grazin' on the sidewalks

Everyone have a good Thanksgiving? Mine was decent, as I got to spend it with my Grandma Young and cousins who I never see. So it was good to catch up with them, although a bit awkward since they're too good to show up at family functions. But it was good to eat my grandma's rolls and noodles for the first time in a long, long time. I had to work later that night, since my employer decided to stay open on Thanksgiving. Did it pay off? Not on our part. We were so over on labor and low on sales, throughout the day. In fact, I swung by about 3 in the afternoon and there was like four employees sitting at the counter. So, maybe this experiment failed.

As I got to work at 9:45 that night, I was a bit surprised to see at least ten people standing right in front of Target. At Kohls, there were already several cars parked. I just thought to myself, is this going to be a long night? And it was. Dining room wasn't that busy, but I had a feeling drive-thru was going to be slammed with pre-shoppers. I must have sold at least more hot chocolate and hot tea more than the last five years combined. No joke. It was mostly picky people who were so crabby more than ever (was it the cold?) but I knew that these people were just straight-up losers. I know it sounds harsh, but I just don't see how anyone can sit in the cold for more than five hours just to save $50 or $100 on anything. It can be benefitting. This guy at work told me that one of his friends sold his place in line for $300. That gave me a good idea for next year lol. I know what I would do with $300!

The hottest spots to be at 3 in the morning were Old Navy (which was the first to open), Kohls (4am), Best Buy, Target and Walmart (all open at 5am). I watched how Targets line rapidly expanded. By 4am they were lined up past Sears Hardware. In other words, there was probably more than 120 people in line. I just kept thinking, what a bunch of sheep. By 6am, the restaurant I work at was getting packed as shoppers were already coming in. It was probably our busiest day of the year, as servers reported at least $175 in tips that day. I later went to Best Buy after work (7am) and I was able to get a Sony BluRay player (for $120) which came with Beetlejuice. I also got three more BluRays, and I got the Full House: Complete Series on DVD box set for an amazing low price. So I did my part on shopping.

Sorry if I offended those who regularly get in line on Black Friday, but it just makes me wonder how much of a follower a person can be. Okay, follower is not the word, but an obsessed bargain hunter. I love bargains, but I just can't believe people go out of their way for things that go down in value. I love buying electronics, but I prefer to choose carefully because I know something better will replace what I buy. Like this laptop that I bought a year ago, it may be useless in two years.