Black and Blue Friday

                                                                 **"Going to the Dr---$75
                                                                 Pills that didn't work -$100
                                                                  Sleeping till almost noon--Priceless!"**

    This past weekend kind of turned into one long blur.   Add on late night coffee runs and still being sick, and it was extra long.   Today was the first time I got to sleep in for quite awhile, and I fully took advantage of it.  Two things hinder me on days I can sleep in.   One is that I am now used to working mornings, and seem to want to roll out of bed way to early every day.   The next is that constant morning urge to need to pee.  I fought both urges for hours, and woke up well rested, and with a dry bed!
     Thursday, known as Turkey Day to the rest of the world.  Found me opening at work.   It wasn't near as busy as last year, but any holiday rocks to be a server.   I made more in tips that day, than the total amount of my paycheck.  Something that is both nice and disturbing.   Being the holidaze I will not go into my rant about wages in this great state right now.  I served great customers and snaked off the Turkey buffet all day.   "Quality control" I call it, we do not want any customers eating bad food.  I will have to say one, nameless server was very entertaining all day.    The customers only selection was the turkey buffet, and than we simply had to decide if the customer was a senior or child or not.  Than punch it in.   This worker could not seem to get this concept down.  And kept ending up with more tickets than actual customers.   Each time throwing her into a panic.   I was not sure were the drama was, because with only one main selection choice, Surprise!  when the next customer came in, they were having turkey too!  
     After work I went to my brothers for the family dinner.  Full of much more food.   I was still not sure what I would be working on Friday morning, knowing it could be anything from starting at 5 30 AM to starting at ten.   So I mostly kept my beverage selections to nothing stronger than Pepsi that night.  I can say that it was a great dinner.   Although I might have done to much  "quality control" earlier to really look appreciative or hungry by dinner time.   I would also like to note, that somehow, since I  moved back in May, this is the first time I have actually seen this brother.   Who lives clear across town.   Be it we are in totally different social links, his hate for eating were I work, or that we are just such a close family!   I snagged half a chocolate french silk pie when I left, which made me a great hit with my roommates.
   

        **"I would like to thank the huge crowds at Wally World last night for some good entertainment."**

    **"Kudos to the lady at Wally World that decided she was surrounded by to many shoppers on Black Friday ---and pepper sprayed them all!! Now that's the holiday spirit for sure!"**

    Even after learning that the new cell phone I wanted, would not work in the great town that I live in, for some reason I still had the urge to join the masses and go shopping at Wally World that night.  Something about the sim cards in this phone, with the mixture of living in the middle of Noweresville I believe was the scientific reason the phone would not work here.  Even after 8 years of working Black Fridays I was ready to go out this night and join the shoppers.  With really nothing in mind on my shopping list to actually buy that night.   When I worked for the company, the stores were not 24 hours and the managers would open our front doors, way to early Friday morning, one year too 8,000 angry customers, and than get the hell out of the way.   Years I worked on the registers it really wasn't all that bad.  You can only help people so fast, and there is a protective barrier, the register, between you and the throbbing masses.   Years I worked on the sales floor, it wasn't near as "fun."   Nothing says Christmas spirit like beating people down for discounted plastic dinner ware that comes with a free gravy boat!   One year I worked with the company, an older lady lost her wig during the mad rush into the store.   As she was trying to grab it, she about got trampled, and all we could do was watch, through the masses of shoppers, striving to save a dollar.   Another year an older lady passed out in front of the check stands, and customers actually walked over her, to get to the checkouts.  Before someone actually stopped to help her.   Someone seems to get trampled each year.  But the madness goes on, and gets bigger each year.  
     The only year I contributed to the madness was when those stupid Furbys were big.   Another worker and I had found an entire pallet of the toys in the back of the store, and pulled them into Sporting Goods.   One of us made the mistake of paging out about our find.  And the next thing we knew, we easily had 800 shoppers around us.  We climbed up on the sales counter, and tossed the toys into the crowd.  Causing an entertaining, yet scary event.    Later we got in trouble for all this, but I have to say, it was worth it. 
    Thursday night was also entertaining, yet scary.  A huge percent of the town was at Wally World, and we found ourselves parking at Taco Bell, several businesses away.   When first entering the store, several workers ran past us.   Wally World workers seldom run, so we followed them.  To a fight in the isles over $2 dollar DVD's.   The whole night was a massive amount of madness, that I believe I can not describe in words.   You just had to be there.  After that "fun" a crowd of us went to coffee.  While they waited for other great sales to start.


    I have never before shopped on Black Friday.  And after this night, I can easily say I will never do it again.  Although it was nothing but entertaining.  

    Friday morning at work was exactly how I before had predicted it.  The diners had been out all night, getting beat up to save pennies on the dollar.  They were angry and tired.   And most "forgot" to leave much in the tip department.   I was very glad that my boss decided I should start  work at 10 instead of opening.  
  

   Saturday was another early start at work.   It was also Turkey day at my house!   So I came home to a ton of great food once again.   After eating a lot, I hid downstairs, in my room for a little bit.   And the next thing I knew it was 9 o clock at night!   Knowing I would not find sleep for awhile, I ended up at coffee with friends again.   Sunday morning was another early morning at work.  And yet another great tip day.  Amazingly putting me at the end of the long weekend, and happily being my Friday at work. 


    I attempted to go to the Christmas Stroll downtown Friday night, after an extended shift at work.  But it was majorly cold outside.  And we soon ended up at Java Moon for a warm up.

                                Everyone should have a white mocha Steve!   Git you some!!

    I can say that I did not buy anything this weeksend.   I have a very short shopping list this year, but each person is extremely hard to buy for.   And with Wally World being were 90% of town shops, I find it very hard to get motivated.