It's Shop-til-You-Drop Time

Christmas shopping is now in full swing! And stores were packed to the gills from Thanksgiving evening on. Well, on Black Friday they were. Other nights, hummm? Driving back from Sunny Son’s house in Fort Smith on Thanksgiving evening, I was shocked when I checked out the parking lots in front of stores where I have never seen the parking lot full. These are stores I like to shop in all the time. But not that evening! Parking a quarter mile away from the store’s entrance, if you could find a parking spot a quarter mile away, is not my idea of healthy exercise. Do not want to walk or jog that far just to save a few bucks on a gift. I should have taken a photo for future reference. There was nowhere to park in one lot that I have never seen more than a third full in the past.

Central Mall? Cars parked clear out to the street! I couldn’t believe it! Walmart? Good gracious folks. Walmart was spreading the Black Friday sales out from Thanksgiving evening on through that Friday. Was there not a better way to gift shop? Well, I know one and I might tell, maybe. I could imagine what was going on in those stores, but I wasn’t going anywhere near them. I imagined moms and dads scrambling frantically for the one gift they need for the kid. And then moms and dads get into fights with other moms and dads who are not to be denied that same gift. I could imagine shoppers finally claiming their shopping prize, then having to use it to beat off other shoppers who wanted that same prize, and the result was the gift is ruined and no one gets it.

I may be wrong. Could be all those shoppers, even though shoulder to shoulder in the stores, were polite and more than willing to share. At least I hope it was that way. It’s how I would like it to be. But there’s still no way I am going to go shoulder-to-shoulder with other shoppers. So I ventured out alone on a dreary week night recently to do some shopping of my own. I confess. On Thanksgiving, found out my little family is expanding. “You’re pregnant?” was the question of the day. And all the answers were “Yes!” All I can say is EEK! I just thought I was done shopping.

But I have a secret shopping strategy, which I will share considering it’s the sharing season. I had coupons good for Black Friday, and (this is the good part) good for the following week. I like to shop on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening. And this year it was fabulous, so far. At my first store of choice, which was staying open to midnight (good grief!), the store clerks greatly outnumbered the customers, all two of us. Yep, two. Perhaps the other shoppers had enough of Christmas shopping on Friday. I kind of felt sorry for those clerks, all of whom were absolutely sure that I needed their help. Well they kept asking anyway, even though I declined the help repeatedly. One clerk even started shopping with me. She hadn’t had a chance shop for her young daughter. I offered a few suggestions. At the next store, it was the same. I got to park in the lot in the first space closest to the entrance. There was absolutely no one about. The only other customer I noticed was a co-worker who needed shoes. It was fabulous, not only because there were few fellow shoppers, but because those great prices advertised for Black Friday were still in effect. And I had coupons, and got deals too good to publish. That night might have been the greatest Christmas shopping night of all time.

I had to shop, there are a couple more great-grandbabies to add to my list. And, oh dear, I had to make a list. I’m losing track of great-grandbabies. But I announce that with pride, because, as one grandchild put it, “Well, it’s all your fault. You started it.” Yes, I confess. I started it, with a little help, and am very happy to Christmas shop for any and all grand- and great-grandchildren. Can hardly wait til I’m out there again, going undercover on dark and rainy week night, shopping til I drop for the greatest gift, a new grandchild. Yay!