I hope one and all had a wonderful and joyous Thanksgiving Day. I had a wonderful time with my son and MIL. (Maybe consumed a little to much wine, but that's okay.)

I was wondering if any of you are going to be going shopping today? Anyone going to the door-opening early bird sales?

Me, I woke up at 4am, and am currently drinking my coffee at 4:40 about to hit the road. Some stores open at 5, but I don't think I'm gonna get them, maybe get the 6am ones. I've already made my list out so I know what I want and where it comes from.

Yesterday, the MIL and I put clear lights on the cherry tree out in the front yard. We left them on all night, and it is beautiful. I put them up to surprise hubby when he gets home (just before Christmas), as he didn't have time to put up outside lights before he left. I can't walk on a roof, but I can climb a tree. We wrapped the lights around the individual branches, and it is simply stunning.

I'm hearing the military version of "CHARGE!!!!" as I am about to hit the road. Please, if you do go out today, be careful, be alert, and have fun. Also, don't fight with someone for that beautiful sweater (or whatever), as it just may be me. ;)

Enjoy the day folks!

apoc

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

Answers

Ok. I am going to post this one more time.

When we lived in Phoenix, I didn't mind shopping on this day. The stores had plenty of help and plenty of parking and knew how to handle crowds. I made the mistake of shopping on this day once in Des Moines and never again - no parking, bad access to any store, nowhere near enough clerks and bad attitudes everywhere.

Apoc - be safe and no beating up the old ladies that are reaching for the same item :)

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

I finished all my holiday shopping awhile ago. I'm still concerned about mischief that could happen in large crowds, although I'm encouraged that NYC wasn't nuked yesterday. (:

We have the same problem around here that Beckie does in Iowa City: not enough help and too many whinny, fussy babies screaming in the long lines. I don't miss that at all.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

I'm sorry -- Des Moines. I've got IC on the brain, Beckie.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

Hee-hee! All done last week. We don't have the crazy shopping day here in Canada like you guys do. I have experienced it though. We used to go to Detroit to my mom's sister's house almost every Thanksgiving, and do our Christmas shopping. That, of course, was back in the days where Canadian money actually bought something in the US. The shopping was fun, but I don't miss it now. I've very much become a "non-consumer". Too bad I can't become a "non-taxpayer", too!

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

I think I'm pretty much done, altho I tend to collect small stuff over the year, so I need to lay it all out and see where I am.

Heard there won't be extra sales clerks in the stores this year.

If I go out today, my shopping spreed will consist of a gift for myself, an ergonomic snow shovel if I can find one in the stores now. Borrowed my neighbors' last year. Doesn't help with the large areas, but makes making narrow paths a real breeze.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

Ergonomic snow shovel--I think GardenersSupply.com has them. If not, I could eventually find one for you because I know I've seen them in one of my catalogues.

Polly woke us up early this morning for some reason, so we got up and decided to go to Big Lots, which opened at 6 and had more deals between 6-8 this morning. We got a GE no-hands phone (reg. $60, got for $20), two designer watches )Oleg Cassini and Pierre Cardin) for $19 each, and a freebie tiny radio with ear buds. Got two of those 'cause we went through the line separately! We did marvel at all the people on the road at 6 a.m. and the even greater numbers as we were coming home.

All the Christmas shopping is done; now all I have to do is package up the stuff and mail or deliver it. Don't know about eslewhwere, but people at Big Lots were very good-humored, no pushing or fighting.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

What's a no-h?

Lowe's/Home Depot generally order lots of Ergonomic snow shovels. I think there were around 300 of them in the lobby at Lowes, and that was three weeks ago.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

no-hands. I got it.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

I think I'll go and get me a new computer chair. But first, I'm gonna look around on the net...

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

Back! YIKES! People are CRAZY out there. I left here at 5:30, and there was a 45 minute line to get into the stores. That was the most painful two hours of actual shopping I have ever done. Now I know why hubby won't do it anymore. Never again for me either.

I managed to get most of my shopping complete. I had to take the opportunity to shop this morning, as MIL was going to stay and watch Turner so that I could get Santa taken care of.

I have never been so glad to get back to the peace and quiet of my little woods as I was today. Some people were in line in their jammies, houseshoes and all!

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

Well, maybe that's good news. Our retailers could sure use a good Christmas shopping season. Hope it holds up.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

Apoc, I think everyone should experience the craziness once. It certainly keeps one from procrastinating the next year when there are opportinities to buy presents at end of the summer sales in late August. (;

I don't mind waiting in line -- I really don't! -- as long as I don't have to listen to screaming babies & children. That's the one thing I just can't tolerate anymore. My friend's children are all grown, so I've lost whatever tolerance I might've had.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

My big shopping was for my son. I had to get him new pants, as he is on a growth spurt and the others are getting shorter and shorter. I couldn't get the good heavy pants in August, as they were not in stock yet.

Let me tell ya Meemur, there were plenty of screaming crying kids today. Some of them were even young. Since my son is so young, it is hard for me to buy winter clothes at the end of winter for next season, as I'm not sure exactly what size he'll be wearing.

The two things I really wanted to get him but didn't was a robe and some of those flannel house pants/jammie bottoms. The robe was $30, and the bottoms they wanted 19.95. I had made him a robe a few years ago for about $5.00 in material and it was so much better quality than what they were selling. I'll make him another, and who knows I might even let him pick the material out. ;) I have some flannel so I'll make the bottoms.

I got him a few toys, legos and the like, and some new compute software. Got him Shreck, and he'll love it. We rented it a couple of weeks ago, and he watched it about 4 times... laughing the entire time. I had taken him to see it at the movies when it was out.

About time for some more turkey and fixings,

apoc

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

apoc wins mother of the day award!

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

That's true about heavy material, Apoc.

Yeah, you're right, Apoc. There are some things that can't be bought in August, although I'm still in the habit of budgetting some money for that time period to take advantage of the various sales. I really liked going shopping with my mom during the Friday after T-Day. My mom was a Master Shopper (if there is such a thing). She could tell you the location of whatever it was that you wanted and where to get it for the best price. I remember the first T-Day after she passed away: I couldn't bring myself to shop. Everyone got gift certificates that year. No one complained, though.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

I had to work today, so no shopping for me. I did fill up on 1.09 gas (that felt good) and I stopped by the farm store to get a bag of horse feed. It was just as insane there as it was at every other store.

We sell christmas trees and poinsettias and all sorts of christmas stuff--I couldn't beleive the number of people who came out--in the pouring rain--to get trees. It was nuts. But I ain't complaining :)

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001