How Wal-Mart (and others) ruined Black Friday

Black Friday used to be a noble tradition.

You would scour the circulars leading up to Thanksgiving so you had a game plan. Play the odds and plan a route. Forget Risk (which I never played); Black Friday could be its very own strategic board game.

Getting out the door by 4am was a challenge. You had to really want it. Because, sure, the easy option would be to sleep off Thanksgiving dinner, but if you wanted to be a hero, you got your butt up early and were back in time for brunch.

(And maybe you left your bags in the car so your dad wouldn’t see exactly how much money you’d actually saved by buying so much on sale.)

Regardless, these were the rules of engagement.

And now the rules have changed.

It’s like a whole new world out there. I thought it was crazy two years ago, when stores opened at midnight. Only a couple hours to digest all that turkey? And what about all the wine that’s still in my system? Now we need to plan a DD for Black Friday?

I didn’t love it, but I did it.

This year? I refuse to participate.

Black Friday now officially starts on Thursday – on Thanksgiving, with several stores opening at 10pm. It’s too much.

There’s a piece in the LA Times that quotes a retail industry analyst: “Retailers recognize the importance of being convenient, and one of those conveniences is opening earlier so people don’t have to wait in line at 4 in the morning in the cold.”

Here’s some advice: don’t be a baby. And bring some gloves.

The waiting, the freezing, the pushing, the getting separated from your mother and lost in Circuit City surrounded by crazy people just so you can get your brother a flash drive that he never uses – that’s all part of the Black Friday charm. It’s part of the challenge, part of the thrill.

And so, in protest (that I’m so sure will be noticed), I’ll sit this one out. It was a good run. Black Friday has been good to me. And it’s been a hell of a bonding time with Mama.

But I refuse to play by these new rules.

Thanks a lot, Wal-Mart.*

*And everyone else who changed the game.

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Weekend adventures and checking more things off my list

I was worried with the cooler weather that some of my 25 for 25 goals might have to be pushed to next spring – things like skydiving, hitting a home run, doing an underwear run, and hiking at Great Falls. Luckily, November weather has been more than cooperative, and I finally had a weekend (mostly) free from schoolwork, so we took advantage.

The boyfriend loves Great Falls and I’d never been, so it seemed like a perfect Saturday activity. We hiked just Section A of the Billy Goat Trail, but I’m already hooked. I can’t wait to go back and add B and C to the mix.

The views were breathtaking and postcard-esque, even from my little point-and-shoot:

The trails were challenging, and made for a great workout (especially when we ventured off the beaten path):

"I'm going up that?!"

The perfectly still water allowed me a shot at an artsy photo or two:

And the chances to mimic movie/TV scenes could not be passed up:

My own Dirty Dancing balancing act. Take that, Baby.

Listen – I know this isn’t a flattering photo of me, but I was not about to miss a chance to act out “Jack fighting John Locke/Man in Black from Lost on the cliffs” when I had the perfect setting for it. If you’re a fan, you understand.

All in all, it was a perfect Saturday adventure that I can’t wait to repeat.

Note: All the super cool edited photos came from the boyfriend’s iPhone. My point-and-shoot is starting to get a complex.

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A busy Philly weekend

So, this past weekend consisted of…

…playing a ridiculous amount of Rock Band with my girlfriends and their husbands/fiances. (Which resulted in deciding that, in order to get better, I will eventually have to purchase my very own Rock Band. You know, for my free time.)

…shopping for and ordering a bridesmaid dress. Come June, I’ll be decked out in this:

I love the color, I’m just not really a bow or gathering kind of girl.

But hey, it’s not my day.

…running the Philly Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon!

If you remember last year, my parents missed me crossing the finish line, and my mom admitted that she’d been looking for me in the ambulance. This time, she knew better – though still missed me. BUT she is an excellent supporter, and I’m so glad she came out. (Thanks, Mama!) And she did catch this action shot around mile four or five:

See me amidst all the pink?

Last year, too, we were so excited for our first real medal. Once we finished, we marveled at the weight and the general coolness of the Liberty Bell we’d won. But this year, well, this year’s medal wins, hands down:

The guitar! The sparkles! And it’s even heavier than last year!

My actual time may not have been as good as before, but the experience was right up there. Plus, reward me with a medal like that, and you can be sure I’ll be back next year.

I’ll run it as many times as it takes for my parents to see me cross that finish line.

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Protected: TMI Thursday: Tastes like low standards

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