Miscellany: A Not-So-Black Friday

Usually, Mom and I wake up early the day after Thanksgiving to stand in line (often in frigid weather) to take advantage of the sales that occur on "Black Friday." It's sort of a bonding experience for her and me - mothers and sons usually don't shop together, so it's nice to have one day a year where we partake in a frenzied display of consumerism as a duo. When other members of our extended family join in, the atmosphere gets even more ridiculous.

This year, unfortunately, I'm in the midst of preparing for exams and there's literally nothing to buy. All our material needs are fulfilled, and there's no reason to wake up at 4 AM and stand in a 200-person line just to save $150 on some stupid HDTV. It's a strange position to find ourselves, being able to sleep in the fourth Friday of November.

My new plan of attack? Have a relaxing breakfast at John G's, stop for some stuff in the mall afterwards (I need a new Scrabble set), and study the day away. Not exactly bliss, but it's better than fighting over a $200 laptop.