Black CrazyDay

I'm from New Jersey. There I admitted it. It's actually taken me this long to admit it because I don't want to be stereotyped as a Jersey girl. I don't wear hoop earrings, I don't wear obscene amounts of mascara, I don't hang out at the Jersey Shore, and I like to think that I'm not trashy... But that said, there are definitely parts of me that have picked up very Jersey things during the 7 1/2 years that I've lived here.

The biggest of these, is my love for Black Friday. Jersey is a ridiculous consumer driven state. There are malls every 20 miles (or across the road from each other). High school kids spend weekends wandering around malls. People know your town because of the mall that's in it. and Black Friday is insane.

This is honestly the first year since I could legally drive that I've not participated in the Black Friday madness. I remember my senior year of high school, my friend DE and I couldn't sleep at night after 2 hours... so we got up at 4am to join the madness. And madness it was. There were probably more cars out at 4am on Black Friday than there normally are on a normal rush hour weekday. And I got an amazing rush about it. I loved the hustle and bustle of it all. That year, I stood in line at the Office Max to get a digital camera and printer. I then proceeded that day to go to work -- I had worked at dELiA*s at the time. We had a 50% off everything in the store sale. Aeropostale, next door was having the same sale. and there were people everywhere -- but I functioned really well -- even after only 2 hours of sleep. I think I only got about 8 hours of sleep that entire weekend -- from Wednesday to Monday. I get excited about the hustle and bustle.

Last year, DE and I were at it again. Except we went to the Circuit City to try for one of the coveted lap tops. We pulled into the Circuit City around 3:30am, thinking that was plenty early for the 5am opening. Boy were we wrong. By 3:30am, the line had wrapped all the way across the front of the store, down the side, and around the entire back of the store as well. DE thought I was crazy to still want a laptop and stayed in the warm car. I bought my giant panda sleeping bag and sat in line. When the store opened, people swarmed the entrance so quickly and badly that the manager of the Circuit City ended up having to call the police. That's when I took a hint and left.

This year is the first year since that I'm not outside in the cold right now. I looked at the door busters last night and decided that there wasn't anything out there that I actually wanted. Maybe the deals just aren't as good, maybe I just have everything I need. But last night, after leaving the B residence's Thanksgiving dinner, I swung by Circuit City -- to see who was there. I was thoroughly surprised that at 11pm, there were about 40 people in line already. The main parking lot in front was nearly full. There were 5 tents up with people bundled up and waiting. and waiting. This is madness.

After leaving RBM's post Thanksgiving gathering and playing of Quelf, I drove past the Circuit City again. at 1:45am, there were so many people at the CIrcuit City that the line wrapped around half the store already (this is no small store either!).

Maybe I just get more and more excited about the day, but I really think that Black Friday in Jersey is getting crazier and crazier. I love it.

But this year, I decided to get a full night's sleep so that I could "work from home" today and then make my first ever personal Thanksgiving turkey :)

Good luck to all those shopping today!