A Most Satisfying Day

My eyes are burning from lack of sleep, my feet are swollen and my wallet is empty, but I am happy. Ahhh. There's just nothing quite like the high you get from finding great deals that also just happen to be the perfect present for the ones you love. Of course, there are casualties along the way. Little mishaps that you didn't expect. Even an injury or two is to be expected, I suppose. For instance, I was standing in the check-out line at Kohl's at approximately 4:26 this morning (I'd already been in line for about 20 minutes) when a very RUDE woman thought that she could squash between me and the person in front of me. She pushed her way through and my poor thumbnail got caught in the zipper of her jacket. Don't ask how it happened because I have no clue. I am now without a thumbnail and my poor thumb is throbbing because it was ripped so far down. I figured that the morning could only get better, so I smiled through the pain as she apologized profusely and then went on her merry way.

We went to Toys R Us next and didn't have to wait in a line to get in but quickly realized that we needed to get into some sort of a line if we wanted to leave the store before we starved or the kids had another birthday. No kidding, the line went from the front of the store and wrapped around the walls all the way around to the other side. So, my wonderful sister, Lisa, went to stand in the long, long line while I finished shopping. I must say, there is a certain friendliness with most of the people who are crazy enough to get up that early for a good deal on an Easy Bake Oven. We laughed, we joked, I even tried to get a few to join me for a sing-along. (No takers) After an hour and forty minutes we finally got to pay for our loot - woo hoo!

We came home, emptied the car and then Jeff took Lisa's place as my "wing man". I remembered then why it is that I hate, HATE to shop with Jeff... He's slower than a snail! He has no idea how to be an effective black friday shopper! He doesn't know that he has to have a certain mindset, the glimmer of determination in his eye to ward off any would-be cart thiefs and the quick hand to grab the last Nerf Blaster before the lady at the other end of the isle can get to it. (No Ally, I don't steal from other people's carts and I NEVER bite to get what I want despite the rumors) He wanders around looking aimlessly from isle to isle and store to store. I can see the little accountants in his brain doing the calculations and then hitting the red panic button when things aren't what he was expecting. Even when we found Rockband for $90 cheaper than normal he still waffled. I sighed, yawned and finally told him after the 4th store that I was ready to go home.

This is, by far, the best purchase of the day. While in exile at Toys R Us I spotted these little tu-tu's and decided that Abbey and her cousin needed them so that they could match. Sorry for the fuzzy picture - it's Jen's fault...her crummy cell phone was the only thing we had. Aren't they the cutest little ballerinas you've ever seen???
P.S. Yes those are stockings hanging from the fireplace and that is part of a Christmas tree in the corner - we were decorated 4 or 5 days ago!!!