Christmas Shopping

The last few weeks Christmas shopping has been a frequent activity. Nikki and I even got up the day after Thanksgiving and battled fellow shoppers for the door-buster items. I think they should have a yearly reality-TV special covering Wal-Marts and Best-Buys around the country. It really is insane and everybody should see it at least once. Most people don't feel like getting up early on a day off and going out in the bitter cold (in our case) so that's why a TV special is in order. I mean that is what most reality TV is about, right? showing people in their worst form. For some reason, Black Friday brings out this competitive survival instinct. Yeah, everybody acts like your buddy when your standing in line. Some people are even forming alliances. "If you pick me up a GPS navigator I'll grab you a portable DVD player." But then the store opens and all respect and courtesy for other people is left at the door. At that point you are on your own...it's every man for himself. One year Nikki and I saw a lady with a walker go up to the front of the line just before the doors opened. It didn't bother the hundred people standing in line until the doors opened and she ditched the walker and ran for the sock bin. Surely, if that was caught on tape it would draw good TV ratings.

This week Nikki and Hayden were shopping for a gift for Grandpa. Nothing says "Merry Christmas Grandpa!" like some martial arts weapons. They went to the store to buy him a pair of Samurai swords. To Hayden's disappointment, all the swords were gone, but he didn't let it discourage him for long. "I guess we'll just have to get him a Karate suit." Grandpa in a Karate suit? Now that would get great TV ratings.

Love,
Brikki