Shopping

When I worked in retail, oh so many years ago, the claim that the Friday after Thanksgiving was the "busiest shopping day of the year" was simply not true, yet was constantly repeated. I lived the holiday shopping season for five years, and depending on what day of the week Christmas fell on, busier days were the Saturday before, Christmas Eve (a shorter day, but more intense), and the One Day sale a week or two before. (Hanukkah mattered, too, for if it were later in December, there'd be additional shoppers as Christmas approached.) I don't know if things have changed, if reality has come around to meet legend, but I still find myself talking back to newscasters when they float that idea again. (Yes, I know, I talk back to my tv all morning. It's exhausting. I should stop having morning news on in the background but I'm always waiting for the weather and half-listening when it does come on, so I miss it and need to wait again, and yeah, I've heard of weather.com, but... hey, maybe I like talking back to the news, okay? I released a lot of built-up tension yesterday yelling "who cares?" every time someone mentioned that wedding that took place over the weekend. I'm happy to report that keeping my trusty remote near at all times enabled me to avoid nearly every mention of the nuptials.)

Okay. Where was I? Oh, yeah, maybe "Black Friday" is the biggest day for other retailers, maybe it was just our department store (although it was the self-proclaimed "World's Largest Store.") Either way, I feel sorry for people who get so little time off that that day is really the only time they have to shop.

Oh, after I posted here on Sunday morning, I checked out Target's website and was pleasantly surprised to find that they open at 8 am on Sundays! It was 7:30, and I had time to shower, dress, hop a bus, and walk into the store by 8:30. It was wonderful - empty, quiet, peaceful. I didn't find the exact curtains I wanted, but for 9.99 got a decent substitute, then managed to spend another $130 on odds and ends (runner for the hallway, shower curtain liner, lampshades, socks, t-shirt, holiday decorations for my cubicle at work, a jewelry box.)