The World Has Gone Mad

Did you know that there is a NY couple who is ALREADY IN LINE at Best Buy for Black Friday? They don't even know what they're going to buy, but they know they're going to want SOMETHING. How messed up is that? They are apparently mad that the past four years, the same guy has gotten ahead of them in line. So I guess they're worried that he is going to buy all the _____s except they haven't even decided what they want! So let me guess, they're going to get whatever HE wants, so they can beat him to it? When I was in middle school, Teen magazine ran a story called THE I-Don't-Want-Him-You-Can't-Have-Him Syndrome. It was about how girls break up with boys, but then get mad if anyone else wants to date him. I think these people have the I-Don't-Know-What-I-Want-But-You-Can't-Have-It Syndrome. Not to mention the fact that they might get trampled.

And I read in a different paper today interviews with people who are so "committed" to Black Friday that they have MOVED their Thanksgiving dinners to the middle of the day instead of the evening and one family who even moved their family's Thanksgiving to WEDNESDAY, so they can have time to read the circulars and plan their Black Friday. What the hell? In a country where people are so "committed" that the divorce rate is more than 1 in 2 marriages, people are moving a holiday, so they can be more 'committed' to shopping?

And the final clip I saw on Black Friday showed a woman who was planning to shop for her children on Black Friday. When the reporter asked her what her kids wanted for Christmas, she said, "I will tell my children what to want for Christmas based on what I get on Black Friday." Well, then. And I thought I had control issues.

So for the record, I will NOT be going anywhere at 4 A.M. Friday morning except, perhaps, the bathroom. I will NOT stand in line or risk a trampling for ANY product. That's not to say we can't all enjoy the sales and deals this week-end to make a dent in our Christmas lists, but for goodness sakes, keep a little perspective.

On another note, my two oldest girls are in the midst of exams. We decided a good study break would be family bowling last night. As I'm rolling the ball (about my fourth turn, I guess), my feet fly out from under me, I flail about in the air, and then land flat on my back on the very hard floor. Ouch. My son comes running up and says, "Mom, I saw that exact thing on America's Funniest Videos." Not "Are you okay?" or "Can I take your pulse?" but "I saw that on America's Funniest Videos." So at least I got a good laugh out of it (and a good bruise, too).

I haven't read anything in over a week, but I did get a few advance copies of teen novels to read. These books won't be out until spring, so I'm kind of excited to read them early just so I can be, like, "Yeah, I read that before it even came out." It's the little things in life that thrill me.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Be SURE and watch the Charlie Brown crew eat their traditional popcorn feast. Gotta love it.