Black Friday

Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving, has been known to be the busiest shopping day of the year. People get up at what I consider to be the middle of the night, to start their Christmas shopping. 4:00am! No thank you, I love shopping, but I love sleeping more. Maybe it's because I worked retail for 5+ years and had to work on Black Friday every year.

This year was no different. We all slept in. It was a wonderful morning. We started getting some of our furniture ready to bring back into our house (have to put felt pads on the bottom of all the feet). At about 3pm or so my husband says, "Do you want to go to Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware to get those things today?" Really? Do you know what you just said? Today? It's going to be busy. I'm up for it, by this time it should be better. The girls LOVE the mall, so no argument there, but my husband doesn't like crowds, doesn't really like the mall. Are you sure?

In no time at all we were out the door and on our way to the mall. No surprise it took some time to find a parking space. We were just about to leave. O started crying in the back seat because we were not going to go to the mall and something about turning out to the the worst day ever (well, that might not have been what she said, but she was upset). Just then a very happy woman, walking by our car, said she was leaving. She saved the day! C couldn't believe this was his idea.

We get into the mall and C still can't believe this was his idea, but was proud he came up with such a crazy idea that made his family happy. Now even though I have not stepped foot into a mall on Black Friday in YEARS, it was fun. I still wouldn't go at 4am. The bummer part was both items we went to the mall to purchase were not there! One was a catalog/online item only and the other this store didn't have any of. You're kidding me. Oh well.

We made the most of it and decided to walk across the street to Crate and Barrel and then have an early dinner. Talking with our waitress she mentioned this was not the usual Friday crowds, even in the mall for Black Friday. My husband could not believe that. "That wasn't busy?" he asked. I told him from my experience I would agree. This was just a busy weekend Christmas shopping day.

On our walk back through the mall to the car I noticed something. There were lots of people in the mall, but no one had any bags (well, very few). When I worked retail people would have two, three, four shopping bags full. They would get all their shopping done on that one day. Not this year. People were just at the mall window shopping.

Things change, but traditions last. Even when it comes to shopping. The day after Thanksgiving will always be the start of Christmas shopping. Whether it will be the busiest is yet to be seen.