As I have done in the past, and have put here for your reading pleasure, (Green Friday, Green Friday II, Green Friday III) I usually chronicle my Black Friday forays for your reading pleasure and to satisfy everyone's inquisitive nature and quest for knowledge. First, I study, catalogue, map and file all the flyers that come in. (Lovey even gave me a special Black Friday folder to keep everything in this year!). then I begin what is the only day of the year I actually like to shop.
My day started as usual at Walmart. For reasons that were covered in previous years, the had a significant crowd control. I arrived at seven and had to walk 500 feet from the entrance due to barriers set up. Additionally, within the barriers they had additional barriers so that you had to walk serpentine towards the door. This may have been a good idea at 5, but at 7 THERE WAS NOT A PERSON ON THE LINE. I mentioned this to the day laborers hired by Walmart and slapped with a vest for authority, but I am not sure they even spoke English. Once inside , they continued this idiocy by having certain aisles closed off for crowd control, even though there were no significant crowds anymore.
Well, I got some good deals, and have learned to check the wagons for items people decide they dont want at checkout and scored a really good item that was long sold out for my smiling cousin. I then went in search of a waffle iron.
The product du jour this year was the $10.00 Belgian flip waffle maker. A whole bunch of stores had then listed as door busters, and I just NEEDED to have one.
Well, I got to the aisle, and they seemed out of them. I asked a salesperson if there were any more left, and she didn't think so. However, about five minutes later she found one and handed it to someone she claimed asked before me. Not wishing to spoil the good feeling we were all having shopping early in the morning, I figured I would find one during the rest of my forays.
However, I did get the 2 quart crock pot. This was a secondary goal of mine, to purchase as many crock pots in different sizes for no more than $10. The 2 quart was listed at $3. however, when I found a wall of them and went to check out, it rang up at $9.88. As I was on line, a rather forceful woman saw I had them, exclaimed she had wanted one as well, and she and her friend got on line behind me with them. I should note here that I walked right up to the cashier, there wasn't really a line. When it rang up 9.88 i told the cashier it should be $3. the manager said to get a flyer, which I did, only to be told the black boxes of the product was $3. the purple boxes of the EXACT SAME same product was 9.88. This did not sit well with the rather vociferous women behind me so the manager gave them to all of us for $3.
Then on to Staples for the annual bluetooth ( one for me and one for Bug, who was with me) then Sears for the annual radar detector, and a second 4 quart crock pot for $10.
After that We moseyed over to the mall, ostensibly for a waffle iron. ( we had reached the minimum quota for crock pots). JC Penney had all the other doorbusters, but alas, i was not the only one who suddenly realized that he just HAD to HAVE a waffle iron. They were available online, but that defeats the purpose of shopping, which I was already doing. Target was also out of them, so we deemed the mall a bust and headed to Kohl's. Before we left the mall, I checked the Kohl's flyer, and there on the back, was an ad for a waffle iron! i was so happy, thinking that I was out of luck, that I practically floated from the mall to Kohl's. As we pulled in to the parking lot, I informed Bug that was going to stand at the front of the store and refuse to move or leave until i got my waffle iron. despite the very real threat of imminent embarrassment, Bug accompanied me into the store and towards housewares, where I asked, expecting the answer "No." if he had any more waffle irons. He told me "yes, they are right over there". I raced to where he pointed, grabbed one to my chest, then lifted it to the sky and danced a bit ( alas, Bug could not avoid the embarrassment in the end). We then decided to pay. So we went to the registers in the front, and started following the line that eventually reached all the way to the back of the store where we had been in the first place. As i was standing on line, Bug went in search of some refreshment, as we had been going for six hours and hadn't eaten or drank anything.
He then called me and told me that the line on the other side of the store had about 15 people on it instead of 150, and I should go over to that side. I surreptitiously slipped out of my spot and with great care, so as not to cause a stampede to the other side of the store, meandered over int hat direction. As the line quickly moved towards a register, Bug informed me " THIS is the best find of the day" a sentiment I had to agree with.
We then left and arrived home, seven hours later and several dollars shorter than when we began, tired but happy. With a stack of stuff for Lovey to once again return the following week.
