<p>I’m please to report that I survived my first black friday working retail! I work as a vendor for a store that is founded by someone named Sam. I worked 5-9pm thanksgiving night and 9-1 this morning. Tons of people but only a few nasty ones.</p>
<p>overcrowded parking lots</p>
<p>I hate these much more than I hate crowded stores.</p>
<p>We saw two movies in the last 24 hours… Dallas Buyers Club last night, and Hunger Games tonight. I was totally prepared to walk into the theater and have a difficult time getting four seats together, so we got there about 15 minutes early. Last night, we were the first ones in our particular theater, and there only ended up being about 20 people in there when it started. Tonight, the theater was about 1/4 full, but the parking lot was packed (last night it wasn’t so packed) so I don’t know what movie everyone was at.</p>
<p>Anyway, when we got home tonight after the movie, I volunteered to treat either or both Ds to The Gap to take advantage of the 50% off sale, and they both declined!!! I was kind of disappointed - I told them the store would probably be much less busy than today during the day, but they didn’t want to go anywhere near the mall. So we’re enjoying our last night together on the couch, which is probably a nicer way to spend our limited time together.</p>
<p>Refused to shop on Thanksgiving. Heard folks say the lines at WalMart and Target were insane. </p>
<p>Went out this morning for Old Navy 50% and did very well. Also hit Kohl’s. then this evening was able to get an iPad Mini online for a nice price so my shopping is done.</p>
<p>I bought coriander, and some dill.</p>
<p>bought one item on Amazon because I finally understood what S wants–nothing to do with the price. Have been looking online at the sales. Nothing at all.
Spending the last 5 days in and out of the hospital for a close friend–well, all of this is not so important. That said, I was worried about the traffic but all was OK.</p>
<p>I bought this poster.
[Emek</a> Pearl Jam Portland Poster & Shirt and Sticker World Premiere Exclusive](<a href=“http://insidetherockposterframe.blogspot.com/2013/11/emek-pearl-jam-portland-poster-shirt.html]Emek”>INSIDE THE ROCK POSTER FRAME BLOG: Emek Pearl Jam Portland Poster & Shirt and Sticker World Premiere Exclusive)</p>
<p>How many here who refuse to shop Thanksgiving Day shop on Sundays? ‘Same thing’ in my book…the cat’s been out of the box a long time already for shopping on ‘family days’.</p>
<p>But Sundays are not “family days” for everyone. Thanksgiving is a national holiday.</p>
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<p>Congrats! (Working retail absolutely great experience to have; like the military, it builds character. lol)</p>
<p>It can be a little fuzzy distinguishing religious days of observance from national holidays…Christmas!</p>
<p>I don’t understand why, but the chaos is spreading… This is from Northern Ireland.</p>
<p>[BBC</a> News - Scenes of chaos during chain store’s Black Friday sales](<a href=“http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25150109]BBC”>Scenes of chaos during chain store's Black Friday sales - BBC News)</p>
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<p>Sure, so it New Year’s Day (cancel the Rose Parade and bowl games for ‘family time’?) and the 4th of July. So what?</p>
<p>(I spoke to a couple of working clerks on Thursday and they were happy to be making money. Perhaps that was just the official story that they were told to tell to customers, but they seemed genuine.)</p>
<p>Full disclosure: when I was in college, I used to volunteer to work the holidays – the holiday pay helped buy books.</p>
<p>Our hospital is staffed 24/7 of course.
I’m thrilled that there always seem to be just enough younger employees who find the extra holiday pay attractive to allow old folks like me off the hook!<br>
I’m not wealthy but value my time with family now over the $$$.
I don’t think that there is the same flexibility in retail.</p>
<p>Well heck then, why is anything closed on Thanksgiving? I’m sure there are people who would show up at the DMV if it were open. </p>
<p>And as far as employees not minding goes, I imagine that the “not minding factor” is directly related to which shift you get to “volunteer” for. My friend who had to work 3am to 3pm was pretty far from not minding.</p>
<p>musicmom might save a life by working, my friend might sell a pair of pants and a cute top.</p>
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<p>There are hundreds of thousands that are still seeking jobs in this economy. Quitting is always a choice, should your friend ‘mind’ the hours; get out of the way for someone who would cherish any hours.</p>
<p>We bought several things online at Staples, Best Buy, and Penneys. They weren’t really gifts, just things DH wanted for personal or business use. </p>
<p>DH, both sons, and I ventured to Best Buy yesterday afternoon to look at TVs. The parking lot was a zoo (altho at our Best Buy the parking lot is constructed like a maze so it can be crazy to negotiate even when it’s not Black Friday). We didn’t buy anything, but I rarely buy anything electronic the first time I go out to shop. It was more of a reconnaissance mission.</p>
<p>I have little interest in hitting the stores on Black Friday, and would never shop on Thanksgiving. There’s no sale that’s so great that you’d get me out there.</p>
<p>“would never shop on Thanksgiving”</p>
<p>I have always been the one person in my family who actually LIKED black Friday shopping. It’s always been fun to me to get up and rub (literally at times) elbows with the crowds and if I “scored” some great buy that was fun.</p>
<p>But I won’t shop on Thanksgiving either. Sorely disappointed to miss what was fun for me but family and tradition (honestly, there aren’t many traditions left!) is way too important to spoil with shopping.</p>
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Really? That brings to mind another holiday quote:
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<p>Fortunately, though, this guy finds out “Mankind was my business!”</p>
<p>Good grief. I always worked holidays as a teen and twenty-something. I liked it! I had no family close by and co-workers were family. The various companies I worked for usually arranged some kind of observance or food or something and we were not all grumbling, sad, oppressed workers. Some of us volunteered. I once worked all night from Thanksgiving Eve to Black Friday morning with lines of customers around the block so someone is shopping. Personally, I did no shopping this year but the idea that no-one wants to work on holidays and it’s a sad state of affairs is just wrong. It’s a chance to earn money for lots of people who need and want to earn money.</p>