Dogs really ARE Miracles with Paws!!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

The Black Friday Experience!





UNBELIEVABLE! That's my word to describe Black Friday! I mean...it was crazy!

It was kind of a last minute decision for my husband and I to get up REALLY EARLY on Friday and go to Walmart....they had some things in their Black Friday Ad that we had been looking at for the kids and also some things we want for the RV.

We had spent our Thanksgiving dinner at The Canandaigua Inn on the Lake. Our favorite restaurant, Steamboat Landing, was not having their TGiving Buffet this year, so had to settle for the Inn. It was kind of a nice change though as we haven't been there in awhile...I think it was about February when we were there last. It was a terrific buffet! They had stations set up of just about every single kind of food you could imagine. One side was set up for made to order omelets, bacon, eggs, sausage, french toast, pancakes. Another setting had all different kinds of fruits and cheeses. Another table had Roast Beef, Glazed Ham, Fresh Roasted Turkey Sliced to Order, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans almondine, glazed carrots, dressing / stuffing. Another table had allllllll different kinds of salads. Another line had fresh seafood. There was bagels too. And the desserts....WOW! I could have just had that! I grabbed a piece of pumpkin pie on my first pass as I was absolutely positive it would be gone. There was also apple crisp, chocolate mousse, every kind of muffin you can think of, petit fours.

We had a very nice, relaxing dinner....just the two of us and were pretty stuffed by the time we got home. We had to settle for the 3pm seating as both the 11am and the 1pm were full.

Didn't do much of anything last night except put together my list for what we were going to get at Walmart. Finally went to sleep about 1. The dogs had to go out at three. By the time I got them all out and back in again, went upstairs and laid down. Then the alarm went off at 4:15am. We jumped up, got dressed and ready to go and were out the door by about 4:40am! My neighbor's lights were all on and we practically followed her all the way to Walmart too. Well, the closer we got....the more traffic we saw! All the drive-throughs were packed with people! It wasn't even FIVE AM yet and my husband had to drop me off at the door and park WAY out by the road....this is a Walmart Superstore and has ALOT of parking spaces. Not today though. It was absolutely mind boggling to see how much activity was going on at that hour of the morning!!

I grabbed one last shopping cart and started to make my way into the store. There was a HUGE LOUD crowd of people. The employees had the store roped off so that we couldn't get in to where all of the major bargains were until PRECISELY FIVE AM. Well....let me tell you, when they let the ropes go, people went berserk! It was really crazy!

Now, I have not done this whole Black Friday thing in years and years, so I guess I'm a little out of practice. I didn't even know where Ben was....I just kept trying to make my way over to the Electronics Department. Which was pretty freakin' impossible. There were some great deals to be had. But I didn't think I had a chance in hell of getting NEAR the counter. You can't even imagine the lines....Thankfully we had our cell phones and could talk to each other to see where each of us was in the store. As it turned out, I got STUCK in gridlock in the back of the store with the cart and was able to pick up a few of the things we were looking for, but Ben had most of the stuff over on the other side of the store and no cart. So, he just stood there with his "PILE" of stuff. We had to be really careful as I did see people STEALING stuff out of other's carts!!

Two customers got into a fight over a large screen tv and one lady sprayed HAIR SPRAY right into the eyes of the other lady!!! They had to call for medical help....and the sheriff's office! Another worker got trampled....it was a mob scene!!

Yes, we got some good deals...some really good deals and saved a pile of cash on some of the things. So, it was worth it....I guess. Hey, it's blog material anyway! I was going to try to take pics inside.....but was afraid someone would steal my camera!

We ended up going through the checkout line three different times as we saw a few other items that we wanted to pick up. They say the economy is going to hell.....but the people in front of us spent way over eight hundred bucks! Every single cart in that store was loaded down with a ton of stuff!!

Finally, at 6:30 we decided we were done and wanted to get coffee at Dunkin' Donuts in the front of the store. By the time we got there, there were only about 6 people in front of us. But they had NO DONUTS!! So, I got a really good Breakfast Sandwich and a H U G E cup of coffee.

