Weekend Asisgnment #244: Black Friday

Carrie: If it hurts so much why are we going shopping?

Samantha: I have a broken toe, not a broken spirit!

-Carrie Bradshaw & Samantha Jones, Sex in the City

Weekend Assignment#244: Black Friday.
The day after Thanksgiving, in the U.S. is widely believed to be the biggest shopping day of the year. Do you typically shop for holiday gifts on that day? If so, why? Is this year any different in that respect?

Extra Credit: Is there a particular bargain you are pursuing this year? If so, what is it?

Karen Funk Blocker, of the blog, Outpost Mavarin

Ahhhh... Black Friday! That unofficial, in fact no where near a real holiday, holiday, that we look forward to every year! Alan and I have been getting up early to go out on Black Friday and watch people for years, in fact we weren't even a couple the first time we decided to do it. We were just two good friends who enjoyed watching people go crazy at the malls. We have seen a lot of strange things over the years, and even participated a little ourselves, but mostly we watch others in their quests for the perfect bargain gifts. Union Square has become our favorite place to go. It's always beautiful in the city, and there is just a different vibe there. I was afraid that it might be a little sparse this year, given all the problems folks are having just making ends meet, but we weren't disappointed. It was a great year for shopping. It seems all those great discounts were enough to get folks into the square. Shopping bags were everywhere!

That is a good thing I think. I have seen too many wonderful little stores go out of business in recent years. More then one that I loved dearly. You get to know people who run small stores, and it is a nice feeling. When a small store goes under because of the economy, everyone loses. It started with the small stores a few years ago, and now even the big stores are in need of a little loving this holiday season. Sigh. Alan and I have decided to do $50.00 for each of us, plus whatever ends up in our Christmas socks. As for the boys, well, they will be getting a new fun Mouse in a Bag game, and some assorted catnip play toys, plus a new sweatshirt. I found some cute little teddy bear clothes at Michael's for about $4.00 each, so, they should be the warmest, best dressed kittens on the block!

We pretty much know what we will be buying this year, and where we will be buying it. I don't really need that much, but I could use some new cds and there is a great bathrobe I saw at Costco. Yummy, soft and warm. I smile when I think about that robe... hear that hubby? LOL. I am also asking for a Starbuck's gift card, there is nothing, nothing better than a tall hot chocolate with a pump of pumpkin spice syrup, on a cold December day! Unless it is a Venti/Shaken/Iced Tea Lemonade w/Passion tea... unsweetened! Yum! I also have a couple books on the wish list, and there is a Cuisinart that we are giving each other. We both like to cook, so we will both get a lot of use out of it together! Chop, Chop, Chop! :)

I will admit that we did do a little shopping on Black Friday. We always buy an advent calendar. It is a tradition. I know, I know, grown 40 - something people still toying with advent calendars, but Alan never had one as a kid, and we have so much fun guessing what might be behind each door. Hey, the one who gets it right most often, gets to pick the pie we will have at New Years! Wooo Hooo! LOL. So we bought the calendar, and I bought some things at... you guessed it... Old Navy! I had a $10.00 gift certificate and there were some really good bargains. I got an off- white sweater skirt for Christmas, and there was a sale on v-neck sweaters, so I got an off-white one to go with it. I have been waiting for that skirt to go on sale for months! Originally it was $32.50, but I got it for $8.50! I also bought 3 boat neck t-shirts and a green light weight sweater, plus a couple sweaters for Alan. He looks really good in sweaters!

As great as it was to find some bargains, the best part, as usual, was spent sitting at our favorite cafe in the square, watching people. I had hot chocolate with raspberry syrup, and he had an espresso. We watched folks having fun at the skating rink, we watched folks jamming the streets and singing along with the street music. We stopped to take a picture of the Christmas tree in front of Macy's and noticed that there were only men sitting on the steps facing the store. Hmmm. Click on the main picture at the top, and you will see. Those men are facing Macy's, where one by one, they got up to leave, as their wives/girlfriends/and significant others came back with their bargains. LOL.

Here are a few other sights from the day...

The Macy's Tree...
A gorgeous gown by Caroline Herrera at Saks Fifth Avenue. I LOVE it!That is definitely my taste! But my favorite designer will always be Vera Wang!

The holiday ice rink looked like fun. I will be visiting the ice rink at Justin Herman Plaza in a few days. Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday. It's gorgeous at night. :)


Anyone want a wig for Christmas?

It was a lot of fun, and good exercise to walk around the square and down all the streets surrounding it. It was nice to be one among the crowd. It was a pretty day, and for the most part, folks behaved themselves. Every year you hear on the news about someone getting injured or killed on Black Friday. This year was no exception, and I expect as things in the economy get worse, people will get more desperate. Sigh. As always, I am hoping for the best. Black Friday is more then shopping for us, it's another of our unofficial holidays we count as special. Later that day we went to the Holiday Fantasy In The Woods, in Tilden park. But I will save that for a different entry! :)

Extra Credit: Nope nothing specific. As I said, we pretty much already know what we are getting and how much it is. :)

-Carly
"The Men Of Black Friday"
Union Square
San Francisco, California
November 28th, 2008
Afternoon