Deal or No Deal?

I used to love Black Friday like I used to love Christmas morning. So thrilling!

Then, two years ago, I was at a department store at 6:30 in the morning, trying on maternity clothes. I looked in the dressing stall mirror and asked myself, "What am I doing here?!" And then when I waited in the check out line for over an hour, surrounded by grumpy, loud people, I promised myself that I never needed to do that again.

Last year, I was at my mom's house. It's kind of fun to go shopping with my mom, and we both love a good bargain. We went early in the morning to a few stores, and I loaded up on socks for my family, plus a couple of DVDs. The deals weren't screaming, but my mom and I were smiling and relaxed. It wasn't bad.

But the better shopping was the previous night, online. Sitting in my pajamas at the computer, browsing and clicking, not having to stalk other shoppers to take over their shopping carts, or stand in line for unreasonable amounts of time while my arms throb under the weight of my purchases? Free shipping? Sleeping in, content with my bargains? Yes, please.

But last night I found that I wasn't the only one who has caught on to the new thrill of Black Friday - Home Edition.

Let me just say that, as irritating as early morning department store crowds can be, at least when I went to the stores I never got to the register to check out, only to watch the goodies in my shopping cart vanish in to thin air. Can you imagine?! Finding the things you want, handing your basket to the clerk, and having him (or her) look into your basket and say, "I'm sorry, ma'am, your basket seems to be empty."

On the bright side: In my frustrated state, I only had to walk a few steps to my warm cozy bed and go to sleep for the night, rather than face the bitter cold darkness outside and drive home in the crazy midnight traffic.