"Black Friday"

[pepper4]

How many of you get up at the crack of dawn to fight the traffic, crowds of people, and stand in long lines to find that great deal? Not me! There's nothing I need that bad to put myself through that madness. Besides I am still recupeing from the festivities of Thanksgiving. I use that week-end to start my Christmas baking. I make 5-6 different types of cookies and my neighbor does the same. We exchange about 2 dozen of each which gives us both a great variety. For those that do go out Happy shopping

[webmaster]

I've only done that once in my life and only did it that time to keep my mother company, she insisted I come with her. I'll never do that again. People die at these events every year, too. There's an [url=https://money.cnn.com/2009/11/20/news/economy/black_friday_doorbuster_secrets/]interesting article over at CNNMoney[/url] about the lies behind the black friday specials. Good reading.

[rainbowgardener]

Friday is also Buy Nothing Day ( https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd ) for those of us who are working on opting out of the rat race.

Personally I never go any where near malls any time in the Christmas shopping season, too crazy.

Under the What Doesn't Fit Elsewhere is a thread on Christmas gifts from the garden. I'm making almost everything this year: knitting, baking, framing garden photos, making herbal teas in teabags and putting them in nice little wooden boxes, etc.

[Charlie MV]

Even in my tiny little town, with it's tiny little mall and very few stores, there is no force on the planet that could keep me from watching "The Santa Claus 1,2 and 3 on black Friday. I also have all the Christmas episodes of "Home Improvement" with Tim the tool-man Taylor . Tim Allen has as honored a perch on our Christmas traditions as the 47 versions of 'A Christmas Carol that we watch each year.

We read " A Christmas Carol " out loud each year. Takes 4 nights. If Tim Allen wrote a Christmas book, we'd read it along with Dickens.

Black Friday Shopping? BAH HUMBUG!

[webmaster]

>>>A Christmas Carol

Our family watched that the other day, the one with George C. Scott. I'm going to be taking my daughter to see a live performance this season so I wanted her to be comfortable with the story first. We visit the local Dickens Fair in San Francisco every year, which is loads and loads of fun. Reading the Christmas Carol sounds like a fantastic tradition. Might give it a try this year.

[Susan W]

You certainly won't find me at a mall! I don't go there anyway, and this weekend a great reason to stay far away. I have worked on Friday. That was at a garden center peddling Christmas trees. And have worked a part shift at Walgreens (when I was somewhat employed there).
I love it when folks, even customers say Have you finished your shopping? Deer in the head lights look is No, haven't started or thought about it much! The few lucky (or unlucky) will get some hand woven tea towels. The challenge is to think of gifts that don't cost alot (time or $) to give to those who can buy whatever they need. I do try to have a pretty plant (FTD) sent to my Dad's widow who is confined at home, with care. She certainly doesn't need stuff! I highly recommend this as a gift for someone at a distance who is confined. If local one could deliver a pretty plant and include the all too important visit.
Sorry, got off topic, but is on my mind.

[Charlie MV]

This is great. I could market a "Gardeners don't do Black Friday" bumper sticker here and make a fortune.


Webmaster, we cranked up Christmas music on the stereo this weekend to bleeding ear volume and decorated the boat.


[img][img]https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd5/charliemv/chrismas%20Boat/anotherboat002-1-1.jpg[/img]


Then we put "A Christmas Carol" with George C Scott in the DVD player and did the first one. I love to say George C. SCOTT while gritting my teeth and bugging out my eyes. Try it. It seems to fit.

The Patrick Stewart version is the most true to the book but I still love Mr McGoo's Christmas Carol too [/img][/img]

[a0c8c]

Black Friday requires money, which I have none of, so it's not happening for me. I've worked on Black Fridays before, and that's enough for me. Oh, and webmaster is right, we had better deals at CompUSA the day AFTER Black Friday

[petalfuzz]

Black Friday requires money, which I have none of, so it's not happening for me. I've worked on Black Fridays before, and that's enough for me. Oh, and webmaster is right, we had better deals at CompUSA the day AFTER Black Friday

Ditto for me! My DH and I participated the last two years and got our shopping done by 10 am and for less than $10/person. Plus we scored a nice pointsetta plant for $1 (reg $6 or 7). So its a good deal if what you want is on sale, but otherwise forget it! I'm doing handmade gifts this year.

[Marsman]

If I need something, I'll get it on-line. Not going anywhere near a mall.

[Pebbles]

Never heard of 'Black Friday' over here (maybe it's just me being a bit fick with a capital 'TH'.

However as of today's date, all my prezzies have been bought and wrapped. I give a home made gift called Rum and Raisin Truffles. Lovely Cadbury chocolate melted in fresh cream. Big bottle of rum soaked into the raisins over night (which turn into the size of grapes) Started this about 6 years ago and give a gift box to all the family. Should not have done this because I am compelled each year to do the same - it is hard and expensive but it makes you feel good in the same way because they all enjoy them.

You can't eat more than one truffle if you are driving

[a0c8c]

Never heard of 'Black Friday' over here (maybe it's just me being a bit fick with a capital 'TH'.

You need Thanksgiving to have Black Firday. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving(this thursday) and is the single busiest shopping day of the year. I'm talking wall to wall traffic, wall to wall people in stores, and people fighting over items. Not much fun really, but sometimes you can get good deals if you leave at 5 a.m. and get to the store by 6 a.m. Sometimes, you just think you get good deals...

[cynthia_h]

Sorry; this "Black Friday" stuff just doesn't work for me.

"Black Friday" was September 13, 1929, the day the stock market crashed. The day the world as (almost) everyone alive had known it changed. The day the Great Depression, next to which our current recession is small potatoes (and, yes, I've been under/unemployed for 6 years), began, only to be ended by World War II.

"Black Friday," to me, is not a happy day. But then, I have the authority of my own mother that I was a fogey when I (ahem) "came out the chute."

Cynthia

[rainbowgardener]

Agreed that it sounds weird, like it should be a day of mourning or like the Black Friday you mention, when something terrible happened.

Black Friday in it's current incarnation is supposedly the day when retail institutions go into the black, when they have brought in enough income since 1 Jan, to balance out all the expenses they will have for the whole year, so that all the income made for the rest of the year is profit.

[webmaster]

Let's not forget Cyber Monday. That's the Monday after Black Friday, when people crowd online to shop for bargains.

Ducks and dodges...

[cynthia_h]

Cyber Monday makes a lot more sense to me; although it's not ethical (well, unless you own the company), most people have faster Internet connections at work than at home, so....

I have some VERY BAD deadlines on Monday, but drew a line in the sand about having the weekend OFF. I only hope that our company's in-house, but national, email isn't slowed down....these documents take a few megs each....

Cyber Monday, I think, REALLY pulls in the bucks.

Cynthia

[TeresaM]

I'm with Marsman... I stay away from malls
during busy seasons. Online is my style!

[Marsman]

Well, Cyber Monday was yesterday and I did all my shopping for my wife. All done. Woot!

Oh, and when I called the National Geographic store to place an order using their 1-888 number, I miss dialed and used 1-800 instead. I discovered it belongs to an adult service provider. Since I wasn't looking to purchase "hot women" for my wife, I hung up quickly.