Then my cousin called and told me she picked up a waffle iron for me at 3 AM.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Apples and Trees
I am not a morning person, not by a long shot. Apparently, that gene has transferred to the next generation.
Now this has usually been a truly wonderful thing, especially when everyone was still little and I had one of the few houses in the neighborhood that didn't start rocking at 530 AM.
However, as the kids got bigger, it started to occasionally become a problem, since everyone went to bed later, getting up for school was harder.
I didn't really realize how much the kids were like me until the other morning. I asked Boo as she was getting ready for school "How you doing?". She stops what she is doing, turns to me, gives me a look both annoyed and exasperated and says.
"It's morning."
Now this has usually been a truly wonderful thing, especially when everyone was still little and I had one of the few houses in the neighborhood that didn't start rocking at 530 AM.
However, as the kids got bigger, it started to occasionally become a problem, since everyone went to bed later, getting up for school was harder.
I didn't really realize how much the kids were like me until the other morning. I asked Boo as she was getting ready for school "How you doing?". She stops what she is doing, turns to me, gives me a look both annoyed and exasperated and says.
"It's morning."
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Keep it in the Vault
I think I need better speakers at work.
I was listening to a Beatles anthology CD at my desk which is admittedly made up of outtake type tracks, as well as demos and stuff, so the quality is really pretty bad. But what really struck me is the comments I got from people passing by my office.
Now I don't think I play it that loudly, but I seem to need to keep volumes rather high lately (Lovey will confirm this, to her great consternation). At work it is coupled by rather lousy speaker set.
So the first guy comes in to my office and tells me that the music sounds like a little rascals episode. Then within the next three minutes someone goes past my office and asks me why I am listening to Arabic music. Then my secretary IM's me from outside asking me if someone is dying.
I think there is a good reason why these outtakes were outtakes and rejected from the albums.
I was listening to a Beatles anthology CD at my desk which is admittedly made up of outtake type tracks, as well as demos and stuff, so the quality is really pretty bad. But what really struck me is the comments I got from people passing by my office.
Now I don't think I play it that loudly, but I seem to need to keep volumes rather high lately (Lovey will confirm this, to her great consternation). At work it is coupled by rather lousy speaker set.
So the first guy comes in to my office and tells me that the music sounds like a little rascals episode. Then within the next three minutes someone goes past my office and asks me why I am listening to Arabic music. Then my secretary IM's me from outside asking me if someone is dying.
I think there is a good reason why these outtakes were outtakes and rejected from the albums.
Monday, November 8, 2010
It Must Be The Hat, Again!
As I have previously blogged, and then followed up, for some reason, when I wear my NYPD cap, people stop me for directions. But I think I need to modify that a bit, they also stop me for other reasons.
I was running late to get back to court in lower Manhattan last week. As I was hurrying along, a group of four tourists from the Eastern bloc asked me to take a picture of them in front of the Brooklyn Bridge. Not wanting to have them think badly of New Yorkers, I grudgingly acquiesced, wondering why they felt they could trust me with their camera. (Could it be that four fit Europeans could probably run down one short fat guy?)
Well, I snapped the picture and returned the camera, and proceeded on my way. Alas, I was not to get to my destination unstopped. As I was once again striding stridently towards the courthouse, a well dressed elderly Russian woman stepped out of a limo and asked me how to get to Grant and Allen streets.
Not wanting to have her think ill of short fat guys, I told her what I thought was the best route to
taken wondering in the back of my mind why she felt compelled to ask me.
It was only when I was once again on my way that I realized I was wearing my NYPD hat.
I was running late to get back to court in lower Manhattan last week. As I was hurrying along, a group of four tourists from the Eastern bloc asked me to take a picture of them in front of the Brooklyn Bridge. Not wanting to have them think badly of New Yorkers, I grudgingly acquiesced, wondering why they felt they could trust me with their camera. (Could it be that four fit Europeans could probably run down one short fat guy?)
Well, I snapped the picture and returned the camera, and proceeded on my way. Alas, I was not to get to my destination unstopped. As I was once again striding stridently towards the courthouse, a well dressed elderly Russian woman stepped out of a limo and asked me how to get to Grant and Allen streets.
Not wanting to have her think ill of short fat guys, I told her what I thought was the best route to
taken wondering in the back of my mind why she felt compelled to ask me.
