, even.

My job? I just carry the list and hold our place in the checkout line while she grabs any last minute deals. After all, she can always take back anything, but she must acquire it while she has the chance.

She knows The Secret to Black Friday shopping.......Be Nice.

For example, at around 7 am we were at the register in Office Depot (we started at JCPenney at 4 am, loaded the car twice, then went on to Best Buy - where we parked in the front - good mojo, ya know) when Delaweird could tell the girl at the register was stressed out. She told her was doing a great job and gave her a water bottle. The check-out girl let out a big sigh and said, "Thank you for being nice. Everyone else has been so mean and angry. I'm new here and this is my first Black Friday." We felt sorry for her.

We hit the mall, the surrounding stores, then went to the Outlet Mall. We were finished there and had my items to ship home at the UPS store by 12:30 pm. (There's no sales tax in Delaware, so it makes financial sense to do this). My purchases will be waiting for me at home.

We then proceeded to the antique malls, where we wound down the day with casual shopping, looking for unique gifts and treasures. That's where you find the special, one-of-a-kind gifts. I love antiques. It's the best kind of recycling. We dragged in at 4:30 pm, made dinner and went to bed.

Today we are taking the train to Yew Nork, as my nephew Taz would say. Bloggin' from the Big Apple~priceless.

If we have any problems at the train station, I know the secret already......flash a smile and be nice!