Black Friday Shopping

I was supremely aggravated Thanksgiving night, when I tried to open up a program on my computer.  See, I'm working on this book, maybe I've mentioned it a time or three, and I've been typing it in Word.  I got a new computer a while back, and mistakenly, I assumed that the version of Word that was installed was an actual VERSION, and not a TRIAL.  I must have been blind, or say, stupid, not to realize this.  So yesterday when I had spare time and I wanted to work on writing, the program was locked and I couldn't do anything.  My free trial was UP and I needed to buy the real program.  I looked at buying the download, but then remembered that I have a balance left on a gift card to Circuit City for over half of the amount of purchase.  I'd bought a gift card from school to buy gifts for my kids and didn't use it all, so I had money left over.  Great!  I'd use the extra to buy Microsoft Office and all would be well.  I'd go out Friday morning and buy it, and then I could spend all weekend writing.

Oh, you see where this is going, don't you?

When I went out at 9, traffic was light.  Really light.  I thought to myself, "Hmm, maybe the after Thanksgiving sale stuff is overrated. Maybe everyone is finished shopping.  Maybe it'll be quick and easy." HA! And HA again.

My first hint was the fact that the Circuit City parking lot was wall to wall, with people parked illegally and taxis in a line by the front door.  I found a space quickly and walked in.  Even though the store was packed with people, the line at the register was only two or three deep, and I smiled to myself.  I'd grab what I needed and check out quickly, avoiding the other shoppers who were pawing through the dollar dvd bins and grabbing anything that wasn't nailed down.  Being finished with Christmas shopping has its own perks, I thought, smugly congratulating myself.

Then I turned the corner and saw the line.  It was easily 500 people long and snaked around the entire perimeter of the store.These were the people waiting in line to be ALLOWED, by uniformed guard, to step into the register line.  Everyone looked grumpy and hot, kids were crying, mothers were yelling, and I turned around and walked out of the store.

So I'm typing my stuff in an email program and I'll transfer it when I go shopping on Monday after work. 
No WAY am I going back there this weekend.

Comments

[Laura]

I (and one of my kids) waited in a line of about 75 people at Kohl's on Friday around 9. Of course, I HAD to wait in this line because Kohl's had kids coats at 60% off and my oldest was in DIRE need of a new coat. Oh, the joys of Black Friday.....

[kalisah]

that's insane. I don't do Black Friday. Never have. Big Daddy used to get up at like 4 a.m. and go to Wal Mart, back when we were first married. We're not early shoppers like you, we just do our shopping online. It's great. They bring it right to your door.

[margalit]

Can't you download an upgrade from Microsoft? You should at least check it out and see if you can find it online to download. Avoid stores at all costs until after New Years. That's my motto!

[margalit]

Actually, I just looked, and you can dowload it here:

http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/details.aspx?view=info&itemid=3394360

[amy]

I am a retail hag. I LOVE black Friday :) I love working it, not shopping in it. It was the one big day each year I actually missed working retail. That and back to school and good friday. I worked in a shoe store so we got 'busy' at all the usual peaks. Now working for an independant retailer in a small town I love it even more. I love seeing my regular customers. I love helping them find the perfect gift and then wrapping it up and topping each package with a bow. I love the long hours and my tired feet. I love seeing a satisfied shopper leaving knowing they found 'it'.
I'm an oddity I know. One day I'll have a vanity plate that reads rtlhag. If you see it you'll know it's me!

[Nobody]

Hey Carmen, if you are willing to try something a little different you can cut the Microsoft Strings a little. Go to www.openoffice.org and download their office suite. It will replace MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint; all for FREE. It is also 100% compatible with MS Office files... Without getting too much into it, this software was designed specfically to show that Microsoft is charging too much because free software can do the same thing. And it looks A LOT like the original too.. Anyway, it is a thought if you want a more economical (and completely legal) option to purchasing MS Office...

[Melanie]

I second the idea of looking at openoffice.org. Easy to use, and free to boot!

[xenia kathryn]

I use openoffice exclusively at home. I wasn't gonna say anything, but my husband prompted me to do so. He also wants me to say "Open Source rules." It does, too :)

[Jessica]

hey email me and I can give you a code to download a version of word so you dont have to buy it!!!!