THANKSGIVING AND BLACK FRIDAY… be afraid.

Oh Boy… so much to tell.

Thanksgiving:

We do a switch off every year of who we’re doing Thanksgiving with. Christian SWEARS that one year we did our own. I don’t remember. Either it was so painful that I blocked it out… or it never happened. Either way, this year was the Alo’s turn. Lucky Ducks. So we headed out early to the Simpson’s first so the girls could play with their cousins before it was time to leave. I got us all dressed super cute, thinking naively that we would get a family picture in. Well, apparently mist and rain were in the forecast (a little foreshadowing for later on) and it didn’t happen. The girls played for a little while and then 10 minutes before we have to head over to my parents house Mackenzie showed up. Mackenzie is the Mia’s FAVORITE… which quite honestly might be an understatement. I’m talking borderline obsession she loves her cousin so much. So, they play for 15 minutes and we have to GO. Mia is devastated and hysterical. Poor girl. So we head over to my Mom’s and the house smells so yummy. She brined the Turkey this year and was sooo moist. The sides were all excellent and we ate until we were stuffed. I’m talking mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, rolls, sweet potato casserole that was KILLER… you get the point. I’m a weirdo during Thanksgiving and don’t like my food to touch. So I had like 2 separate plates and was a happy girl. (The highlight of dinner is when Mia wanted another roll. She asked for half of a roll, to be exact. Grandma answer, “Which half do you want?”. “Both”.)  Earlier last week our TV went caput. I like to call it the BEAST. So the BEAST decided to end it’s life and we’re TV-less. The only rational thing to do? Yes, Shop on BLACK FRIDAY. (You just shivered a little didn’t you. Scary… I know.) My mom was kind enough to let the kids have a sleep over which they were excited about. We leave their house and head on home….

Black Friday:

We got home around 7:30pm. I thought, “Hey, let’s take a little nap, wake up at 11pm.” No such luck. Christian was so antsy and crazy that we ended up watching TV on our busted TV. I could only keep him at bay til around 10:30pm. Then we headed out to the Target in Knightdale thinking it would be the most abandoned. The doors didn’t open until 4am. So leaving at 10:30pm sounds crazy right? WRONG!! There are crazier people then us. There were at least 30 people already lined up in their lazy chairs. Rednecks… I swear...grumble, grumble. So we’re a little surprised and are thinking to ourselves that we’re probably not going to get a TV if we’re #31 in line. I tell Christian I’m going to head over to the Target by Triangle Towne Center. It only takes about 10 minutes, and I’d come back for him. So I get there and there are less then 10 people in line! I call Christian and he tells me to STAY PUT!! I’m a little worried because he’s stranded in Knightdale and then to top it off tells me he’s going to get a ride to me. Uh… I just told him not to pick anyone crazy. He arrives safely. PHEW! So it’s about 11pm by now. 11pm – 3:59am… not much to tell. Except that it’s rainy, misty, and only about 56 degrees so not too cold. But BOOOORRRRIIINNNNGGGG!! We stood between a techy geek and his wife/girlfriend and 2 fancy teenagers who brought their fancy table and chair set with their North Face jackets on. Behind us were about 5 black guys… which is important to remember later on.

3:30 AM:

The manager and a few staff members plus the security guard (if you can even call him that) come out, lay down a few rules, pass out a few maps, and make a count. There were close to 400 people in line by now and you know that last person in line is thinking they’re there earlier enough to get a TV. WRONG! We’ve been here since 11pm, sucker. During this next 30 minutes Christian is pep talking me like crazy. Practically threatening me by saying I won’t have a TV at all if I don’t run for it. Then we start sizing people up. An old Asian Couple, 3 extremely over weight girls, and a few scattered middle aged people are in front of us. Sounds rude, right? WRONG!! We’re sizing up the competition, People!! This is LIVE OR DIE HERE! At one point I turn to Christian and say, “This may be the only time that you will look at our bank account and thank me for going to Target so much. Because I know this store in my SLEEP!”

4:00AM:

The doors open, we’re packed like sardines, and… we’re…. OFF! The 10 or more people in front of us go straight ahead and then turn left after the carts. I, on the other hand, took geometry and know that the shortest distance between point A and point B is a straight line. So instead of running the rat race with these fools I take a quick left and cut through the cash registers where the employees are looking at me like I’m CRAZY (which I am because I haven’t slept in FOREVER). We’re all bookin it by now and I’m not even sure where my husband went… all I know is I’m gettin a TV! So I cut through the registers, and almost get sideswiped by one of the 5 black guys which were behind me at one point. I run past girls clothes, past jewelry, past women's and take a sharp right before the cosmetics and see the TV’s!!! There are only 2 guys in front of me, the one who almost sideswiped me and his friend. We finally get to the TV’s and I’m the 3rd person there!! Ok.. ok… I know what you’re thinking. Congrats, you’re the 2nd loser. Um… HELLO?? Do you not know me at all? I am the slowest, most un-athletic person you will EVER meet in your short existence. I just beat out 10 people who were more out of shape then me. So being 3rd is a huge achievement. Christian shows up a few seconds later and grabs a 2nd TV. Yes, we’re hoarders like that. No, not really but we got 2 just in case one of his brothers wanted one. We’re so pumped full of adrenaline after that we can’t even remember what else we came for. All we know is some lady is screaming at people to quit running and we’re getting the stink eye from everyone else who see’s a sweet, in love, married couple with 2 TV’s. SUCKERS!! When we finally check out we get in the car and we’re not even tired anymore… which only lasts about an hour for me. By 5:30am I’m out cold and for some strange reason Christian goes back out shopping. So in short he gets about 2 hours of sleep and I got about 5. All for a 40” LCD TV that cost about $300. Mission accomplished.