It was only when I was once again on my way that I realized I was wearing my NYPD hat.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
OY! Jerusalem
A major intersection in Jerusalem near the Municipal Buildings is named Kikar Zahal in honor of the Israeli armed forces. It used to be known as Parachutist's Square but that was changed many years ago. It is formed from the intersection of Kvish1, Shlomo Hamelech Street, Jaffa Street and Shivtei Yisroel Street. Crossing from one corner to its diagonally opposite corner can take several minutes because of the way the lights are set. There is some meaning to the madness which I can't quite figure out but it is a life threatening act to cross against the light.
This intersection is the construction unions' sugar daddy. I can't remember a time when they were not either digging it up, covering it up or just leaving it for weeks on end in an in-between state, complete with heavy steel plates that you can easily trip over, piles of paving stones and heaps of rubble, to say nothing of the construction equipment which block lanes in a very busy trafficway. In all this time, there doesn't seem to be any noticeable difference to the street or sidewalk. Just the other night some construction vehicles were doing something to the street that necessitated closing a lane and led to a massive backup. The next morning they removed the heavy machinery and left only a 12 foot by 6 foot portion of the pavement completely scraped away to the base layer of roughened stone.
(Between writing the lines above and this writing, I actually tripped and fell over some unevenness in the pavement at this very intersection)
This intersection is chronically backed up especially in the afternoon and early evening hours. The Jerusalem Light Rail system is supposed to remedy at least the bus traffic which may solve some of the other traffic problems as well. This event, eagerly awaited by many but whose eventual occurrence is as equally doubted, has been in the construction and planning stage for about 12 years and is currently expected (by the authority who runs the thing) to begin operations this coming spring 2011. The first phase which is now finishing up will provide transportation from the northernmost end of Jerusalem to one of its southern suburbs, the trip taking about 25 minutes. This is a vast improvement over the current interminable ride by wheeled vehicle, public or private.
I have seen some of the rolling stock actually rolling in test runs and it warms my heart. I am among the more avid fans of the system and have been waiting since 2008 to see the system in real time operation.
The intersection of which I spoke is a major turning point in the light rail route turning the north-south route to east-west until the next turning point, at the new, landmark, cable-stayed bridge back to north-south. The turn has been the cause for much of the construction at this intersection since the distance between the pairs of tracks increases as it rounds the bend. I don't think they got it right the first few times they tried it.
So all is in readiness for the grand opening six months hence. The only thing they haven't quite figured out is where to route the buses that currently are riding along the right of way and there is no room for vehicular traffic once the rail line is open.
Rumor has it that there is no plan.
This intersection is the construction unions' sugar daddy. I can't remember a time when they were not either digging it up, covering it up or just leaving it for weeks on end in an in-between state, complete with heavy steel plates that you can easily trip over, piles of paving stones and heaps of rubble, to say nothing of the construction equipment which block lanes in a very busy trafficway. In all this time, there doesn't seem to be any noticeable difference to the street or sidewalk. Just the other night some construction vehicles were doing something to the street that necessitated closing a lane and led to a massive backup. The next morning they removed the heavy machinery and left only a 12 foot by 6 foot portion of the pavement completely scraped away to the base layer of roughened stone.
(Between writing the lines above and this writing, I actually tripped and fell over some unevenness in the pavement at this very intersection)
This intersection is chronically backed up especially in the afternoon and early evening hours. The Jerusalem Light Rail system is supposed to remedy at least the bus traffic which may solve some of the other traffic problems as well. This event, eagerly awaited by many but whose eventual occurrence is as equally doubted, has been in the construction and planning stage for about 12 years and is currently expected (by the authority who runs the thing) to begin operations this coming spring 2011. The first phase which is now finishing up will provide transportation from the northernmost end of Jerusalem to one of its southern suburbs, the trip taking about 25 minutes. This is a vast improvement over the current interminable ride by wheeled vehicle, public or private.
I have seen some of the rolling stock actually rolling in test runs and it warms my heart. I am among the more avid fans of the system and have been waiting since 2008 to see the system in real time operation.
