We had a lively Thanksgiving. Here are some of the highlights. First, the kids were off school on Wednesday, and we wound up making a trip to the pediatrician with three sick boys. The results: Ryan has a cold (“para-influenza” is the term the doctor used), Isaac has strep throat, and Evan is teething. All in all, things could have been worse, but we did have to uninvited our guests, a family in the ward with two young boys.
So we had a simple feast for us. In nine previous Thanksgivings, we had never made a turkey; we had eaten the bird at friends’ and family members’ homes, but when we had done the day alone, we had made pizza, meatloaf, or ribs. We were naturally nervous about cooking an animal nearly the size of our baby, but we dove in with gusto, and things went well. The squash and potatoes were both excellent, and Allyson, Summer, and I ate gluttonously. As they were still recovering, the boys ate sparingly, which, all things considered, isn’t necessarily a bad way to approach the meal.
We also got a bit of snow Thursday and Friday. The ground was too warm for anything to stick, but roofs and cars got an inch or so. As an aside, I like living in a place where 1” of snow is a big deal; it’s a nice sign that our weather is typically pleasant.
The biggest first for our holiday was the day after. You see, we’ve been shopping for a new computer for a while. For six years we’ve lived off of our laptop, which was on its last legs, and we decided a desktop for the kids to use would be best. So, after watching thousands of commercials for Friday shopping deals on TV, I decided to check out online. I found a PC package, including a 17” LCD monitor and a printer at Best Buy for $200. I mentioned this to Summer, who responded, “When do they open? Leave now.” For the record, the store opened at 5 am, and this was uttered at 6 pm Thursday. But we finally decided that I would get up at 3:30 am and get to the store by 4:30. We foolishly figured this would be early enough.
After "waking up" and "getting ready," I embarked in the dark and cold. I left the house at 4:00 am and drove through the light snow, a bit unsure as to what I was doing. As I arrived at the shopping center as 4:15, I drove by Circuit City and laughed to myself at the line of poor saps standing outside in the cold. Then I got to Best buy, where a crowd of at least 300 people stood between me and the front door. I sidled up to the end of the line, pulled out a sudoko, and waited. The snow had let up, and, as I realized after the line began moving and we rounded the corner, my spot on the west side of the big box store kept me out of the wind.
Once I got inside, I was greeted by the most amazing display of chaos I have seen in a long time. People rushed past me, as if they instinctively knew where their specially-priced deal was. I, on the other hand, do not have the shopping gene. I moseyed over to the computer section and nonchalantly began looking for the last of the super-cheap PC bundles. After a minute of looking, I mustered up the courage to do what is for me the unthinkable. I asked a store employee for help. He stifled a laugh and told me that this was a ticketed item and had sold out in mere minutes. Apparently the store had only a few dozen, and around 2 am customers in line were given tickets that would then allow them to get their prize from the pickup window, the window where now, 20 minutes after the store opened, the first few people were getting their PC bundles, in exchange for a mere $223.97, tax included, and only 5 or 6 hours of waiting in the New Mexico night.
So I wandered the store aimlessly for a few minutes, a look of genuine shell-shock surely apparent on my face, before leaving empty-handed. As I drove off, I saw the guy who was in fornt of me in line leaving the store; he had bought a DVD and a game controller.
I drove off, determined to keep trying. I knew Wal-Mart had some good PC deals, so I went there next, a bit nervous. My plan was to drive near enough to the store to see how crazy things were. I vowed that if any cars had been set ablaze or police sirens were blaring, I would drive on. Instead, as I arrive, at 5:30 am, I saw a parking lot that was less crowded than it typically is when I go grocery shopping on Thursday night. I was calm. So I parked and ambled in.
The scene was surreal. Empty aisles with employees sweeping dust and packaging, checkout clerks with slack-jawed expressions. It turns out Wal-Mart had opened at 4 am, and the crowds had finished their dirty work and moved on. It was me and a few other losers left.
I wandered back to electronics and saw a stack of PC boxes taller than my wife, all on sale. It was twice what I was hoping to pay at Best Buy, but $100 less than the same system there a week before. I walked around the stack for a minute, studied the box, and put it in my cart. It was immensely anticlimactic. The whole saga was over, and I could have had the same result if I had slept in an hour and a half and gone straight to Wal-Mart. But I had it.
Later that day Allyson and I bought a desk and we set everything up. Summer moved the living room around while we were out, and we now have a new family space and a great system. And a vow to never again go to a door buster Black Friday sales event. Ever.
In all seriousness, happy birthday to my favorite person. I love you.
