Midnight Madness

I never had any intention of shopping at midnight.  That is crazy talk!  At midnight on any given night you can find me curled up in bed under my toasty electric blanket dreaming of carbs and sun-drenched beaches and being late for school and rushing to the bus stop only to notice I am in my underwear but hoping no one notices and getting on the bus anyway, and then realizing I can fly!

Anyway.

I do not do much at midnight besides sleep.  However, yesterday the Black Friday circulars arrived at my door, and I made the supreme mistake of looking at them.  The item Ben is asking for most was on sale at Best Buy for $100 cheaper than I’d find anywhere else.  Also there were lots of great deals at Target, and since I find it hard to resist Target on an ordinary day, I decided to head there too.

Full of turkey and pumpkin pie, I mapped out my strategy.  First I’d head to Best Buy, and although I knew there’d be a crowd at the door, I would be smart and sit in my car and watch those suckers standing in the cold, then when the workers open the doors allowing the crowd to push its way in, I’d unhurriedly exit my car and go get my bargains!  After Best Buy, I’d head to Target and then possibly Kohl’s if I still had the energy. 

My alarm went off at 11:15, I got dressed, kissed my sleeping family goodbye, and drove the 30 minute drive to Best Buy.  On the way to Best Buy I passed the Target/Kohl’s shopping center.  It was filled with cars.  I saw no open spots at all.  What?  Who the heck shops at midnight? I continued on to Best Buy.

The first thing I saw was the Best Buy parking lot, which was filled.  I needed to park at an adjacent parking lot for an LA Fitness Center, which was also filling up.  Right about then was when I glanced toward the Best Buy door, hoping to gauge how long I’d need to sit in my car before joining the crowd. 

I was flabbergasted.   There was a line, 3-4 people deep, that extended from the door around all four sides of the extremely ginormous box of a store.  It dawned on me that the line held way more people than the safe capacity of the store would hold.  Which meant I’d need to wait possibly hours in line as a safe amount of people shopped, then eventually get in the store to find my Doorbuster Bargain sold out. I was the sucker.

I decided to wave goodbye to my $100 savings and move on to Target, although I didn’t have high hopes for Target having already scoped out that parking lot.  And once I got there, I just did a drive-by, because the line into Target extended further than I could see, and the only parking spots available were somewhere in western Montana.

I drove home hanging my head in shame:  mortified that I even joined the crazed shopping masses to begin with, and disgraced that I didn’t have the fortitude to stick with it and bag my bargains.  And frankly, part of me is really ticked off that the merchants of the world made me do it.  I realize they didn’t twist my arm or hold a gun to my head, but why, why, why does the shopping get earlier each year?  We need to say NO to the MADNESS, people, and reclaim our Thanksgiving, our uninterrupted sleep, and our dignity! 

Also, if anyone knows where I can find an xBox cheap, I’d appreciate it.