Friday confession: I love Black Friday.

   
   There's a lot of reasons why. These are just my observations, but to be fair they're probably skewed.  I don't go to places that hand out vouchers, and that certainly helps.  So don't be a humbug.  Hear me out.  
     There is a kinship amongst the shoppers on Black Friday.  Outside, people turn to the people behind them in line and start talking while they wait.  They share about their families, their homes, and their friends.  They make excuses for themselves being out at indecent hours.  They compare the QT coffee to McD's.  Then the doors open.
     The line proceeds forward, and the group dissipates.  In the stores, the great kinship of crazies continues.  Moms divide their teens into store sections.  Wives lend out their husbands to reach high objects.  People give directions to where they've "seen" the deals.  Some people loan their cart space to those with heavy loads in line.  I can almost hear "It's the most wonderful time of the year" in muzac in the background.
   Then there's the deals.  Hunters of all ages and sizes are out and about.
   Some people are big game hunting.  They want the deal, the one deal that beats all deals at competing stores.  They're the ones waiting in line several hours ahead to save hundreds of dollars or get "the" toy at the rock bottom price.
     Others are hunting greater quantities of specific smaller game.  They start with a list, and work their way through the stores in a methodical fashion.  They have the areas they need to be "first", because they like to do their giving with a theme.  They need ten of those bath sets that are 75% off.
    Another category of hunters are those who start w/ recipients, a budget, and a general category/store they like.  It's more like snaring than shooting.  Sometimes you win big.  Sometimes you don't get anything at all, except some time alone and a look at the better side of man....and an excuse to nap in the afternoon while your husband wrestles the Christmas tree.