Then, all we wanted to do was come home and go to sleep. Which we did. Checked in with my daughter who was also braving the crowds at Target and her boyfriend....he was over at Sears experiencing the same thing!!

Took a nice nap til 3pm. I feel like it was a VERY long day and am getting ready to shut down for tonight as it's going to be a busy weekend!

Let the holiday season begin.

It's CRUNCH time!!

11 comments:

A Spot of T said...

I almost think your Black Friday is like our Boxing Day here in Canada. Sounds the same although I've never heard of these kinds of crowds. Spraying hairspray in someone's eyes?? Glad you got out safe and with the goods you wanted!

Anonymous said...

Hope you had a great Tanksgiving...

With regards to Black Friday, I cannot understand how people act the way they do just to save a few hundred dollars. I am APPALED and HORRIFIED to hear about the Walmart worker being trampled to death by Black Friday shoppers. And they were upset when they were told they had to leave because someone died. DO people not care anymore???

Jennifer said...

Oh wow, I am in awe!! I would NEVER do the Wal Mart thing on Black Friday. Very scary place. People die at those sales!!

Katya said...

Insanity RULES! Jeanne, I think the mall must have been the place to be. I think it was more "civil"?

We went to Big Flats today, just outside of Elmira. We went to WalMart for an oil change and tire rotation. We bought a few groceries while waiting. When checking out, I couldn't resist...I asked the clerk if there were any wild stories at the store. OH YES! An older woman pulled a KNIFE on a 16 year-old girl over an X-Box 360!!!!! Also, there were two older women batting their purses at one another in the dressing rooms!!! And a guy threatened another man that he was going to shoot him, although no gun was actually seen! Wild WEST???

Makes one want to SCREAM! When we were at Target, Michelle said she did see folks looking through other people's carts, but the carts had been left alone while the people went to shop. That is kind of dumb anyway.

Mark said he supposes there will be many more bargains down the pike. So...

Aren't you GLAD to be home with the pups and SANITY????

Katya said...

Insanity RULES! Jeanne, I think the mall must have been the place to be. I think it was more "civil"?

We went to Big Flats today, just outside of Elmira. We went to WalMart for an oil change and tire rotation. We bought a few groceries while waiting. When checking out, I couldn't resist...I asked the clerk if there were any wild stories at the store. OH YES! An older woman pulled a KNIFE on a 16 year-old girl over an X-Box 360!!!!! Also, there were two older women batting their purses at one another in the dressing rooms!!! And a guy threatened another man that he was going to shoot him, although no gun was actually seen! Wild WEST???

Makes one want to SCREAM! When we were at Target, Michelle said she did see folks looking through other people's carts, but the carts had been left alone while the people went to shop. That is kind of dumb anyway.

Mark said he supposes there will be many more bargains down the pike. So...

Aren't you GLAD to be home with the pups and SANITY????

Sue Seibert said...

Wow, and after reading Drudge about that other town in NY where the worker was killed and one pregnant woman lost her baby, I do believe I'll leave Black Friday alone, as I have done all my life.

It did, however, make an excellent blogging story!!

Brenda said...

One Walmart worker was knocked down and trampled and died in RI on Friday. That was such a horrible thing to happen. I've only been shopping on Black Friday once and I vowed to never do that again. I'm glad you found some bargains!

Kellan said...

You are a brave lady - man! I never go out on Black Friday, but I always feel like I've missed something - some great deals! Sounds like you guys did good!

See you later - Kellan

Unknown said...

You are brave! Love the Inn shots! Divine!

Hayden said...

You have more courage than I. I had a little shopping to do.... online. And then I relaxed.

I can't bear normal frenzied sale crowds, I can't even imagine confronting that kind of hostility and anger.

Anonymous said...

The only reason we left the house on Friday was to take our three year old Granddaughter to have her picture made with Santa at the mall. This was not a good idea from several viewpoints... the masses were en masse at the mall...the line for Santa snaked out of his house, past the elves and back into the mall crowd, she didn't give a hoot about having her picture taken because she wanted to continue playing with the toys on the way to Santa...
If they had been giving merchandise away, I wouldn't have fought the crowds for it.

I am appalled at the behavior of people these days. How sad that someone dies because of these types.