First of all, yes, I have the internet, and yes, I'm well adept at ordering things online in my pajamas. I've shopped from the bathtub, I've actively bought presents for my kids while hanging out with them. So all those memes about "why is everyone out on Black Friday, do you people not have wifi?" don't really apply. I love my wifi and my jammies. But online shopping will never replace in person shopping for me entirely. I need to hold things and see things and sort and tally in person.
So yeah, I contribute to the holiday craziness in the stores. In my defense, after my traditional Black Friday solo excursion (which I try to do at the lull in the predawn hours), I really try to stick to as many weekdays as I can, and as many off hours as I can.
That being said, I've waited in some lines. I've also walked into stores, seen the lines and walked back out. I've gone to three different Targets searching for a "RainbowCorn", that I saw all the time when I was with Reagan, but when I finally got my chance to shop without her, were nowhere to be found. I've signed up for at least one credit card, just for the ridiculous discount, and used it precisely once before paying it off, but I've also turned down at least six different offers.
But the WORST is the parking lots. I'm a big fan of parking off to the side, parking as far away as possible to get a pull through, and eyeing the cars next to me up and down to check for door ding potential. Because I swear, people completely lose their minds in December. I can normally navigate a parking lot, even a crowded one, with no issue. But so far this month I've almost been hit while driving and walking by people who seem to have lost all sense of how to navigate society.
The first weekend of shopping people seem to be pleasant and full of holiday cheer. They're polite, they're festive, and there's almost an experience feel about the shopping. But after that...nope. It's long lines of grumpy people who can't BELIEVE that the OG section of Target is looking picked over.
So to survive...I do the first weekend. Then I stick to off times and online.
And now, if I have to park, I park FAR away and walk in on high alert, because you never know who is going to tear around a corner at full speed.
And I know the January sales are going to be epic!
