Surviving the day after Thanksgiving Sales!

Don't ask me why we do it- part insanity, part the thrill of the chase, maybe it's just tradition because Thanksgiving just wouldn't be complete without out. I am talking about waking up at 3am, freezing your tootsies off while you wait out with all the other crazies in the world, putting on your boxing gloves and mentally preparing yourself for the mayhem that is just around the corner.
It occurred to me that many of you have not had the joy of participating in this have-to-see-it-to-believe-it event so I thought I would share this years experience down to the nitty gritty details. You see, if you are going to do it, you must do it right and after years of practice we have it down to a science. So, listen and learn...
Thursday Evening
Step 1: Systematically go through each and every ad; circle any items of interest.
Step 2: Repeat Step 1 at least three or four times so that you don't miss anything
Step 3: Prioritize - which items are most important. Where are the best deals? What time does each store open. (A spreadsheet is beneficial!)
Step 4: Divide and Conquer - Make assignments (who gets what)
Step 5: Charge cell phone (This is crucial for tomorrows game plan)
Friday Morning
Step 1: Wake up at 3am
Step 2: Put your game face on - no room for "mr. nice guy" here.
Step 3: Wait in lines
Step 4: GO, GO, GO!
Step 5: Call "team" on cell phone to report, regroup and reassign
Step 6: Celebrate your success by going out to breakfast.

Troy is such a trooper and we always send him after the most desired item. (He claims he thinks it is absurd but don't let him fool you. He is a sucker for a bargain!) This year we started out at Walmart who does things a little differently. Because they are open 24hours they put all of their doorbusters on crates and shrink wrap them. People gather around the crates and at 5am on the dot an associate cuts the wrap and all heck breaks loose. This year we put Troy in charge of getting a Cricket (Scrapbook die-cut machine) because we knew it would be the hot item with over $120 savings. My mom and I were both at different areas of the store to get the other items on our list but we kept the communication lines open through our cell phones. At about 4:45am Troy called to let me know it was probably going to get ugly at his location. And oh, did it ever...
The drama started out with a 40 year old man trying to bully his way into the crowd. After a few elbows to an 60 year old woman she finally turned around and gave him a piece of her mind. Words were exchanged and an associate had to step in to keep things in order. All this happened BEFORE the shrink wrap was ever cut. At 5am Troy remembers the shrink wrap coming off and the next thing he knows he is on the floor on all fours. (He has no idea how he got there). Arms are flying everywhere and he is watching the Crickets disappear before his eyes. He finally grabs one by the handle which of course immediately breaks off. In another desperate attempt he bear hugs one and pulls it safely under his body (remember he is still on all fours). Mission accomplished other than the fact he has 20 people basically hoovering over him. He finally army crawls his way out of the crowd and makes it to safety.
Just wait...the story gets even better.
While he was waiting around the pile he saw one of my cousins waiting on the other side. She had been there quite a few hours and was a shoe-in for one of the machines. Well, you would think anyway. Apparently at the buzzer someone grabbed one right out of her arms and as she reached for the next one, our favorite 40 year old bully doubled her over face down in a cart so he could reach over her to get one. By the time she came up and caught her breath the machines were long gone. However, an associate saw the whole thing go down and finally had enough of the guy. They ended up pressing charges against him and hauling him down to the station for assault. AND, they took his Cricket away and gave it to my cousin.
Now, I know what your thinking. So much for the holiday spirit right? I know, I know, I feel the same way but I just can't stop myself. Besides, we did have a good laugh at the visual of Troy crawling on his hands and knees out of the crowd. And, we've already determined I am pathetic so why not add insane to the list.