Oh dear, what was I thinking yesterday morning when I awoke at 4:00 AM to head out to the stores for good deals on stuff that we really don�t need? I�ll get to this in a second, first a little about my Thanksgiving.

I had an actually great time on Thanksgiving Day for someone that is 2000 miles away from home with no family. I had decided to cook dinner with a friend of mine at her house. I got up early and started my ham and watched the Parade with Kailee. I cooked like a mad woman for like four hours. I made a Ham, a Pumpkin Pie, a Chocolate Fudge Pie, Mac & Cheese, Corn, Potatoes, and Cranberry sauce. Then there was much more food at her house! But it was a really good meal. After spending some time with her I decided to head over to my other friend�s house because they invited me over but I didn�t wanna be rude. By the way, my hubby was sick so he had to stay home. I ended up having the best time hanging out with my friend and her husband. She�s from Georgia and so we all have a bit in common coming from the good ole south. It was a lot of fun and Kailee had a blast playing with their 4 year old daughter. The only thing was I wished that my hubby hadn�t been sick, I hated leaving him all alone on Thanksgiving like that, but he insisted it was fine and that he was okay, and of course I brought him a plate.

Okay, now to my horror story about shopping on the day after Thanksgiving�

Yesterday, Black Friday as some of us that have been in retail call it, was the first Black Friday that I decided to hit the stores like a crazy person when the doors opened. First it was our Base Exchange here on the base. If you have never heard of this, it is something that military bases have to accommodate and help with the needs of those stationed on the base. Overseas are probably a bit more popular because that is the only way that the people stationed overseas can buy American things. So anywho, the Base Exchange (BX) is awesome. They have not a huge selection of things, but they are like a small department store with a small Walmart in it as well. They have everything from name brand clothes, to jewelry, to Tupperware and cleaning supplies, to furniture to electronics to diapers. I think you get the point now, so I�ll go back to the point of my story. So yesterday morning the BX here on our base gave out to the first 100 customers a free $20.00 gift certificate to the BX. With us being completely outta money except for some for groceries, I decided I would head over there to fight the crowd and get my gift certificate and then leave! HAHA! Well, I figured out that I could spend a little money on some gifts if I found a good bargin so I changed my mind and decided I would shop. I should not have made this decision.

I am not a person for crowds and I am definitely not a person for huge crowds of crazy lunatics shoving me into people and getting run over by a shopping cart. The BX opened at 5:00 AM and I was told by people that have been here a while that the BX will get really busy. So I decided to get there about 4:15 AM. Crazy you might think, but I wasn�t the first in line, I was like 10. So I was insured my gift certificate I thought. I was wrong. When the gate was open, these people started shoving and pushing and the line that I had been standing in disapeared. I mean these people swarmed on the door like bees on honey. It was truly sad. I had never experienced this type of madness in shopping before. I had been out shopping and worked in retail on the day after Thanksgiving, but not so early in the morning. I mean these people are crazy! I about got in a fight with a woman and her hubby because they ran over me and I yelled at them to back off, I had been there for almost a damn hour. The woman looked at me like she was better than me and said well you should have shoved your way through, and I told her where to shove it and pushed in front of her. Hell, I did what she said right? So after that extravaganza, I wasn�t going to dare shop. I just though I�d save the gift certificate incase we needed gas or cigarettes or whatever because I could use it also at the gas station here on base.

Well, as I was leaving I spotted a girl with a cart full of Dora the Explorer stuff. Now any mother with a 3 year old girl knows that Dora is the hottest Christmas presents out there this year in exception of the Video Now thingy. Well, I just couldn�t help myself. I asked her where that stuff was located and I made a bee line for that department. Now I was finding myself one of the crazy people. I found the Dora stuff and they had all kinds of it. Pictures, toy boxes, toy shelves, table and chairs, blankets, clocks, and a Director Chair. So I decided to get the Director�s Chair, the Toy shelf, a blanket, a talking Backpack, and two pictures. Now she will have a cool Dora room. I put it all on layaway! HAHA! Of course. But we will be able to afford it with our next paycheck so no big deal.
After standing in line for over an hour to check out I left, came home, and crawled in bed and slept till Noon. Now, I am still up because the BX is doing the same thing this morning for the first 100 customers. So, this time the husband is coming and he�s gonna get a certificate and so am I. HA! Yea, we�re cheating, not fair, but we�re flat broke. So, we were already up way too late watching a movie, and since we had to be up in an hour or so we decided to just stay up. I can�t believe I am gonna fight these crazy people again. But it will show ya what a girl will do for $20.00. HA!

So, wish me luck folks and farewell for now.

Official countdown till Mom arrives: 3 Days, 15 Hours, 23 Minutes, and 16 Seconds

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