That is NOT GOOD for anyone...

So, I myself have never really been a black friday shopper, usually the best deals are on electronics and that has never appealed to me. However, this Thursday as I was browsing the ads I came across the DS lite for 98 dollars, which it regularly is about 30-40 dollars more. That is a free game!!! My daughter really wants one and that is number on one her Christmas list. I thought, okay, how bad can it be I will get up at 4:30 and go to Wal-Mart (this should have been my first clue) and get the DS and a game. Then, I found myself thinking, I bet I will do that quickly and have time to get some of the 5 dollar board games at Target, stop by the mall and get a pillow pet and even pick up a buy one get one sweater at the GAP for my husband. Yeah me...

WRONG!!!

As I was driving down 24th Street I saw a line at Starbucks, at 4:45!!! Traffic was a bit heavier than usual. I was still thinking good things though. This wasn't sooo bad. Then I saw the Toys R Us parking lot. It was full! Then SHOP-KO and Best Buy with lines snaking around the buildings. OH Crap what did I get myself into. As I pulled into the Wal-Mart lot , I quickly discovered that there was no parking. I had to park in the Bed, Bath and Beyond lot just to go into Wal-Mart. However no line was outside, so I thought I was okay. Once inside I was surrounded by people in yellow vests, crazy ladies with carts filled to the brim with the latest gadgets or crap as I would like to call it. Seriously, ladies were guarding the 6 dollar sweatshirts, like they were never going to get a sweatshirt again. I made my way to the electronics aisle, only to find out that the line for the DS was in the grocery aisle??? I got over there and found out people had been staking out the DS since 11:30 the previous day, result; at five a.m. they were already gone.

Wal-Mart was filled with women and men with crazed looks in their eyes. They had maps, advertisments, had been out since midnight, were planning on cell phones, pushing carts into people, running in the store. This is not Christmas!!! This is pure mayhem and I am lucky I made it out alive. Never again!!! Next year I will be sleeping in and enjoying my coffee.