Online - truly the way to go.

Thanksgiving night, midnight. Scott and I were still up. He had been sleeping all day and was feeling pretty peppy thanks to some hydrocodone. I mentioned that I might like to go to Toys-R-Us. Just to see. The kids were asleep, and Scott assured me that if something happened, he would call me straightaway. (Since he can't lift more than ten pounds for a month (due to the surgery) and since we live like five minutes from Toys-R-Us.)

Scott said, "Well, I guess everybody needs to experience it just once."

I decided to go to Wal-Mart first. You know, to let the line at Toys-R-Us subside a bit. Not that I actually believed that there would be massive amounts of people at Toys-R-Us at midnight. Surey not!

Scott said, "Oh, yes, there will."

I got to Wal-Mart and it was virtually vacant. I was there for about half an hour, and by the time I left, there were freight calls over the intercom. Trucks were being unloaded at the speed of light. Aisles were flooding with people. I had to get out of there!

On to Toys-R-Us.

First of all, I had to park across the street. Cars were parked in the grass, and I flatly refused to park in the grass at Toys-R-Us. No way. I'll walk across the street like a civilized human being, thank you.

There is a Red Lobster just across the parking lot from Toys-R-Us. I was confused by the people lining the front of Red Lobster. Was there a Midnight Lobster Madness or something? Yet, as I found my way to the front of the store and tried to find the end of the line, I understood the reason for the line in front of Red Lobster. It was the continuation of the line for Toys-R-Us, a line that curved all the way down the side of the store, looped around the back of the parking lot, and ended at Red Lobster. I stood and looked in shock at the scene around me: a crowd of people already in Toys-R-Us; store associates standing at the door of Toys-R-Us, craning their necks to get better views of the crowd in the store and the crowd ourside; store associates cruising the crowds and talking on walkee-talkees; thousands, maybe millions of people waiting quite calmly to get into the store, as if it is just an everyday occurance to wait hours and hours in chilly weather at midnight to get into Toys-R-Us. They were chatting on cell phones, listening to ipods, and eating fast food.

How naive I was about the whole Black Friday thing! People take this very seriously, folks!

I left. I just couldn't do it.

I got home and got online immediately. You know what? The doorbuster deals were also available onine, and most of them with free shipping! I ended up avoiding the crowds and found everything I wanted online, with a little help from an offer I couldn't refuse.

By the way, if you have Craigslist available to you, use it. We (are probably horrible parents because we do this) get used stuff all the time from Craigslist. The stuff is always in great shape, hardly used, and cheap!!!! I think it is better than ebay, because you just go pick the stuff up, you get to look at it first to see if you really want it, and you don't have to pay shipping. (I am getting some Thomas trains thanks to Craigslist). A lot of times people are just giving stuff away, too. Just saying. Craigslist is awesome.

Two stores I didn't abandon (besides Wal-Mart, just to kill time): Dollar General and Bath and Body Works. Dollar General because they really do have great stuff for really cheap, and Bath and Body Works because I am addicted to that place and fully convinced that all of my girlfriends are equally addicted!

Happy (cheap!) shopping!!!!!