Count your many blessings - but please do it before 5 AM on Friday...

Yep - it's my yearly personalized ranting post on Black Friday

If you are a fan of Black Friday - please forgive...

I personally - am not - I work retail,

Actually graveyard week proceeds Black Friday.

I sign my life away on secret ads,

I give my holiday away working Thanksgiving Eve,

Thanksgiving day, and Thanksgiving night

for Black Friday Freaks.
(See later post for Christmas Eve, Day and day after)

Friends I haven't seen for years

come out of the woodwork to try to get out

of me where to run to first in the store,
or if I can 'hold something for them'.
(PLEEAASSSEEE).

Which look like great things to buy,

until the Visa bill comes....

I make sure that I am walking out of the store

15 minutes before the mayhem begins.

You know how cold it is outside by the amount
of Starbucks cups littering our parking lot...
I pray for a blizzard that morning...

As I drive away from the store - I watch the doors open

and I remind myself that there's only $22.50 in my checking
account for the rest of the year probably....

I look at our beautifully decorated, filled to the brim

musically saturated store, that has been wrapped and

ready since the 4th of July, and listen to the

calm before the storm.
Please be kind to the employees in the stores,
they've given up more than you know to make
sure that your adventure in insanity and brutality
is a happy snowglobe dream come true.
Thank them, be patient with them,
they are working on about 2 hours of sleep,
and have been advised to smile...
Use your nice voices, remember that
strollers can be weapons of war, and that
if you have to knock someone to the floor
for the animated fuzzy toy - there is therapy
available for you through Obama's
new health care plan...or not....

Last year - the store did 225,000 in 6 hours...

I didn't get an increase this year,

my benefits were cut,

and I'm watching them bring in new

holiday employees...

Forgive me for my attitude.

I'm grateful for the Holiday 24 hours before Black Friday

Thanksgiving - although I won't get to enjoy any of it...
Get off work at 7:30 am... drive 1 1/2 hours - see family
drive 1 1/2 hours back to be at work by 8:00 PM for the
ever so exciting nightmare before Christmas
Don't get me wrong - I love the celebration of the Holidays.

I'm thankful that our family enjoys the lights, the sounds,

the food and the spirit of Christmas, that we

draw for a name - buy one gift - receive one gift and

remember that it's all about the Christ Child and
serving those around us who never ever ever get to
shop Black Friday - because there isn't even any
food in their home, let alone a tree or 2 or 3...
It's about a phone call from my Missionary,

and a visit from sweet loved family,

and another year that I get to love my parents on this earth.
And above all - being with my children and the most
beautiful 1 1/2 grandchildren in the world.

It's about the tears that well up when "I'll be home for Christmas"

comes on the loud speaker (on Halloween night) and I know

that it's the first Thanksgiving and Christmas that
I've been apart from my Missionary Man
and I'm praying that there's room around

a table for him where ever he is.  And how grateful I am

that there's some mother out there that will take him under

her wing and love him for me.

This year on Thanksgiving - all of my children are
celebrating with their amazing in laws or
they are far away with a new roof!

I will miss them - and yet I am proud of the

amazing human beings they are - and that

they always remember....

"What happens in Vegas - Stays in Vegas"

Never the less, our hearts will be celebrating our love
for each other,and singing
"There's a Big Fat Turkey Down at Grandpa's Farm"

even though - Grandpa never had a farm - but
he did have turkeys and I thought they were
awful, smelly, noisy animals..... random thought...

So - Kids - Bob loves you - dad and I are on our own this year,

so.... knock first.

See.... if I distract you with shiny keys you forget all about

the rush at 5:00 on Black Friday.

....please pass the pumpkin pie...

PS - We put out Valentine Socks this week....