You Are Opening When?

I admit it! I am one of the wacko's that heads out early on the day after Thanksgiving to shop. My girlfriend and I have been heading out together for about 13 years. I have only missed one year, and we made up for it a couple weeks after by spending the day out together. I like to think of the day as my version of hunting, but rather than bagging a deer or some other creature, I bag Christmas gifts.

We have been up and out the door by 6AM and even 5AM, but this year the anti has been upped by the retail chains when the decision was made to open stores at midnight. I called my friend last night as I perused the newspaper to chat about what we were going to do. Our early shopping was always about getting the great deals, but who the heck wants to cook all day, visit with family and then with no real sleep under your belt hit the stores?

Let's think about this, people that are out there with us on Black Friday are not always the most patient, add to that tiredness and you have a recipe for disaster. My girlfriend and I have always headed out with the motto "Pack your patience", but this year we might have to pack our patience and happy faces to smile at all the tired cranky people we will most likely run into.

Our plan is to still head out at our normal time, probably around 6AM. This will mean that by the time we start shopping, all the door busters will be gone and the shelves may be bear, but we do not care. We are going for the thrill of the hunt and the opportunity to spend some time together. Just because the retailers are trying to ruin Thanksgiving does not mean we have to jump on board, I mean really I am sure that they will have shoppers at midnight, but why? I urge those that think they need to head out that early to wait. Maybe if we stage a protest and all head out at a decent time (well, decent for the day after Thanksgiving anyway) maybe next year we could get these retailers to take it down a notch. At this rate in just a few short years, instead of the night before Thanksgiving being the biggest bar night of the year, it will become the biggest shopping night of the year.

I know I sound like a curmudgeon, and perhaps the fact that I do not respond well to change is showing, but seriously, all I can say to this new idea the retail accountants thought up is "You are opening when? WHY?"