The intersection of which I spoke is a major turning point in the light rail route turning the north-south route to east-west until the next turning point, at the new, landmark, cable-stayed bridge back to north-south. The turn has been the cause for much of the construction at this intersection since the distance between the pairs of tracks increases as it rounds the bend. I don't think they got it right the first few times they tried it.
So all is in readiness for the grand opening six months hence. The only thing they haven't quite figured out is where to route the buses that currently are riding along the right of way and there is no room for vehicular traffic once the rail line is open.
Rumor has it that there is no plan.
Please Act Appropriately
Kirsten Gillibrand is a hypocritical crybaby.
Does that statement make me a bigot? It probably does in her world. However, I resent the double standard that seems in play any time a republican or conservative makes a statement.
Allow me to elaborate.
Mr. Palladino made a comment that Ms. Gillibrand was Chuck Shumer's little girl. She henceforth took great umbrage at the categorization, no matter how true the statement may be. She resented the fact that he referenced her gender, which, I guess is a crime.
If that is the case, then why did she agree to do an article and spread or Vogue magazine? You don't really see many male ( gasp! gender reference alert!) senators featured on its glossy pages. I would even venture, without researching the issue, that there have probably never been any male senators as the subject of a photo spread.
So what bothers me the is hypocritical double standard that our junior senator is using, its OK for her to capitalize on her gender, but no one else may mention it.
And if she really doesn't care, and is just making a fuss for the political grandstanding advantage, than I guess she really is Chuckie's little girl.
Does that statement make me a bigot? It probably does in her world. However, I resent the double standard that seems in play any time a republican or conservative makes a statement.
Allow me to elaborate.
Mr. Palladino made a comment that Ms. Gillibrand was Chuck Shumer's little girl. She henceforth took great umbrage at the categorization, no matter how true the statement may be. She resented the fact that he referenced her gender, which, I guess is a crime.
If that is the case, then why did she agree to do an article and spread or Vogue magazine? You don't really see many male ( gasp! gender reference alert!) senators featured on its glossy pages. I would even venture, without researching the issue, that there have probably never been any male senators as the subject of a photo spread.
So what bothers me the is hypocritical double standard that our junior senator is using, its OK for her to capitalize on her gender, but no one else may mention it.
And if she really doesn't care, and is just making a fuss for the political grandstanding advantage, than I guess she really is Chuckie's little girl.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Cheap, or Frugal?
Occasionally, I have to endure snippy little comments from siblings at my ability to enjoy entertainments for, shall we say, reduced costs.
Some of these savings are by design (early birds specials, with all the retirees), others by luck (winning raffles and auctions) and sometimes through others (gift certificates).
Whatever the cause, it is always nice to be able to enjoy a night out, and still enjoy a full wallet at the end of the evening.
So last night we went out to commemorate a special occasion. We had vouchers for a movie (that we did NOT use last time, since the matinee price was 1/2 the regular price, and we wanted to save the vouchers for a full price ticket), which was lots of fun, and then we went to Noah's Ark, which never disappoints, for a light late dinner. We went there partially because we like it, and partially because we still had some money left on an old gift certificate. (Yes, I know, three meals on a $50.00 card is quite a feat, but that's the way it is.)
So we had our usual split an appetizer and main, and we used up the rest of the card.
Movie with voucher $ 0.00
Dinner for two with gift certificate $17.00
Being able to say dinner and movie for just $17.00
Priceless.
But we paid with a Visa.
Some of these savings are by design (early birds specials, with all the retirees), others by luck (winning raffles and auctions) and sometimes through others (gift certificates).
Whatever the cause, it is always nice to be able to enjoy a night out, and still enjoy a full wallet at the end of the evening.
So last night we went out to commemorate a special occasion. We had vouchers for a movie (that we did NOT use last time, since the matinee price was 1/2 the regular price, and we wanted to save the vouchers for a full price ticket), which was lots of fun, and then we went to Noah's Ark, which never disappoints, for a light late dinner. We went there partially because we like it, and partially because we still had some money left on an old gift certificate. (Yes, I know, three meals on a $50.00 card is quite a feat, but that's the way it is.)
So we had our usual split an appetizer and main, and we used up the rest of the card.
Movie with voucher $ 0.00
Dinner for two with gift certificate $17.00
Being able to say dinner and movie for just $17.00
Priceless.
But we paid with a Visa.
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